Skip to main content

Boiler: definition and applications

Short answer

A boiler is a closed pressure vessel generating steam above atmospheric pressure from water using heat from fuel. Main applications are power generation, process heating, space heating, and mobile steam engines. Selection depends on working pressure, steam quantity/quality, fuel type and cost, floor area, load pattern, feedwater quality, and efficiency/cost.

Define a boiler. State the main applications of steam boilers and the factors that govern the selection of a boiler for a given duty.

Definition

A boiler (steam generator) is a closed pressure vessel in which water is heated by the heat of burning fuel (or another heat source) to generate steam at a pressure higher than atmospheric.

Applications

  • Power generation: steam for turbines in thermal power plants.
  • Process heating in industries: sugar mills, textile, paper, dairy, chemical and food industries.
  • Space heating and hot-water supply in hospitals, hotels and large buildings.
  • Steam locomotives and ships (mobile boilers).
  • Sterilisation, cooking and cleaning (autoclaves, laundries).
  • Driving steam engines and steam hammers.

Factors governing selection

  1. Working pressure and quantity of steam required (kg/h).
  2. Quality of steam: wet, dry saturated or superheated.
  3. Type and cost of fuel available (coal, oil, gas, biomass, husk).
  4. Floor area and head room available.
  5. Load pattern: steady or fluctuating; quick steaming needed or not.
  6. Quality of feed water available.
  7. Initial cost, running cost, maintenance cost and ease of inspection.
  8. Efficiency and statutory safety requirements.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

Related questions

All Applied Thermodynamics chapter 1 questions →