MECH8080 – Fall 2019

High Pressure Boiler Design,

Combustion, Feedwater
Week 3 – Lecture
 Types of Boilers and Basic Construction
• Firetube Boilers
Agenda • Watertube Boilers
• Electric Boilers
• Basic Boiler Construction
Firetube Boilers

Where have you seen a firetube boiler

before?

TPEC
Hint: You should definitely have an answer for
this.
 Firetube Boilers

• Basic Principle of a firetube boiler

• Hot gases of combustion pass through tubes in the boiler
• Boiler water surrounds the tubes
• The heat transfers from the hot gases, through the tubes and to the boiler water to make steam

• When are they typically used?

• When moderate amounts of steam and pressure are required.
 Firetube Boilers

• Firetube Boiler Operation

• As the water heats up natural circulation begins
• Warm water rises toward the top of the vessel and
• The cooler water sinks
• As the water heats the mixture becomes less dense due to the increase in steam
bubbles which increases the circulation rate
Firetube Boilers
 • Heating Surface
• Water on one side and heat/gases
on the other
• Increasing the amount of surface
increases the amount of heat that
can be transferred
Firetube
Boilers • Thermal Efficiency
• Ratio of heat absorbed by a boiler
(output) to the heat available in the
fuel (input)
• Modern firetube designs can reach
95% efficienc
 Firetube Boilers

• Furnace
• Location where combustion takes place. Can also be referred to as firebox or combustion
chamber

• Why would you place a furnace internally within the shell?

• Increases the heating surface area
• Also increases heat absorption through radiant heat transfer
• In turn the boiler can create steam more quickly
 Firetube Boilers

• How can you increase the

boiler efficiency?
• Increasing the heat
transfer area. How?
• More Tubes
• More Passes
 Firetube Boilers

• Internal Furnaces
 • Advantages
• Factory assembled
• Initial cost lower then watertube
• Little to no setting (brickwork)
• Larger volume of water for a given size compared
to watertube
• Disadvantages
Firetube • Large drum diameters and thick plate
construction required for high pressure and

Boilers capacity applications

• Large volume of water can lead to explosions
during an operational upset
• As you operate at higher pressures the
operating temperature also increases
• If there is a sudden pressure drop and the
steam temperature does not drop as quickly
extra water will then flash to steam.
• This can be a 1600x change in volume
 Firetube Boilers

• Explosions
• Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f
Cej2OQSKnY&feature=youtu.be
 Firetube Boilers

• Three different types of Firetube Boilers

• Horizontal Return Tubular
• Scotch Marine
• Vertical
 Firetube Boilers

• Horizontal Return Tubular

• Consists of a shell that
contains tube sheets
and firetubes mounted
over a furnace
 Firetube Boilers

• Traditional HRT Boiler

 Firetube Boilers

• Scotch Marine
• Internal furnace
completely surrounded
by water.
• Increased efficiency
because of increased
heating surface
 Firetube Boilers

• Vertical
• One-pass boiler that has
tubes in vertical position
• Uses wrapper sheets to
form water leg
• Can be overheating
issues if sludge builds up
• Minimal floor space
required but higher
ceiling
https://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=W2_agNE51r
4&feature=youtu.be
 Watertube Boilers

• Water on the inside of tubes and hot gases on the outside

• Used for higher pressures and temperatures
• Designed to work to pressures as high as 3206psi
• Critical pressure where the density of water and steam are the same
• Lower volume of water per unit output when compared to firetube boilers
• More capable of handling large and dynamic steam loads
 Watertube Boilers

• Operation
• Hot water on inside of
tubes becomes less
dense and rises
• Steam bubbles formed
rise through the water
and break through to
steam space
• Cooler water falls to
bottom
 • Four different configurations
Watertube • Straight-tube
• Bent-tube
Boilers • Membrane
• Flex-tube
 Watertube Boilers

• Straight-tube
• Box headers connected
by straight inclined
water tubes
 Watertube Boilers

• Bent-Tube Boilers
• Multiple drums connected by shaped tubes
• Rear tube banks act as downcomers to mudrum
• Most steaming takes place in front tube banks
• Steam/water mixture enters drum below water line
• Better suited for higher pressures and capacities then straight tube
 Watertube Boilers

• Bent-tube Boilers
• 3 common
configurations
 Watetube Boilers

• Membrane Boilers
• Strips of metal alloy
welded between tubes
to form a seal
• Boiler vessel is gastight,
insulated on the outside,
and covered by a steel
casing.
• Combustion gases pass
between formed
membranes to heat the
water
 Watertube Boilers

