BASICS OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING (ME-107)

Lectures on
STEAM BOILERS

Introduction
Boiler is a device which is used to produce steam at high pressure.
Steam is being used in thermal power plant, textile industries and for domestic uses during winter to heat the room.

Types of boilers
Horizontal, Vertical and Inclined boilers
Fire tube and water tube
Externally fired and internally fired
Forced circulation and natural circulation
High pressure and low pressure
Stationary and portable(moving)
Single tube and multi tube
 Horizontal, vertical or inclined
If the axis of the boiler is horizontal, vertical or inclined then it is called horizontal, vertical or inclined boiler respectively.

Fire tube and water tube

If hot gases are inside the tube and water is outside the tube, it is called fire-tube boiler.
Examples: Cochran, Lancashire and locomotive boilers.
If water is inside the tube and hot gases are outside the tube, it is called fire-tube boiler.
Examples: Babcock and Wilcox, Sterling, Yarrow boiler etc.

Externally fired and internally fired

The boiler is known as externally fired if the fire is outside the shell.
Examples: Babcock and Wilcox, Sterling
The boiler is known as internally fired if the furnace is located inside the boiler shell.
Examples: Cochran, Lancashire

Forced circulation and natural circulation

In forced circulation type of boilers, the circulation of water is done by a forced pump
Examples: Velox, Lamont, Benson boiler

In natural circulation type of boilers, circulation of water in the boiler takes place due to natural convection currents
produced by the application of heat.
Examples: Lancashire, Babcock and Wilcox
 High pressure and low pressure
The boilers which produce steam at pressures of 80 bar and above are called high pressure boilers.
Examples: Babcock and Wilcox, Velox, Lamont, Benson boilers.

The boilers which produce steam at pressure below 80 bar are called low pressure boilers.
Examples: Cochran, Cornish, Lancashire and locomotive boilers.

Stationary and portable

Stationary boilers are used for power plant-steam, for central station utility power plants, for plant process steam etc.

Mobile or portable boilers include locomotive type, and other small unit for temporary use at sites.

Single tube and multi tube

The fire tube boilers are classified as single tube or multi-tube boilers, depending upon whether the fire tube is one or
more than one.
Examples of single tube boilers are Cornish and simple vertical boiler
 Parts and terms in Boiler
Shell
Consists of one or more steel plates bent into a cylindrical form and riveted or welded together. The shell ends are closed
with end plates
Grate
It is a platform in the furnace upon which fuel is burnt
Furnace
It is the chamber formed by the space above the grate and below the boiler shell, in which combustion takes place.
Refractory
Insulation material used for lining combustion chamber
Combustion chamber
Part of furnace where combustion of fuel takes place.
Setting
The primary function of setting is to confine heat to the boiler and form a passage for gases. It is made of brick work and
may form the wall of the furnace and combustion chamber
Water space and steam space
The volume of the shell that is occupied by the water is termed as water space while the entire shell volume less the water
and tubes is called steam space.
Water level
The level at which water stands in the boiler is called water level.
Refractory
Insulation material used for lining combustion chamber.
Boilers and Parts
 Foaming
Formation of steam bubbles on the surface of boiler water due to high surface tension of water.
Scale
A deposit of medium due to extreme hardness occurring on the water heating surfaces of boiler because of an undesirable
condition in the boiler water.
Blowing off
The removal of mud and other impurities of water from the lowest part of the boiler. Accomplished with the help of blow
off cock or valve.
Lagging
Insulation wrapped on the outside of the boiler shell or steam piping.
Priming
It is the carryover of varying amounts of droplets of water in the steam (foam and mist), which lowers the energy
efficiency of the steam and leads to the deposit of salt crystals on the super heaters and in the turbines. Priming may be
caused by improper construction of boiler, excessive ratings, or sudden fluctuations in steam demand. Priming is
sometimes aggravated by impurities in the boiler-water.
Some mechanical entertainment of minute drops of boiler water in the steam always occurs. When this boiler water
carryover is excessive, steam-carried solids produce turbine blade deposits. The accumulations have a composition similar
to that of the dissolved solids in the boiler water. Priming is common cause of high levels of boiler water carryover. These
conditions often lead to super heater tube failures as well. Priming is related to the viscosity of the water and its tendency
to foam. These properties are governed by alkalinity, the presence of certain organic substances and by total salinity or
TDS. The degree of priming also depends on the design of the boiler and its steaming rate.
 Mountings
Equipment and devices, which are used for safety of boiler are called mountings, these are required parts for the successful
operation of a boiler.
Ex. Feed-check valve, safety Valve etc.

