ME Laboratory 2 - Activity 1

Republic of the Philippines
North Eastern Mindanao State University

Bislig Campus
Formerly Surigao del Sur State University
Maharlika, Bislig City, Surigao del Sur
bislig.sdssu.offical@gmail.com
(086) 645-6452
LABORATORY ACTIVITY NO. 1
PHYSICAL STUDY OF A STEAM GENERATING UNIT
OBJECTIVE:
To make a thorough study of a steam generating units and all accessories associated in it.
BRIEF BACKGROUND
A steam generating unit is composed of a boiler furnace and some of all various accessories
essential to its efficiency of steam generation. These accessories are fuel burning equipment,
superheater, reheater coil economizer, an air heater. The boiler from which water or another
liquid vaporizer may be classified according to:
1. Methods of firing, as internally and externally fired

2. Water tube or fire tube
3. Vertical, horizontal, and inclined arrangement of tube
4. Stationary, marine and locomotive
5.Straight tube and curve tube
6. Return tabular and through tube
7. Vertical-baffle and horizontal-baffle
8. High pressure and low pressure
9. Longitudinal-drum and cross-drum
APPARATUS
The package type boiler in the ME laboratory. (Illustration only)
ACTIVITY
1. Make a multi-view sketch of the boiler in the ME laboratory. Label all important parts and
indicate complete specification of the equipment or vessels.
Bislig Campus
(086) 645-6452
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES:
1. What is meant by boiler horsepower and boiler capacity?

Boiler horsepower is a boiler's capacity to deliver steam to a steam engine. On the other
hand, boiler capacity is the heating capacity of a steam boiler. It is the amount of heat energy
that a boiler can produce or consume in a given time.
2. Define and illustrate through drawings the different classifications of boilers as

enumerated above.
3. What are the importance and uses of an industrial boiler?

Industrial Boilers are water-containing vessels that generate heat with the help of a fuel
source. It is then transferred to various tubes connecting to the various industrial equipment.
The steam energy is used for running the machinery, giving industries a cost-effective way of
powering their production.
4. What is an air vent, how important is it and how it is done?
An air vent valve in a boiler operates an important function in the heating system. Its
primary function is to remove air or other gases from the system, ensuring efficient operation
and controlling potential issues.
When a boiler is filled with water or when it undergoes a heating cycle, air can become
trapped inside the system. The presence of air pockets can cause several issues, including
Reduced Efficiency, System Noise, Corrosion and Air Locks.
To address these problems, an air vent valve is installed at strategic points in the boiler
system, typically at high points or areas prone to air entrapment. The valve is designed to
automatically release trapped air and gases, allowing them to escape from the system.
5. What is purging?
A purge involves extracting the necessary amount of water that has too much salt from
the boiler, and refilling the circuit with fresh water with lower levels of salt. Purges are subject to
specific controls in industrial steam boilers.
6. Define the following: de scaling, back firing, water hammer.
-Descaling is the process of removing scale from equipment such as boilers and heat
exchangers.
Bislig Campus
(086) 645-6452
-A backfire is an event where the fire moves from the fire box into the fuel transmission system
and sometimes all the way into the fuel depot
-Water hammer is a pressure surge or wave caused when a fluid (usually a liquid but
sometimes also a gas) in motion is forced to stop or change direction suddenly (momentum
change). As soon as steam leaves the boiler, it starts losing heat. As a result, steam stats
condensing inside the pipe work.
7. What is a water softener? Give details on its operation and standards
A water softener filters out foreign particles such as magnesium, calcium, and other hard
minerals. The regeneration cycle releases the negatively charged ions from the resin beads,
allowing them to remove hardness from the water continually. The regeneration process works
by flushing out the solids, bringing in new brine, and washing the resin beads through the new
brine to recharge them. This cleaning process takes about one to two hours.
Regeneration systems can use one or two brine tanks. With two tanks, one set of beads
is always working and cleaning, reducing downtime. With only one tank, the hard water and
brine must be continually flushed and replaced to remove hardness and regenerate the beads.
8. What are the dangers associated in boiler operation?
 Pressure-Related Dangers: Boilers operate under immense pressure, making them

