STEAM GENERATION AND

DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
CHAPTER 5:
DGM 40102 PLANT MAINTENANCE
BY : MOHD HAFIZ BIN TUPARMAN
 Steam Definition
Water vapour, the gaseous phase of water,
which is formed when water boils at 100 °C

The Use of Steam

 Production of paper and other wood products,
 For the preparation and serving of foods,
 For the cooling and heating of large buildings,
for
 Driving equipment such as pumps and
compressors, and for powering ships.
 However, its most important priority remains
as the primary source of power for the
Production of Electricity.
Characteristics of Steam
Wet steam (saturated steam)
Dry steam (dry saturated
steam)
Superheated steam
HEAT TRANSFER

Water

Heat Steam
Wet steam (saturated steam)
 A wet saturated vapour carries liquid droplets in
suspension. A wet saturated vapour is a substance in the
gaseous state which does not follow the general gas law.

Dry steam (dry saturated steam)

 A dry saturated vapour is free from liquid particles. All particles
are vaporized - any decrease in the vapour temperature or increase
in the vapour pressure, will condensate liquid particles in the
vapour.

Superheated steam
 Temperature is higher than the boiling point
temperature corresponding to the pressure. The vapour
can not exist in contact with the fluid, nor contain fluid
particles.
 Types of Steam
 Low pressure steam
 High pressure steam

Low Pressure Steam

 Steam of which the pressure is less than, equal to, or not greatly above, that of the atmosphere. This
steam pressures in range of 500 kPa to 1500 kPa and temperatures of 150 to 200OC
 used for the purpose of heating
a. steam jacket
b. steam heating coils
c. steam chest evaporators

High Pressure Steam

 Steam where the pressure greatly exceeds the atmosphere pressure. This is steam at pressure in the
approximate range 1500 kPa to 2000 kPa and temperatures of up to 500OC
 Used in energy production such as;
a. Steam Turbine
b. Reciprocating engines
c. Steam ejectors
 FUNCTION OF BOILER
 Main purpose of boiler is to heat water and
generate steam
 Steam produced can be used in variety of
purposes like:
 Power generation
 Space heating
 Sterilization
 Water heating
 Dying etc.
POWER GENERATION
SPACE HEATING
DYING
STERILIZATION
WATER HEATING HUMIDIFICATION
ADVANTAGES
 Initial cost is less
 Installation is easy and quick
 Any type of fuel can be used
 Can be moved and set up quickly

DISADVANTAGES
 Steam rising capacity less due to vertical design
 Poor efficiency with small boilers
 It’s difficult to clean inside
 Large flat surface is needed
ADVANTAGES OF BOILER:
 Easily operated
 Easy installation
 Fuels usage
 Easy construction
 Low maintenance cost
 Steam produced have excellent quality
 High overall efficiency (80% to 85%)

DISADVANTAGES OF BOILER:

 More space required

 Poor efficiency
 Cleaning inside
 Low steam production rate (9000kg/hr)
 Corrosion
 Limited pressure (max 30 psi)
 FAILURES DUE TO CORROSION:
Various corrosion mechanisms contribute to
boiler tube failure. Some are given below:

1_Stress Corrosion Cracking:

It is caused by a combination of metal stress and
the presence of a corrosive

REMEDY: A metallurgical examination of the

failed area is required to confirm the specific type
of cracking.
2_dissolved oxygen:
Oxygen is highly corrosive when present in hot
water. Iron oxide generated by the corrosion can
produce iron deposits in the boiler.

REMEDY:
 Phosphate-based treatments are used
 Use of oxygen scavengers, like catalyzed sodium
sulfite, hydrazine, and organic scavengers are
used
 Demineralizing and Chelant are used
Essential boiler fittings
 Safety valve
 Pressure measurement
 Blowdown valves
 Main steam stop valve
 Feed check valves
 Fusible plug
 Water gauge
 Low-water alarm
 Low water fuel cut-out
 Inspector's test pressure gauge attachment
 Name plate
 Registration plate
 Boiler feedwater pump
First Steam Engine – 1880
Steam Engine
 STEAM BOILER

 DEFINITION
A steam boiler is a steam generator
that produce steam at higher
pressure than the atmospheric
pressure

A steam boiler is a steam generator

that producing steam by heat
exchanger
Types of Steam Boiler

Electricboiler
Fire tube boiler
Water tube boiler
 1.Electric Boiler
An electric steam boiler is a type of boiler where
the steam is generated using electricity, rather
than through the combustion of a fuel source.
They are used to generate steam for process
purposes in many locations, for example
laundries, food processing factories and hospitals.
 2.Fire Tube Boiler
 In fire tube boiler, hot gases pass through the tubes and
boiler feed water in the shell side is converted into
steam.
 Fire tube boilers are generally used for relatively small
steam capacities and low to medium steam pressures.
FIRE TUBE BOILER
 3. WATER TUBE BOILER
 In water tube boiler, boiler feed water flows through the tubes and enters
the boiler drum.
 The circulated water is heated by the combustion gases and converted into
steam at the vapour space in the drum.
 4. TUBELESS BOILER

