BOILER

Boilers work by burning fuels such as oil, wood, coal or natural gas and the generated fire will heat up the
water. Apart from fuel, nuclear reactor can also supply the heat. The water will turn into steam which pressure
drives the engine. During the early times, locomotive’s engine was referred to as boilers way before the term
steam generators was coined. Today, boilers are only considered as part of a bigger engine called steam
generators. The difference can be the amount of pressures a machine generates. It is said that steam
generators produce higher pressure compared to boilers.

Boilers can be found manufacturing industries and Marine. They are applied where steam, hot water and
superheated water production is needed. Conventional steam boiler has two types: fire-tube boiler and water-
tube boiler. Fire-tube boiler is easy to install and operate. It is the type that is used on steam locomotives. Its
other applications are for heating buildings and providing power for factory processes. Water-tube boiler is
usually applied in ships and factories. Ships utilize the steam produced for various processes such as
cleaning, heating, sanitation, etc. The industries that require large type of water-tube boilers are oil refineries,
steel mills, chemical plants and paper mills.

A boiler or steam generator is a device used to create steam by applying heat energy to water. Although the
definitions are somewhat flexible, it can be said that older steam generators were commonly termed boilers
and worked at low to medium pressure (7–2,000 kPa or 1–290 psi) but, at pressures above this, it is more
usual to speak of a steam generator.

A boiler or steam generator is used wherever a source of steam is required. The form and size depends on
the application: mobile steam engines such as steam locomotives, portable engines and steam-powered
road vehicles typically use a smaller boiler that forms an integral part of the vehicle; stationary steam engines,
industrial installations and power stations will usually have a larger separate steam generating facility
connected to the point-of-use by piping.
HYDRAULICS

Hydraulic machines are machinery and tools that use liquid fluid power to do simple work, operated by the
use of hydraulics, where a liquid is the powering medium. In heavy equipment and other types of machine,
hydraulic fluid is transmitted throughout the machine to various hydraulic motors and hydraulic cylinders and
becomes pressurized according to the resistance present. The fluid is controlled directly or automatically by
control valves and distributed through hoses and tubes. The popularity of hydraulic machinery is due to the
very large amount of power that can be transferred through small tubes and flexible hoses, and the high
power density and wide array of actuators that can make use of this power.

The hydraulic lift is an elevator which is operated by fluid pressure

generated by a suitable fluid. It is used to raise automobiles in
service stations and garages. In a hydraulic lift, two pistons are
separated by the space filled with a liquid.

Hydraulic brake is an arrangement of the braking mechanism

in which a suitable brake fluid is used to transfer pressure
from the control mechanism to the brake mechanism.
Hydraulic brakes in automobiles also work on the same
principle. When we apply a little force on the pedal with our
foot, the master piston moves inside the master cylinder, and
the pressure caused is transmitted through the brake oil to
act on a piston of the larger area. A large force acts on the
piston and is pushed down expanding the brake shoes
against brake lining. In this way, a small force on the pedal
produces a large retarding force on the wheels. An important
advantage of the system is that the pressure set up by pressing a pedal is transmitted equally to all cylinders
attached to the four wheels so that the braking effort is equal on all the wheels.
ICE PLANT

The term ice plant is used in this note to mean a complete installation for the production and storage of ice,
including the icemaker itself, that is the unit that converts water into ice together with the associated
refrigeration machinery, harvesting and storage equipment, and the building. Ice plants are usually classified
by the type of ice they produce; hence there are block ice plants, flake ice plants, tube, slice or plate ice
plants and so on. Ice plants may be further subdivided into those that make dry or wet ice. Dry ice here
means ice at a temperature low enough to prevent the particles becoming moist; the term does not refer in
this note to solid carbon dioxide. In general, dry subcooled ice is made in plants that mechanically remove
the ice from the cooling surface; most flake ice plants are of this type. When the cooling surface of an
icemaker is warmed by a defrost mechanism to release the ice, the surface of the ice is wet and, unless the
ice is then subcooled below 0°C, remains wet in storage; tube ice and plate ice plants are of this type.

Manufacturers usually quote a wide range of daily output for specific icemaker units, because their capacity
can be affected by a number of factors, but this flexibility usually exists only at the planning stage; once the
icemaker has been matched to suitable refrigeration machinery under given operating conditions, there is
little scope for changing the capacity of the installed unit. Changes in demand are best catered for by reducing
running time or by installing multiple units and operating only as many as arc needed. Since the capacity of
both the icemaker and the refrigeration machinery is lower in warmer weather, the size of the plant should
be selected for warm weather operation, when demand for ice is also likely to be greatest.

Most modern icemakers are designed to work unattended 24 hours a day with only routine inspection and
maintenance. The system is therefore designed for reliability, with safeguards against failure or malfunction.
Most manufacturers recommend the refrigeration system best suited to their icemakers, but where local
installation engineers propose a system, the purchaser should ensure that the contractor is aware of the need
for continuous automatic running and for rapid repair after breakdown. The refrigeration system for an
icemaker should be independent of any other refrigeration requirement; it should not be shared for example
with a freezer or a cold store. The only exception to this rule is when a complex system is installed and a
competent engineer is in fulltime attendance. Manufacturers often recommend a separate system for each
icemaking unit, so that in a multiple unit installation there is considerable flexibility, and a reasonable
guarantee that at least some of the units are always in production. Choice of refrigeration machinery and of
refrigerant is a job for the refrigeration expert, and the advice of the ice plant manufacturer or competent
consultant should be sought before making any decision.
TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF THE PHILIPPINES
363 P. Casal St., Quiapo, Manila

CHE 409
UNIT OPERATIONS LABORATORY 1

Custodio, Kristelle Adrienne L.

1520149

Engr. Efren Chavez