Regulation 391A – Ageing of boilers

(a) Shell Type Boilers :-

(i) In order to take the ageing effect on boilers, the working pressure of
the parts of them as calculated from the formulae in these regulations
shall be reduced as per table given below :-

Age of Boiler 25 35 45 50 60 70 80 90 100

exceeding ( in years)
Maximum permitted 95 90 85 80 70 60 50 40 30
working pressure
percent.

(ii) For those boilers the plate of which have already been cut and tested
under regulation 7 and this boilers shall be given a further lease of life
of 50 years from the date of test of boilers. The working pressure that
shall be allowed after the testing shall be reduced as per the table given
below:-

Period after date of test(in 10 20 30 40 50

years)
Maximum working pressure 90 80 70 50 30
allowed(percentage)

(b) Water Tube Boilers:-

(i) The boilers which are operating at a temperature of 400oC and above
including utility or industrial boilers and all boiler parts operating the
in the creep range of the boiler shall be non-destructively tested as per
the table 1 given below after they are in operation for 1,00,000 hours
for assessment of the remanent life of the parts;

(ii) The parts of a boiler when it completes a life of twenty five years are
to be tested as per table 2 for assessment of the remanent life of such
parts. If results are acceptable as per the standards laid down by the
Central Boilers Board, a certificate shall be issued by the Chief
Inspector of Boilers for extending the life of the boiler for a further
 period of ten years or such less period as recommended by the
Remanent Life Assessment Organization. This assessment of remanent
life shall be carried out thereafter every five years by the organizations
working in the field of boilers and remanent life and extension thereof
after such organization is approved by the Central Boilers Board. Such
organization shall work in close coordination with the office of the
Technical Adviser (Boilers) in the field of remanent life assessment
and extension. The working pressure of such boilers may be reduced
on the recommendations of such approved organization.

T A B L E 1

Compo Visual Ultra Magnetic Liquid/ Repli Deposit Outside fibre Hard Others
nent sonic Particle dye cation samp Analysis Diametre optic ness
testing inspection penetrant ling and insp
inspection thickness ection
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12)
Drum Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes
(Steam)
Water Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes
drum
Low Yes No No Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes
Temper-
ature
Header
Attemp- Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Swell
erator Measure
header ment
High Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No No
temper-
ature
Econo-
miser
tubes
Low Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No No
Temper-
ature
Econo-
miser
tubes
Convec- Yes No No No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes
tion
Super-
heater
 Coils
Primary Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No Yes Non-
Super- destructiv
heater Oxide
Coils thicknes
inspectio
Prefinal Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No Yes
Super-
heater
Coils
Final Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No Yes
Super-
heater
Coils

Reheater Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No Yes

Coils

High Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes

Temper-
ature
headers
Final Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Swell
Super- Measure
heater ment
header
Reheater Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Swell
header Measure
ment
Main Yes No No NO Yes No No Yes No Yes
steam
piping
Platen Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes
super-
heater
header
Primary Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes
super-
heater
header
Econo- Yes No No Yes No No No Yes No No
miser
header
Auxi- Yes No No No No No No Yes No No
liaries
 Boiler Yes No No No No No No Yes No No
Bank
Tubes
Water Yes No No No No No No Yes No No
wall
Furnace Yes No No No No No No Yes No No
water
walls

T A B L E 2

Compo- Visual Ultra- Mag- Liquid/ Repli- Samp- Depo- Outside Fibre- Hard Others
nent sonic netic Dye cation ing sit Diameter optic ness
testing Particle Pene- Analy- and Insp-
Inspection trant sis thickness ection
Inspection
Drum Yes No No Yes No No No Yes No No
(steam)
Water Yes No No Yes No No No Yes No No
drum
Econo- Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No No
miser
tubes
Convec- Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No No
tion
Super
heater
coils
Primary Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No No
Super
heater
coils
Final Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No No
Super
heater
coils
High Yes No No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
Temp-
ature
headers
Final Yes No No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
Super
heater
headers
Econo- Yes No No No No No No Yes No No
miser
header
Auxi- Yes No No no No No No No Yes No
liaries
Boiler Yes No No No No No No Yes No No
bank
tubes
Water Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No No
walls
Main Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No No
steam
Piping
 No.20(37)/99-Boilers
Government of India
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Department of Industrial Development

Sub: Amendment of Reg.391A of Indian Boiler Regulations,1950 - reg.

Dear Sir,

I am directed to invite your attention to item 4 of part II (IV) of the record note of
the 68th meeting of Central Boilers Board and to say that the board considered the
recommendations of the Sub-Committee and decided that in respect of boilers working at
a p;ressure less than 50 kg/cm2, remanent life assessment is not mandatory. The Board
further decided to amend the relevant regulation in this regard. However, pending such
amendment, remanent life assessment of boilers of such boilers may not be insisted upon.
For boilers working at a pressure 50 kg/cm2 and above the Board decided that drums and
headers of such boilers be inspected by ultrasonic testing, magnetic particle testing and
dye penetrant.

Yours faithfully,
Sd/M.L.Ahuza
Assistant Secretary, CBB