Two Pass tubeless

boiler (water jacket)
ex: Boiler plant, PKS
6.Forced Circulation Boiler
 A forced circulation boiler is a boiler where a
pump is used to circulate water inside the
boiler.
 This differs from a natural circulation boiler
which relies on current density to circulate
water inside the boiler.
 In some forced circulation boilers, the water is
circulated twenty times the rate of evaporation.

Natural Circulation Boiler

 In a natural circulation boiler the circulation is
achieved by the difference in density when the
water in the boiler is heated.
 In natural circulation steam boilers the
circulation of water is by convection currents,
which are set up during the heating of water.
 In most of the boilers there is a natural
circulation of water the fundamental principle
of which is based on the principle
of Thermosiphon
8. Single Tube & Multi tube boiler
 A boiler having only one fire tube or water tube is called a single tube boiler.
 The boiler having two or more, fire or water tubes is called multi tube
boiler.

 Examples
Single tube boiler: Cornish boiler, Vertical boiler.
Multi-tube boiler: Lancashire boiler, Locomotive boiler, Babcock and Wilcox
boiler.
 COMPONENTS OF BOILERS
1. Feed Pump
2. Boiler shell/Stream drum –
steel plates – rolled and
riveted
3. Combustion chamber –
where fuel burns
4. Concrete/fire bricks
5. Grate/Stoker – cast iron rods
– fuel placed on it and burnt
6. Furnace – fire box
7. Ash pit
8. Heating surface – water pipes
BOILER MOUNTINGS
• Fittings on a boiler to ensure its safe operation
• Integral parts of boilers

Water level Stop valve

indicator &
Pressure gauge

Safety valve
Blow off cock
BOILER ACCESSORIES
- To increase efficiency

Economizer
Feed pump

Super heater
Air preheater
 STEAM PRODUCT CYCLE

Air
supply
STEAM Oil
CONSUMER supply
BOILER

Economizer
Blow
FEED WATER down
Chemical TANK

CONDENSATE TANK
SOFTENER

Brew water
SUPERHEATER
 Device used to convert saturated steam or wet steam into
superheated steam or dry steam.
 Superheated steam is used in steam turbines for electricity
generation,
 There are three types of superheaters: radiant, convection, and
separately fired.

The Advantages of Superheated Steam?

 Steam can be superheated without applying high pressure.
 Compared to heated air, superheated steam has a high thermal
capacity per unit volume, offering extremely high thermal
conductivity.
 Compared to hot air, superheated steam has much more powerful
drying capability as it is vapor with high thermal conductivity.
 TURBINE
 Device that extracts thermal energy from
pressurized steam and uses it to do mechanical work on
a rotating output shaft.
 As hot, gaseous steam flows past the turbine' spinning
blades, steam expands and cools.
 This steam spins the blades continuously.
 The blades thus convert most of the steam's potential
energy into kinetic energy.
TURBINE COMPONENT
 CONDENSER
 Device that converts the low-pressure exhaust steam from the turbine into
water.
 Device that is used to condense exhaust steam of the turbine into water.
 Cooling water circulated into it from the cooling tower.

The Objectives
 1. To maintain low pressure steam at the outlet of the steam turbine to
obtain the maximum possible energy.
 2. To supply pure water to the boiler with the help of boiler feed pump.
• The steam and cooling water do not mix with each
other.

• The whole condensate can be used as boiler feed

water.

• It consists of a horizontal cylindrical vessel made of

cast iron and packed with tubes.

• The cooling water flows through these tubes.

• The water tubes are passed horizontally through the

main condensing space.

• The exhaust steam from the turbine or engine enters at

the top and forced to move downward due to the
suction of the air extraction pump.
 Advantages of Steam Condenser
 It increases the efficiency of the plant.
 It reduces the back pressure of the steam and as
a result of this, more work can be done.
 It reduces the temperature of the exhaust steam
and this allows to obtain more work.
 It allows the reuse of condensate for the feed
water and hence reduces the cost of power
generation.
 The temperature of the condensate is more than
the feed water. This reduces the supply of heat
per kg of steam.
 STEAM DISTRIBUTION -PIPING

