University of Batangas

Mechanical Engineering Department

Hilltop, Batangas City

ME LABORATORY 2

Fire and Water Tube Boilers

Subject Topic. No. 1

SUBMITTED BY:

CASSANDRA BORILLO
BSME/5TH YEAR/ME5-1

SEPTEMBER 23, 2019

DATE

ENGR. JUANITO N. RAMOS, Jr., RME

Professional Lecturer
 I. INTRODUCTION

1. WHAT IS A STEAM BOILER?

A steam boiler is a power generation device, used for generating steam by

applying the heat energy to water. The pressure range of earlier boilers ranges from
low pressure to medium pressure (7 kPa to 2000 kPa/ 1psi to 290 psi). The present
boilers are more useful because it works with high pressure than old ones. This boiler
is very used whenever a steam source is necessary, and the size, type mainly
depends on the type of application like mobile steam engines which includes handy
engines, steam locomotives, and road vehicles. These vehicles include a mini boiler
that can be worked with steam power. Generally, power stations or stationary steam
engines have a separate large steam generating capacity.

2. WHAT ARE THE PARAMETERS BEING SPECIFIED IN A STEAM

BOILER?

The amount of steam which is generated by boilers in accordance with

required amount to drive turbine generator. The amount of steam produced is usually
in the unit form of Kg/hour or tons/hour. Therefore the heat transfer should be
maintained in order to generate expected amount of steam.

Steam produced must have required temperature and pressure so as to drive

turbine generators. Setting temperature of steam can be done by desuperheater while
setting pressure of steam can be performed by relieve valve or safety valve. If the
steam pressure and temperature are met then it means that one of the parameters in
the determination of steam quality is met.
 The steam which is produced should be free from air and condensed gases
because air and moisture can inhibit heat transfer in steam boiler.

Steam which is produced by boilers must be clean; there should be no crust

(e.g., corrosion or sediment carbonate) or impurities that can increase the rate of
erosion in the pipe, orifice and valve.

Steam is produced must be dry or superheated. The presence of water droplets

in the steam will reduce the actual enthalpy of evaporation, and will also lead to
scaling on the pipe wall and damage to turbine blades.

3. WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIALS OF A GOOD BOILER?

 The boiler should have maximum steam generation rate with

minimum fuel consumption.
 It can be started or stopped quickly.
 Its initial cost, running and maintenance cost should not be high.
 Its erection time should be less, and its parts should be easily
dismantable.
 The boiler should have positive controls and safety apparatus.
 It should have a high rate of heat transfer and better combustion
efficiency.
 It should be able to accommodate the load variation.
 It should occupy less floor space.
 It should be trouble free and require less attention and less maintenance.
 It should be free from manufacturing defects.
 Mud should not get deposited on the heating surface. Soot or scale
should not be deposited on the tubes.
 All parts of the boiler should be accessible for cleaning and inspection.
 It should conform to Indian Indian Boilers Regulations Acts.
 4. WHAT ARE THE FACTORS AFFECTING BOILER SELECTIONS?

 The working pressure and power required.

 The geographical position of the installed power house.
 The steam generation rate.
 Availability of floor space.
 Accessibility of repair and inspection.
 Comparative initial & installation cost.
 Erection/ installation facilities available.
 The probable load factor.
 The fuel and water available.
 Operating and Maintenance cost.
 The probable permanency of the station.

II. DEFINE/DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING TERMINOLOGIES:

1. FIRE BOX.

In a steam engine, the firebox is the area where the fuel is burned, producing
heat to boil the water in the boiler. Most are somewhat box-shaped, hence the name.
The hot gases generated in the firebox are pulled through a rack of tubes running
through the boiler.

2. GRATE

Grate, the metal part of a fireplace where the fire is placed

 3. BAFFLES

Baffles are flow-directing or obstructing vanes or panels used in some industrial

process vessels (tanks), such as shell and tube heat exchangers, chemical reactors, and
static mixers. Baffles are an integral part of the shell and tube heat exchanger design. A baffle
is designed to support tube bundles and direct the flow of fluids for maximum efficiency.

4. CHIMNEY

A chimney is a structure used to ventilate hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler,
stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Most chimneys are vertical, or
almost vertical, to make sure that the gases flow easily, drawing air into the
combustion in what is known as the stack, or chimney, effect.

5. DAMPER

A damper is a valve or plate that stops or regulates the flow of air inside a duct,
chimney, VAV box, air handler, or other air-handling equipment. A damper may be
used to cut off central air conditioning (heating or cooling) to an unused room, or to
regulate it for room-by-room temperature and climate control.

