Boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including water heating, central h ...
s for generating
steam
Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...
or hot water have been designed in countless shapes, sizes and configurations. An extensive terminology has evolved to describe their common features. This glossary provides definitions for these terms.
Terms which relate solely to boilers used for space heating or generating hot water are identified by (
HVAC
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. HV ...
).
A-B
![Boiler manhole (Bentley, Sketches of Engine and Machine Details)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Boiler_manhole_%28Bentley%2C_Sketches_of_Engine_and_Machine_Details%29.jpg)
; : A container beneath the furnace, catching ash and clinker that falls through the
firebars. This may be made of brickwork for a stationary boiler, or steel sheet for a locomotive. Ashpans are often the location of the
damper
A damper is a device that deadens, restrains, or depresses. It may refer to:
Music
* Damper pedal, a device that mutes musical tones, particularly in stringed instruments
* A mute for various brass instruments
Structure
* Damper (flow), a mechan ...
. They may also be shaped into hoppers, for easy cleaning during
disposal.
;
Blastpipe The blastpipe is part of the exhaust system of a steam locomotive that discharges exhaust steam from the cylinders into the smokebox beneath the chimney in order to increase the draught through the fire.
History
The primacy of discovery of the ...
: Part of the exhaust system that discharges exhaust steam from the cylinders into the smokebox beneath the chimney in order to increase the draught through the fire.
;
Blow-down: Periodic venting of water from the boiler. This water contains the most concentrated precursors for
sludge
Sludge is a semi-solid slurry that can be produced from a range of industrial processes, from water treatment, wastewater treatment or on-site sanitation systems. For example, it can be produced as a settled suspension obtained from conventiona ...
build-up, so by venting it whilst still dissolved, the build-up is reduced. When early marine boilers were fed with salt water, they would be blown-down several times an hour.
; : A valve mounted low-down on the boiler, often around the
foundation ring
Boilers for generating steam or hot water have been designed in countless shapes, sizes and configurations. An extensive terminology has evolved to describe their common features. This glossary provides definitions for these terms.
Terms which re ...
, which is used for
blow down.
; Blower: The blower provides a forced draught on the fire, encouraging combustion. It consists of a hollow ring mounted either in the base of the chimney or on top of the blastpipe. Holes are drilled in the top of the blower ring, and when steam is fed into the ring, the steam jets out of the holes and up the chimney, stimulating draught, much like a
blastpipe The blastpipe is part of the exhaust system of a steam locomotive that discharges exhaust steam from the cylinders into the smokebox beneath the chimney in order to increase the draught through the fire.
History
The primacy of discovery of the ...
.
; :A pressure vessel for the creation of hot water or steam, for residential or commercial use.
; : A craftsman skilled in the techniques required for the construction and repair of boilers - not to be confused with at
boilermaker
A boilermaker is a tradesperson who fabricates steel, iron, or copper into boilers and other large containers intended to hold hot gas or liquid, as well as maintains and repairs boilers and boiler systems.Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Dep ...
(common misconception). A boilermaker is a skilled metalworker, usually the member of a union of the same name, skilled in platework or welding. A boilermaker may or may not be a boilersmith.
;
Boiler stay A boiler stay is an internal structural element of a boiler. Where the shell of a boiler or other pressure vessel is made of cylindrical or (part) spherical elements, the internal pressure will be contained without distortion. However, flat surfaces ...
: A structural element inside a boiler which supports surfaces under pressure by tying them together.
;
Boiler suit
A boilersuit (or boiler suit), also known as coveralls, is a loose fitting garment covering the whole body except for the head, hands and feet.
Terminology
The term ''boilersuit'' is most common in the UK, where the 1989 edition of the ''Oxfo ...
: Heavy-duty one-piece protective clothing, worn when removing limescale from the inside of boilers and inspecting the inside of a firebox for steam leaks, for which task it is necessary to crawl through the
firehole door.