 Steam usually distributed at pressures

higher than those required at any
particular plant
 Some considerations in the distribution of
steam
- expansion of pipework conveying steam
- - Insulation of pipework conveying steam
EXPANSION OF PIPEWORK
CONVEYING STEAM
 The pipework carrying steam at high temperatures
must include provision for expansion and contraction
due to the changes in temperatures.
 Expansion loops
 Bellows expansion pieces
INSULATION OF PIPEWORK CONVEYING
STEAM
 Steam pipes are always covered with thick layers of
insulating material called lagging.
 To prevent heat loss
Steam Trap
 If the steam condensed in the pipeline, steam traps are used to control
and remove the condensate water.
 Should be placed at the lowest points in a steam main.
Strainer
 Strainers – prevent rust and other solid material carried by
condensate from entering steam trap
 Positioned before steam trap
Safety Valves
 Used for boiler overpressure protection and other applications such as
downstream of pressure reducing controls.
WATER LEVEL GLASS GAUGE
 To manually check the water level
 To double check the water level
Water Level Glass Gauge Blowdown
 Water Sampling Point (sometimes)
BLOWDOWN
To maintain the concentration of dissolved and suspended solids within the specified
limits to avoid priming and carryover.
 Continuous Blow Down.
 Intermediate Blow Down.

Continuous Blow Down:

This is installed in order to regulate and maintain the boiler water concentration at a
constant level. The percentage of blow down should be controlled to a minimum
necessary to achieve this.

Intermediate Blow Down:

This is resorted to only when the water analysis shows it to be necessary or when an
immediate change high boiler T.D.S is required. And then only on the instructions of
responsible person.

Precautions During Blow Down:

 a) Steam drum water level must be closely monitored during any blowing down
operation and maintained as nearly as possible normal.
 b) When opening blow down or drain valves to admit steam or hot water into
relatively cold plot lines, open slowly so as to avoid sudden shocks or water
hammering which may cause serious damage.
Blowdown Valve
Commonly used in boilers in order to drain dissolved solids from
the boiler water.
Why Treatment Required For Boiler Feed
Water

• Water is the essential medium for steam

generation . Conditioning it properly can increase
the efficiency of boiler and as well as extend the
boiler’s life.

• Treating boiler water also ensure safe and reliable

operation. Without proper treatment boiler itself
can be destroyed .
Boiler water problem generally falls into two classes,
a) Deposit related
b) Corrosion related

There are many instances where deposit causes

corrosion and corrosion causes deposit.

Boiler Feed Water has to be Treated

a) To prevent corrosion in the boiler and steam system.
b) To prevent the formation of scales and deposits on heating
surface.
Boiler Feed Water
Boiler Water :
is the term used specifically to refer to water which is heated inside
the actual boiler . Boiler water is provided by the boiler feed water
from the boiler as either heated water or steam.

Boiler Feed Water:

The water which directly enters the Boiler. Boiler feed water is made
of Makeup water and Return Condensate.

Makeup Water:
Make water is the original raw water derived from well or any other
source and purified to the extent required.
• Return condensate:
Return Condensate is water which passes through boiler , gets
converted to steam and after serving some purpose condensed back to
liquid water and returned to feed water tank.

• A Boiler plant :
is a critical part of an Industrial concern. In any process Industries, the
steam generators are act as vital role. The purity of boiler water and
steam is one of the most important criteria for ensuring component
availability an reliability in power generating systems.

• Carry Over:
Moisture , solids , silica and other associated solids passing from a
boiler with steam is called carryover
 Problems in boiler due to low quality of
Boiler water

 a) Foaming : Foaming is responsible for the majority of carry over

problems in boilers and is usually the result of too high a
concentration of solids in the boiler water.
 b) Corrosion: The most common example being the attack of steel by
oxygen. This occurs in water supply systems, pre-boiler systems,
boilers, condensate return lines. Oxygen attack is accelerated by high
temperature and by low pH. 4H2O + 3Fe → Fe3O4 + 4H2.
 c) Due to scale formation in a boiler, heat transfer is retarded and
plates and tubes get over heated , bulge and rupture.
 d) Due to electro chemical action , presence of oxygen in boiler
water pitting and corrosion is caused.
e) CO2 in boiler water forms ferrous carbonate and converts it to
ferric hydroxide and later to ferric oxide called rust.

f) Due to hydrolysis , unstable salts of Ca and Mg , mineral acids are

formed and tubes get overheated.

g) Due to untreated water pitting and thinning of tube walls or plates

is caused from water side.

h) Dissolved oxygen causes corrosion of surfaces from water side

excess concentration of hydrogen or hydroxyl ions corresponding to
decrease or increase in pH respectively.

i) pH : Corrosive action of water is minimum which the pH is distinctly

on the alkaline side. i.e. 8 and above at pH 9.0 protective film of
ferrous hydroxide is formed. Some times condensates owe their
alkalinity to dissolved NH3 release NH3 with drop in pH.
 Common Impurities Found in Water, the
Difficulties Caused, and Means of Treatment