6. HEADERS

A header is a large pipe or manifold that is used to collect the discharge from
many smaller pipes( a collecting header) , or can be used to distribute fluid to many
smaller pipes ( distributing header).

A header can also be used for purposes of pressure equalization ( a partial mix
header) and also to mix fluids to provide equal outlet enthalpy ( full mix header)
 7. TUBES

A tube, or tubing, is a long hollow cylinder used for moving fluids (liquids or
gases) or to protect electrical or optical cables and wires. The terms "pipe" and "tube"
are almost interchangeable, although minor distinctions exist — generally, a tube has
tighter engineering requirements than a pipe.

8. SHELL

A shell is a type of structural element which is characterized by its geometry,

being a three-dimensional solid whose thickness is very small when compared with
other dimensions, and in structural terms, by the stress resultants calculated in the
middle plane displaying components which are both coplanar and normal to the
surface.

9. MOUNTINGS

Something that serves as a support, setting, or backing

10. SAFETY VALVES

Safety valve is a valve that acts as a fail-safe. An example of safety valve is a

pressure relief valve (PRV), which automatically releases a substance from a boiler,
pressure vessel, or other system, when the pressure or temperature exceeds preset
limits.
 11. PRESSURE GAUGE

Pressure gauge, instrument for measuring the condition of a fluid (liquid or gas)
that is specified by the force that the fluid would exert, when at rest, on a unit area,
such as pounds per square inch or newtons per square centimetre.

12. WATER LEVEL INDICATOR

The water level indicator is defined as a system which gets the information
about the water level in reservoirs or in tanks which is used in homes. By using the
water level indicator we can overcome the overflow of water from the tankers.

13. STEAM STOP VALVE

A main steam stop valve is a valve usually connected directly to the boiler for
the purpose of shutting off the steam from the main steam line.

14. FEED CHECK VALVE

A main steam stop valve is a valve usually connected directly to the boiler for
the purpose of shutting off the steam from the main steam line.
 15. BLOW OFF COCK

 It is fitted at the bottom of the boiler drum.

 The functions of blow off cock is
 To empty the boiler whenever required.
 To discharge the scale, mud and sediments which gets
collected at the bottom of the boiler.

16. MANHOLE

A manhole (alternatively utility hole, cable chamber, maintenance hole,

inspection chamber, access chamber or sewer hole) is an opening to a confined
space such as a shaft, utility vault, or large vessel.

17. FUSIBLE PLUG

 It is fitted to the crown plate of the furnace or firebox.

 Its function is to extinguish fire in the furnace when the
water level in the boiler falls to an unsafe limit. This avoids the explosion
that may takes place because of the overheating of the furnace plate.

18. PREHEATER

An air preheater (APH) is any device designed to heat air before another
process (for example, combustion in a boiler) with the primary objective of increasing
the thermal efficiency of the process.
 19. ECONOMISER

Economizers, or economisers, are mechanical devices intended to reduce

energy consumption, or to perform useful function such as preheating a fluid.

20. SUPERHEATER

A superheater is a device used to convert saturated steam or wet steam into

superheated steam or dry steam. Superheated steam is used in steam turbines for
electricity generation, steam engines, and in processes such as steam reforming.

III. DISCUSSION

1. What are Fire Tube Boilers?

A fire-tube boiler is a type of boiler in which hot gases from a fire pass through
one or more tubes running through a sealed container of water. The heat of the gases
is transferred through the walls of the tubes by thermal conduction, heating the water
and ultimately creating steam.

2. What are Water Tube Boilers?

A water tube boiler is such kind of boiler where the water is heated inside tubes
and the hot gasses surround them. This is the basic definition of water tube boiler.
Actually this boiler is just opposite of fire tube boiler where hot gasses are passed
through tubes which are surrounded by water.

IV. SUMMARY/CONCLUSION
 ADVANTAGES

 Larger heating surface can be achieved by using more numbers of water tubes.
 Due to convectional flow, movement of water is much faster than that of fire
tube boiler; hence rate of heat transfer is high which results into higher
efficiency.
 Very high pressure in order of 140 kg/cm2 can be obtained smoothly.

DISADVANTAGES

 Not suitable for ordinary water: Water tube boilers require relatively pure feed
wan because impure feed water forms scale inside the water tubes,
consequently there will overheating and bursting of the water tubes.
 Not suitable for mobile application: Water tube boilers are not suited for
mobile purposes.
 High initial cost and hence not economical: The initial cost of the water tube
boiler’ more than that of the fire tube boiler.