What is a

Steam Boiler?
• A Steam Boiler refers to a
closed vessel in which fluids are
heated.
• In a Steam Boiler System, water
within the vessel is heated under
pressure and is continuously
evaporated into steam.
• In simpler terms, a Steam Boiler
exists in order to generate
steam.
 How Does A Steam Boiler Work?

• Essentially, the main job of a

boiler is to make high pressure
steam.
• The feed water supplied to the
boiler drum utilizes the heat of
the energy released by burning
the fuel within it.
• The energy of the burnt fuel is
stored in the form of steam with
high temperature and pressure. 
 How Does A Steam Boiler Work?
• A burner below the tank heats
the water until it turns into
steam.
• This steam then rises through
a system of supply pipes to
each of the machinery that
requires heated steam such as
the Main Engine (as a pre-
heater), the Ship’s Purifiers,
and the crew’s
accommodations.
 Why are Boilers vital
Onboard Ships?

• Boilers are one of the most essential

equipment that we can find onboard
ships.
• Its purpose is to provide heating to the
main diesel propulsion engine and to the
bunker F.O. tanks (to make it less
viscous for transfer purposes as well as
easy ignition).
• The steam generated by the boiler can
also be used for cleaning and heating of
the seawater in the freshwater generator
thus evaporating it to create potable
water.
 List of uses of Boilers
on Ships
• For Main Engine Propulsion/Turbines (in the case of steam
ships)
• For Power Generation (to run steam turbo generators)
• For Running Auxiliary Machinery (in case of steam ships)
• For Soot Blowing and for the steam atomized burners.
• For Fresh water generation (Evaporators)
• For Fire Fighting (Steam drenching)
• For heating duties (Main Engine Fuel Oil Heater, Galley
Supply, Purifier, Calorifier , Galley, Accommodation heating,
Sea chests tracer lines for pipeline heating)
• For cargo heating
• For fuel tank heating
• For deck machinery
• For running Cargo pump turbines
• For tank washing in tanker ships and general cleaning