; Boiler ticket: The safety certificate issued for a steam (locomotive)
boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including water heating, central h ...
on passing a formal inspection after a major rebuild, and generally covering a period of ten years (eight years on the
mainline. Additional annual safety inspections must also be undertaken, which may result in the locomotive being withdrawn from service if the boiler requires work. When the ticket "expires" the locomotive cannot be used until the boiler has been overhauled or replaced, and a new ticket obtained.
;
Boiler water treatment
Boiler water is liquid water within a boiler, or in associated piping, pumps and other equipment, that is intended for evaporation into steam. The term may also be applied to raw water intended for use in boilers, treated boiler feedwater, steam ...
: Removal or chemical modification of boiler feedwater impurities to avoid
scale,
corrosion
Corrosion is a natural process that converts a refined metal into a more chemically stable oxide. It is the gradual deterioration of materials (usually a metal) by chemical or electrochemical reaction with their environment. Corrosion engine ...
, or
foaming
Foams are materials formed by trapping pockets of gas in a liquid or solid.
A bath sponge and the head on a glass of beer are examples of foams. In most foams, the volume of gas is large, with thin films of liquid or solid separating the reg ...
.
; : A horizontal baffle of firebrick within the furnace, usually of a
locomotive boiler
A fire-tube boiler is a type of boiler in which hot gases pass from a fire through one or more tubes running through a sealed container of water. The heat of the gases is transferred through the walls of the tubes by thermal conduction, heating t ...
. This forces combustion gases from the front of the furnace to flow further, back over the rest of the furnace, encouraging efficient combustion. The invention of the brick arch, along with the
blastpipe The blastpipe is part of the exhaust system of a steam locomotive that discharges exhaust steam from the cylinders into the smokebox beneath the chimney in order to increase the draught through the fire.
History
The primacy of discovery of the ...
and forced draught, was a major factor in allowing early locomotives to begin to burn coal, rather than
coke.
; :
C-E
; : The damaging condition where water droplets are carried out of the boiler along with the dry steam. These can cause scouring in turbines or hydraulic lock in cylinders. The risk is accentuated by dirty feedwater. See also
priming
Priming may refer to:
* Priming (agriculture), a form of seed planting preparation, in which seeds are soaked before planting
* Priming (immunology), a process occurring when a specific antigen is presented to naive lymphocytes causing them to di ...
.
;
; Clack valve: ''Clack'' from the noise it makes. A non-return valve where the feedwater enters the boiler drum. They are usually mounted halfway along the boiler drum, or else as a
top feed
A spinning top, or simply a top, is a toy with a squat body and a sharp point at the bottom, designed to be spun on its vertical axis, balancing on the tip due to the gyroscopic effect.
Once set in motion, a top will usually wobble for a few se ...
, but away from the firebox, so as to avoid stressing it with the shock of cold water.
; : The layer of insulation and outer wrapping around a boiler shell, particularly that of a steam locomotive. In early practice this was usually wooden strips held by brass bands. Later and modern practice is to use
asbestos
Asbestos () is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into the atmosphere b ...
insulation matting (or other less hazardous fibres) covered with rolled steel sheets. The outer shape of the cladding is often a simplification of the underlying boiler shell. Also termed "clothing" in
LMS LMS may refer to:
Science and technology
* Labeled magnitude scale, a scaling technique
* Learning management system, education software
* Least mean squares filter, producing least mean square error
* Leiomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer
* Lenz ...
practice.
; : The framework of hoops used to support
cladding
Cladding is an outer layer of material covering another. It may refer to the following:
*Cladding (boiler), the layer of insulation and outer wrapping around a boiler shell
*Cladding (construction), materials applied to the exterior of buildings
...
over a boiler. Named from the similar hoops under a
crinoline
A crinoline is a stiff or structured petticoat designed to hold out a woman's skirt, popular at various times since the mid-19th century. Originally, crinoline described a stiff fabric made of horsehair ("crin") and cotton or linen which was ...
skirt.
