 Steam is a colorless, odorless gas with the ability to

carry and transfer large amounts of thermal energy

due to its high enthalpy. This high enthalpy makes
steam an excellent candidate for a wide variety of
applications in heat treatment, sterilization,
pharmaceuticals, energy production, drying and many
more.
 Saturated (dry) steam results when water is heated to
the boiling point (sensible heating) and then
vaporized with additional heat (latent heating). If this
steam is then further heated above the saturation
point, it becomes superheated steam (sensible
heating).
 Saturated steam -occurs at temperatures and
pressures where steam (gas) and water (liquid) can
coexist
 Advantages of using saturated steam for heating
✓ Improved product quality and productivity
✓ Temperature can be quickly and precisely established
✓ Smaller required heat transfer surface area, enabling
reduced initial equipment outlay
✓ Safe, clean, and low-cost
 Superheated Steam-Superheated steam is created by
further heating wet or saturated steam beyond the
saturated steam point
Advantages of using superheated steam to drive turbines

 To maintain the dryness of the steam for steam-driven

equipment, whose performance is impaired by the
presence of condensate
 To improve thermal efficiency and work capability, e.g. to
achieve larger changes in specific volume from the
superheated state to lower pressures, even vacuum.
 Disadvantages of using superheated steam for heating
 Reduced productivity
 Larger heat transfer surface area needed
 Superheated steam needs to maintain a high velocity,
otherwise the temperature will drop as heat is lost
from the system
 Temperature drops can have a negative impact on
product quality
 Stronger materials of construction may be needed,
requiring higher initial equipment outlay
 Application of steam

Heating/Sterilization
 Steam is typically generated and distributed at a positive
pressure. In most cases, this means that it is supplied to
equipment at pressures above 0 MPaG (0 psig) and
temperatures higher than 100°C (212°F).

 Heating applications for positive pressure steam can be

found in food processing factories, refineries, and chemical
plants to name a few. Saturated steam is used as the
heating source for process fluid heat exchangers, reboilers,
reactors, combustion air preheaters, and other types of
heat transfer equipment.
 Propulsion/Drive
 Steam is regularly used for propulsion (as a driving force) in
applications such as steam turbines. The steam turbine is a
piece of equipment that is essential for the generation of
electricity in thermal electric power plants. There are some
thermal electric power plants that use 25 MPa abs (3625
psia), 610°C (1130°F) superheated, supercritical pressure
steam in their turbines.
 Besides power generation, other typical propulsion/drive
applications are usually for either turbine-driven
compressors or pumps, ex. gas compressors, cooling tower
pumps, etc.
 Motive
Steam can also be used as a direct “motive” force to move
liquid and gas streams in piping. Steam jet ejectors are used
to pull vacuum on process equipment such as distillation
towers to separate and purify process vapor streams. They are
also used for continuous removal of air from surface
condensers, in order to maintain desired vacuum pressure on
condensing (vacuum) turbines.
 Atomization
Steam atomization is a process where steam is used to
mechanically separate a fluid. In some burners, for example,
steam is injected into the fuel in order to maximize
combustion efficiency and minimize the production of
hydrocarbons
 Cleaning
Steam is used to clean a wide range of surfaces. One
such example from industry is the use of steam in soot
blowers. Boilers that use oil or coal as the fuel source
must be equipped with soot blowers for cyclic cleaning
of the furnace walls and removing combusted deposits
from convection surfaces to maintain boiler capacity,
efficiency, and reliability.
Steam today is an integral and essential part of modern
technology. Without it, our food, textile, chemical, medical,
power, heating and transport industries could not exist or
perform as they do.
Reasons for using steam include:
➢ Steam is efficient and economic to generate
➢Steam can easily and cost effectively be distributed to the
point of use
➢ Steam is easy to control
➢ Energy is easily transferred to the process
➢ The modern steam plant is easy to manage
➢ Steam is flexible
 Boiler Fuel
 The fuel can be defined technically as any material
that can burn. While commercially, the fuel can be
called as any material that has specific calorific value
and is able to react with oxygen in air to produce heat.
Generally, fuel can be classified into three main types,
namely:
 Boiler fuel solid
 Boiler fuel liquid
 Boiler fuel gas
 Based on the occurrence, fuel can be differentiated
into natural fuels and artificial fuels.
 Boiler fuel solid
 Natural: Wood, peat, lignite, bituminous, anthracite
 Artificial: wood charcoal, coke, briquettes, bagasse, palm oil waste,
coconut shell

 Boiler fuel liquid
 Nature: Crude Oil
 Artificial: Gasoline, kerosene, fuel oils

 Boiler fuel gas
 Nature: The gas methane (CH4), Ethane gas (C2H6), carbon monoxide
(CO), LNG, LPG
 Artificial: Coal gas, water gas, Raymond gas, high gas furnace, coke
oven gas, producer gas.
 Classification of boiler based on tube type
Fire Tube Boiler
 A steam boiler in which the products of combustion
pass through the tubes, which are surrounded by
water.
Water Tube Boiler
 A steam boiler in which the water passes through the
tubes and products of combustion surround the tubes.
Water tube boilers
 A water tube boiler is a type of boiler in which water circulates in tubes
heated externally by the fire. Fuel is burned inside the furnace, creating hot gas
which heats water in the steam-generating tubes.
 The heated water then rises into the steam drum. Here, saturated steam is
drawn off the top of the drum. In some services, the steam will re-enter the
furnace through a super heater to become superheated. Superheated steam is a
dry gas and therefore used to drive turbines, since water droplets can severely
damage turbine blades.
 Cool water at the bottom of the steam drum returns to the feed water drum via
large-bore 'down comer tubes', where it pre-heats the feed water supply. To
increase economy of the boiler, exhaust gases are also used to pre-heat the air
blown into the furnace and warm the feed water supply. Such water tube
boilers in thermal power station are also called steam generating units.
 Babcock and wilcox boiler is the best known water tube boiler and is made of
one or
more horizontal steam and water drums. The drums is connected to a series of
headers by short rise tubes.
Construction of
Babcock and Wilcox
Boiler:
Steam and water drum (boiler shell):
One half of the drum which is horizontal is filled up with
water and steam remains on the other half.

Water tubes:
Water tubes are placed between the drum and furnace in an
inclined position to promote water circulation. These tubes
are connected to the uptake-header and the down-comer as
shown.

Uptake-header and downtake-header

The drum is connected at one end to the uptake-header by
short tubes and at the other end to the down-corner by long
tubes.

Grate: Coal is fed to the grate through the fire door.

Furnace : Furnace is kept below the uptake-header.

Baffles: The fire-brick baffles are provided to deflect the

hot flue gases.

Superheater: The boiler is fitted with a superheater tube

which is placed just under the drum and above the water
Inspection doors: Inspection doors are provided
tubes.
for cleaning and inspection of the boiler.
Working:
The hot gases from the furnace are forced to move
upwards between the water tubes by fire brick baffle
provided. They then move downwards between the
tubes and then to the chimney. The movement of
gases in this manner facilitates the heat transfer even
to the highest part of the tubes. That portion of
water tubes which is just above the furnace is heated
comparatively at a higher temperature than the rest
of it. Water, its density being decreased, rises into
the drum through the uptake-header. Here the
steam and water are separated in the drum. Steam
being lighter is collected in the upper part of the
drum. The water from the drum comes down
through the down –comer into the water tubes.

A continuous circulation of water from the drum to

the water tubes and water tubes to the drum is thus The feed water enters the front of the
maintained. The circulation of water is maintained drum,passes to the back of the drum and
by convective currents and is known as natural then descends through the down-coming
circulation. vertical tubes and enters the headers.
 Water Tubes Boilers have the following advantages:
 Available in larger capacities
 Able to handle higher pressures
 Faster response to changing loads
 Able to reach very high temperatures
 Provide an adequate furnace to ensure complete
combustion


 Disadvantages of Water Tube Steam Boiler:

