Working Of Steam Boiler- Parts, Efficiency, Classification And Application

Author:gtboiler 2024-12-30 10:27:05 3 0 0

A boiler is defined as a closed vessel which is used to heat liquid usually water or to generate vapour or steam or any of such combination under pressure for external use by combustion of fossil fuels.

Parts of Boiler

The parts of a boiler can be classified into two divisions:

Boiler mounting

These are the essential parts that defined the performance of the boiler.

Water level indicator

This is used to check the water level inside the boiler which is fitted in the front of the boiler consisting of three cocks and a glass tube.

Pressure gauge

This is used to measure the pressure inside the boiler which is fitted in the front of the boiler.

Safety valve

This is fitted on the drum and is used to prevent the explosion of the boiler due to high pressure which blows off when the pressure inside exceeds the limit. These are always present two.

Stop valve

This is used to control the flow of steam from the boiler to the steam pipe.

Blow off cock

This is fitted at the bottom of the drum and is used to blow off mud and water and is used to empty the boiler.

Feed check valve

This is used as a Non-Return Valve which is fitted slightly below the normal water level on the drum. It is used to regulate the supply of water.

Grate

It is the space in the furnace used to burn the fuel.

Boiler accessories

These are the parts that are responsible for the efficiency of the boiler.

Feed pump

It is used to pump the water into the boiler for continuous working. Either electricity or steam turbine is used for the running of the feed pump.

Super heater

This is used to superheat the steam before it is passed in the turbine as saturated steam causes corrosion.

Economizer

It is used to increase the efficiency of the boiler as the flue gases from the boiler is made to flow through the economizer before releasing it to the atmosphere.

Air preheater

It is also used to increase the efficiency of the boiler by preheating the air.

Working Principle of Boiler

Understanding the working of the boiler is very simple. The boiler is a closed vessel in which the water is stored. Hot gases are produced by burning fuel in the furnace. These hot gases are made to come in contact with the water vessel where the heat transfer takes place between the water and the steam. Therefore, the basic principle of the boiler is to convert water into steam by using heat energy. There are different types of boilers used for different purposes.

Efficiency of Boiler

The efficiency of the boiler is defined as the percentage of total heat exported by the outlet steam to the total supplied fuel.

Boiler efficiency (%)=(heat exported by outlet steam/heat supplied by the fuel)*100

Classification of Boiler

The classification of the boiler is based on the following criteria:

According to the relative passage of water and hot gases:

Water-tube boiler: A boiler in which the water flows through the tubes that are surrounded by hot combustion gases.

Fire-tube boiler: A boiler in which the hot combustion gases are surrounded by the water

According to water circulation arrangement:

Natural circulation: The circulation happens due to the difference in density.

Forced circulation: The circulation happens by pumping the water inside the boiler.

According to the use:

Stationary boiler: These boilers are used for power plants

Portable boiler: These are movable and used temporarily in sites.

Locomotive: These are used in the railway engines.

Marine boiler: These are used in ships.

According to the position of boilers:

Horizontal

Inclined

According to the pressure generated by steam:

Low-pressure boiler: The maximum pressure is 15-20 bar. It is used for heating purposes.

Medium pressure boiler: The maximum pressure is 20-80 bars. It is used for power generation.

High-pressure boiler: The maximum pressure is more than 80 bars.

Sub-critical boiler: If the boiler produces steam at a pressure that is less than the critical pressure it is known as sub-critical.

Supercritical boiler: These boilers are used to produce steam at a pressure which is greater than the critical pressure.

According to charge in the furnace:

Supercharged fuel

Pulverized fuel

Application of Boiler

The boiler has a diverse applications in the following industries:

Food processing industries

Chemical industries

Refineries and distilleries

Thermal power plants

Sugar plants

Textile industries

Health care industries

Paper industries

Pharmaceutical industries

FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods)

Stay tuned with BYJU’S to learn more about other Physics related concepts.

 

Definition, Working Principle, Types, and Applications

Generally, a steam boiler is a type of closed container, designed with steel for heating the water to generate steam by some energy source like burning of fuel with eventually. The vapor generated may be delivered at low-pressure for the industrial progression work in sugar industries, cotton mills, and for generating steaming water that can be utilized for heat up fixing at much low-force. The capacity of the boiler should have ten liters of water and the working pressure must be 3.4 Kgf/cm2 (kilogram-force). This article discusses what is a steam boiler and its types used in power stations for generating steam.