; : The upper sheet of the inner firebox on a locomotive boiler. It is the hottest part of the firebox, and sometimes at risk of boiler explosion, should the water level drop and the crown sheet be exposed and thus allowed to overheat. Supported from above by complex
stay
Stay may refer to:
Places
* Stay, Kentucky, an unincorporated community in the US
Law
* Stay of execution, a ruling to temporarily suspend the enforcement of a court judgment
* Stay of proceedings, a ruling halting further legal process in a tri ...
s.
; : An adjustable flap controlling the air admitted ''beneath'' the fire-bed. Usually part of the
ashpan
Boilers for generating steam or hot water have been designed in countless shapes, sizes and configurations. An extensive terminology has evolved to describe their common features. This glossary provides definitions for these terms.
Terms which re ...
.
; : The cleanup process at the end of the working day, usually involving
dropping the fire and
blowing down
In mathematics, blowing up or blowup is a type of geometric transformation which replaces a subspace of a given space with all the directions pointing out of that subspace. For example, the blowup of a point in a plane replaces the point with the ...
the boiler.
; : A raised location on the top of the main boiler drum, providing a high point from which to collect dry steam, reducing the risk of
priming
Priming may refer to:
* Priming (agriculture), a form of seed planting preparation, in which seeds are soaked before planting
* Priming (immunology), a process occurring when a specific antigen is presented to naive lymphocytes causing them to di ...
.
; : Large external pipes in many water-tube boilers, carrying unheated cold water from the steam drum down to the water drum as part of the circulation path.
; : Either a fire-tube or water-tube that is entirely below the water-level of the operating boiler. As corrosion and scaling is most active in the region of the water-level, this reduces wear and maintenance requirements.
; : A feedwater
injector
An injector is a system of ducting and nozzles used to direct the flow of a high-pressure fluid in such a way that a lower pressure fluid is entrained in the jet and carried through a duct to a region of higher pressure. It is a fluid-dynamic ...
that economizes on steam consumption by using waste steam, such as engine exhaust.
F
![Boiler Field-tube (Brockhaus)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/Boiler_Field-tube_%28Brockhaus%29.jpg)
;
Feedwater
Boiler feedwater is an essential part of boiler operations. The feed water is put into the steam drum from a feed pump. In the steam drum the feed water is then turned into steam from the heat. After the steam is used it is then dumped to the ma ...
;
Feedwater pump
A boiler feedwater pump is a specific type of pump used to pump feedwater into a steam boiler. The water may be freshly supplied or returning condensate produced as a result of the condensation of the steam produced by the boiler. These pumps ar ...
;
Field-tube: A form of water-tube where the water tubes are single-ended, similar to a
thimble water tube with an internal tube to encourage circulation.
; : Replaceable cast-iron bars that form the base of the furnace and support the fire. These wear out frequently, so as designed for easy replacement. See also: ''
Rocking grate''.
;
Firebox
Firebox may refer to:
*Firebox (steam engine), the area where the fuel is burned in a steam engine
*Firebox (architecture), the part of a fireplace where fuel is combusted
*Firebox Records, a Finnish 8101705801record label
* Firebox.com, an electro ...
: In a steam engine, the area where the fuel is burned.
; Firedoor: A door leading from outside the boiler into the firebox, through which fuel (such as
coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when dea ...
) could be added by
stokers.
; : Emptying out the remains of the fire after a day's work. A time-consuming and filthy task; labour-saving ways to improve this became important in the final days of steam locomotives.
; :
;
Fire-tube boiler
A fire-tube boiler is a type of boiler in which hot gases pass from a fire through one or more tubes running through a sealed container of water. The heat of the gases is transferred through the walls of the tubes by thermal conduction, heating t ...