 High initial capital cost
 Cleaning is difficult due to design structure
 No commonality between tubes
 Bigger in physical size
❖Features of babcock and wilcox boiler:
❖Its overall efficiency is higher than a fire tube
boiler.
❖All the components are accessible for inspection
even during the operation.
❖Steam generation capacity and operating pressure
are high compared with other boilers.
❖The water tubes are kept inclined at an angle of 10
to 15 degree to promote water circulation.
❑advantages:
❑Steam can be generated at very high pressures.
❑Heating surface is more in comparison with the space
occupied, in the case of water tube boilers.
❑A good and rapid circulation of water can be made.
❑The different parts of a water tube boiler can be
separated. Hence it is easier to transport.
❑Bursting of one or two tubes does not affect the boiler
very much with regard to its working. Hence water
tube boilers are sometimes called as safety boilers.
➢Disadvantages:
➢It is less suitable for impure and sedimentary
water, as a small deposit of scale may cause the
overheating and bursting of tubes. Hence, water
treatment is very essential for water tube boilers.
➢Maintenance cost is high.
➢Failure in feed water supply even for a short
period is liable to make the boiler overheated.
Hence the water level must be watched very
carefully during operation of a water tube boiler.
 Fire tube design use tubes to flow hot gases and
distribute it to the safe point of discharge through
stack. Water at the outside of tubes is heated by hot
tubes, so there is heat transfer between hot gases
inside tubes and water outside tubes. Water is
converted to steam for process purpose.
 As long as combustion process there are some passes
usually used. At the first pass, the hot gases in
distributed in fire tube boiler through furnace. In
Figure 1, the rear head of lower section had sealed the
hot gas from first pass and direct it to the tubes at the
second pass to front head. The hot gases from front
head is redirected to the third pass then directed again
to the fourth pass and the end the hot gas is
discharged through stack.
 Advantages of fire tube boiler:
1. The water is supplied in shell and outside tubes while hot gas is
supplied inside tubes so the water volume can not be shaken easily
when the fire tube boiler is running.
2. Fire tube boiler is so easy to use, operate, clean and maintain
3. Fire tube boiler can be used in small scale industries.
4. Fire tube boiler is relatively cheaper than water tube boiler.
Disadvantages of fire tube boiler:
1. From the furnace combustion side, required time to fill water is
longer than to increase temperature and pressure.
2. The efficiency of heat transfer (heat transfer efficiency) is bad
enough because of the heat exchanger does not use thermal
radiation.
3. In case of bombers fire tube boiler would be very dangerous if a
large amount of hot water and steam have been accumulated inside
(leakage occur).
4. The fire tube boiler can not produce steam at a pressure higher
than 250 pounds per square inch.
5. Capacity of generated steam is limited.
 Fire tube it self can be classified based on configuration as
1. Horizontal Fire Tube
2. Vertical Fire Tube.

Vertical Fire Tube Boiler

Vertical fire tube consists of a bundle of tubes, pipe, shell and head. The heat
from gas combustion flows inside tubes. Combustion chamber and nozzle may
be located on the bottom side or middle of boiler. The fire combustion burn in
the middle of the shell boiler with a fire hose. Volume water is maintained
approximately 80% of height of shell.The most suitable fuel for this boiler is
gas because it is cheaper than the price of oil fuel and burn cleaner than diesel
fuel. The range capacity of the boiler is between 10-1250 kg/hr and maximum
allowable working pressure (MAWP) is not more than 1 MPa. It is ideal to use
as a small boiler to produce steam, up to 800 kg / hr.

Example:
Simple vertical boilers
Cochran boiler
 Simple vertical boilers
 consists of a cylindrical shell surrounding a
cylindrical fire box.
 heating surface is about 8-10 times the
grate area.
 50% efficiency
Cochran Boiler

It is well design of a Vertical multitubular fire tube boiler

Improvement over the simple vertical boiler as it provides
greater heating surface.
Total heating surface area is about 10-25 times the grate area
Efficiency 70-75%
Horizontal Fire Tube
 The firing flows inside tube and the water
outside tubes. This type can generate evaporation
100-12000 kg/hr and pressures up to 1-2 MPa
(150-300 psig). Regarding to the large diameter of
the shell boilers, structural support is designed to
enough strong to resist load of boiler. If the
steam pressure increases, so steam temperature
will be higher. The size of this boiler also has a
steam capacity between 500-1200 kg/hr and
pressures up to 1-2 MPa (150-200psig).
CORNER TUBE BOILER:
A corner tube boiler is a type of natural circulation water-tube
boiler which differentiates itself from other water tube boilers
by its characteristic water-steam cycle and a pre-separation of
heated steam from the steam-water mixture occurs outside the
drum and the unheated down-comers.

Corner tube boilers were developed for small steam output.

