Boiler Construction Part-1
Boiler Construction Part-1
Boiler Construction Part-1
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Marine Insight©
Marine Boiler Series Part 1: A Guide to Boiler Construction and Design
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book, or the equipment, tools, or methods described herein.
INDEX
TYPES AND WORKING OF MARINE BOILER
SMOKE TUBE BOILER
WATER TUBE BOILER
COMPOSITE BOILER 1 (1-16)
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SMOKE TUBE AND WATER TUBE BOILERS
BOILER MOUNTINGS
EXTERNAL MOUNTINGS
2 (17-43)
INTERNAL MOUNTINGS
PROBLEMS IN BOILER MOUNTINGS
MAINTENANCE OF BOILER MOUNTINGS
BOILER CONSTRUCTION
BOILER TUBES- PROBLEMS AND MAINTENANCE
BOILER FURNACE- PROBLEMS AND MAINTENANCE
BOILER REFRACTORY- PROBLEMS AND MAINTENANCE
SUPERHEATER
3 (44-101)
BOILER SHELL
BOILER BURNER
TYPES OF BURNER
4 (102-126)
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION
COMBUSTION AIR
1
TYPES AND WORKING
SMOKE TUBE BOILER
COMPOSITE BOILER
OF BOILER
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
SMOKE TUBE AND WATER
TUBE BOILERS
Types and Working of Marine Boiler – Principle of working
Boiler is one such machinery, which is being used on board ships from the very
early days of shipping when there were no propulsion or power generating
auxiliary engines.
During that time, boiler was used to do
all the major works on ships that present
day propulsion and power generating
systems do. With evolution of
technology, a variety of machines took
over the important jobs on ships;
however, advanced boilers are still an
important part of the engine power plant
and cargo operations.
Normally, carbon steel is used for the construction of pressure vessels, which
are manufactured by open hearth, electric or pneumatic processes. An
important point to be considered for boiler construction is that the strength of
the material used is tested as per the regulatory requirements.
A variety of boilers are used on ships, depending upon their size and type. The
most common types of boiler installed on board are:
3
Types and Working of Marine Boiler – Smoke Tube Boiler
As the name suggests, the heated smoke generated in the boiler furnace is
passed through several tubes surrounded by water in the boiler drum.
4
Types and Working of Marine Boiler – Smoke Tube Boiler
The heat of the smoke in the tubes generates the steam. The smoke tube
boilers are used in a system with less steam quantity and quality. In a ship, a
smoke tube boiler can be described as – horizontal or scotch boiler and
vertical smoke tube boiler
Horizontal Smoke Tube or Scotch Boiler: This is an old type of boiler with
cylindrical furnace surrounded by water inside the shell. The furnace in this
type of boiler is water-cooled, has a large diameter, and is thicker. This leads to
thermal stresses if the boiler is not operated correctly.
Horizontal smoke tube boiler comprises of end plates, which are opposite to
the burner assembly. These flat-ended plates, supported by large steam space,
stay in the upper portion of the boiler. The combustion chamber is supported
by the girder stay at the topside and by the combustion chamber stays. The
mid-section back plates and tube plates are also supported by the combustion
chamber stays.
5
Types and Working of Marine Boiler – Smoke Tube Boiler
Vertical Smoke Tube Boiler: A vertical smoke tube boiler is more popular and
commonly found on ships. In this boiler arrangement, the furnace is in the
bottom part of the boiler and is attached to the shell by means of ogee ring at
the bottom.
The furnace is fitted with refractory, which contains the produced heat inside
the furnace and also protects the ogee ring from overheating. The combustion
chamber with tube stacks is located above the furnace, where the hot smoke is
passed for heating the water drum. The top of the combustion chamber is
supported by gusset plate that transfers the stresses to boiler shell.
Fire tube boilers are competitive for steam rates up to 12,000 kg/hour and
pressures up to 18 kg/cm2. Fire tube boilers are available for operation with oil
and gas fuels.
6
Types and Working of Marine Boiler – Water Tube Boiler
Water tube boilers are 2nd generation boilers with modification in the
construction and working principle of the smoke tube boiler. The tubes inside
the boilers are filled with water instead of smoke and hence the thermal
stresses are less as compared to those produced by the smoke tube boiler.
This type of boiler is used where the steam quality and quantity demand is
high. All high pressure boilers are mainly water tube boilers and comprise of
mainly 3 important sections:
• Water drum
• Steam drum
• Tubes
7
Types and Working of Marine Boiler – Water Tube Boiler
Water drum: It is located at the bottom of the boiler and carries the hot water.
The same water is supplied to the steam drum where the steam is generated.
Steam drum: It is located at the top part of the boiler and is fitted with
external and internal mountings, which include safety valves and steam stop
valves (main and auxiliary), to supply steam to the ship’s systems.
Tubes: Modern water tube boiler consists of various types of water tubes with
different functions. The main types are:
• Screen tubes: Placed before the super-heater, these tubes are adjacent to
the furnace and absorb the flame as well as the generated hot gas heat.
Since these tubes are directly exposed to the furnace heat, they are of large
diameter to prevent overheating
• Superheater tubes: They are placed behind the screen tubes to carry
8
Types and Working of Marine Boiler – Water Tube Boiler
9
Types and Working of Marine Boiler – Water Tube Boiler
• Generating tubes: These tubes connect the water drum and the steam
drum. As the name suggests, hot water is carried upward from water drum
to steam drum where the steam is produced
• Down comers: Down comer tubes transfer the not-so-hot water to the
water drum, where the water is heated up in the generating tube before
going back to the steam drum
Working Principle of Water Tube Boiler: The Water Tube boiler works on the
principle of convection and radiation.
Most modern water tube boiler designs are within the capacity range 4,500 –
120,000 kg/hour of steam at very high pressures. Many water tube boilers are
of “packaged” construction in case oil and /or gas are to be used as fuel.
10
Types and Working of Marine Boiler – Water Tube Boiler
• Less tolerance for water quality calls for water treatment plant
11
Types and Working of Marine Boiler – Exhaust Gas Boiler
The exhaust gas boiler and economizer are heat recovery units and types of
water tube boiler. The flue gases from the exhaust of the engine are used to
heat water in the tubes at a specific temperature and limited pressure loss.
A circulation pump is used to continuously circulate the hot water in the water
tubes of the economizer.
The auxiliary steam boiler serves as a steam separator for the entire system
and is thus kept hot and ready to start instantly.
The excess steam produced by the economizer when the main engine is
running at high load, is dumped back to the hot-well using a steam dump
condenser.
The exhaust boiler is provided with a vertical register of double steel tubes
12
Types and Working of Marine Boiler – Exhaust Gas Boiler
having steel gills welded on the tube. This provides a strong rigid structure and
also assists in preventing damages caused by vibrations.
Since hot gases flows from the boiler trunk to heat up the water, the complete
exhaust boiler is prone to thermal expansion, which is controlled by fitting
various tubes and plates.
Tube register, tube support and tube bends are placed in the flow direction of
the exhaust gases. The tube supports are fixed at one side of the inlet and
outlet header to a supporting beam. The other end is kept free of supporting
beam to accommodate for the thermal expansion.
The boiler foundation is provided with footplates, which also support the
structure and absorbs the thermal expansion. For additional strengthening and
support, stays are fitted on topside with lifting eyes bolted to the steel
structure.
13
Types and Working of Marine Boiler – Composite Boiler
Composite Boiler
Another most common type of boiler
found on ships is the composite boiler,
where the exhaust heat of the main
engine or generator engine is used to
additionally heat the water or generate
the steam. Technically, composite boiler
is an integration of exhaust gas boiler
and oil-fired boiler.
14
Types and Working of Marine Boiler – Smoke Tube vs. Water Tube Boilers
Suitable for low pressure range Suitable for high pressure range – 100 bars
Low quality and quantity of steam High quality and quantity of steam
16
Marine Boiler Mountings
2
BOILER MOUNTINGS
EXTERNAL MOUNTINGS
INTERNAL MOUNTINGS
PROBLEMS IN BOILER
MOUNTINGS
MAINTENANCE OF BOILER
MOUNTINGS
Marine Boiler Mountings – External Mountings
Main Steam Valve: The steam generated in the boiler is delivered to the
engine room system through the main steam stop valve. The function of this
valve is to isolate the steam boiler and pressure from the rest of the system. It
is generally an angle type globe valve of screw down mechanism.
19
Marine Boiler Mountings – External Mountings
20
Marine Boiler Mountings – External Mountings
a copper pipe, whose end is to be kept near the drain and properly visible
while operating the boiler in above-mentioned condition. This is a type of shut
off valve.
Feed Water Valves: Feed water check valve is installed between the boiler and
the feed water pump. The feed water stop valve is fitted close to the boiler
drum. The check valve includes a spring equivalent to the head of water in the
elevated feed-tank when there is no pressure in the boiler. This prevents the
boiler from flooding by the static head from the boiler feed tank.
The temperature of feed water is kept below 100 °C and therefore ethylene
propylene soft seals are used for check valves.
Boiler Gauge Glasses: A gauge glass shows the current level of water in the
boiler, regardless of the boiler’s operating conditions. Marine boiler is provided
with two independent water level gauge glasses, which are located in front of
the boiler, such that their lowest readings show the water level
21
Marine Boiler Mountings – External Mountings
During normal operation, the ball valve sits down, as there is no flow of water
22
Marine Boiler Mountings – External Mountings
inside the gauge glass. The ball sits down due to its own weight, uncovering
the water inlet to the gauge glass. In case of glass breakage, the sudden flow of
water pushes the ball to block the water inlet of the glass and stop the water
flow.
Sample Valve: A sample valve is provided on the boiler drum whose outlet is
installed in the engine room (mostly in the areas like workshop etc.) along with
a cooler and a valve on the discharge point. This cooler is provided to
safeguard the personnel from steam burn. The cooler is normally sea-water
cooled.
Blow Down Valves: The boiler is fitted with two separate blow-down valves at
different levels.
Bottom blow-down valve: It is fitted at the bottom side of the boiler and is
used to remove sludge or sediments from the boiler. Usually a large (25 -50
mm) key operated valve is fitted at the shipside, along with an intermediate
23
Marine Boiler Mountings – External Mountings
and a blow-down valve near the boiler. This valve might normally be opened
for a period of about 5 seconds, once per shift, depending upon the dissolved
sediments in the boiler water.
Scum blow down valve: The scum blow-down is fitted near the upper side of
the boiler drum i.e. at the normal level of the boiler water in the steam drum.
It is used to remove the floating impurities from the surface of the boiler
water. The discharge of the scum blow down is also connected to the
overboard line. A funnel is provided inside the boiler drum to scum the surface
impurities once the scum blow down-valve is opened.
Just like external mountings, the steam drum of a boiler is also fitted with
internal components, which help in increasing the efficiency of the produced
steam. Important internals mountings used in boiler are:
Attemparator: It is a stack of ‘U’ tubes situated in the lower part of the steam
drum and is always submerged in water. It is used to keep the super-heated
steam temperature within certain desired limit in the final stage.
Steam Inlet
25
Marine Boiler Mountings – Internal Mountings
26
Marine Boiler Mountings – Problems
Scum Blow Down Funnel: A funnel is placed in the steam drum, almost at the
boiler water level, to enable extraction of surface impurities from the water.
Few common problems that are found in steam system valves are:
Leaking gland packing: This is the most common problem seen in the steam
valves. It is due to temperature variation within the valve. Any damage to stem
of the valve will lead to gland leakage.
Leaking valve seat: Valve seat is subjected to high pressure and velocity of
steam, leading to wire drawing effect. Other damages such as scoring and
pitting of the seat may also occur. If the valve is shut too tight, it may damage
the seat.
27
Marine Boiler Mountings – Problems
Stuck up spindle: If the valve is not operated for a long period, the stem or
spindle may get stuck due to impurities and deposits on the stem boundaries,
which resist the turning of the spindle. Due to high temperature contact, the
stem will expand and in presence of deposits, will have no room to turn.
Wrong water level display: This may be due to impurities in the gauge glass
inlet pipe. The other reason can be foaming in the boiler water, which will
show wrong gauge glass level. If oil has taken access in the boiler water, it will
appear in the gauge glass and the water level will not be at correct position.
Chocked water/steam side: Chocked water/ steam side can be due to lack of
gauge glass maintenance (gauge glass blow down), which leads to salt deposits
accumulating at the corners of the bends and pipes of the gauge glass. Blow
down of gauge glass must be performed at least once a day to avoid this
problem.
28
Marine Boiler Mountings – Problems
Stuck ball: The gauge glass comes with a ball which protects and stops the flow
of high pressure and temperature water in case of breakage of gauge glass. If
the gauge glass has not blown down for a long time, it may lead to salt
deposits and can also make the ball stuck. This will not allow any water to
come in the gauge glass. Blow down of gauge glass at least once a day is
therefore very important.
Breakage of glass: The gauge glass can break due to any type of physical
impact. This may lead to high-pressure hot water coming out of the boiler. Due
to sudden decrease in the pressure (as surrounding area is at atmospheric
pressure), most of the hot water will convert in to steam and lead to scalding
injury to the nearby person.
Stuck wire: To lift the safety valve manually in the emergency situation, a steel
wire with a handle is used at an accessible and safe place near the boiler. The
29
Marine Boiler Mountings – Problems
wire runs through pulleys and connects to the safety valve spindle. Easing wire
slipping out and getting stuck in the pulley are commonly found problems in
the arrangement. It is therefore important to do a weekly inspection and
greasing of the wires.
Jammed pulley: Pulley is a mechanical part, which rotates along a fixed point.
Lack of greasing and accumulation of dust may lead to pulley getting stuck.
Carry out weekly inspection and greasing of the wire to avoid this problem.
Stranding of the wire: The easing gear comprises of a steel wire connected to
the safety valve at one end and lever at the other end. Improper maintenance
and bad quality leads to stranding.
Removed link from the safety valve: The easing wire is connected to the safety
valve with a quick link to lift the valve manually in case of an emergency. This
quick link can be removed easily for maintenance purpose. If the link is not
connected back to the valve, the easing gear will not work in emergency.
30
Marine Boiler Mountings – Problems
Pressure transmitters and gauges provided in the boilers draw their inputs
from the boiler drum via a small diameter copper pipe. Due to impurities and
deposits in the boiler water, this copper pipe may get chocked, leading to
wrong and erratic pressure readings. The boiler end of the copper pipe is
provided with a small cock valve. Problem in this valve may also lead to wrong
pressure readings in gauges and transmitter.
31
Marine Boiler Mountings – Maintenance
Maintenance of Valves:
• The feed waterline is fitted with feed water stop valves after a feed water
check valve to prevent the boiler from flooding by the static head from the
boiler feed tank
• All the steam valves are to be checked for steam leakage from gland and
body-bonnet joint. For a small gland leakage in the pressurized condition,
cautiously tightening the gland packing may help in stopping the leakage;
however, over tightening of the gland packing can damage the
32
Marine Boiler Mountings – Maintenance
gland, leading to more steam coming out at high pressure and causing
burns/ major accidents
33
Marine Boiler Mountings – Maintenance
• Replace the gland packing with a new one even if the gland packing seems
OK. Ensure the packing used is same as recommended by the makers
• Replace the joint between the body and the bonnet with steam joint
• Check the valve and valve seat for any damages, pitting and wire drawing
effect
• For feed water valve, isolate the feed water system and depressurize the
boiler before opening any valve
• Check for gland packing and replace the same after removing the old
packing
34
Marine Boiler Mountings – Maintenance
• Clean the valve and valve seat area from the water sediments
• Check for condition of valve and valve seat and lap them as required
The gauge glass of the boiler is important for monitoring safe water level inside
the boiler. The engineer in-charge of the watch must blow down the boiler
gauge glass to ensure the level displayed is always correct.
The gauge glass should also be thoroughly overhauled at each annual survey.
Lack of maintenance can result in hardening of packing joint and seizure of
cocks. If the cock handle becomes bent or distorted special care is to be given
to ensure that the cock is set full open.
35
Marine Boiler Mountings – Maintenance
Following things to consider when working on marine boiler water level gauge
glasses:
• If steam passes are choked, a false high water level may be given in the
gauge glass. After the gauge has been tested, a false high water level may
still be indicated
• If the water passages are choked, an artificially high water level may be
observed due to steam condensing in the glass. After testing, the glass will
tend to remain empty unless the water level in the boiler is higher than the
top connection of the gauge glass
36
Marine Boiler Mountings – Maintenance
• Gauge glass levels must be monitored with utmost attention as they are the
only visual indicators of water level condition inside the boiler
To test the correct functioning of gauge glass, the following procedure should
be followed:
• Close the water cock and open the drain cock for approximately 5 seconds
• Water should return to its normal working level quickly. If this does not
happen, then a blockage in the water cock could be the reason, and
37
Marine Boiler Mountings – Maintenance
38
Marine Boiler Mountings – Maintenance
• Close the steam cock and open the drain cock for approximately 5 seconds
• If the water does not return to its normal working level quickly, a blockage
may exist in the steam cock. Remedial action should be taken as soon as
possible
The authorized officer should systematically test the water gauges at least
once every day with suitable protection for face and hands, as a safeguard
against scalding in the event of glass breakage.
Note: All handles of the gauge glass cocks should be pointing downwards
when in the running condition.
39
Marine Boiler Mountings – Maintenance
• The protective guard of the gauge glass should be kept clean. When the
guard is being cleaned in place, or removed for cleaning the gauge should
be temporarily shut-off
• Make sure there is a sufficiently required water level in the boiler before
shutting off the level gauges. Do not to touch or knock the gauge glasses
when cleaning or replacing the guard. After guard maintenance, the gauge
should be tested and the cocks should be set in the correct position
• Clean the inside of the gauge for any sediments or deposits before replacing
the glass
40
Marine Boiler Mountings – Maintenance
• Always renew the gauge glass joint when replacing the glass
The safety valves of the boiler must be overhauled and pressure tested as per
the SOLAS requirements.
• For overhauling the safety valve, depressurize the boiler and wait till the
boiler cools down
41
Marine Boiler Mountings – Maintenance
• Check for stamping or tag for last overhaul, pressure setting and description
of the valve. Remove the tag or note down the stamping
• Check the condition of the valve and valve seat for pitting, burnout and
wiredrawing effect
42
Marine Boiler Mountings – Maintenance
Monthly checks:
• Examine the lifting gear device, i.e. clean up and grease all sliding parts
Annual checks:
• The safety valve should be tested in operation by raising the boiler pressure
43
Marine Boiler Construction
3
BOILER TUBES- PROBLEMS AND
MAINTENANCE
SUPERHEATER
BOILER SHELL
Marine Boiler Construction – Boiler Tubes
BOILER TUBES
Different types of tubes
Boiler tubes can be broadly classified in two categories:
• Pin tubes
• Studded tubes
• Spiral tubes
• Seamless tubes
Boiler Tubes
45
Marine Boiler Construction – Boiler Tubes
Smoke tubes
Used to carry smoke for heat transfer and are surrounded by water in a fire
tube boiler.
Generating tubes
These tubes consist of a large number of small diameter tubes installed in the
direction of the gas flow.
For roof-fired boilers, the generating bank may consist of one or two rows of
closed-pitched tubes. In some latest modern radiant heat boilers, the
generating bank has been omitted to allow the replacement of the water drum
by a distribution header. The generation bank is normally heated by
convection rather than radiant heat. For a set water circulation the tube
diameter is limited to minimum as the ratio of steam to water can increase to
a point where the possibility of overheating can occur as a result of low heat
46
Marine Boiler Construction – Boiler Tubes
Water tubes
47
Marine Boiler Construction – Boiler Tubes
Screen tubes
These are larger bore tubes that receive the radiant heat of the flame and the
convective heat of the hot gasses. The large diameter keeps the steam/water
ratio down and thus prevents overheating.
The main purpose of these tubes is to protect the superheater from the direct
radiant heat. On modern marine radiant heat boiler, the screen tube wall is
formed out of a membrane wall.
Water-wall tubes
Contains the heat of the furnace, thus reducing the refractory and insulation
requirements. Water wall tubes normally comes in three designs:
48
Marine Boiler Construction – Boiler Tubes
Downcomers
These are large diameter unheated tubes i.e. they are fitted external to the
furnace; their purpose is to feed water from the steam drum to the water
drum and bottom headers.
Riser/Return tubes
These tubes return steam from the top water wall headers to the steam drum.
Superheater tubes
These are small diameter tubes in the gas flow after the screen tubes. Due to
the low specific heat capacity of the saturated steam they require protection
from overheating in low steam flow conditions, for e.g. when flashing.
49
Marine Boiler Construction – Boiler Tubes
Short term overheating occurs when the boiler tubes are exposed to sudden
change in temperature because of following reasons-
• Chocking of tubes
The short term overheating can be seen as a thin lip opening along the
longitudinal direction of the tube. It causes extensive tube bulging and large
fish mouth appearance.
52
Marine Boiler Construction – Problems in Boiler Tubes
If the tubes are damaged due to hydrogen, it can be identified with following
signs:
• Thick-lipped damage along the longitudinal section of the tube
• Brittle appearance in the damage section
• Blown out tube creating window section
Oxygen pitting occurs with the presence of excessive oxygen in boiler water. It
can occur during operation as a result of in-leakage of air at pumps or failure
in operation of pre-boiler water treatment equipment. This may also occur
during extended out-of-service periods, such as outages and storage, if proper
55
Marine Boiler Construction – Problems in Boiler Tubes
Oxygen Damage
56
Marine Boiler Construction – Problems in Boiler Tubes
If the tubes are damaged due to oxygen, it can be identified with following
signs:
• Aggressive localized corrosion and loss of tube wall
• Reddish-brown hematite (Fe2O3) or “rust” deposits or “tubercles”
• Hemispherical pitting beneath deposits
The boiler water carries impurities and deposits, which sit on the inner
diameter of the tubes, causing caustic attack. This drastically increases the
stress and strain in the tube walls and any abnormal operation can lead to
damage in the affected tubes.
57
Marine Boiler Construction – Problems in Boiler Tubes
Caustic Attack
58
Marine Boiler Construction – Problems in Boiler Tubes
6. Corrosion Attacks:
Corrosion in the boiler tubes can be due to several reasons. Some of the types
of corrosion that affects the life of boiler tubes are:
59
Marine Boiler Construction – Problems in Boiler Tubes
initiate cracking of tubes with less elastic external scale, which will expose the
base material to repeated corrosion.
• Most commonly found on the furnace wall tubes of drum type boilers
• Series of cracks on the outer diameter of tube, propagating in the tube wall
7. Acidic Corrosion:
The acid attack on the boiler tubes arises due to poor boiler chemical dosing or
residual acids trapped in discontinuities post ‘passivation cleaning process’.
61
Marine Boiler Construction – Maintenance of Boiler Tubes
In water tube boiler, since the hot gases passes over the tube surface, it is
important to remove the deposits and soot from the outer surface. The
internal cleaning cannot be performed frequently as all the tube openings are
inside the water and steam drums. This is when chemical dosing of boiler
water comes into action.
Water washing is the most commonly applied method to clean the soot
deposits over the boiler water tubes . As most of the deposits consist mainly of
non-soluble particles held together by a water-soluble bonding material, water
washing will have the following benefits-
63
Marine Boiler Construction – Maintenance of Boiler Tubes
• Shut off the power for burner and pull out the burner assembly from the
boiler furnace
• Wait approximately 10-20 minutes for the boiler furnace to cool down
• Open furnace drain valve and check that the pipe and drain are not blocked
• Unlock and remove the inspection hatches of the smoke outlet box located
on top of the boiler
• Use a hand water lance. Direct a jet of fresh water at each of the vertical
uptakes
• Flush carefully over each tube for 20-30 seconds with a good flow of water
jet
64
Marine Boiler Construction – Maintenance of Boiler Tubes
• Allow time for the washing water to drain from the furnace floor and check
the drain outlet has not become blocked
65
Marine Boiler Construction – Maintenance of Boiler Tubes
In the smoke tube boiler, the flu gases passes through inside of the tubes,
which are surrounded by water. If the tubes are covered by soot (internally) or
by mud (externally) the heat transfer rate will decrease resulting in dipping of
overall boiler efficiency.
For cleaning the tubes, the complete
boiler needs to be shut down and the
water to be drained off. Following
procedure is to be performed:
• Check the local regulations (if in port) before carrying out boiler blow down
procedure
• Check and inform the dry dock personnel if in dry dock before the blow
down
• Once the boiler is completely empty of water, open the top most manhole
door and check the real water level
• Remove the heat resistant lagging to access the smoke box of the boiler
from both the sides
(Pneumatically supplied long rod with brush fitted at the end along with
water supply arrangement. The brush rotates due to air pressure inside the
tube and water spray softens the hard deposited soot)
• If the tool is not available, take a rod and a cleaning round metal brush
• Weld the brush at one end and manually clean the tubes by to and fro
motion of the rod
• The outer surface of the tubes can be cleaned by using fresh water jet spray
through the manhole doors
• Renew all the gaskets for smoke box cover before installation
68
Marine Boiler Construction – Maintenance of Boiler Tubes
• Renew all manhole door gaskets even if the gaskets seem in good condition
Welding:
Welding on boiler tubes is done either for temporary repairs or while re-tubing
the boiler by removing the old tubes and inserting the new ones. For repairing
by welding, following points to be considered:
• The boiler power is to be shut down and the boiler is allowed to cool before
working
• Before performing re-tubing in fire tube boiler, notify the owner and class
approval body for carrying out pre and post inspections
69
Marine Boiler Construction – Maintenance of Boiler Tubes
70
Marine Boiler Construction – Maintenance of Boiler Tubes
• In the water tube boiler, tubes’ ends and neck can be fusion welded to the
boiler drum without expanding or flaring only if the material used and
welding comply with the SOLAS and manufacturer requirement
• In water tube boiler, forge or fusion welding may close ends of stub tubes
• For boiler and super heater tubes, seal welding can be applied into fittings
or headers once they have been expanded and flared, provided the
materials in the fittings or headers complies with the SOALS regulations
there are no more than three such repairs in any one tube
Plugging:
The boiler tube may get damaged, which can cause leakage and hamper the
boiler operation. Since boiler is important machinery for engine room
operation of the ship, sometimes temporary repairs are followed to stop the
leakage and resume boiler operation.
One such operation is plugging of the leaky boiler tubes. In this method, first
the leaking tube is determined followed by the plugging of the tube. The
plugging procedure will depend on the type of the boiler.
• One end on the damaged tube can be collapsed inside the tube plate after
the other end has been cut clear off the tube plate. Then pull out the
damaged tube
• Insert a tapered tube plug and perform tack welding to hold the plug in
place. The alternate method to hold the plug is to use a long steel bar
threaded and bolted at two ends, holding the plug from its center
For water tube boiler, following procedure to be performed while plugging any
leaky tube:
• Open and swing out the burner door assembly and check for any sign of
water leakages
• If the leakage is not visible from the burner side, open inspection door and
furnace entrance door
• While checking the leakage, ensure the boiler feed pump is running
• To find the leakage, operator may have to enter the generating tube section
74
Marine Boiler Construction – Maintenance of Boiler Tubes
75
Marine Boiler Construction – Boiler Furnace
Boiler Furnace
The furnace is the space in the boiler where the initial process of steam
production takes place. Heat is generated within the furnace and transferred
to boiler water to produce steam. It is important to ensure the furnace is
properly maintained to avoid heat loss at the initial stage of combustion.
Types of Furnace:
1. Forging: The forging furnace is used for preheating billets and ingots to
attain a ‘forge’ temperature. The furnace temperature is maintained at
around 1200 to 1250°C. Forging furnaces use an open fireplace system and
most of the heat is transmitted by radiation. The typical loading in a forging
furnace is 5 to 6 tonnes with the furnace operating for 16 to 18 hours daily.
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Marine Boiler Construction – Boiler Furnace
a) Batch type: A box type furnace is employed for batch type rerolling mill.
The furnace is basically used for heating up scrap, small ingots and billets
weighing 2 to 20 kg. for rerolling. The charging and discharging of the
‘material’ is done manually and the final product is in the form of rods,
strips etc. The operating temperature is about 1200 o C.
• Burners that use liquid or gaseous fuels to raise and maintain the
temperature in the chamber
1. Leads Suspension: When corrugations are not more than 8 inches from
center to center, and not less than 21/4 inches deep.
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Marine Boiler Construction – Boiler Furnace
2. Deighton and morrison: In this type, the corrugations are not more
than 8 inches from center to center, and not less than 11/2 inches deep.
3. Fox: In this type, the corrugations are not more than 6 inches from
center to center, and not less than 11/2 inches deep.
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Marine Boiler Construction – Boiler Furnace
4. Purves: In this type, the corrugations are not more than 9 inches from
center to center, and not less than 13/5 inches deep
81
Marine Boiler Construction – Problems in Boiler Furnace
Problems in Furnace
Boiler furnace is a primary component where the heat generation and transfer
take place. A small change in the efficiency of the furnace will lead to a large
change in the specific fuel consumption of the boiler. Following are a few
common problems related to boiler furnace:
• Heat loss from the furnace due to poor shell insulation - The heat generated
in the furnace is transferred to the boiler shell but it is contained by the
outside insulation. Any damage in the insulation will lead to decrease in the
furnace efficiency
When the pressure in the furnace automatically controls the intake damper,
furnace pressure is maintained slightly below the atmospheric pressure.
83
Marine Boiler Construction – Maintenance of Boiler Furnace
Maintenance of Furnace
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Marine Boiler Construction – Maintenance of Boiler Furnace
• Maintaining a slight positive furnace pressure can control air leakage in the
furnace
• Cover the bottom blow off pipe by firebrick or other insulating material in
such a way that the pipe may be inspected when required
Furnace Inspection:
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Marine Boiler Construction – Maintenance of Boiler Furnace
• Check for water leakage if visible during furnace inspection in water tube
boiler
• Check for overheating of soot blowing tubes whose opening can be seen
from the furnace
• Check the gas baffle condition above and below the superheater
86
Marine Boiler Construction – Boiler Refractory
Boiler Refractory
The basic requirement of boiler refractory materials is that they should contain
the heat generated in the furnace. They therefore must have good insulating
properties and should be able to withstand high temperatures.
They must also have sufficient mechanical strength to resist the forces set up
by the weight of the adjacent brickwork, to withstand vibration and the cutting
and abrasive action of the flame and flue dust. The materials must also be able
to expand and contract uniformly without cracking.
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Marine Boiler Construction – Boiler Refractory
Types of Refractory
1. Firebricks
These are formed into bricks and then fired at high temperatures in special
kilns. They are made from natural clay containing alumina, silica and quartz.
2. Monolithic Refractories
The monolithic refractories are supplied in an unfired state and installed in the
boiler. They are fired in situ when the boiler is put into service. This type can
be further subdivided into:
• Moldable refractory: It consists of natural clay added with calcified fire clay
that has been crushed and graded. This is used where direct exposure to
radiant heat takes place. It must be pounded into place during installation
other parts of the boiler where it is protected from direct radiant heat. The
installation process is similar to that of building concrete
• Plastic chrome ore: This refractory bonded with clay, is used in the
construction of studded water walls. It can resist high temperatures but has
less mechanical strength, and is pounded onto steel studs welded to the
tubes. These studs provide both strength and means of attachment for tile
refractory
or shear. Thus if compression takes place due to the expansion of the brick
at high temperature, sudden cooled cracking may occur
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Marine Boiler Construction – Boiler Refractory Installation
A quick way to examine refractory is to open the burner door and check the
refractory condition. This will only take few minutes. If any part of the
refractory is broken, ensure a temporary repair with available refractory at the
earliest possible chance.
Before repairing the refractory material, shut off the burner and boiler. Check
the properties of spare refractory mixture available onboard.
Engineers must know the mixing procedure of the paste (ratio of portion of
refractory paste to water), time and setting condition.
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Marine Boiler Construction – Boiler Refractory Installation
Refractory Installation
If the refractory requires following a firing rate for setting up, it should be done
accordingly. The engineers must ensure to replace temporary repairs with
permanent ones (performed by qualified shore personnel) according to the
manufacturer requirements.
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Marine Boiler Construction – Boiler Refractory Installation
Apart from the plastic chrome refractory, which uses tubes studs for support,
other refractories must be supported by wire, external studs etc. provided as
securing arrangements.
Ensure that when choosing and installing suitable materials for the boiler
refractory, acid and alkaline substances are kept apart as at high temperatures
they can react to form salts, which destroy the effectiveness of the refractory.
93
Marine Boiler Construction – Superheater
Superheater
accommodate the support plate. Division plates are also welded on the
headers. The super-heater inlet and outlet flanges are mounted on the same
side.
In W tube type superheater, the tubes are placed horizontal to the flow of hot
gases. The advantage of this type is that it overcomes the problem of deposits
on the gas side of the superheater tubes and also avoids chocking of gas
passage as there is greater length, breadth and gap between tubes.
The tubes of superheater are made of solid drawn mild steel which works at
temperature of up to 455 °C . Where higher temperature operation is involved
(up to 560 °C ), molybdenum steel tubes are used.
The superheater is also provided with a separate safety valve, which is set at
pressure well below that of the drum safety valve setting pressure. This is done
to ensure that flow of steam is maintained in the superheater under blow off
condition.
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Marine Boiler Construction – Superheater
Inspection:
On the gas side of the superheater, access space is provided for general
cleaning and maintenance.
Boiler Shell
The boiler shell is pressure vessel constructed to contain the extreme pressure
generated inside the boiler. The shell covers the water and combustion sides of
the boiler and acts as a barrier between the atmosphere and boiler’s internal
area to minimize heat loss between the two.
All the external mountings and manholes are installed over the boiler shell by
cutting an opening to accommodate all the accessories. The shell strength
should be properly maintained considering the number of mountings and
cuttings incorporated in the boiler shell.
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Marine Boiler Construction – Boiler Shell
Construction:
For welded type, the shell plate strength should be between 400 – 450
MN/m2. If the plates are to be flanged, the strength requirement will decrease
but the percentage elongation must be increased to 23 % on a standard test
length.
The boiler shell comprises of several mountings and manhole doors for which
the shell is cut. This will weaken the strength of the shell and hence
compensation is required. For any hole cut in the shell, additional material
with a diameter greater than 2.5 x plate thickness + 70mm must be provided
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Marine Boiler Construction – Boiler Shell
Inspection: The boiler shell must be inspected at every dry dock or during
major boiler repair. Following things are to be checked while inspection:
• Ensure to wear face mask while removing the insulation lagging from shell
• Before removing the metal sheet which covers the insulation, check for
black smoky marking in the sheet near the furnace side, which indicates
shell leakage
• Check carefully the area where manhole doors are welded to the shell for
cracks and deformation
• Check carefully the area where valves and fittings are welded to the shell
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Marine Boiler Construction – Boiler Shell
• Check insulation lagging is not wet near water/ steam side of the boiler,
which indicates shell leakage
The major maintenance done on the boiler shell is repairing welding cracks,
cracks on the surface and bulge section in the shell.
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Marine Boiler Burner and Combustion
4
BOILER BURNER AND
TYPES OF BURNER
ADVANTAGES AND
DISADVANTAGES
COMBUSTION AIR
Marine Boiler Burner and Combustion- Types of Burners
In a marine boiler, oil fired burner is normally used with diesel or heavy fuel oil
as burning fuel. The fuel to be used has to be clean and with correct
temperature and viscosity for rapid combustion.
This is to ensure that the fuel is at
right atomization that will turn the
fuel into micro droplets for
efficient combustion.
103
Marine Boiler Burner and Combustion- Types of Burners
If the fuel temperature is too high, the droplets will be too small causing
rapidly burning of the fuel near the burner tip. For a marine boiler, three basic
types of burners are used:
The main purpose of boiler burner is to break the oil into fine droplets i.e. to
atomize the fuel in correct manner so that efficient combustion can be
achieved. In pressure jet burner, an orifice or nozzle is fitted at the end of a
pressure tube, which atomizes the fuel in to fine droplets.
Atomization of fuel also mainly depends on the flow rate of the fuel from the
burner’s end. The difference in the pressure of the fuel before and after the
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Marine Boiler Burner and Combustion- Types of Burners
nozzle controls the flow-rate of the fuel from the burner. Hence, if the flow
rate of the fuel from the burner is reduced to 50%, it will affect the
atomization by a drop of 25%. To overcome this problem, this type of burner is
supplied with different sizes of nozzles (having different diameter of orifice),
which can be interchanged as per the flow rate of the fuel and the boiler steam
load.
105
Marine Boiler Burner and Combustion- Types of Burners
The fuel pressure required for pressure jet burner may vary from 7 bar to 15
bar depending upon the design of burner and load of the boiler. The maximum
required viscosity at the burner inlet is normally 15 cst and both diesel and
heavy oil can be used as fuel.
• Simple in construction
• Economical in maintenance
106
Marine Boiler Burner and Combustion- Types of Burners
Disadvantages:
The working of this type of burner is similar to that of a pressure jet, with an
107
Marine Boiler Burner and Combustion- Types of Burners
108
Marine Boiler Burner and Combustion- Types of Burners
The fuel pressure required for pressure jet burner may vary from 10 bar to 21
bar depending upon the design of the burner and load of the boiler. The
maximum required viscosity at the burner inlet is normally 15 cst and both
diesel and heavy oils can be used as fuel.
Advantages:
• Robust construction
Disadvantages:
111
Marine Boiler Burner and Combustion- Types of Burners
Ultimately, the fuel is discharged from the tip of the rotating cone in the form
of fine atomized spray.
The atomization achieved in the rotating cup burner has a very high turndown
ratio as compared to that of pressure jet burner, as atomization is achieved by
the rotating cup rather than pressurizing the fuel supply to the nozzle.