: A boiler where the primary heating surface is tubes with hot gas flowing inside and water outside. See also: ''
water-tube boiler
A high pressure watertube boiler (also spelled water-tube and water tube) is a type of boiler in which water circulates in tubes heated externally by the fire. Fuel is burned inside the furnace, creating hot gas which boils water in the steam-gene ...
''.
;
Flash steam
A flash boiler is a type of water-tube boiler. The tubes are close together and water is pumped through them. A flash boiler differs from the type of monotube steam generator in which the tube is permanently filled with water. In a flash boiler, t ...
:
; : A large fire tube, either used as the main heating surface in a
flued boiler
A shell or flued boiler is an early and relatively simple form of boiler used to make steam, usually for the purpose of driving a steam engine. The design marked a transitional stage in boiler development, between the early haystack boilers and t ...
, or used as enlarged
firetubes in a locomotive-style boiler where these contain the
superheater
A superheater is a device used to convert saturated steam or wet steam into superheated steam or dry steam. Superheated steam is used in steam turbines for electricity generation, steam engines, and in processes such as steam reforming. There ar ...
elements.
;
Flued boiler
A shell or flued boiler is an early and relatively simple form of boiler used to make steam, usually for the purpose of driving a steam engine. The design marked a transitional stage in boiler development, between the early haystack boilers and t ...
;
Foundation ring
Boilers for generating steam or hot water have been designed in countless shapes, sizes and configurations. An extensive terminology has evolved to describe their common features. This glossary provides definitions for these terms.
Terms which re ...
: The base of the firebox, where the inner and outer shells are joined.
;
Furnace
A furnace is a structure in which heat is produced with the help of combustion.
Furnace may also refer to:
Appliances Buildings
* Furnace (central heating): a furnace , or a heater or boiler , used to generate heat for buildings
* Boiler, used t ...
;
Fusible plug
A fusible plug is a threaded cylinder of metal usually of bronze, brass or gunmetal, with a tapered hole drilled completely through its length. This hole is sealed with a metal of low melting point that flows away if a pre-determined, high temper ...
: A safety device that indicates if the
water level
Water level, also known as gauge height or stage, is the elevation of the free surface of a sea, stream, lake or reservoir relative to a specified vertical datum.ISO 772: 1996. Hydrometric determinations – Vocabulary and symbols.
See also
* ...
becomes dangerously low. It melts when overheated, releasing a jet of steam into the firebox and alerting the crew.
G-K
![Galloway tubes, section (Heat Engines, 1913)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Galloway_tubes%2C_section_%28Heat_Engines%2C_1913%29.jpg)
;
Galloway tube
W & J Galloway and Sons was a British manufacturer of steam engines and boilers based in Manchester, England. The firm was established in 1835 as a partnership of two brothers, William and John Galloway. The partnership expanded to encompass t ...
s: tapered
thermic syphon
Thermic siphons (alt. thermic syphons) are Heat-exchanger, heat-exchanging elements in the Firebox (steam engine), firebox or Combustion chamber#Steam engine, combustion chamber of some steam boiler and steam locomotive designs. As they are dire ...
water-tubes inserted in the furnace of a
Lancashire boiler
A shell or flued boiler is an early and relatively simple form of boiler used to make steam, usually for the purpose of driving a steam engine. The design marked a transitional stage in boiler development, between the early haystack boilers and t ...
.
; : part of the water level gauge, which normally consists of a vertical glass tube connected top and bottom to the boiler backplate. The water level must be visible within the glass at all times.
; : erosion of a boiler's plates from the internal water space, particularly where there is a step inside the shell. This was a problem for early boilers made from lapped plates rather than butted plates, and gave rise to many
boiler explosion
A boiler explosion is a catastrophic failure of a boiler. There are two types of boiler explosions. One type is a failure of the pressure parts of the steam and water sides. There can be many different causes, such as failure of the safety valve ...
s. In later years it was a problem for the non-circular water drums of
Yarrow boiler
Yarrow boilers are an important class of high-pressure water-tube boilers. They were developed by
Yarrow & Co. (London), Shipbuilders and Engineers and were widely used on ships, particularly warships.
