LABORATORY EXERCISE 1

MARCET BOILER

OBJECT
To investigate the relationship between pressure and temperature of saturated steam.

THEORY
For vapours such as steam, the departure from the gas laws is significant and it is necessary
to use tables or graphs (charts) of experimentally derived values of properties as the basis of
thermodynamics calculations. With the common use of computers a significant amount of
analysis has been employed to produce empirical mathematical equations to fit the
established property values, and data bases for steam properties are now available.

While a substance is undergoing a change of phase, the temperature and pressure are not
independent variables. At any given pressure the change takes place at a definite temperature
– the saturation temperature (boiling point). The Clausius-Clapeyron equation applies to such

 dp  hg − hf h fg
 dT  = =
  SAT T ( v g − v f ) T(v g − v f )

a change of phase:
Since vg is very much larger than vf:

where hf = specific enthalpy of saturated liquid

hg = specific enthalpy of saturated vapour
hfg = specific enthalpy of vaporization
vf = specific volume of saturated liquid

 dp  h fg
 dT  =
SAT Tv g
vg = specific volume of saturated vapour

APPARATUS
Cussons Marcet Boiler (P5700).
The equipment is shown in Fig.1. It consists of a fabricated steel boiler shell fitted with a
high pressure electric immersion heater and furnished with safety valve, pressure gauge,
thermometer pocket and steel lagging jacket.
Specifications
Net weight : 65 kg
Water quantity : Approximately 3 litres
Maximum working pressure : 17 bar gauge
Maximum working temperature : 207°C
Design safety valve setting : 18.5 ± 1 bar gauge
Design hydraulic test pressure : 29.25 bar gauge
Fortin Barometer

1
PROCEDURE
Open the water level cock on the side of the boiler. If it has not already been done, the boiler
should be filled with distilled water through the filler plug (which is also the thermometer
pocket), situated on the top of the boiler, until the water reaches and starts to drain through
the tap on the side of the boiler. Replace the filler plug and place the thermometer in its
pocket, after first putting a little heat transmitting fluid in the thermometer pocket.
Leaving the level cock open, switch on the electric heater and wait until steam issues freely
from the cock. This is to ensure that all air is expelled from the boiler. Before closing the
cock, take the first temperature reading (i.e. at atmospheric pressure) then, close the cock and
continue heating up to a maximum pressure of 17 bar gauge (bar g). Record values of
temperature at each 1 bar interval of boiler pressure. [Note that the first graduation mark up
from zero is 1 bar g.]
Read the Fortin Barometer (Twice during the experiment and an average taken) for
determination of actual atmospheric pressure.
Switch off the heater. Record values of temperature and pressure as the boiler cools down.
Ensure that the last reading taken is also atmospheric by opening the water-level cock when
the gauge again reads zero bar. Ensure that if the container is below the cock
(recommended), that there is no water or other liquid therein, so as to avoid “spray-scalding”
by hot fluid.
Warning: Do not attempt to remove the filler plug or to open the water-level cock when the
apparatus is pressurized.

RESULTS

Record the results as follows:

Gauge Pressure, Absolute Steam Temperature, T — oC Saturation

Temperature
P (bar) Pressure (bar) Increasing P Decreasing P Mean o
C
0 ≈1
1 ≈2
-- ≈ -- + 1
16 ≈ 17
17 ≈ 18

Atmospheric Pressure =
Atmospheric Temperature =
Barometer Correction Factor =

TREATMENT OF RESULTS
Convert the gauge pressure readings to absolute pressure by adding the atmospheric pressure
(assume this to be 1 bar). [However, read the atmospheric pressure in the laboratory using
the Fortin Barometer. Convert this to a convenient unit and use in the “Discussion” section
of the report.] Calculate the mean temperature at each pressure. For comparison, enter the
corresponding saturation temperatures from steam tables. How well do the experimental
values agree with the table values?

2
Using the experimental data, plot a graph of pressure vs. temperature. Determine the gradient
of the graph at, say, 4 or 5 points along the curve.
Using steam table values for hfg, vg, and TSAT, at these same 4 or 5 pressures, calculate the
gradients according to the Clausius-Clapeyron equation (Note: TSAT must be in Kelvin).
Plot –on the same set of axes– the two sets of values for [dp/dT]SAT obtained, to a base of
absolute pressure. How well do the two graphs compare?
Why is it first necessary to expel air from the boiler?
What are the possible sources of error?