As stated previously, there are a number of physical properties of the profile form, its arrangement, and the thermodynamic properties of the steam that influence the basic state-line efficiency. In this section, this basic efficiency and those factors of the profile and the properties of the steam that affect it will be considered. Various forms of the correction factors that are developed will be provided. The correction factors considered are those listed in equations 3.20 and 3.21.

In considering the basic profile loss factor ? po and the various correction factors that are applied to it, it must be recognized that many of the dimensional corrections are profile sensitive. They are developed by the researcher for a particular type or family of profiles and are best applied to forms that are within, or physically close to, the type for which they were developed. However, that the profile being considered in any application may be different from that considered by the researcher does not invalidate the information that these various corrections provide. In fact, there is sufficient evidence that these corrections can be used with confidence. An operating engineer is normally concerned with differences from a new to an as existing condition, and therefore error magnitudes in using these correction factors will be relatively small.