The design was based around two factors that, along with
excellent water circulation, should be appropriate cooling
even at light loads.
Working:
 The water flows down from the drum (6)
through the down comers (7) and it is
distributed in the different riser tubes(4). The
steam-water mixture circulates and flows in
the upward direction through the riser tubes.
In the radiation heated area through the pre-
separator (also known as cross-collector)
(3),occurs the pre-separation of steam from the
steam water mixture. The separated steam
flows through the overhead pipe (5) and the
steam-water mixture flows through the
collector pipe (3) to the drum (6) as well. In the
drum occurs the final separation of steam from
steam water mixture. The rest amount of water
flows through the unheated return tubes (1)
and down comers (7) to the rear wall
distributor/header (2). Due to the water
returning from the unheated down comers (1) a
lively circulation takes place .
Advantages:
 Self supporting construction by the four down comers, i.e. the four
down comers in the four corners contribute to a rigid framework and
requires no hanging frames or equipments. It can expand from the base
in all directions and adapt to different operating conditions.
 The shorter path of water supply to the riser tubes leads to faster and
more reliable operation on different loads and a quick start up.
 Less steel is needed as there is no lower boiler drum and moreover the
absence of lower drum eliminated unwanted thermal stresses.
 Construction and arrangement of heating surfaces is flexible as water
can be supplied directly from the drum which is placed quite far away
from heating surfaces.
Disadvantages:
 The quality of water when poor (high Salt contents
including Magnesium and Calcium) leads to the salt
formation on the boiler tubes which is difficult to clean.

 The designing and construction is a result of detailed

engineering and hence makes it expensive.
 Boiler accessories
Following are some accessories used in boilers:-
-Lever safety valve
-Pressure reducing valve
-Steam trap
-Steam separator
-Feed pump
-Superheaters
-Economiser
-Injector
 Lever safety valve
 A lever safety valve is used as a
safety mounting on a boiler
drum. The lever operates the
safety mechanism. Effort P in
terms of dead load is applied at
end B of the lever. When the
steam pressure inside the boiler
drum exceeds the permissible
limit, the valve opens and some
steam is let off to reduce the
pressure and keep it within the
allowable limits.
 pressure reducing valve
 A pressure reducing valve is a valve that automatically
cuts off the flow of a liquid or gas at a certain pressure.
Regulators are used to allow high-pressure fluid supply
lines or tanks to be reduced to safe and/or usable
pressures for various applications. Gas pressure
regulators are used to regulate the gas pressure and are
not appropriate for measuring flow rates. Flowmeters,
Rotometers or Mass Flow Controllers should be used
to accurately regulate gas flow rates.
Types of pressure reducing
valves
Single Stage Double Stage
 Steam trap
 A steam trap is a device used to discharge condensate and non
condensable gases with a negligible consumption or loss of live
steam. Most steam traps are nothing more than automatic
valves. They open, close or modulate automatically. Others, like
venturi traps, are based on turbulent 2-phase flows to obstruct
the steam flow.

 The three important functions of steam traps are:

 Discharge condensate as soon as it is formed.

 Have a negligible steam consumption.
 Have the capability of discharging air and other non-
condensable gases.
 Steam separator
 A Steam separator, sometimes referred to as a moisture separator, is a
device for separating water droplets from steam. The simplest type of
steam separator is the steam dome on a steam locomotive. Stationary
boilers and nuclear reactors may have more complex devices which
impart a "spin" to the steam so that water droplets are thrown outwards
by centrifugal force and collected.

 It is important to remove water droplets from steam because:

 In all engines, wet steam reduces the thermal efficiency

 In piston engines, water can accumulate in the cylinders and cause a
hydraulic lock which will damage the engine
 In thermal power stations, water droplets in high velocity steam
coming from nozzles (or vanes) in a steam turbine can impinge on and
erode turbine internals such as turbine blades.
A Steam Separator
 feed pump
 A boiler feed water pump is a specific type of pump
used to pump feed water into a steam boiler. The water
may be freshly supplied or returning condensate
produced as a result of the condensation of the steam
produced by the boiler. These pumps are normally
high pressure units that take suction from a
condensate return system and can be of the centrifugal
pump type or positive displacement type.
A Feed Pump
 superheater
 A superheater is a device used to convert saturated
steam or wet steam into dry steam used in steam
engines or in processes, such as steam reforming. A
superheater can vary in size from a few tens of feet to
several hundred feet (a few metres or some hundred
metres).
How a superheater improves the
economy of a boiler.
 Reduces the steam consumption of steam engine or
steam turbine by producing more work per kg of
steam.
 Reduces the condensation losses in steam main and
engine cylinder.
 Eliminates erosionof steam turbine blades.
 Increases capacity of plant.
 Types of superheaters
 Smooth hairpin type superheaters, used for most low
pressure boilers. Degree of superheat obtained is not
very high.

