Chapter- II

Boilers

Dr. M. Siva Subrahmanyam, Ph.D. (IIT KGP)

Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
MVGR College of Engineering
Vizianagaram
Contents
• Introduction

• Classification of Boilers

• Applications

• Characteristics of good Boiler

• Boiler Mountings and Accessories

• Performance of Boilers
 Steam Boilers
• Generates steam by transferring heat by burning of fuel to
water.
• Energy released by burning fuel (solid, liquid or gaseous) is
transferred to the water in the boiler.
Applications:
1. Power generation
2. Sugar Extraction Plants
3. Steam engines
4. For heating of buildings in cold weather.
Primary requirements:
1. Water must be contained safely.
2. Steam must be safely delivered in desired conditions.
3
For Support notes, please visit: 8
 Classification of boilers

The steam boilers are classified as

•According to flow of water and hot
gases
1.Fire Tube Boilers
2.Water Tube Boilers
 According to flow of water and hot gases

In fire tube boilers,

•The hot gases pass through the tubes
surrounded by water.
•The water is get heated up and converted
into steam
•The exhaust gases are sent to atmosphere
through chimney.
E.g Locomotive boiler, Lancashire boiler.
86
 According to flow of water and hot gases

In water tube boilers,

• Water is circulated through number of tubes
and the hot flue gases flow over these tubes.

•The hot gases flow over these tubes many times

before escaping through the stack.

•The water is converted into steam and steam

occupies steam space.

E.g. Babcock & Wilcox, stirling, BHEL boiler,

Velox, Lamont, Lo-effler boilers. 9
For Support notes, please visit: 8
 According to the method of firing

In internally fired boilers,

• The furnace grate is provided inside the
boiler shell.
(E.g Lancashire, Locomotive boilers)
In externally fired boilers,
• The furnace grate is provided outside or
built under the boiler shell.
(E.g Babcock and Wilcox boilers, Striling
boilers)
Babcock and Wilcox boiler

Lancashire boiler
 According to the Pressure Developed
In Low Pressure Boilers,
Steam is produced at a pressure in between 15-20 bar.
(E.g. Cochran, Lancashire)

In Medium Pressure Boilers,

Steam is produced at a pressure in between 20-80 bar.
(E.g. Locomotive boiler)

In High Pressure Boilers,

Steam is produced at a pressure more than or equal to 80
bar.
(E.g. Lamont, Velox, Benson, Lo-effler boiler)
3
For Support notes, please visit: 9
Natural and Forced circulation boilers
 Classification of Boilers
•Tube contents * Fire tube boiler Ex: Cochran,Lancashire, Cornish and
Locomotive
* Water tube boiler Ex: Babcock and Wilcox, Stirling
•Method of firing * Internally fired Ex: Lancashire, Locomotive and Scotch
* Externally fired Ex: Babcock and Wilcox
•Pressure of steam * Low pressure Ex: Cochran,Cornish,Lancashire and
locomotive
* High pressure Ex: Babcock and Wilcox, Lamont,
Velox, Benson, Power boilers etc.
•Method of circulation of water * Natural
* Forced
•Nature of service * Stationary

* Mobile Ex: marine and locomotive boilers

•Position and number of drums *Horizontal
*Inclined
* Vertical
 Classification of Boilers
•Gas passage * Single pass
* Multi pass
•Nature of draught * Natural
* Forced
•Heat source * Combination of solid, liquid or gaseous fuels
* Electrical or Nuclear energy
* Hot waste gases ( by- products of chemical processes)
•Once through boiler
•Fluid used * Steam
* Mercury
•Boiler shell material * Cast iron boilers ( Suitable for LP)
* Steel boilers ( Suitable for HP)
* Copper and Stainless boilers ( for miniature type)

List out the Differences between Fire tube and Water tube boilers?
Water tube Vs Fire tube
S.No Particulars Fire tube boiler Water tube boiler

1 Position of water and hot Hot gases inside the tubes and Water inside the
gases water outside the tubes tubes an fire outside
the tubes
2 Mode of firing Internally fired in general Externally fired

3 Operating pressure Limited to 16bar Can reach 250bar

also
4 Rate of steam production Lower Higher

5 Risk of bursting Less risk More risky due to

higher pressures
6 Treatment of water Not so important More care should be
taken
7 Floor area More Less area is
occupied by this
 Requirements of a good Boiler
1.It should be capable of generating the maximum quantity of steam at a
required P and T and quality with min. fuel consumption
2. Should be light in weight and not occupy much space
3. The initial cost,installation cost and maintenance cost of the boiler should
be low.
4. Should be capable of quick starting and to be able to meet the fluctuating
demands of steam supply without over heating.
5.All parts and components should be easily accessible for inspection and
repair.
6.It should have minimum number of joints and these too should be as far
away as possible from the direct flames.
7. The design and construction of the component parts should be such that
they can be easily dismantled and transported.
 Applications
 Railway locomotives
 steam wagon (steam lorry
or steam wagon)
 steam tractor
 steam cranes and steam
steam shovels
Cochran Boiler
Applications

