×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

General Boiler Questions

General Boiler Questions

General Boiler Questions

(OP)
Hi,

I am new to the commercial and industrial heating business in North America and have some questions.

Is boiler using coal very popular in North America? Or is oil or natural more popular?
I am reading a book about stationary engineer and the book says stationary engineers have to look at the water gauge every 8 minutes to make sure there is enough water in the boiler. I am a littler suprised at why it can't be done by a liquid level switch or something.
How is the situation in the real world?

I hope someone in the business can give me some idea.

Thanks,

RE: General Boiler Questions

Coal is seldom used due to enviromental "doogooders" belliacking about sulfur and particulate emissions.
Power steam boilers are fitted with two low water cutoff devices and these are connected to an audible alarm as required by Insurance and State regulations.  In the event of low water condition, operator is to shut down unit immediatelty and let itr cool down on its own.  Operator must not introduce cold water otherwise if tubes and drums were overheated they will deform from steam pressure and sagg from their own weight and putting in cold water will set tubes and drums in the deformed position with no chance of them returning to their normal conditions had they been left alone to cool down by themselves.
To become a stationary engineer you must pass examinations administered by the jurisdiction which would be one of the States(Boiler and Pressure Vessel Board) in which you would take the exams.To become a National Board Boiler and Pressure Vessel inspector you must take a two examiniation administered by National Board of Boilers and Pressure Vessels and a day exam by one of the States in which you want to become certified.  Not all the States will require to take an exam but such state would require that you pass the two day N.B. exam.

RE: General Boiler Questions

It depends on the size of the boiler. For large central station power plants, 55% of alleelctiricity in the USA is via coal. For small units (commerical and industrial) and near cities, one would use natural gas. Oil would be used outside of cities assuming an air permit allows or if ther is no natural gas pipeline . If tehboiler is medium size and  near a port, one could use heavy oil due to ist cost advantage.

Yes, boilers have automatic level control , but if it is not operating correctly , you could melt down the furnace in less than a minute if one had a lo-lo water event .

RE: General Boiler Questions

you need to get a new book.  it sounds like the one you are using is not current with the industry.

network controls such as Bailey and ABB have moved the stationary engineer into the 21st century.

RE: General Boiler Questions

I suspect you've probably got a 1948 vintage Woodruff & Lammers book. I've used to read those.

I've been doing this for over 30 years, and I've yet to come across ANY boilers without automatic level control, low water cutouts, high and low level switches and the like.

If it happens that you are operating a boiler without these, I'd try to get re-assigned to some other location. Maybe another area code. Eight minutes is plenty of time to get into serious trouble.

Yeah...coals popular.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources