9. Boiler Pressure Vessel Safety Flashcards
What is a pressure vessel?
A relatively high-pressure component, with a greater cross-section than the associated pipe/tubing capable of storing, distributing, or handling a gas/vapour/liquid under pressure.
In a pressure vessel, what is considered low/intermediate/high pressure?
Low pressure = gas <150psi or liquid <1500psi
Intermediate pressure = gas between 150 and 3000psi or liquid between 1500 and 5000psi
High pressure = gas >3000psi or liquid >5000psi
What are the four main types of boiler found in the workplace?
- Fire-tube boilers
- Water-tube boilers
- Tubeless boilers
- Electric boilers
What are fired and un-fired pressure vessels?
Fired pressure vessels are essentially boilers, and include combustion.
Un-fired pressure vessels, are pressure vessels that are not connected to any flames. These can be positive or negative pressure vessels.
What are the three basic elements/components of a basic boiler?
The vessel or shell itself
A series of tubes that pass through the vessel
A heat source (burner or electrical element)
What is a fire-tube boiler?
The vessel contains water.
A fuel burner produces hot gasses that are passed through tubes in the vessel.
Typically smaller, operating at pressures up to 150psi.
What is a watertube boiler?
Water filled tubes run through the vessel.
The burner fills the vessel with hot gases.
Watertube boilers can be very big, and operate at pressures greater than 3,500psi
What are electric boilers?
Electric boilers use electrical elements to heat water.
They can be extremely small and highly-efficient.
Electric boilers are common in HVAC systems.
What are the two types of unfired pressure vessel?
Thick-walled.
Thin-walled.
Neither is typically portable.
*Portable pressure vessels (compressed gas cylinders) are the arguable third type, because they are portable.
What is a thin-walled pressure vessel?
An unfired pressure vessel, which may be positive or negative pressure.
The vessel diameter is 10 times (or greater) than the wall thickness.
What is a thick-walled pressure vessel?
An unfired pressure vessel, which may be positive or negative pressure.
The vessel diameter less than 10 times than the wall thickness.
Compare/contrast pressure vessels and boilers.
Pressure vessels hold liquids, gases or both under pressure.
Boilers hold a liquid, that is heated. Boilers often have to withstand high pressure, in which case the boiler would be considered a pressure vessel.
List 4 examples and purposes of pressure vessels in the workplace.
- Storage of compressed air for pneumatic tool operation.
- Storage of pressurized liquids for dispensing into a production process.
- Storage of compressed gasses for use in medicine.
- Vacuum trucks used for cleaning drains and pipes.
List 4 examples and purposes of boilers in the workplace.
- Industrial kitchens
- Building heating systems
- Pulp/paper manufacturing
- Autoclaves for medical sterilization
What is a tubeless boiler?
A vessel containing water is heated from an external flame.