 Textile industries
 rice mills
 Paper processing industries
 Brew house Industries
Lancashire Boiler
Cornish boiler
 5
For Support notes, please visit: 9
Cornish boiler
 Locomotive Boiler

The Max. Pressure : 21 bar ; Steaming rate: 55 –70 kg/m2/h

For Support notes, please visit: 102
 Water Tube boilers
Pressures > 10 bar
Steam rate: 7000 kg/h
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Scotch Marine Boiler
Advantages

 Potable
 Less occupancy
 Two way tubes
Disadvantges

 Fixed dimensions
 Limited capacity
 Large dia of 6-8 feet
Evaporative capacity: 20000-40000 kg/h
Operating pressures: 11.5-17.5 bar ( Max.42 bar)
Suitable for small size thermal power plants and other industrial works
Application

The Babcock and Wilcox boiler are generally

used to produce high pressure steam in
power generation industries. The high
pressure steam so generated is used to
produce electricity.
Specifications
Efficiency 9
0%
Steam gene
ration 135 t
onnes/hr
Advantages
• It is light in weight
• Occupy smaller floor area for its erection.
• Explosion hazard is almost negligible because of
use of smaller diameter tubes.
• It can be started very easily within 15 minutes.
• It avoids bubble formation due to the super critical
pressure of water.
• Transportation is easy.
• This boiler may achieve thermal efficiency upto 90
%.
Disadvantages

Due to supercritical types of boiler its controlling

need to monitor every time for preventing any
explosion
Advantage:
 It can use salt water for steam generation
 Feed Water converted into steam by its
generated super heated steam
 100 tonnes per hour of steam at a temperature
of 500 Degree Calicoes and at a pressure of 140
Bar

Disadvantages:
 Loeffler Boiler only converts energy just using 35
percent of generated steam.
Loeffler Boiler
 Equivalent evaporation
• Equivalent evaporation actually indicates the
amount of heat added in the boiler for steam
generation.
• Equivalent evaporation refers to the quantity
of dry saturated steam generated per unit
time from feed water at 1000C to steam at
1000C at the saturation pressure
corresponding to 1000C.
2264
Assessment of a Boiler

1. Boiler performance

• Causes of poor boiler performance

-Poor combustion
-Heat transfer surface fouling
-Poor operation and maintenance
-Deteriorating fuel and water quality

• Heat balance: identify heat losses

• Boiler efficiency: determine deviation
from best efficiency
78
Assessment of a Boiler

Heat Balance
Balancing total energy entering a boiler against
the energy that leaves the boiler in different forms

12 %
Heat loss due to dry flue gas

7.7% Heat loss due to steam in fuel gas

1.7 %
100.0 % Heat loss due to moisture in fuel
BOILER 0.3 %
Fuel Heat loss due to moisture in air

1.5% Heat loss due to unburnts in residue

0.25 %
Heat loss due to radiation & other
unaccounted loss
78.0%
Heat in Steam

79
 HEAT BALANCE SHEET OF BOILER

HEAT BALANCE SHEET (Basis 1 Kg of low grade fuel)

Heat supplied % age Heat Expenditure (K J) % age

(K J) (in approx.)
Gross heat 100 (a) Heat utilized in steam generation 78.00

supplied (b) Heat carried away by flue gases 12.00

(c) Heat utilized in evaporating and superheating 4.750

the moisture fuel and water vapour formed

Due

to burning of hydrogen of fuel.

(d) Heat loss by incomplete combustion 3.00

(e) Heat carried away by excess air 1.50

(f) Heat carried away by carbon nash 0.50

(g) Heat uncounted for such as radiation and error 0.25

etc.
Total 100 Total 100
Assessment of a Boiler

Heat Balance
Goal: improve energy efficiency by reducing avoidable losses

Avoidable losses include:

- Stack gas losses (excess air, stack gas

temperature)
- Losses by unburnt fuel
- Blow down losses
- Condensate losses
- Convection and radiation

81
Boiler Efficiency
Thermal efficiency: % of (heat) energy input that is
effectively useful in the generated steam

BOILER EFFICENCY
CALCULATION

1) DIRECT METHOD: 2) INDIRECT METHOD:

The energy gain of the

The efficiency is the
working fluid (water and steam)
different between losses
is compared with the energy
and energy input
content of the boiler fuel.
Assessment of a Boiler