susceptible to explosions if safety valves fail or if pressure exceeds safe limits.
 Hot Surfaces: Boiler components can reach scorching temperatures, posing burn risks to
operators if they come into contact with hot surfaces or steam.
 Chemical Exposure: The chemicals used in water treatment within boilers can be
corrosive or toxic. Mishandling or leaks can lead to severe chemical burns or inhalation
hazards.
 Gas Leaks: Boiler malfunctions can result in the release of harmful gasses like carbon
monoxide. Inhalation of these gasses can be fatal.
 Fuel Combustion: Improper fuel combustion can lead to fires or explosions, especially in
oil or gas-fired boilers.
9. What is the difference between economizers and pre heaters?
Economizers and preheaters are both components used in industrial processes to improve
energy efficiency, but they have distinct functions and applications:
Economizers:
- Economizers are heat exchangers that recover heat from the flue gas leaving a boiler or
furnace.
- The recovered heat is typically used to preheat the feedwater entering the boiler, thereby
reducing the energy required to raise the temperature of the water to the desired level.
- By recovering waste heat from the flue gas, economizers increase the overall efficiency
of the boiler system.
Bislig Campus
(086) 645-6452
- Economizers are commonly employed in steam boiler systems in various industries,
including power generation, chemical processing, and manufacturing.
Preheaters:
- Preheaters are devices designed to raise the temperature of a fluid or material before it
enters a process or piece of equipment.
- Unlike economizers, which specifically recover heat from flue gas, preheaters can use
various heat sources such as steam, hot gases, or electrical heaters.
- Preheaters are used in diverse applications across industries, including chemical
processing, food production, petroleum refining, and power generation.
- They help to reduce the energy consumption of subsequent processes by supplying
preheated fluids or materials, thereby requiring less energy to reach the desired
operating temperature.
In summary, economizers recover waste heat from flue gas to preheat boiler feedwater, while
preheaters raise the temperature of fluids or materials using various heat sources before
entering industrial processes.
10. What is the difference between design pressure and operating pressure?
Design pressure refers to the maximum pressure that a pressure vessel, piping system,
or equipment is designed to withstand safely under normal operating conditions and foreseeable
upset conditions while operating pressure refers to the actual pressure at which a pressure
vessel, piping system, or equipment operates during normal operation and it represents the
pressure exerted on the system by the fluid or gas being processed while the equipment is in
service.
Additionally, design pressure is determined during the design phase of a project based
on factors such as the intended use of the equipment, the properties of the materials used,
safety considerations, and applicable design codes and standards.As for the operating
pressureits value may vary depending on factors such as the demand for the product or service
provided by the system, changes in ambient conditions, and fluctuations in process parameters.
In summary, design pressure is the maximum pressure that equipment is designed to
withstand, determined during the design phase, while operating pressure is the actual pressure
experienced by the equipment during normal operation.
REFERENCES
1. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://
thermodyneboilersblog.wordpress.com/2017/01/23/what-is-boiler-horsepower/%23:~:text
%3DBoiler%2520horsepower%2520is%2520a%2520boiler%27s,%25C2%25B0F
