BOILER: Types, Function, Design Parameters & Applications

Definition:
A necessary component (closed vessel) of thermal power plant which is used to;
“Heat water or any liquid, generate steam or vapor, superheat the steam or any combination
of the aforementioned processes, under pressure for external use, by supplying energy either
from the combustion of fuel, from electricity or by nuclear energy”.

Fig 1: Sectioned view of Boiler with various components

Types:
There are various types of boiler based upon the axis of shell, fuel used, pressure etc.

1. Position of water and hot gases

 Fire Tube
 Water Tube
2. Pressure generated by Boiler
 High pressure boiler
 Low pressure boiler
3. Orientation of Boiler
 Horizontal axis boiler
 Vertical axis boiler
4. Position of Boiler
 Externally fired boiler
 Internally fired boiler
5. Fuel used
 Solid fuel fired boiler
 Liquid fuel fired boiler
 Gaseous fuel fired boiler
Function:
As there are many types of boiler so we’ll explain only most widely used boiler’s function
here and that is the water tube boiler.

Fig 2: Water Tube Boiler along with various parts

Water tube boiler is that kind of boiler in which water flows inside the pipes while steam
surrounds these pipes and flows inside the shell. It has been developed owing to higher
steam generation rate, greater steam pressures and superheated steam. They can quickly
respond to variations in load requirements.
There are two main drums in this boiler. One is
called the ‘upper’ drum which is connected to
the feed water inlet, down-comer and riser
tubes for the flow of colder water and steam
generated respectively. Other is the ‘lower’
drum which accompanies the relatively hot
water due to which natural convection of water
takes place (colder water has higher density
than hot water and steam) as water is being
heated in the riser tube by the direct flow of hot
gases. Steam finally gathers above the surface
of colder water and leaves the upper drum via
steam outlet attached to this drum.

Fig 3: Simplified view of WTB

Components of Boiler:
1. Boiler Feed Water System
Water which is being converted to steam is ‘Feed water’ while the system that regulates it is
called ‘Feed water system’.
Feed water system has two types:
 Open feed System
 Closed feed system
There are two main sources of feed water:
 Condensed steam returned from the processes
 Raw water arranged from outside the boiler’s plant processes (Makeup Water)

2. Boiler Steam System

The peculiar system that controls the boiler’s processes is boiler steam system. They perform
the function of collecting and controlling all the generated steam during the process. They
send this generated steam to the point of use via pipes. Pressure gauges and valves among
other things are used to control and regulate the steam pressure throughout the process.

3. Boilers Fuel System

Boiler requires fuel to generate steam and fuel system comprises all the parts required to
generate the steam and what type of components are required, it depends upon the type of
fuel used.

ASME Design Rules for WTB:

ASME design rules for WTB are represented as PWT rules which are applied specifically to
design following parts of water tube boilers.

Tubes and Pipes:

Tubes of Economizer, Boiler generator and super-
heater must be in conformance with the specifications
mentioned in the PG requirements of which a little
portion is shown below.
Similarly, there are some rules for seamless steel pipes
and about the thickness of the tube in which a fusible
plug is to be installed.

Fig 4: Some specifications for

designing tubes & pipes
Tube wall thickness:
The minimum tube wall thickness made up of carbon or alloy steel working under maximum
allowable pressure shall be determined according to the following rules.

Fig 5: Some specifications for tube wall thickness

Tube connections:
Tubes, pipes and nipples can be attached to the shells, heads and headings by:
1-Expanding & Flaring

Fig 6: Tube connections by expanding & Flaring

2-Expanding & Beading

Fig 7: Tube connections by expanding & Beading

3-Expanded, flared, seal welded, and re-expanded after welding

Fig 8: Tube connections by expanded, flared, seal

welded, and re-expanded after welding

4- Expanded, seal welded, and re-expanded after welding or seal welded and expanded
after welding

Fig 9: Tube connections by expanded, seal welded,

and re-expanded after welding or seal welded and
expanded after welding

Similarly, there are other rules for stay bolting box-type headers, staying segment of heads,
firing doors and access and firing doors. But owing to the brevity of report, only some of the
rules for designing water tube boiler have been discussed. All these rules are followed by all
the manufacturers worldwide to ensure the safety and performance of boilers. Here rules for
only water tube boiler have been presented but each type of boiler has its own rules as
developed by ASME.