Advantages:
112
Marine Boiler Burner and Combustion- Types of Burners
Disadvantages:
• Complex in construction
• Costly to maintain
In some marine boilers with main burner firing in heavy fuel oil, it is very
difficult to initially start the boiler with the main burner. For start up of such
boiler, a separate pilot or ignition burner is provided which uses diesel oil as
fuel.
This enables the pilot burner to ignite even at the coldest condition the ship
faces at sea. The pilot burner has a separate diesel oil piping and pump
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Marine Boiler Burner and Combustion- Types of Burners
arrangement. The heat source is provided by two electrodes, which are used
for igniting the pilot flame and are fitted to a high voltage ignition transformer.
The pilot burner is allotted with a limited time of ignition, during which it acts
as a source of heat for the main burner and once the time is over, the pilot
flame goes off.
Pilot Burner
114
Marine Boiler Burner and Combustion – Maintenance and Inspection of Burners
115
Marine Boiler Burner and Combustion – Maintenance and Inspection of Burners
• Check there is no leakage from any part of the valve (i.e valve gland etc.)
116
Marine Boiler Burner and Combustion – Maintenance and Inspection of Burners
• Check all the steam traps in the tracing steam lines are in working condition
• Clean and inspect the heavy oil filters provided in the line
• Ensure pneumatic/ solenoid valves installed before pilot and main burner
are working correctly
• Ensure the fuel supply pump is changed to standby and all parameters are
in normal operating range
117
Marine Boiler Burner and Combustion – Maintenance and Inspection of Burners
Main Burner:
• Check all the connections are tightened and wiring is in good condition
• Check the solenoid valve controlling the fuel in the main burner is working
fine
• Check and clean the cup for hard deposits in rotary cup burner
• Check the burner nozzle size is as per the load demand of the steam
118
Marine Boiler Burner and Combustion – Maintenance and Inspection of Burners
• Ensure the trip limit switch on the burner door is working fine as the boiler
will not fire until the door is properly shut
• Check the oil passage in the burner is cleaned with diesel oil and is free
from HFO deposits
• Ensure the fan inlet is kept clean off all deposits and obstructions
• Ensure flame stabilizer is inspected and kept clean from carbon deposits
119
Marine Boiler Burner and Combustion – Maintenance and Inspection of Burners
Atomizer:
• Use paraffin to soak the atomizer to loosen the hard sticky carbon deposits
• Use soft metal scrapper to remove the hard deposits (never use hardened
scrapper as it can damage the atomizer surface)
• Before changing the cap nut, ensure the threads are covered with a non-
hardening high temperature compound
120
Marine Boiler Burner and Combustion – Maintenance and Inspection of Burners
Ignition Burner:
• Check the condition of ceramic insulation of the electrodes for any damage
121
Marine Boiler Burner and Combustion – Maintenance and Inspection of Burners
• Dismount the nuts that fix the front plate. Remove the front plate by means
of a lifting device or tackle
• Dismount the end bolt and plate of the shaft, and replace the end bolt by a
similar short bolt
• Dismount the wheel-puller and end bolt once the impeller is loose. The
impeller can now be pulled out from the spiral casing
122
Marine Boiler Burner and Combustion – Maintenance and Inspection of Burners
vibration
• High pressure compressed air cleaner to be used for cleaning the deposits
• Check for any water in the spiral casing and same should be drained off
• Check for fuel accumulation in the casing and find out the cause for the
same
• If vibration exists, open the casing and check the cause of the same
123
Marine Boiler Burner and Combustion – Combustion Air
Burner air-fuel ratio plays a critical role in achieving maximum efficiency out of
fuel-fired process heating systems such as furnaces, ovens, heaters, and
boilers.
If the amount of air supplied is less than required, the burner will run “rich”
i.e. not all fuel will burn inside the furnace. This will result in soot deposits on
the heat transfer surface, which reduces the overall efficiency.
If the amount of air is more than required, all the fuel will not be burnt,
leading to reduction in the efficiency.
The combustion air system supplies air to the burner according to the
demands of the control system. The draft loss of the burner air register is
measured by a differential pressure transmitter that converts the signal to flow
signal, which is used by the control system for automatic air/oil ratio control.
A directly driven centrifugal fan supplies the combustion air. The fan is
mounted on a common bed frame with the motor, inlet vanes, and servo-drive
unit.
The fan impeller inside the spiral housing is mounted directly on the motor
shaft. The air-flow to the burner is regulated by inlet vanes mounted on the
fan suction side.
Multi blade inlet vanes are installed in the passage of air near the burner,
which is normally regulated by a servo-driven unit comprising of an air cylinder
and an I/P positioner. A silencer can be mounted on the fan suction side.
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Marine Boiler Burner and Combustion – Combustion Air
• The percentage of excess air or oxygen in flue gases, at which, the furnace
now operates
• The percentage of excess air or oxygen in flue gases, at which, the furnace
can operate
• Since atomization by air has an effect on the excess ratio, the air fuel ratio
may need to be changed for Inert gas system operation
126
In the era of slow steaming and strict emission restrictions for ships, meeting
steam demands on board requires considering important factors such as
reduction of energy use and environmental impact.
As the boiler efficiency greatly depends on the type of boiler, design and
system arrangement, it is imperative to know the factors that affect the overall
boiler operation in both short and long term.
If you have questions regarding this eBook or any topics mentioned herein,
send us a mail at
[email protected]
or post at
http://forums.marineinsight.com
127
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