 

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.

The Function of Steam Boiler

The main function of a steam boiler is to producing, storing and troubling the vapor. The liquid contained boiler is nothing but a shell and the heat energy produced while burning of fuel will be moved to water, and then it converts into steam at the required pressure as well as temperature.

 

The main conditions of this boiler mainly include the water container should lock very carefully. The vapor of water should be supplied in the preferred conditions namely, quality, rate, pressure, and temperature.

Steam Boiler Working Principle

The main working principle of a steam boiler is easy. This boiler is one type of closed device in the shape of a cylindrical.  The capacity of the boiler to have steam, as well as water is sufficient.

Generally, the liquids are stored in the boiler for generating steam by burning the fuels or applying the heat energy at different conditions of pressure based on the size of the vessel as well as specifications. Finally, the steam in the boiler supplies using a pipe and flows into various industries like plants.

The main components of this boiler mainly include a shell, furnace, grate, mountings, water space, accessories, refectory, level of water, scale, foaming, lagging, and blowing off

Steam Boiler Types

The steam boilers are classified into several types based on its requirement

Water Tube Boiler

The water tube boiler is one type of boiler, and the main function of this boiler is the water in the tube will be heated to generate the vapor. The main benefits of this boiler are, used in huge thermal power-stations. By using a number of water tubes a big heating surface can be attained. The water movement is much faster, so the heat transfer rate is very high which consequences to high-efficiency. This type of boilers requires fresh water as well as water treatment plants to maintain the necessary quality of water tube boiler.

Fire Tube Boiler

This type of boiler can be built with a number of tubes for supplying the hot gases.  These tubes are absorbed into water in a closed container. Actually, this type of boiler consists of a single closed container to pass the hot tubes. These tubes are heated up the water to convert into vapor and the vapor remains in the similar container. When both the water as well as vapor is in a similar container, then a fire-tube boiler cannot generate vapor at high force. In general, it can generate the utmost 17.5 kg/cm2 & with a 9 Metric Ton capacity of steam for each hour.

Package Boiler

A packaged boiler is a separate application which is used to get the energy from an incorporated burner with fueled by oil or gas. This type of boiler is proficient in producing huge steam output at a high-pressure as well as high-temperature. This boiler operates variable loads which have a small start-up or response time. The applications of this boiler mainly include process steam for industrial, chemical or used as power generator with a steam turbine. The package boiler can be used as a peak-load boiler because of an addition to another power that kicks in while other supplies not succeed.

Stoker Fired Boiler

The stoker fired boiler is most capable in common range and cogeneration systems in sugar factories. These boilers have membrane design and operate completely automatic. These Boilers have intrinsic features for the operation of trouble-free and high-thermal efficiency. These are classified based on the technique of supply fuel to the boiler & with the grate type. The stoker-fired boilers are classified into two types namely chain-gate or traveling grate stoker and spreader stoker.

Advantages of Steam Boiler

The advantages of this boiler include the following.

The construction cost of these boilers is low.

This boiler uses any kind of chimney

It occupies less floor area.

It is portable.

It has a self-enclosed boiler

 Disadvantages of Steam Boiler

The disadvantages of this boiler include the following.

The design of the steam boiler is vertical so the capacity of steam rising is low.

It has limited pressure and capacity.

The cleaning and examination of these are difficult.

It requires high headspace

Applications of Steam Boiler

The applications of this boiler include the following.

These are used to generate power in steam turbines or engines.

These are used for various processes in process industries

These are used in houses or buildings in cool weather for generating a hot water supply

Characteristics of Steam Boiler

The characteristics of steam boiler include the following.

Steam boiler generates the highest amount of steam with low fuel utilization.

It must be less weight as well as needs small space

It must be immediate starting.

These boilers must be cheap as well as needless concentration.

These boilers handle any kind of fluctuating load.

Thus, this is all about the steam boiler and its types. From the above information, finally, we can conclude that it plays an essential role in power plant working. These are used for the production of electricity where steam turbines are utilized in power plants. Here is a question for you, what is the main purpose of the steam boiler?

 

How Do Industrial Steam Boilers Work?