Boiler Efficiency: Direct Method

83
Parameters to be monitored:

- Quantity of steam generated per hour (Q) in kg/hr

- Quantity of fuel used per hour (q) in kg/hr

- The working pressure (in kg/cm2(g)) and superheat

temperature (oC), if any

- The temperature of feed water (oC)

- Type of fuel and gross calorific value of the fuel (GCV) in

kcal/kg of fuel
Boiler Efficiency: Direct Method

Advantages
• Quick evaluation
• Few parameters for computation
• Few monitoring instruments
• Easy to compare evaporation ratios with
benchmark figures

Disadvantages
• No explanation of low efficiency
• Various losses not calculated

85
 Problem
• Steam is generated in a boiler at 30 bar 3000C at the
rate of 11 kg/s with feed water entering economiser
at 1000C. During one hour test 5000 kg fuel is used in
boiler. Calorific value of fuel is 35000 kJ/kg. For the
feed water being supplied to boiler to be at 27°C
determine; (i) the equivalent evaporation per kg of
fuel (ii) the boiler efficiency (iii) the percentage of
fuel energy utilised in economiser
Boiler Efficiency: Indirect Method

Required calculation data

• Ultimate analysis of fuel (H2, O2, S, C, moisture
content, ash content)
• % oxygen or CO2 in the flue gas
• Fuel gas temperature in ◦C (Tf)
• Ambient temperature in ◦C (Ta) and humidity of air in
kg/kg of dry air
• GCV of fuel in kcal/kg
• % combustible in ash (in case of solid fuels)
• GCV of ash in kcal/kg (in case of solid fuels)
87
 a) Heat used for generation of
steam
• Heat taken for generation of steam per kg of
fuel burnt shall be
 b) Heat lost due to incomplete
combustion
• Heat loss due to incomplete combustion =
(Heat released when carbon burns into CO2 –
Heat released when carbon burns into CO).
 c) Heat loss to dry flue gases
• A large portion of heat getting lost goes along
with flue gases. Flue gases leaving boiler
comprises of dry flue gases and steam. Heat
loss with dry flue gases can be given by,

where mdfg is mass of dry flue gas per kg of fuel, Cpg

is specific heat of dry flue gas and Tg and Ta are
temperature of flue gas and air entering combustion
chamber.
 d) Heat loss to steam in flue gases
• Steam is produced due to burning of hydrogen
present in fuel into water vapour. Heat lost
with steam in flue gases shall be
 e) Heat lost in unburnt fuel
• Some portion of heat may get lost in unburnt
fuel, which could be given by the product of
mass of unburnt fuel per kg of fuel and its
calorific value, as

where mubf is mass of unburnt fuel per kg of fuel

and CV is calorific value of fuel.
 f) Heat loss due to moisture in fuel
Moisture present in fuel shall also cause the loss
of heat. This moisture shall get evaporated and
superheated as fuel is burnt.

where mmoist is mass of moisture per kg of fuel

burnt, hs2 is enthalpy of final steam produced
and hf2 is enthalpy of water at boiler furnace
temperature.
 g) Heat loss due to convection,
radiation and other unaccountable
losses
Boiler Efficiency: Indirect Method

Advantages
• Complete mass and energy balance for each
individual stream
• Makes it easier to identify options to improve boiler
efficiency

Disadvantages
• Time consuming
• Requires lab facilities for analysis
Boiler Efficiency: Indirect Method
Boiler Efficiency: Indirect Method
Boiler Efficiency: Indirect Method
 Boiler Efficiency: Indirect Method

The principle losses that occur in a boiler are:

•Loss due to dry flue gas (sensible heat) ............. L1
•Loss due to hydrogen in fuel (H2)............. L2
•Loss due to moisture in fuel (H2O)............ L3
•Loss due to moisture in air (H2O)………………………………… L4
•Loss due to carbon monoxide (CO)……………………………..... L5
•Loss due to surface radiation, convection and other unaccounted L6
•Unburnt losses in fly ash (Carbon)………………………………... L7
•Unburnt losses in bottom ash (Carbon)…………………………… L8

Boiler Efficiency by indirect method = 100 - (L1 + L2 + L3 + L4 + L5 + L6 + L7 +

L8)
Boiler Efficiency: Indirect Method
Boiler Efficiency: Indirect Method
Boiler Efficiency: Indirect Method
Boiler Efficiency: Indirect Method
Boiler Efficiency: Indirect Method
Boiler Efficiency: Indirect Method
Boiler Efficiency: Indirect Method
Boiler Efficiency: Indirect Method
Boiler Efficiency: Indirect Method
Boiler Efficiency: Indirect Method
Boiler Efficiency: Indirect Method
Boiler Efficiency: Indirect Method
Boiler Efficiency: Indirect Method
Thank You
For Your
Attention
 Contact
m.sivasubrahmanyam@mvgrce.edu.in
9948267564