ME 1103: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

Steam Boilers
The Theory of Producing Steam

 Water boils and evaporates at 100°C under

atmospheric pressure.

 By higher pressure, water evaporates at

higher temperature - e.g. a pressure of 10

bar equals an evaporation temperature of
184°C.

 During the evaporation process, pressure

and temperature are constant, and a

substantial amount of thermal energy is used for
bringing the water from liquid to vapor phase.

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The Theory of Producing Steam
 When all the water is evaporated,
the steam is called dry saturated.

 In this condition the steam contains a

large amount of latent heat.

 Further heating of dry saturated

steam will lead to increase in
temperature of the steam.

 Superheated steam.

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 Steam Boiler
 A device used to create steam by applying heat
energy to water.
 Generally, a closed vessel made of steel.

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 Classification
1. According to the contents in the tube
i. Fire tube boiler- flame and hot gases passes through the
tubes which are surrounded by water.
ii. Water tube boiler- water is contained inside the tubes
which are surrounded by flames and hot gases.
2. According to the position of the furnace
i. Internally fired boiler- furnace is located inside the
boiler shell.
ii. Externally fired boiler- the furnace is arranged
underneath a brick-work setting.

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 Classification
3. According to the axis of the shell
i. Vertical Boiler- axis of shell is vertical
ii. Horizontal Boiler- axis of shell is horizontal
4. According to application
i. Utility Boilers- large capacity steam generators used
purely for electrical power generation.
ii. Industrial Boilers- small capacity boilers intended for
use in the process industries

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 Selection of a steam boiler
The selection of type and size of a steam boiler depends upon
the following factors:
❖The power required and the working pressure

❖The rate at which steam is to be generated

❖The geographical position of the powerhouse

❖The fuel and water availability

❖The type of fuel to be used
❖The probable permanency of the station

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 Important Terms for Steam Boilers
 Boiler Shell: It is made up of steel plates bent into cylindrical form and
riveted or welded together. The ends of the shell are closed by means of end
plates. A boiler shell should have sufficient capacity to contain water and
steam.
 Combustion Chamber: It is the space, generally below the boiler shell,
meant for burning fuel in order to produce steam from the water contained
in the shell.
 Grate: It is a platform, in the combustion chamber, upon which fuel (coal
or wood) is burnt. The grate, generally, consists of cast iron bars which are
spaced apart so that air (required for combustion) can pass through them.
The surface area of the grate, over which the fire takes place, is called grate
surface.
 Furnace: It is the space, above the grate and below the boiler shell, in
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which the fuel is actually burnt.The furnace is also called firebox.
 Fire-Tube Boiler

❑ A steam boiler in which hot gaseous

products of combustion pass through tubes
surrounded by boiler water.
❑ The water and steam in fire-tube boilers
are contained within a large-diameter
drum or shell, and such units often are
referred to as shell-type boilers.
❑ Heat from the products of combustion is
transferred to the boiler water by tubes or
flues of relatively small diameter (7.5–10
cm) through which the hot gases flow.

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 Fire-Tube Boiler
❑ The tubes are connected to tube sheets
at each end of the cylindrical shell and
serve as structural reinforcements to
support the flat tube sheets against the
force of the internal water and steam
pressure.
❑ Examples of fire-tube boilers are:
❑ Simple vertical boiler,
❑Cochran boiler,
❑Lancashire boiler,
❑Cornish boiler,
❑Scotch marine boiler,
❑ Locomotive boiler etc.

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 Fire-Tube Boiler
Cochran Boiler:
❑This is a vertical fire tube boiler as
shown in the figure.
❑The fuel is fed into the grate through
the fuel door and lighted.
❑The fuel is burnt on the grate and hot
gases go to the combustion chamber
through a short flue tube.
❑The combustion continues in the
combustion chamber.

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 ❑The hot gases pass through the fire
tubes and heat the surrounding water
and convert it into steam. Since the
steam is lighter, it goes up the steam
space.
❑The crown of the boiler and the grate
are both hemispherical in shape. The
waste gases enter the smoke box and are
released through the chimney.
❑The amount of waste gases leaving the
chimney is controlled by means of a
damper manually.

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Lancashire Boiler:
❑ This is a fire tube, internally fired,
horizontal, natural draft, natural
circulation type boiler.
❑ Lancashire boiler has two large
flues containing the fires.
❑The boiler is very popular and
reliable because of simplicity of design
and ease of operation.
❑The boiler has a good steaming
quality, can burn coal of inferior
quality and so has less
maintenance and operating cost.
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 ❑The boiler is very widely used in sugar mills and chemical industries
where along with power steam, steam is also required for process work.
❑The boiler is commonly employed where we need large reservoir of
water and steam.

Two Separate Furnaces

Two Separate Flue

Systems
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 Lancashire Boiler (sectional view)

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 Water-tube Boiler
❑A water-tube boiler is a type of boiler in which water
circulates in tubes, which are heated externally by the fire.
❑ Water-tube boilers are used for high-pressure
boilers.
❑Examples of water-tube boilers are,
❑Babcock andWilcox boiler
❑Stirling boiler

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 Water-tube Boiler
Babcock and
Wilcox Boiler:
❑ This is a horizontal, externally
fired, water tube, natural circulation
type of stationary boiler.
❑ Fuel is burned inside the furnace,
creating hot gas, which heats up
water in the steam-generating tubes.
❑The heated water then rises into
the steam drum.
❑ Here, saturated steam is drawn off
the top of the drum.
❑In some services, the steam will
re-enter the furnace in through a
superheater in order to become
superheated.