• Flex-tube boilers
• Replaceable serpentine
shaped tubes connected to
upper and lower drums
• Surround firebox
• Tubes have a tapered bushing
at there ends that press fits
into the headers. Requires no
welding for tube replacement
• Serpentine shape allows
tubes to expand and contract.
• Common were floorspace is
limited
 • Uses electrical resistance coils or electrodes
instead of burning a fuel
• Electricity flows through a coiled conductor
• Two types
• Resistance-coil boiler
• Heat generated from resistance in
Electric coiled conductor
• Electrode boiler
Boilers • Heat is generated by electric current
flowing from one electrode to another
through the boiler water
• Conductivity of the water will affect
the flow of electricity and the amount
of heat generated
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77
2ZLVZWvKg&feature=youtu.be
Electric
Boilers
 Boiler Construction

• As discussed boilers are made in various configurations, capacities, pressure ratings, in

packaged and field erected methods.

• Because of this the materials used to construct boilers must withstand a variety of
temperatures and pressures and withstand the various stresses that form within the units.
 Boiler Construction

• Stress: ‘Pressure or tension

applied to an object’
• Common types of stress
found in boilers
• Compressive
• Tensile
• Shear Stress
 Boiler Construction

• Compressive Stress
• Two forces acting in
opposite directions
push towards the
center of the object.
• Firetube boiler tubes
can be subject to
compressive stress
depending on
configuration
 Boiler Construction

• Tensile Stress:
• Two forces pulling in
opposite directions
• Staybolts can be
subjected to tensile
stress
 Boiler Construction

• Shear Stress:
• Two forces act parallel
to each other and in
opposite directions
• Eg/ Shear pins,
couplings used to
protect equipment
Boiler Construction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiqzcBKeFbA&feature=youtu.be
 Boiler Construction

• Examples of components in boiler subject to stress:

• Drums
• Braces
• Stays
• Tubes
• What code ensures the construction of the components and the material selection will be able
to withstand the stress from the forces generated?
• ASME
Boiler Construction
• Boiler components designed to enhance boiler
efficiency:
• Baffles
• Waterwalls
• Boiler tubes
 Boiler Construction

• Baffles: How can baffle use

be designed to increases
efficiency?
• Baffles can direct heat
to areas to optimize
heat transfer
• Utilize steel plate and
refractory
 Boiler Construction

• Waterwalls: Tubes in the furnace

area of Watertube boilers that
increase the heating surface.
• What is a secondary benefit
of them?
• Increase service life of
the refractory
• Increase steaming
capacity
• Smaller furnace volume
per unit output
• Increased firing rate per
unit of furnace volume
 Boiler Construction

• Boiler tubes
• Typically over history boiler
tubes designed with
smooth inner surfaces
• New higher efficiency
designs have extended
surfaces to increase heat
transfer
• Finned tubes and rifled
tubes (to increase water
turbulence) are as examples
 Boiler Assembly

• What are the two main ways boilers are assembled for end users?
• Package boilers
• Completely assembled with all components ready to run
• Typically only requires hookup to feedwater lines, steam lines, fuel, electrical and tied into
breaching and stack
• Often arrive on ‘skid’
• Field-erected boilers
• Assembled onsite due to complexity and size
• More difficult as tools etc. must be brought to site
 Boiler Construction

• Examples of firetube and water tube

package boilers:
 • Tube Assembly
• Tubes are measured by the OD
for both firetube and watertube
boilers
• In firetube they are expanded,
rolled and beaded.
Boiler • Can also be welded
Assembly depending on position in
the boiler
• Watertubes are often welded

https://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=u7UQKNapTBE&feature=yout
u.be
 Summary

• Firetube boilers
• Watertube boilers
• Electric boiler
• General construction concepts and assembly

• ****Quiz Next Lecture****

• Start of class – 10% of final grade
• Covers material from weeks 1 - 3
Review Questions

• What are the two main ways boilers are assembled for end users?
• Package boilers
• Field-erected boilers

• Three main steps for boiler tube installation in a firetube boiler?

• Expanded
• Rolled
• Beaded or welded
Review Questions

• Three main types of boilers?

• Firetube
• Watertube
• Electric
• 4 Main types of watertube boilers?
• Straight-tube
• Bent-tube
• Membrane
• Flex-tube
Review Questions

• Firetube boilers can have higher pressures an capacity compared to watertube

boilers? T/F
• F

• Three main styles of bent tube watertube boilers? Know how to sketch
• A
• D
• O