Unit 1 a Steam Boiler Or Steam Generator Is a Closed Vessel In
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Unit 1 A steam boiler or steam generator is a closed vessel in which water is heated, vaporised and converted into steam at a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure. The heat energy required for steam generation is produced by burning fuel in the furnace. INDIAN BOILER REGULATION (IBR, Act 1923): Steam boiler means any closed vessel exceeding 22.75 litres (other pressure vessel) in capacity and which is used expressively for generating steam under pressure. It includes any mountings or other fittings attached to such a vessel, which is wholly or partly under pressure when steam is shut off. Functions The function of a steam boiler or generator is to convert chemical energy of a fuel by combustion into heat and transfer this heat to water and thus to produce the steam. 1.2 Applications of Steam Generated The steam thus generated is used for: i. Power Generation: Mechanical work or electric power may be generated by expanding steam in the steam engine or steam turbine. ii. Heating: The steam is utilized for heating the residential and industrial buildings in cold weather and for producing hot water for hot water supply. iii. Utilisation of Steam: For industrial processes such as for sizing and bleaching etc. in textile industries. Steam is also used in many other industries like Sugar Mills and Chemical Industries. Boilers Classification: There are a large number of boiler designs, but boilers can be classified according to the following criteria: 1. According to Relative Passage of water and hot gases: 1. Water Tube Boiler: A boiler in which the water flows through some small tubes which are surrounded by hot combustion gases, e.g., Babcock and Wilcox, Stirling, Benson boilers, etc. 2. Fire-tube Boiler: The hot combustion gases pass through the boiler tubes, which are surrounded by water, e.g., Lancashire, Cochran, locomotive boilers, etc. 2. According to Water Circulation Arrangement: 1. Natural Circulation: Water circulates in the boiler due to density difference of hot and water, e.g., Babcock and Wilcox boilers, Lancashire boilers, Cochran, locomotive boilers, etc. 2. Forced Circulation: A water pump forces the water along its path, therefore, the steam generation rate increases, Eg: Benson, La Mont, Velox boilers, etc. 3. According to the Use: 1. Stationary Boiler: These boilers are used for power plants or processes steam in plants. 2. Portable Boiler: These are small units of mobile and are used for temporary uses at the sites. 3. Locomotive: These are specially designed boilers. They produce steam to drive railway engines. 4. Marine Boiler: These are used on ships. 4. According to Position of the Boilers: . Horizontal, inclined or vertical boilers 5. According to the Position of Furnace 1. Internally fired: The furnace is located inside the shell, e.g., Cochran, Lancashire boilers, etc. 2. Externally fired: The furnace is located outside the boiler shell, e.g., Babcock and Wilcox, Stirling boilers, etc. 6. According to Pressure of steam generated . Low-pressure boiler: a boiler which produces steam at a pressure of 15-20 bar is called a low-pressure boiler. This steam is used for process heating. Medium-pressure boiler: It has a working pressure of steam from 20 bars to 80 bars and is used for power generation or combined use of power generation and process heating. High-pressure boiler: It produces steam at a pressure of more than 80 bars. Sub-critical boiler: If a boiler produces steam at a pressure which is less than the critical pressure, it is called as a subcritical boiler. Supercritical boiler: These boilers provide steam at a pressure greater than the critical pressure. These boilers do not have an evaporator and the water directly flashes into steam, and thus they are called once through boilers. 7. According to charge in the furnace. Pulverized fuel, . Supercharged fuel and . Fluidized bed combustion boilers. simple vertical boiler is one whose axis of orientation is vertical with respect to the ground. it is a fire tube or a water tube boiler. Working of simple vertical boiler In a simple vertical boiler fuel is added through the fire hoke into the grate which burn there to produce the hot gases. fuel when converted into ash is collected into the ash pit. Hot gases rises above and pass their heat to the water in the cross box and go out of the boiler through the chimney. Water heats up and steam production starts. steam which produce as a result of water heating is collected at the steam space of the boiler. steam is collected until a certain pressure is attain and then steam is passed out for use like running