STEAM BOILERS AND

TURBINES

STEAM SERVICES

Fuel tank heating

Trace heating
Water heating
Engine Heating
Oil heating before purification
Steam machinery
pumps
winch and windlass

BOILERS

Two types of steam:

Saturated Steam
Superheated Steam

BOILERS

Two types of boilers:

Fire Tube
Water Tube

BOILER

Low Pressure
up to 15 bar
auxiliary systems
motor ships

Medium pressure
15 to 55 bar

High Pressure

55 to 300 bar (55 to 100 bar)

propulsion systems
steam ships

LP BOILER (Fire Tube)

MAIN COMPONENTS
Furnace
Burner
Fire tubes
Exhaust
Water space
Steam space
Refractory
Doors

LP
BOILER

Water in tank
Flame in tubes
(fire tube)
steam at top
boiler

LP
BOILER

Auxiliary Duties
Motor Ships
up to 15 bar
Fire Tubes

WATER TUBE BOILER

Water in tubes
Flames around the tubes
Water in water drum
at the bottom
Steam in steam drum
at top

HP
BOILER

Propulsion
Plants
Drive Turbines
55 - 150 bar
for propulsion
Water Tube

BOILER WATER TUBES

Tubes
Water drum

WASTE STEAM SYSTEMS

In motor ships
In port, steam produced in boiler by
heating via furnace/burner
At sea, steam produced by heating via
diesel exhaust gases
Two basic methods

WASTE STEAM SYSTEMS

Composite Boiler,
has two gas sides:
furnace
diesel exhaust

COMPOSITE BOILER

WASTE STEAM SYSTEMS

Boilers normal
operation via
furnace
Boiler water
circulated by a
pump to an
economiser
Economiser
heated by diesel
exhaust

ECONOMISER

BOILER FITTINGS

safety valves
steam stop valves
main
auxiliary

feed valve
air vents
salinometer cock
gauge glass
blow down valves
press gauge
access doors
soot blower
burner

SAFETY VALVES

To relieve excess pressure

Two fitted on top
Easing gear for manual
operation
Discharge vented out via
funnel
Preset, must not be adjusted
except by authorised
personnel

STOP VALVES

Main stop valve:

to turbine in steam ship
for main services in motor ship

Auxiliary stop valve:

for other services in steam ship

stand by for motor ships

FEED VALVES

Main and Auxiliary

As a stand by
Two valves per feed:
screw lift on boiler
SDNR before it

Therefore, can overhaul

SDNR without shutting
down boiler

GAUGE GLASSES

To check the water level

Two fitted on both sides at
different heights
Typically 2/3 full
Must be blown down
periodically - for cleaning
May have remote gauge glass

GAUGE
GLASSES

BLOW DOWN VALVES

To:
drain sludge deposits
reduce chlorides by draining and
replenishing with fresh water
lower the level if it is too high
empty boiler water

Two valves at boiler

One or two valves at ship side
Scum valve to drain any
floating sediments

Elliptical:
no stress corners
can be shut from
inside

For cleaning &

inspection
Before opening,
ensure:
no steam inside
boiler
support the weight of
door

ACCESS DOORS

BURNER

Supplies
air
fuel

Mixes them
Ignites the
mixture

BURNER

SOOT BLOWER

Collection of soot on the tubes can:

cause a fire
reduce heat transfer - efficiency

Soot blowers use steam or compressed air

to blow away the soot from the surfaces

UPTAKE FIRES

Soot on tube
surfaces
Can result in
a HydrogenIon fire

TUBE DAMAGE - Economiser

Due to a Hydrogen-Ion
fire
Sequence:
steam & hot steel produces
hydrogen
hydrogen & hot steel
results in a hydrogen-ion
fire; - self supporting

Disassociates H2 from H2O

TUBE DAMAGE

Damage due to:

corrosion
scales
low water level
fires

AUX STEAM SYSTEM

Low Pressure
In Motor Ships
For:
heating
turbo generators
deck machinery

STEAM TRAP

Fitted to the
return line to the
condenser
To prevent any
steam returning
Only water is
allowed through
Full use of steam

CONDENSER

To cool and convert

all returning steam to
water
Large heat exchanger
Cooled by sea water
In large systems,
under vacuum

In LP systems
Water drains into hot
well from condenser
Has an observation glass
Any oil returning with
steam will float
Oil can come from
heating coils in fuel
tanks
Dangerous to allow oil
into boiler waterside

HOT WELL

WATER HAMMER

Can damage steam pipes due to heavy

shock load

Avoided by:
crack opening steam valves and warming
through
leaving drains open till steam comes out
proper treatment
correct water level

BURNER STARTING
PROCEDURE

Air supply is started first:

blows through any unburnt fuel or gasses

Fuel is introduced, and a spark simultaneously

A Flame Eye (photocell) shuts the boiler down if the flame
fails
Some boilers have a pilot burner (diesel) for initial firing and
then the main burner (heavy oil)

BOILER HAZARDS

Steam Leakage
High Temperatures
Explosion within furnace
Low water level causing damage
and explosion
Boiler chemicals
Hot surfaces
Pressurised fuel lines

BOILER SAFETY

Check:

for fuel leaks

water level in glasses
feed system
steam stop valve
air vent

STEAM PROPULSION PLANT

Large
Ships
Tankers
Warships

MAIN COMPONENTS

Boiler
Superheater
Turbine
Condenser
Feed Pump
Services
Main & Aux
Steam Stops

STEAM TURBINE PLANT

HP and LP turbines
Astern turbine
Reduction gearing

STEAM TURBINE

Used for:
propulsion
electricity
generation
pumps

Two types:
impulse
reaction

IMPULSE TURBINE

Steam strikes the

blades to give
motion
Steam is directed
on to the turbine
blades by fixed
nozzles

STEAM TURBINE

Blades are nozzles,

which will cause the
turbine to move

STEAM TURBINE

HP and LP (maybe IP)

Coupled to one shaft
via a reduction
gearbox
Turning gear
Reversing turbine