 Multiple loop superheater ,used for high pressure

boilers and very high degree of superheat is obtained.
Position of superheater in some
boilers
Sl no. Boilers Position of superheater

1 Lancashire and cornish In downmake

2 Locomotive In internal flue tubes
3 Babcock and Wilcox In overdex section
4 Scotch marine In internal flue tubes/smoke box or
uptake
Methods of superheating steam
 Superheating of steam can be done in the following
places :-
 a) The shell of a boiler as in the steam space
surrounding the tops of the fire-tubes in large vertical
boilers.
 b) Special forms of superheaters located in the path of
the furnace gases and known as attached superheaters.
 c) Superheaters, with separate furnaces, known as
separately fired/portable superheaters.
Methods of control of superheat
 Temperature control of superheated steam can be
done in the following ways :-
 a) By connecting two superheaters in series, a de-
superheater between them.
 b) By controlling the gas flow by special baffles ,
whereby any part of the gas flow can be passed around
the superheater.
A Superheater
 Economiser
 The function of an economiser is to recover some of
the heat from that carried away in the flue gases in the
chimney and utilize it for heating the feed water to the
boiler.
 It is placed in the passage of flue gases in between the
exit from the boiler and the entry to the chimney.
 By its use, fuel is economised nd steaming rate is
increased.
An Economiser
 injector
 The function of an injector is the same as that of a feed
pump. It is normally used on vertical boilers and
locomotive boilers.
 It can’t be used for large capacity , high pressure
boilers.
 Advantages of an Injector
 It occupies minimum space.
 It is cheap as compared to other feed pump devices
and its maintainance cost is negligible.
 Heat from steam is not recovered in case of feed
pumps, but in case of injector, whole heat is returned
to the boiler imt he feed water pumped.
An Injector
❖Selection of boiler:
 The working pressure & quality of steam.
 Steam generation.
 Floor area available.
 Accessibility for repair & inspection.
 Comparative initial cost.
 Erection facilities.
 The probable load factor.
 The fuel & water available.
 Operating & maintenance cost.
➢ BOILER PROPERTIES
a). Safety: The boiler should be safe under the operating conditions.
b). Accessibility: the various part of boiler should be accessible for
repair & maintenance.
c). Capacity: Should be capable of supplying Steam according to the
requirements.
d). Efficiency: Should be able to absorb a maximum amount of heat
produced due to burning of fuel in the furnace.
e). It should be simple in construction.
f). Its initial cost and maintenance cost is low.
g). It should be capable of quick starting and loading.
2. Fire tube & water tube boiler
 In the fire tube boiler the hot gases are inside the tubes & the water
surrounds in the tube.
ex. Cochran, locomotive etc.
 In the water tube boiler the water is inside the tube & the hot gases are
surround them.
ex. Stirling
5. High pressure & low pressure boilers
 The boilers which produce steam at pressure of 80 bar and above are
called high pressure boiler.
ex. Velox
 The boiler which produce steam at pressure below 80 bar are called low
pressure boiler.
ex. cochran
6. Stationary & portable
 Stationary boilers are used for power plant-steam, for central station
utility power plants, for plant process steam etc.
 Portable boilers are include locomotive type & other small units for
temporary use at sites.
7. Single tube multi-tube boilers
 The fire tube boilers are classified as single tube &
multi tube boilers, depending upon the fire tube is one
more than one.
 Ex: cornish boiler
 ➢Comparison between Fire-tube & water-tube boilers
S no. Particulars Fire tube boilers Water tube boilers

1. Mode of firing Internally fired Externally fired

2. Rate of steam production lower Higher

3. construction Difficult Simple

4. transportation Difficult Simple
5. Treatment of water Not so necessary More necessary

6. Operating pressure Limited to 16 bar Under high pressure as

100 bar

7. Floor area More floor area Less floor area

8. Shell diameter Large for same power Small same power
9. explosion Less More
10. Risk of bursting lesser More risk
1). LANCASHIRE BOILER