 

Introduction

Steam boilers play a vital role in modern industry and are used in a wide range of industries. They provide high temperature and high pressure steam for generating electricity, heating and driving machinery.

 

Let's talk about this in more detail - How Do Industrial Steam Boilers Work?

 

What Is An Industrial Steam Boiler?

 

An industrial steam boiler is a pressure vessel that produces steam by heating water and then discharging the steam through pipes to generate kinetic energy for external equipment for a variety of industrial purposes.

 

An industrial steam boiler consists of a number of components such as a furnace, a pot, a tube bundle, a flue and a control system. The components work in a rational way to collect and distribute the steam generated by combustion to all areas of industrial production.

 

The Working Principle Of Steam Boilers

 

There are various types of steam boilers, but they are all designed to produce steam for different industrial purposes. Here are the specific principles

 

Fuel combustion and heat release: Industrial steam boilers use different types of fuel, such as coal, natural gas, oil, etc. The fuel is ignited in the furnace chamber to produce high temperature combustion. During the combustion process, the chemical energy in the fuel is released as heat energy. Flue gases and exhaust gases are thus produced and discharged in the flue.

 

Heating of water and conversion to steam: The heat energy released by combustion is transferred through the wall casing of the furnace chamber to the surrounding tube bundles or directly to the pot barrel. The barrel is filled with water and the heat energy is transferred to the water, causing it to be heated. As the temperature rises, the water begins to convert into steam.

 

Collection and distribution of steam: As the water heats up, the steam produced builds up in the barrel of the pot. Once the steam has reached the required pressure and temperature, it is collected in the steam vessel. The steam container is usually located at the top of the boiler. The steam can be transferred through a piping system to where it is needed, such as mechanical equipment, heating systems or processes.

 

Venting of flue gases: During the combustion of fuel and the release of heat energy, the flue gases and exhaust gases are generated and discharged through the flue. The flue is a system of passages that direct the flue gases into the atmosphere. In the flue, equipment such as flue gas cleaners are often included to reduce the emission of pollutants from the exhaust gases.

 

The workflow of an industrial steam boiler is a continuous cycle of fuel combustion, heat transfer, heating and conversion of water to steam, collection and distribution of steam, and flue gas emissions. The process is designed to efficiently convert the energy of the fuel into usable steam energy to meet the power, heating and control needs of industrial production. At the same time, through proper design and operation, industrial steam boilers can achieve energy savings and environmental protection.

 

The different types of industrial steam boilers

 

The different industrial steam boilers have their own characteristics and areas of application. Depending on the industrial requirements and application scenarios, choosing the right type of boiler can lead to more efficient energy use and productivity. Let's take a look at the following comparisons

 

Fire tube boiler: Fire tube boilers are widely used in small to medium sized factories and are a traditional type of boiler. By burning fuel, a high temperature flame is produced and heat is transferred through pre-installed spiral or linearly arranged tubes inside the boiler, which in turn heat the surrounding water to produce steam. It is a relatively simple design and the most affordable type of steam boiler.

 

Water tube boiler: Water tube boilers are widely used in intensive industries and offer higher thermal efficiency. Steam is obtained by directly heating the water tubes inside the boiler through the high temperature gases produced by the combustion of fuel. Water tube boilers are able to withstand higher pressures than fire tube boilers.

 

circulating fluidized bed boiler: Circulating fluidized bed boilers use a special combustion technology that utilises a bed of solid particles to achieve the combustion process. In a circulating fluidised bed, a bed of solid particles is kept circulating in the bed by the flow of gas or liquid. The fuel and solid particles are mixed and burned in the bed to produce high temperature gases and to transfer heat energy to the water. This design offers good combustion and heat transfer efficiency and can be adapted to a wide range of different fuel types.

 

Waste heat boilers: Waste heat boilers use the waste heat generated by industrial processes to produce steam. In many industrial processes, heat energy is often emitted to the atmosphere in the form of waste heat. Waste heat boilers convert this waste heat into steam energy by recovering and utilising it. This type of boiler is important in terms of improving energy efficiency and reducing environmental pollution.

 

Components of an industrial steam boiler

Industrial steam boilers are made up of several core components, each of which plays an important role in the overall system. 

 

Furnace Chamber: The furnace chamber is the combustion chamber of an industrial steam bo

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