Classification of boilers

• 1. Horizontal, Vertical or Inclined Boiler.

-If the axis of the boiler is horizontal, the boiler is

called horizontal, 
• -If the axis is vertical, it is called vertical boiler and 
• -If the axis is inclined it is called as inclined boiler.

Applied Thermodynamics
 Classification of boilers
• 2. Fire Tube and Water Tube
-In the fire
boilers, the hot
gases are inside
the tubes and
the water
surrounds the
tubes.
Examples: Cochran,
Lancashire and
Locomotive boilers.

Applied Thermodynamics
 Classification of boilers

-In the water tube boilers,

the water is inside the
tubes and hot gases
surround them.
Examples: Babcock and
Wilcox,
 Yarrow boiler etc.

Applied Thermodynamics
 Classification of boilers

• 3. Externally fired and internally fired

The boiler is known as externally fired if the

fire is outside the shell.
Examples: Babcock and Wilcox boiler
-
• In case of internally fired boilers, the furnace is
located inside the shell.
Examples: Cochran, Lancashire boiler etc.
Applied Thermodynamics
 Classification of boilers
• 4. Forced circulation and Natural Circulation

-In forced circulation type of boilers, the circulation of

water is done by a forced pump.
Examples: Lamont, Benson Boiler etc.

• -In natural circulation type of boilers, circulation of water

in the boiler takes place due to natural convention
currents produced by the application of
heat.
Examples: Lancashire, Babcock and Wilcox boiler etc.

Applied Thermodynamics
 Classification of boilers
• 5. Higher Pressure and Low Pressure Boilers
-The boiler which produce steam at pressures of 80 bar and above
are
called high pressure boilers.
Examples: Babcock and Wilcox, Benson Boiler etc.

• -The boilers which produce steam at pressure below 80 bar are

called low
pressure boilers.
Examples: Cochran, Cornish, Lancashire and Locomotive boiler etc.

Applied Thermodynamics
 Classification of boilers

• 6. Stationary and Portable

Stationary boilers are used for power plant

steam, for central station utility
power plants, for plant process steam etc.

• Mobile boilers or portable boilers include

locomotive type, and other small
units for temporary use at sites.
Applied Thermodynamics
 Classification of boilers
•
7. Single Tube and Multi Tube Boiler

The fire tube boilers are classified as 

• -single tube and 
• -multi-tube boilers,
depending upon whether the fire tube is one or more than one.
Examples: Cornish, simple vertical boiler are the single tube boiler and rest
of  the boilers are multi-tube boiler.

8. According to passes
-single pass
-Multi pass

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Applied Thermodynamics
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Applied Thermodynamics
 Cochran boiler
•It is a multi-tubular vertical fire tube boiler having a number of horizontal fire tubes.
it is the modification of a simple vertical boiler where the heating surface has been
increased by means of a number of fire tubes.

It consists of

Shell
•grate
•Fire box
•Flue pipe
•Fire tubes
•Combustion chamber
•Chimney
•Man-hole

Applied Thermodynamics
 Cochran boiler
• Shell
It is hemispherical on the top, where space is provided for steam.

Grate
It is placed at the bottom of the furnace where coal is burnt.

Fire box (furnace )

It is also dome-shaped like the shell so that the gases can be deflected back till they
are passed out through the flue pipe to the combustion chamber.

Flue pipe:
It is a short passage connecting the fire box with the combustion chamber.

Fire tubes:
A number of horizontal fire tubes are provided, thereby the heating surface is
increased.

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Applied Thermodynamics
 Cochran boiler
• Combustion chamber:
It is lined with fire bricks on the side of the shell to prevent overheating of the
boiler. Hot gases enter the fire tubes from the flue pipe through the
combustion chamber.

Chimney:
It is provided for the exit of the flue gases to the atmosphere from the smoke
box.

Manhole:
It is provided for inspection and repair of the interior of the boiler shell.

Normal size of a Cochran boiler:

Shell diameter – 2.75 meters:
Height of the shell – 6 meters.

Applied Thermodynamics
 Cochran boiler
• Working of the Cochran boiler:
• Coal is fed into the grate through the fire hole and burnt. Ash formed
during burning is collected in the ashpit provided just below the grate and
then it is removed manually.

The hot gases from the grate pass through the flue pipe to the
combustion chamber. The hot gases from the combustion chamber flow
through the horizontal fire tubes and transfer the heat to the water by
convection.

The flue gases coming out of fire tubes pass through the smoke box and
are exhausted to the atmosphere through the chimney.
Smoke box is provided with a door for cleaning the fire tubes and smoke
box.

Applied Thermodynamics
 Cochran boiler
• The following mountings are fitted to the boiler:

Pressure gauge: this indicates the pressure of the steam inside the boiler.

Water gauge: this indicates the water level in the boiler. The water level in the boiler should not fall
below a particular level, otherwise the boiler will be over heated and the tubes may burn out.

Safety valve: the function of the safety valve is to prevent an increase of steam pressure in the boiler
above its normal working pressure.

Steam stop valve: it regulates the flow of steam supply to requirements.

Blow-off cock: it is located at the bottom of the boiler. When the blow-off cock is opened during the
running of the boiler, the high pressure steam pushes (drains) out the impurities like mud, sand, etc.,
in the water collected at the bottom.

Fusible plug: it protects the fire tubes from burning when the water level in the boiler falls
abnormally low.

Applied Thermodynamics
 Cochran boiler

• Salient features of Cochran boiler:

• The dome shape of the furnace causes the hot
gases to deflect back and pass through the flue.
The un-burnt fuel if any will also be deflected back.
• Spherical shape of the top of the shell and the fire
box gives higher area by volume ratio.
• It occupies comparatively less floor area and is
very compact.
• It is well suited for small capacity requirements.

Applied Thermodynamics
Babcock and Wilcox boiler

Applied Thermodynamics
 Babcock and Wilcox boiler
•  Babcock and Wilcox boiler: Babcock and Wilcox is a
water-tube boiler is an example of horizontal inclined
tube boiler it also a High Pressure Boiler.
• Construction: Babcock and Wilcox boiler with
longitudinal drum. It consists of a drum connected to a
series of front end and rear end header by short riser
tubes.
• To these headers are connected a series of inclined water
tubes of solid drawn mild steel. The angle of inclination
of the water tubes to the horizontal is about 15° or more.

Applied Thermodynamics
 Babcock and Wilcox boiler
• Working: The fire door the fuel is supplied to grate where it is
burnt.
• The hot gases are forced to move upwards between the tubes by
baffle plates provided.
• The water from the drum flows through the inclined tubes via
down take header and goes back into the shell in the form of
water and steam via uptake header.
• The steam gets collected in the steam space of the drum. The
steam then enters through the anti priming pipe and flows in the
super heater tubes where it is further heated and is finally taken
out through the main stop valve and supplied to the Steam
turbine or Steam engine when needed.

Applied Thermodynamics