%2520in%2520one
%2520hour.&ved=2ahUKEwiorvCu_JeEAxWfSWwGHQbhCvwQFnoECCMQBQ&usg=A
OvVaw2FD3bjEBA-K_x92vE3I9jY
Bislig Campus
(086) 645-6452
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://
testbook.com/question-answer/boiler-rating-is-usually-defined-in-terms-of--
5b041452712dd169103958bd/
amp&ved=2ahUKEwiOlfWV_ZeEAxU4d2wGHekhCSoQFnoECBQQBQ&usg=AOvVaw0
L8iT5kEhIDcCYOYL0FEzW
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www.thermaxglobal.com/what-are-boilers-how-do-they-enhance-production-
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%252Dcontaining,way%2520of%2520powering%2520their
%2520production.&ved=2ahUKEwibgbfCg5iEAxVUgFYBHfCwCZYQFnoECBEQBQ&us
g=AOvVaw0Hd23TuRLBPNGH7crnCqj6
4. https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-use-of-an-air-vent-valve-in-a-boiler
https://qr.ae/pKLkR3
www.attsu.com/en/faqs/why-are-purges-necessary-in-industrial-steam-boilers.html
%23:~:text%3DA%2520purge%2520involves%2520extracting%2520the,controls
%2520in%2520industrial%2520steam
%2520boilers.&ved=2ahUKEwiKk5W6h5iEAxX6k1YBHXnKApoQFnoECA8QBQ&usg=A
OvVaw0v7zrnZ48JQ9Ldcp7b9CZu
www.corrosionpedia.com/definition/377/descaling%23:~:text%3DDescaling%2520is
%2520the%2520process%2520of,as%2520boilers%2520and%2520heat
%2520exchangers.&ved=2ahUKEwjp36iVipiEAxX3gVYBHZEbB_IQFnoECA0QBQ&usg
=AOvVaw1LePw7U32GCpFClyTguoR_
atexon.com/solutions/backfire-detection/%3Flang%3Den%23:~:text%3DSpark
%2520detection%2520technology%2520for%2520backfire,a%2520heat%252Dsensitive
%2520AVTA%2520valve.&ved=2ahUKEwi7lp-
qipiEAxXHsFYBHQc1DZ4QFnoECA4QBQ&usg=AOvVaw31fQWeQ114Znu2XL5iLymt
www.forbesmarshall.com/Knowledge/SteamPedia/Steam-Distribution/Water-Hammer-
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%2520pressure,condensing%2520inside%2520the%2520pipe
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vVaw3Tzkq0vkZLThjYmVrqx03v
www.hillwater.com/blog/p-22-why-water-softener-for-boiler-is-essential.aspx%23:~:text
%3DA%2520water%2520softener%2520filters%2520out,to%2520work%252C
%2520and%2520causing
%2520breakdowns.&ved=2ahUKEwiM3cWCqZiEAxVEhlYBHT__ClgQFnoECBcQBQ&u
sg=AOvVaw1PvblPHvQOkBwNImfv1Rji
Bislig Campus
(086) 645-6452
8. https://www.industrialcompliancesafety.com/jobsite-safety/the-importance-of-safety-
compliance-for-boiler-operators/#:~:text=Pressure%2DRelated%20Dangers%3A
%20Boilers%20operate,with%20hot%20surfaces%20or%20steam.
9. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/differences-between-economizer-air-preheater-xoqae?
trk=public_post
https://www.slideshare.net/gopichand155/design-of-air-pre-heater-and-economizer
10. American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). (2019). Boiler and Pressure Vessel
Code, Section VIII, Division 1: Rules for Construction of Pressure Vessels. New York,
NY: ASME International.
11. American Petroleum Institute (API). (2014). API Standard 521: Pressure-relieving and
Depressuring Systems. Washington, DC: API Publishing Services.
12. International Organization for Standardization (ISO). (2017). ISO 16528-1:2017 Boilers
and Pressure Vessels — Part 1: Performance Requirements. Geneva, Switzerland: ISO.

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ME Laboratory 2 - Activity 1

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Republic of the Philippines

North Eastern Mindanao State University

1. Methods of firing, as internally and externally fired

1. What is meant by boiler horsepower and boiler capacity?

2. Define and illustrate through drawings the different classifications of boilers as

3. What are the importance and uses of an industrial boiler?

 Pressure-Related Dangers: Boilers operate under immense pressure, making them

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