The Yarrow boiler design is characteristic ...
s.
; : A small
manhole
A manhole (utility hole, maintenance hole, or sewer hole) is an opening to a confined space such as a shaft, utility vault, or large vessel. Manholes are often used as an access point for an underground public utility, allowing inspection, m ...
, too small for access but useful for inspection and
washing out the boiler. See also
mudhole
Mudhole is a town in Nirmal district in the state of Telangana in India. It is very near to the Basar Saraswati Temple.
Geography
Mudhole is a town and Constituency of Nirmal District.
Mudhole is located at . It has an average elevation of 346 ...
;
Injector
An injector is a system of ducting and nozzles used to direct the flow of a high-pressure fluid in such a way that a lower pressure fluid is entrained in the jet and carried through a duct to a region of higher pressure. It is a fluid-dynamic ...
: a
feedwater pump
A boiler feedwater pump is a specific type of pump used to pump feedwater into a steam boiler. The water may be freshly supplied or returning condensate produced as a result of the condensation of the steam produced by the boiler. These pumps ar ...
without moving parts that uses steam pressure and the
Bernoulli effect
In fluid dynamics, Bernoulli's principle states that an increase in the speed of a fluid occurs simultaneously with a decrease in static pressure or a decrease in the fluid's potential energy. The principle is named after the Swiss mathemat ...
to force feedwater into the boiler, even against its pressure.
;
Klinger gauge glass: A form of
gauge glass where the water level is visible through a flat glass window in a strong metal frame, rather than a cylindrical tube. These were popular with some operators, and increasingly so for high pressure boilers.
M-R
![Boiler handhole, Clearwell Caves](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Boiler_handhole%2C_Clearwell_Caves.jpg)
; : an oval access door into a part of the boiler, for example the shell or, in a
water tube boiler
A high pressure watertube boiler (also spelled water-tube and water tube) is a type of boiler in which water circulates in tubes heated externally by the fire. Fuel is burned inside the furnace, creating hot gas which boils water in the steam-gene ...
, the top drum or chamber, large enough for a worker to enter and used for maintenance and cleaning. Manholes are sealed with a removable door from the inside. As they are oval, this door may be turned and lifted out through the hole. Doors are clamped in place from the outside with one or two
bridge clamps spanning the hole and tightened down with a nut on a stud. As the cutting of a manhole weakens the boiler shell, the surrounding area is strengthened with a patch.
; : a sludge of
boiler scale
Boilers for generating steam or hot water have been designed in countless shapes, sizes and configurations. An extensive terminology has evolved to describe their common features. This glossary provides definitions for these terms.
Terms which re ...
particles, precipitates and general impurities that builds up in the lower parts of a boiler. Mud reduces water circulation and so a local buildup may lead to localized overheating and possibly
explosion
An explosion is a rapid expansion in volume associated with an extreme outward release of energy, usually with the generation of high temperatures and release of high-pressure gases. Supersonic explosions created by high explosives are known ...
.
; : a
water drum, particularly one mounted low on the boiler whose function is primarily to trap
mud
A MUD (; originally multi-user dungeon, with later variants multi-user dimension and multi-user domain) is a Multiplayer video game, multiplayer Time-keeping systems in games#Real-time, real-time virtual world, usually Text-based game, text-bas ...
from circulation.
; : A small
manhole
A manhole (utility hole, maintenance hole, or sewer hole) is an opening to a confined space such as a shaft, utility vault, or large vessel. Manholes are often used as an access point for an underground public utility, allowing inspection, m ...
, too small for access but useful for
washing out the boiler, either as an inlet for a hose or as a drain for removed
mud
A MUD (; originally multi-user dungeon, with later variants multi-user dimension and multi-user domain) is a Multiplayer video game, multiplayer Time-keeping systems in games#Real-time, real-time virtual world, usually Text-based game, text-bas ...