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 Essentials of a Good Steam Boiler
 It should produce maximum quantity of steam with the given fuel
 It should be economical to install and should require little attention during operation
 It should rapidly meet the fluctuation of load
 It should be capable of quick starting
 It should be light in weight
 It should occupy a small space
 The joints should be few and accessible for inspection
 The mud and other deposits should not collect on the heating plates
 The tubes should not accumulate soot or water deposits and should have a reasonable margin
of strength to allow.
 The water and flue gas circuit should be designed to allow a maximum fluid velocity without
incurring heavy frictional losses.

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 Fire-tube Vs Water-tube Boilers
 Fire tubes boilers has a large volume of water, therefore more flexible and can meet
the sudden demand of steam.
 Fire tubes boiler is rigid and of simple mechanical construction, so greater
reliability and low in first cost.
 Fire tube boilers can be made in smallest sizes therefore simple to fabricate and
transport, occupies less floor space.
 Water tubes boilers are more readily accessible for cleaning, inspection and repairs,
compared to the fire tube boilers.

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 Boiler Mountings
 These are the fittings, which are mounted on the boiler for its proper and safe
functioning. Though there are many types of boiler mountings, yet the following
are important from the subject point of view:
1. Water level indicator
2. Pressure gauge
3. Safety valve
4. Steam stop valve
5. Blow off cock
6. Feed check valve and
7. Fusible plug

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 Boiler Mountings
 Water Level Indicator: It is an important fitting, which indicates the water level
inside the boiler to an observer. It is a safety device, upon which the correct working
of the boiler depends. This fitting may be seen in front of the boiler and are generally
two in number.
 Pressure Gauge: A pressure gauge is used to measure the pressure of the steam inside the
steam boiler. It is fixed in front of the steam boiler. The pressure gauges generally used
are of Bourdon type. A bourdon pressure gauge, in its simplest form, consists of an
elliptical elastic tube bent into an arc of a circle. This bent up tube is called Bourdon’s
tube.
 Safety Valve: This is a device attached to the steam chest for preventing explosions
due to excessive internal pressure of steam. A steam boiler is usually provided with
two safety valves. In brief, the function of a safety valve is to blow off the steam when
the pressure of steam inside the boiler exceeds the working pressure.

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 Boiler Mountings
 Steam Stop Valve: It is largest valve on the steam boiler. It is, usually, fitted to the highest
part of the shell by means of a flange.The principal function of a stop valve are:
 To control the flow of steam from the boiler to the main steam pipe
 To shut off the steam completely when required.
 Blow off Cock:The principal functions of a blow off cock are
 To empty the boiler whenever required
 To discharge the mud, scale or sediments which are accumulated at the bottom of the
boiler.
 Feed Check Valve: It is a non return valve, fitted to a screwed spindle to regulate lift. Its
function is to regulate the supply of water, which is pumped into the boiler, by the feed
pump.
 Fusible Plug: It is fitted to the crown plate of the furnace or the fire. Its object is to put off
the fire in the furnace of the boiler when the level of water in the boiler falls to an unsafe
limit and thus avoids the explosion which may take place due to overheating of the furnace
plate.

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 Boiler Accessories
 These are the devices which are used as integral parts of a boiler and help in running
efficiently.
 Feed Pump: Boiler feed pumps are an important part of any boiler operation. They
control the amount of water fed to the boiler and the manner in which it is fed. The
pressure of steam inside the boiler is high. So the pressure of feed water has to be
increased proportionately before it is made to enter the boiler. Generally, the pressure of
feed water is 20% more than that in the boiler.
 Air Pre-heater: Air pre-heater is a general term to describe any device designed to heat
air before another process (for example combustion in a boiler). The purpose of the air
pre-heater is to recover the heat from the flue gas from the boiler to improve boiler
efficiency by burning warm air, which increases combustion efficiency, and reducing
useful heat lost from the flue. Consequently, the gases are also sent to the chimney or
stack at a lower temperature, allowing simplified design of the ducting and stack. It also
allows control over the temperature of gases leaving the stack (to meet emissions
regulations, for example).

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 Boiler Accessories
 Superheater: A superheater is a device in a steam engine that heats the steam generated by
the boiler again, increasing its thermal energy and decreasing the likelihood that it will
condense inside the engine. Superheaters increase the efficiency of the steam engine, and were
widely adopted. Steam, which has been superheated, is logically known as superheated steam;
non-superheated steam is called saturated steam or wet steam. Superheaters were applied to
steam locomotives in quantity from the early 20th century, to most steam vehicles, and to
stationary steam engines including power stations.

Figure shows a simplified

Babcock-Wilcox Boiler’s
cross-section with Superheater

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 Boiler Accessories
 Economizer: An economizer is a device used to heat feed water by utilizing the heat in
the exhaust flue gases before leaving through the chimney. As the name indicates, the
economizer improves the economy of the steam boiler. The advantages of using an
economizer are:
 There is about 15 to 20% of coal saving
 It increases the steam raising capacity of a boiler because it shortens the time
required to convert water into steam
 It prevents formation of scale in boiler water tube because the scale now forms in the
economizer tubes can be cleaned easily
 Since the feed water entering the boiler is hot, therefore strains due to unequal
expansion are minimized.

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 Schematic diagram of a Boiler Plant
with accessories

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