turbine or engine. Application of simple vertical boiler Simple vertical boiler have may application is railway locomotives for example railway steam engine Simple vertical boiler are used in the road vehicles like steam wagon (steam lorry or steam waggon) Simple vertical boiler have a very famous application that steam tractor There are number of boats specially smaller one which uses the simple vertical boiler to power the engine In some parts of the world simple vertical boiler are used in steam donkeys Simple vertical boilers are also used in the steam cranes and steam Steam shovels Advantages of simple vertical boiler low initial cost because of lesser parts Low maintenance cost Simple working Easy to install and replace Occupy small space on ground Simple vertical boiler have water level tolerance Disadvantages of simple vertical boiler Vertical design limits its working in many places Because of the limited grate area steam production is limited Impurities settle down at the bottom thus prevent water from heating Boiler tubes must be kept short to minimise height. As a result, much of the available heat is lost through the chimney, as it has too little time to heat the tubes. Cochran Boiler is a vertical drum axis, natural circulation, natural draft, low pressure, multi- tubular, solid fuel fired, fire tube boiler with internally fired furnace. It is the modified form of simple vertical boiler. In this boiler, the fire tubes are placed horizontally. The efficiency of this boiler is much better than the simple vertical boiler. 1. Shell: It has a vertical axis cylindrical drum with hemispherical dome type shell at the top. 2. Grate: It is the platform on which the solid fuel is burnt. 3. Combustion Chamber: The burning of fuel takes place in the combustion chamber. 4. Fire Tubes: Cochran boiler has multi tubular fire tubes. The hot flue gases from the combustion chamber travels to the smoke box through these fire tubes. The fire tubes helps in the exchange of heat from the hot flue gases to the water. 5. Fire Hole: It is the hole provided to fire the fuel inside the furnace. 6. Furnace: It lies at the bottom of the boiler. Furnace is the place where all the fuel is burnt. Without furnace the working of this boiler is not possible. 7. Chimney: The chimney is attached to the smoke box. It transfer smoke to the environment. The size of chimney is small as compared with other boiler. 8. Fire Brick Lining. The fire brick lining is present in the combustion chamber and helps in the combustion of the fuel. 9. Manhole: A manhole is provided for the cleaning and inspecting of the boiler from inside. 10. Flue Pipe: It is a small passage connecting the fire box and combustion chamber. The hot gases enters into combustion chamber through the flue pipe. Other Boiler mountings and accessories attached to the this boiler are: 1. Pressure Gauge: It measures the pressure of steam inside the boiler. 2. Safety Valve: It blows off the extra steam when the steam pressure inside the boiler reaches above safety level. 3. Water level Indicator: The position of the water level in the Cochran boiler is indicated by the water level indicator. 4. Stop Valve: Stop valve is used to transfer steam to the desired location when it is required. Otherwise it stops the steam in the boiler. 5. Blow off Cock: It is used to blow off the settle down impurities, mud and sediments present in the boiler water. Working . In Cochran boiler first the fuel is inserted into the fire box and placed on the grate. The fuel is ignited through the fire hole provided at the right bottom of the boiler. The fuel is burnt in the fire box and due to the burning of the fuel, smoke and hot flue gases emerges out. The hot flue gases enter into the combustion chamber through flue pipes. From the combustion chamber hot gases enters into the fire tubes. The fire tubes are surrounded by water. The hot flue gases inside the tubes exchange the heat from the hot gases to the water. Due to the exchange of heat, the temperature of the water start increasing and it gets converted into steam. The steam produced rises upward and collected at top of the boiler in the hemispherical dome. An anti-priming pipe is installed at top of the boiler which separates the water from the steam and makes it dry steam. This dry steam is then transfer to the turbines through the steam stop valve. The hot flue gases and smoke after exchanging heat moves to the smoke box. From the smoke box the burnt gases and smoke is discharge to the atmosphere through the chimney. Burnt fuel is transferred to the ash pit. Blow off cock is preset at left bottom of the boiler and is used to blow of the impurities, mud and sediment from the boiler water.