. See also
washout plug
;
Priming
Priming may refer to:
* Priming (agriculture), a form of seed planting preparation, in which seeds are soaked before planting
* Priming (immunology), a process occurring when a specific antigen is presented to naive lymphocytes causing them to di ...
:Where a sudden reduction of steam pressure caused by a large, suddenly applied load may result in boiler water being pulled into the pipework.
;
Regulator:
; : An advanced form of
firebar, where sections of the
grate may be rocked or tipped to either break up
clinker within the fire, or to
drop
Drop, DROP, drops or DROPS may refer to:
* Drop (liquid) or droplet, a small volume of liquid
** Eye drops, saline (sometimes mydriatic) drops used as medication for the eyes
* Drop (unit), a unit of measure of volume
* Falling (physics), allowi ...
the fire after a day's work.
S
![Henschelinnokikaappi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Henschelinnokikaappi.jpg)
;
Safety valve
A safety valve is a valve that acts as a fail-safe. An example of safety valve is a pressure relief valve (PRV), which automatically releases a substance from a boiler, pressure vessel, or other system, when the pressure or temperature exceeds ...
: an automatic valve used to release excess pressure within the boiler.
; : dissolved minerals from
hard water
Hard water is water that has high mineral content (in contrast with "soft water"). Hard water is formed when water percolates through deposits of limestone, chalk or gypsum, which are largely made up of calcium and magnesium carbonates, bicarbo ...
that precipitate out in the steam space around the
water-level. Where this scale falls to the bottom of the boiler and mixes with other contaminants, it is termed
mud
A MUD (; originally multi-user dungeon, with later variants multi-user dimension and multi-user domain) is a Multiplayer video game, multiplayer Time-keeping systems in games#Real-time, real-time virtual world, usually Text-based game, text-bas ...
.
;
Scum valve: A
blow-down valve mounted at the
water-level of a boiler, used to blow down lighter oily or foamy deposits within a boiler that float on the water-level.
; : another term for
mud
A MUD (; originally multi-user dungeon, with later variants multi-user dimension and multi-user domain) is a Multiplayer video game, multiplayer Time-keeping systems in games#Real-time, real-time virtual world, usually Text-based game, text-bas ...
.
;
Smokebox
A smokebox is one of the major basic parts of a steam locomotive exhaust system. Smoke and hot gases pass from the firebox through tubes where they pass heat to the surrounding water in the boiler. The smoke then enters the smokebox, and is e ...
: an enclosed space at the extremity of a fire-tube boiler, where the exhaust gases from the tubes are combined and pass to the flue or chimney.
;
Snifting valve
A snifting valve (sometimes snifter valve) is an automatic anti-vacuum valve used in a steam locomotive when coasting. The word ''Snift'' imitates the sound made by the valve.
Overview
When the driver shuts off the steam to the cylinders of a ...
:
;
Steam accumulator A steam accumulator is an insulated steel pressure tank containing hot water and steam under pressure. It is a type of energy storage device. It can be used to smooth out peaks and troughs in demand for steam. Steam accumulators may take on a sig ...
:
;
Steam drum
A steam drum is a standard feature of a water-tube boiler. It is a reservoir of water/steam at the top end of the water tubes. The drum stores the steam generated in the water tubes and acts as a phase- separator for the steam/water mixture. The d ...
: a cylindrical vessel mounted at a high point of a water-tube boiler, where dry steam may separate above the water level, so that it may be drawn off without risk of
priming
Priming may refer to:
* Priming (agriculture), a form of seed planting preparation, in which seeds are soaked before planting
* Priming (immunology), a process occurring when a specific antigen is presented to naive lymphocytes causing them to di ...
. This is similar to the function of a
dome
A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
in a fire-tube boiler.