Accessories
The items which are used for increasing the boiler efficiency are called accessories.
Ex. Super heaters, Steam separators etc.
 BOILER MOUNTINGS
Important boiler mountings are as follows,

Pressure gauge

Safety valves

Fusible plug

Steam stop valve

Feed check valve

Blow off cock

Mud and man holes

Water level Indicator

 PRESSURE GAUGE

Fitted in front of the boiler to record the steam pressure at which steam is generated in the boiler.

Two types of pressure gauges are being used in boiler operations.

Diaphragm type
Bourdon Tube

A bourdon pressure gauge in its simplest form consists of a simple elastic tube, one end of the tube is fixed and connected
to the steam space in the boiler, other end is connected to a sector through a link.
Diaphragm Type
 SAFETY VALVE

Safety valves are needed to blow off the steam when the pressure of the steam in the boiler exceeds the working pressure. It is
placed on the top of the boiler.

Dead weight safety valve

Lever safety valve
Spring loaded safety valve
High steam and low water safety valve

Lever safety valve

Dead weight safety valve
Spring loaded safety valve High steam and low water safety valve
 FUSIBLE PLUG

To extinguish fire in the event of water level in the boiler shell falling below a certain specified limit.
It is installed below boilers water level on the crown plate

Fusible Plug
 STEAM STOP VALVE

A valve is a device that regulates

the flow of a fluid (gases ,
fluidized solids slurries or
liquids) by opening or closing or
partially obstructing various
passageways

Function : to shut off or regulate

the flow of steam from the boiler
to the steam pipe or steam from
the steam pipe to the engine
FEED CHECK VALVE

To allow the feed water to

pass in to the boiler

To prevent the back flow

of water from the boiler in
the event of the failure of
the feed pump
 BLOW OFF COCK

To drain out water from the boiler for internal cleaning inspection
or other purposes
 WATER LEVEL INDICATOR

The function of water level indicator is to show level of

water present in the boiler.

A : End plate of boiler H&J : Two balls

B&C : Hollow gun metal casting K : Drain cock
D&E : Cocks L : Guard glass
F : Gauge glass M,N,P& R: Screwed caps
G : Hollow metal column X,Y : Flanges
 BOILER ACCESSORIES

Accessories are the devices being used to increase the efficiency of the boiler. A large amount of heat is being carried out by
the flue gases, this is wastage of useful energy, which can be recovered. Accessories are those equipment which recovers the
wastage along with smoothing the operation to increase the utilization of energy as well as reducing the cost of operation. The
waste recovery takes place by the help of flue gases, which has a large amount of heat.
Accessories are not the mandatory parts or devices but being used for efficient operation.

Commonly used accessories are as follows,

Steam Super heater
Economizer
Air preheater
Steam separator
Feed Pump
Injector
 STEAM SUPER HEATER

The function of a super heater is to increase the temperature of steam above its saturation point. That means it gives
assurance of the quality of steam. During superheating pressure of steam remains same but the volume increases with its
temperature, increasing the internal energy which in turns prove to increase in kinetic energy, resulting in

Reduction of steam consumption of turbine.

Reduction in losses due to condensation in steam pipes.
Elimination of erosion of turbine blades
Increase in efficiency.

There are two types of super heaters.

1. Convective Super heater
2. Radiant Super heater
 ECONOMIZER

In best way it is known as feed water heater, that refers heating of feed water, which is supplied to the boiler shell to get
vaporized. It utilizes heat carried out but the waste furnace gases to heat the water before it enters boiler. By increasing the
temperature of water, chilling of the boiler surface is prevented and then a less amount of sensible heat is required to achieve
saturation temperature, it reduces then the input heat to the boiler and increasing efficiency.

There are two types of economizer

1. Independent type (not a part of boiler)
2. Integrated type (a part of boiler)
 AIR PREHEATER

The function of an air preheater is to heat the inlet air before it is sent to the furnace. It is placed after economizer, flue gases
coming from economizer is being utilized to heat air. Preheated air accelerates combustion and increasing the amount of heat
produced.

Degree of preheating depends upon

1. Type of fuel
2. Type of fuel burning equipment
3. Rating of the boiler and furnace

Two types of preheaters commonly used,

1. Recuperative type (Both the fluids pass simultaneously)
2. Regenerative type (Fluids pass alternatively)
 STEAM SEPARATOR

The basic work of steam separator is to ensure the quality of steam, steam from the boiler may be in the form of wet steam, or
incase of regenerative cycle, where condensate from turbine is supplied back or being used by smaller capacity turbines to
recover heat, steam must be in the wet format. Steam separator removes water particles.

