Why does it require more fuel to generate steam at high pressures?

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Generating steam at higher pressures requires more fuel primarily because higher pressure increases the heat content of steam. As pressure rises, the boiling point of water also increases, necessitating a greater amount of heat energy to elevate the temperature of water to its boiling point and convert it to steam. The latent heat of vaporization also increases with pressure, meaning that more energy is needed to transform water into steam at these elevated pressures. This results in a greater heat input requirement from fuel to achieve the desired steam characteristics, including temperature and pressure, particularly in high-demand applications.

While the options related to steam efficiency, maintaining boiler temperature, and steam leakage could also be significant factors in steam generation, the fundamental principle here revolves around the thermodynamic relationship between pressure, temperature, and the associated energy requirements for phase change in water, effectively justifying why more fuel is utilized in high-pressure steam generation.

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