;
Steam & water drum: a
steam drum
A steam drum is a standard feature of a water-tube boiler. It is a reservoir of water/steam at the top end of the water tubes. The drum stores the steam generated in the water tubes and acts as a phase- separator for the steam/water mixture. The d ...
that contains a turbulent mixture of steam and water, with a substantial part of this being water. The terms are used somewhat interchangeably.
;
Steam drier: a form of mild
superheater
A superheater is a device used to convert saturated steam or wet steam into superheated steam or dry steam. Superheated steam is used in steam turbines for electricity generation, steam engines, and in processes such as steam reforming. There ar ...
that adds additional heat to wet- or
saturated steam
Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...
, thus ensuring that all water in the steam has been evaporated, thus avoiding problems with water droplets in the cylinders or
turbine
A turbine ( or ) (from the Greek , ''tyrbē'', or Latin ''turbo'', meaning vortex) is a rotary mechanical device that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful work. The work produced by a turbine can be used for generating e ...
. Unlike the superheater, the steam drier does not attempt to raise the temperature of the steam significantly beyond the boiling point.
;
Steam generator A Steam generator is a device used to boil water to create steam. More specifically, it may refer to:
*Boiler (steam generator), a closed vessel in which water is heated under pressure
*Monotube steam generator
*Supercritical steam generator or Ben ...
:
;
Steam separator
A steam separator, sometimes referred to as a moisture separator or steam drier, is a device for separating water droplets from steam. The simplest type of steam separator is the steam dome on a steam locomotive. Stationary boilers and nuclear re ...
:
;
Suction valve
Suction is the colloquial term to describe the air pressure differential between areas.
Removing air from a space results in a pressure differential. Suction pressure is therefore limited by external air pressure. Even a perfect vacuum cannot ...
: an automatic non-return valve, which opens when the boiler is at ''less'' than atmospheric pressure. This avoids any risk of vacuum collapse, when a hot boiler is allowed to cool down out of service.
;
Superheater
A superheater is a device used to convert saturated steam or wet steam into superheated steam or dry steam. Superheated steam is used in steam turbines for electricity generation, steam engines, and in processes such as steam reforming. There ar ...
: If superheated steam is required it passes through a superheater, a heat exchanger where additional heat is added to the saturated steam.
T-W
![HMS Belfast - Boiler room - Inside the boiler 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/HMS_Belfast_-_Boiler_room_-_Inside_the_boiler_1.jpg)
;
Thimble tube:A form of water-tube where the tube is single-ended; predecessor to the
field tube
;
Thermic siphon
Thermic siphons (alt. thermic syphons) are heat-exchanging elements in the firebox or combustion chamber of some steam boiler and steam locomotive designs. As they are directly exposed to the radiant heat of combustion, they have a high evapo ...
:
;
Three-drum boiler
Three-drum boilers are a class of water-tube boiler used to generate steam, typically to power ships. They are compact and of high evaporative power, factors that encourage this use. Other boiler designs may be more efficient, although bulkier, an ...
: A generic term for water-tube boilers of the
Yarrow
''Achillea millefolium'', commonly known as yarrow () or common yarrow, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. Other common names include old man's pepper, devil's nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier's woundwort, and thousand seal.
The ...
pattern. In
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
practice, a reference to the specific
Admiralty example of this.
; : a plate forming the lower front of the
outer firebox of a
locomotive boiler
A fire-tube boiler is a type of boiler in which hot gases pass from a fire through one or more tubes running through a sealed container of water. The heat of the gases is transferred through the walls of the tubes by thermal conduction, heating t ...
, below the
barrel
A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, ...
.
;
Top-feed: in locomotive boilers, a feed water
check valve
A check valve, non-return valve, reflux valve, retention valve, foot valve, or one-way valve is a valve that normally allows fluid (liquid or gas) to flow through it in only one direction.
Check valves are two-port valves, meaning they have t ...
placed on the top of the boiler drum. This encourages rapid mixing of the cold feedwater with the hot steam, reducing the risk of thermal shock to the heated parts of the boiler.