There are three types of steam separator

1. Impact or baffle type
2. Reverse current type
3. Centrifugal type

Baffle type steam separator

 FEED PUMP

Feed pumps is the device required to supply water to the boiler. The quantity of feed water should be at least equal to the
amount of steam delivered to the turbine or required space. For open cycle boiler in case of large plants, where there is no
condenser or the amount of feedback water is less, pumps are inevitable.

There are two types of feed pumps,

1. Reciprocating feed pump (Piston cylinder arrangement)
Single acting
Double acting
2. Rotary or centrifugal feed pump

Duplex reciprocating pump

 INJECTOR

The basic work of an injector is to feed water to the boiler on high pressure,
it finds its application in such places where there is no space to install feed
pumps. It works by the help of steam pressure in a way that the pressure of
steam is being utilised to increase the kinetic energy of feed water.

Advantages
1. Low initial cost
2. Simplicity
3. Compactness
4. No dynamic parts
5. High thermal efficiency

Disadvantages
1. Low pumping efficiency
2. Cant work for very hot steam
3. Irregularity in the operation when steam pressure varies considerably

Injector
 STUDY OF BOILER

Fire tube boiler (Cochran boiler)

Water tube boiler (Babcock and Wilcox boiler)

FIRE TUBE BOILER

(COCHRAN BOILER)
Introduction
Its a multi tube internally fired, fire tube boiler, as an improvement of
traditional vertical boiler, providing more heating space relatively.

Construction
It consists of a vertical cylindrical shell with a hemispherical top and
hemispherical shaped furnace. Furnace has ash pit at the bottom end
above which fire grate lies. Combustion chamber of the furnace widens
to connect the flue passage pipes, lined with fir bricks and insulated
with refractory materials on the shell side. Smoke box is fitted in the
hinged door for easy access to tubes, and allow easy cleaning.
A number of horizontal fire tubes of equal lengths and diameter
connects the combustion chamber with smoke box. Furnace is
surrounded by water on all the side except the opening for fire door
and combustion chamber.
 WATER TUBE BOILER
(BABCOK & WILCOX BOILER)
This is a type of water tube boiler used when pressure
exceeds 10 bar and capacity 7000 kg per hour.

Construction
It consists of a horizontal high pressure drum, from each
end of it connections are made with an uptake and a
down take header. Headers are joined to each other by
large number of water tubes inclined at an angle of 15
degree to provide water circulation. Hand holes are
provided for the maintenance of tubes. The entire
assembly of water tubes is hung in a room made of
masonry work, lined with fire bricks to resist thermal
expansion. As super heater additional U-shaped tubes are
arranged between drums and water tubes.
Furnace is arranged below the uptake header. Baffles are
provided across the water tubes to guide flue gases. A
Chimney is provided for exit of gases and a damper at the
opening of chimney to provide draught. Cleaning doors
are provided to access the tubes for cleaning and removal
of soot and various mountings for successful operation.
Advantage of Babcock and Wilcox boiler

Suitable for all types of fuels and hand stokers for firing.

Draught loss is small.

All components are accessible for inspection during operation.

Expansion and contraction has no harm on masonry work(construction).

Replacement of defective tubes are easy.

Applications of Cochran boiler and Babcock and Wilcox boiler

Cochran boiler finds its application in cranes, excavators and in small factories for general contract work where temporary
supply of steam is required.

Babcock and Wilcox boiler finds its application in sugar mills and textile industries for power generations and processing
works.
 COMPARISON OF FIRE TUBE AND WATER TUBE BOILERS

Particulars Fire-tube boilers Water-tube boilers

Hot gases inside the tubes and water Water inside the tubes and hot gases
Position of water and hot gases
outside the tubes outside the tubes

Mode of firing Generally internally fired Externally fired

Operation pressure Limited to 16 bar Can go up to 100 bar
Rate of steam production Lower Higher

Suitability Not suitable for large power plants Suitable for large power plants

Involves lesser risk of explosion due to More risk on bursting due to high
Risk on bursting
lower pressure pressure

For a given power it occupies more For a given power it occupies less floor
Floor area
floor area area
Construction Difficult Simple
 COMPARISON OF FIRE TUBE AND WATER TUBE BOILERS

Particulars Fire-tube boilers Water-tube boilers

Transportation Difficult Simple

Shell diameter Large for same power Small for same power

Chances of explosion Less More

Treatment of water Not so necessary More necessary

Various parts not so easily accessible for

Accessibility of various parts More accessible
cleaning, repair and inspection

Require less skill for efficient and

Requirement of skill Require more skill and careful attention
economic working