Monday, January 18, 2016

Facts About Commercial And Industrial Boilers

By Donald Parker


A boiler refers to a vessel, usually closed, which his used for heating fluids. Fluids are heated but do not necessarily boil. In such a case, the word furnace is used more often in North America, especially Sutton, WV. The high pressure steam produced by heating fluid is used in various applications and processes. Such applications include boiler-based power generation, water heating, and central heating. Vapor from commercial and industrial boilers can also be used for sanitation and heating.

Today, the types of boilers being used are very many. The material used for manufacture depends on the type of boiler in question. The pressure vessel of the boiler is usually made from steel and its other alloys. Parts that come in contact with water are usually not made from stainless steel, especially stainless steels of austenitic types. The reason for this is because of stress corrosion cracking and corrosion.

Parts that are not exposed to water are often made from ferritic stainless steel. Copper and brass are often used in some applications, especially in smaller models of boilers because they are easier to fabricate. Copper has historically been used, but has dropped in popularity because of its high cost. Instead, cheaper alternatives like steel are dominating the industry. Wrought and cast iron are also still in use in certain applications such as domestic water heaters.

Initially, joining of various components on the equipment was done through riveting. However, as steel gained more popularity in the twentieth century over wrought iron, welding took over. The labor force required for welding is way less than one needed for riveting and welding is also faster.

However, wrought iron presents several advantages over steel in many aspects. First, corrosion is much slower in appliances made from wrought iron than those made from steel. Susceptibility to localized pitting and stress-corrosion are also much less in components constructed from wrought iron. Because of those advantages, wrought-iron boilers can stay much longer than those constructed from steel and joined through welding.

A boiler uses different kinds of fuels for generating heat. Among them are oil, natural gas, wood, and coal. However, technological advancement has made it possible for production of electric steam models which rely on immersion-type or resistance heating elements. There is also increase in popularity of nuclear fission for generating steam used in power generation purposes.

Safety is of paramount importance in the development and use of these appliances. That is why there are organizations devoted to setting design specifications that regulate standards and regulation codes. An example of such an organization is the American Society of Mechanical Engineers which provides several rules and directives for ensuring compliance in design and production of pressure vessels.

Energy is effectively moved from one place to another by the steam generated from a boiler. However, such transfer of energy can only occur if the pipes are designed and made suitably. Otherwise, if the pipes burst or become compromised, they could lead to serious accidents. Such accidents lead to deaths and damage of property.




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