; : a plate across the
barrel
A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, ...
of a
fire-tube boiler
A fire-tube boiler is a type of boiler in which hot gases pass from a fire through one or more tubes running through a sealed container of water. The heat of the gases is transferred through the walls of the tubes by thermal conduction, heating t ...
, containing many small holes to receive the
fire-tubes. A
locomotive boiler
A fire-tube boiler is a type of boiler in which hot gases pass from a fire through one or more tubes running through a sealed container of water. The heat of the gases is transferred through the walls of the tubes by thermal conduction, heating t ...
has two tubeplates: one at the front of the
inner firebox
In a steam engine, the firebox is the area where the fuel is burned, producing heat to boil the water in the boiler. Most are somewhat box-shaped, hence the name. The hot gases generated in the firebox are pulled through a rack of tubes running ...
() and one at the front of the boiler, adjacent to the
smokebox
A smokebox is one of the major basic parts of a steam locomotive exhaust system. Smoke and hot gases pass from the firebox through tubes where they pass heat to the surrounding water in the boiler. The smoke then enters the smokebox, and is e ...
().
; : A non-return valve allowing atmospheric air into the boiler, if a cold boiler reduces its internal pressure on cooling down. This avoids the risk of damage to some types, if their pressure loads are reversed. Few boilers are fitted with these, although the feedwater clack valve usually has a similar effect.
;
Vertical boiler
A vertical boiler is a type of fire-tube or water-tube boiler where the boiler barrel is oriented vertically instead of the more common horizontal orientation. Vertical boilers were used for a variety of steam-powered vehicles and other mobile ma ...
:
; :
; : a furnace or other wall within a boiler enclosure that is composed of numerous closely set water-tubes. These tubes may be either bare, or covered by a mineral cement.
; : A small
mudhole
Mudhole is a town in Nirmal district in the state of Telangana in India. It is very near to the Basar Saraswati Temple.
Geography
Mudhole is a town and Constituency of Nirmal District.
Mudhole is located at . It has an average elevation of 346 ...
used for
washing out the boiler. Plugs, as compared to mudholes, are usually screwed into a taper thread, rather than held by clamps.
; : see
mud drum
; : a boiler whose primary heating surface is composed of many small tubes, filled with water. Tubes of 3 inch diameter and above are termed "large-tube" boilers. Later water-tube designs used smaller "small-tubes" of 2 inches or less.
;
Wet bottom furnace {{unref, date=March 2013
A Wet-bottom furnace or wet-bottom boiler is boiler that contains a wet bottom furnace. It is a kind of boiler used for pulverised fuel firing A pulverized coal-fired boiler is an industrial or utility boiler that generates ...
:
See also
*
List of boiler types, by manufacturer
There have been a vast number of designs of steam boiler, particularly towards the end of the 19th century when the technology was evolving rapidly. A great many of these took the names of their originators or primary manufacturers, rather than a m ...
References
{{Reflist, refs=
[{{cite book
, title=Handbook for Railway Steam Locomotive Enginemen
, date=April 2006 , orig-year=1957 , publisher= Ian Allan , location=Hersham , isbn=978-0-7110-0628-7 , id=0604/A1 , pages=49–52
]
[{{cite book
, title = BR 77 Machinery Handbook , series = later replacement for the Stokers Manual , publisher = Admiralty , via=HMSO , year = 1941 , ref = BR 77 , pages = 12–13
]
[{{cite book
, title = Naval Marine Engineering Practice , series = later replacement for the Stokers Manual , volume =1 , page = 4 , year = 1971 , orig-year = 1959 , publisher = ]Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
, via=HMSO
The Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) is the body responsible for the operation of His Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO) and of other public information services of the United Kingdom. The OPSI is part of the National Archives of the Un ...
, isbn = 978-0-11-770223-3 , ref = Naval Marine Engineering Practice
Water-tube boilers
Steam boilers
Steam power
Boilers
Boiler terminology