Information AboutBoiler |
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OVERVIEW Construction of boilers is mainly limited to Copper , Steel and Cast Iron . In Live Steam toys, Brass is often used. Sources of heat for the boiler can be the Combustion of Fuel s such as Wood , Coal , Oil or Natural Gas . Electric boilers use Resistance or Immersion type heating elements. Nuclear Fission is also used as a heat source for generating Steam . Waste-heat boilers, or HRSG s use the heat rejected from other processes such as Gas Turbine s. Boilers can also be classified into fire-tube, water-tube boilers or cast iron sectional depending on whether the heat source is inside or outside the tubes or in the case of the cast iron sectional the design and manufacture of the boiler. The goal in all cases is to maximize the heat transfer between the water and the hot gases heating it. For example, steam Locomotive s have Fire-tube Boiler s, where the fire is inside the tube and the water on the outside. These usually take the form of a set of straight tubes passing through the boiler through which hot combustion gases flows. In Water-tube Boiler s the water flows through a large number of narrow tubes around the fire. The tubes frequently have a large number of bends and sometimes fins to maximize the surface area. This type of boiler is generally preferred in high pressure applications since the high pressure water/steam is contained within narrow pipes which can contain the pressure with a thinner wall. In a cast iron sectional boiler, sometimes called a "pork chop boiler" the water is contained inside cast iron sections. These sections are mechanically assembled on site to create the finished boiler. There are other types of boilers, largely of historical interest. For example, the Cornish Boiler developed around 1812 by Richard Trevithick for generating steam for Steam Engine s. This was both stronger and more efficient than the simple boilers which preceded it. It was a cylindrical water tank around 27 feet long and 7 feet in diameter, and had a coal furnace placed in a single cylindrical tube about three feet wide which passed centrally along the long axis of the tank. The fire was tended from one end and the hot gases from it travelled along the tube and out of the other end, to be circulated back along flues running along the outside of the boiler before being expelled via the Chimney . This was later improved upon in the Lancashire Boiler which had a pair of furnaces in separate tubes side-by-side. This was an important improvement since each furnace could be stoked at different times, allowing one to be cleaned whilst the other was operating. These designs are really primitive fire tube boilers, and led on to the Scotch Boiler which was a popular fire tube design. SUPERCRITICAL BOILERS Supercritical boilers are used for the generation of electric power. They operate at "supercritical pressure". In contrast to a "subcritical boiler", a supercritical boiler has no water - steam separation. There is no generation of steam because the pressure is regulated above the "critical pressure" at which steam bubbles can form. Thus, the fluid generated is called "supercritical fluid". It passes below the critical point as it does work in the high pressure turbine and enters the generator's condensor. This is more efficient resulting in slightly less fuel use and therefore less Greenhouse Gas production. HYDRONIC BOILERS Hydronic boilers are used in generating heat typically for residential uses. They are the typical power plant for Central Heating systems fitted to houses in northern Europe , as opposed to the forced air furnaces or wood burning stoves more common in North America . The hydronic boiler operates by way of heating water/fluid to a preset temperature and circulating that fluid throughtout the home typically by way of Radiator s, baseboard heaters or through the floors. The fluid can be heated by any means....gas, wood, fuel oil, etc, but in built-up areas where piped gas is available, Natural Gas is currently the most economical and therefore the usual choice. The fluid is in an enclosed system and circulated throughout by means of a motorized pump. These hydronic systems are being used more and more in new construction in North America as they are more economical than forced air furnaces and it easier to consruct smaller diameter water pipes as it is the larger ventilation piping. Most new systems are fitted with Condensing Boiler s for greater efficiency. "Boiler" is clearly a misnomer for this kind of device, which is really nothing but a large water heater in which the water is never intended to boil; but the name is universal and unlikely ever to change. ACCESSORIES Boiler fittings
Feedwater accessories
Steam accessories
Combustion accessories
Controlling draft SEE ALSO
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