Common oral exam questions Flashcards
What can you do with your license and where can this be found
Have charge of and operate a boiler or boilers not exceeding in the aggregate 150hp when solid fuel is burned, or have charge of and operate a boiler or boilers not exceeding 500hp in the aggregate when steam is generated by the use of liquid or gaseous fuels, electric or atomic energy, or any other source of heat. And an engine or engines not to exceed 50 hp, or operate a 2nd class plant under the engineer in direct charge thereof This can be found in Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 146 Section 49: Classes of Licenses and Work Permitted
What does cation and anion take out
Cations remove positively charged ions and anions remove negatively charged ions, used in DI resin beds to remove dissolved solids
When do you need two blowdown valves
Boilers operating at 100psi or over require 2 blowdown valves
When do air tanks have to be inspected and how often?
Over 50 psi every 2 years
What kind of chemical tests do you do on your boiler?
Conductivity O2 residual Alkalinity pH Hardness
What is the name of your oxygen scavenger
O2 SCAVENGER - NALCO Nex Gard BC-1011, Sodium bisulfite
Polymer, Descalant – NALCO 22310
Corrosion inhibitor/amine – TRI-ACT 1820
pH control - Sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide
What are the ASME symbols
S- power boiler M - miniature boiler A - Boiler assembly V - Safety valve PP- Pressure piping U - Unfired pressure vessel E - Electric boiler H - Low pressure heating boiler
What symbol would you find on an air tank?
U – Unfired pressure vessel
Where would you find the stamps on a firetube and water tube boiler?
- Fire tube the stamping is located on either side of the shell near the NOWL and as near as practical to the front tube sheet
- On water tube boilers the stamping is on a head of the steam drum near and above the manhole.
- Superheaters, Economizers, and waterwalls have their own boiler stampings
You need to rebuild a safety valve; can you do this? Who can? What stamp would you find on a safety valve?
No, must be done by the Manufacturer or his authorized representative, A safety valve would have a V stamp
Can jo shmo perform a weld on your boiler, who can?
No this must be done by a welder who has an R certification
Is a Curtis stage pressure or velocity compounded? What about a Reteau Stage?
Curtis stage is velocity compounding, Rateau stage is pressure compounding
What trips are there on turbines?
- overspeed trip
- low lube oil pressure
- steam supply temp and pressure trip
- excessive vibration
- high lube oil temp
Tell me how to start a small noncondensing turbine?
- Make ready the driven piece of equipment
- Check lubrication
- Open casing drains, open exhaust valve fully wide
- Crack throttle and roll turbine to 200 – 300 rpms and trip the turbine
- Relatch turbine and roll to 500 rpms and sound out, continue roll up until the governor takes over, you are now at full speed no load
- Put driven piece of equipment into service, you are now at full speed no load
Information on boiler stamp. SHIMMNYS
POWER BOILER STAMP HEATING SURFACE INSPECTORS STAMP # MANUFACTURER MAWP NATIONAL BOARD STAMP YEAR BUILT SERIAL NUMBER
Why do we use superheated steam?
Superheated steam contains no moisture, has more BTUS per lb vs saturated steam and is able to do more work, Can travel long distances with no condensate
What is cold end corrosion? What causes it?
The corrosion that develops in the low temperature components of a boiler such as economizers, air preheaters, induced draft fans, scrubbers and flues. Cold end corrosion occurs when the temperature of the metal drops below the sulfuric acid dew point. The temperature at which sulfuric acid will first condense varies from between 240 and 330 degrees F. Cold end corrosion is prevented by monitoring the temperature of the flue gas to ensure that exiting flue gas temp is above 330 degrees F
Can a safety valve be threaded? Where can this information be found?
A safety valve can be threaded up to 3”. Greater than 3” requires a weld or flanged inlet
ASME Code Section I: Construction of Power Boilers
How do you control scale at your plant? How does it work?
We control scale with polymer (Polymer, Descalant – NALCO 22310), which gives scale forming minerals a like-charge (same charge. Not sure if it’s positive or negative), which causes them to repel. Polymer also helps remove existing scale to some degree.
Explain what periodic, non continuous, and continuous attendance are and where that information can be found.
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 146 Section 46: Necessity of License for Engineers and Firemen; Exceptions.
Periodic Attendance: Engineer or fireman must perform daily maintenance as required by the department’s maintenance logbook, must remain in the same building, boiler must be equipped with automatic shutdown devices, safe operation of the boiler shall be the primary duty of the operator and the operator has full discretion to return to the boiler room for monitoring and all such visits shall be required to be recorded in the department’s logbook.
Noncontinuous: In addition to requirements of periodic Attendance, remote monitoring station that can shut down the boiler, and the operator has to inspect the boiler between 4 and 6 times per shift.
Continuous: manned by a licensed operator at all times
Where in the Laws, codes, or regulations can horsepower of boilers, engines, and turbines be found?
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 146 Section 48: Ascertainment of Horsepower
What are reportable accidents/incidents and what must you do when a reportable incident occurs? Where can this information be found?
Reportable incidents/accidents are defined as accidents or incidents that result in serious injury/illness or damage exceeding $10,000 per incident (definition can be found in CMR 522 Section 1: General Provisions).
In the event of a reportable accident/incident, the owner/user or the engineer in charge shall notify the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency at 508-820-2000 within 24 hours. This information is found in CMR 522 Section 2: Power Boilers
How much notice must be given when accepting or leaving an Engineer in Charge position? Where can this information be found?
All Engineers and Firemen in charge of steam boilers and/or engines shall notify the department in writing, within seven days of accepting or leaving a position.
CMR 522 Section 2: Power Boilers
What code would you look at to find out about pressure vessels such as deaerators and blowdown tanks?
ASME Code Section 8: Pressure Vessels
Where can you go in the code to find out about welding?
ASME Code Section 9: Welding and Brazing
CMR 522 Section 11: Welding Specifications
What are the four parts of the National Board Inspection Code?
Part 1: Installation
Part 2: Inspection
Part 3: Repairs and Alterations
Part 4: Pressure Relief Devices
Where can you find information on boiler controls and safety devices?
CMR 522 Section 16: Controls and Safety Devices for Automatically Fired Boilers
ASME Code CSD-1. (CSD is Controls and Safety Devices)
A boiler is 150 PSI. Where do boiler proper, boiler external piping, and non-boiler external piping begin and end on the blowdown line? What code does each fall under?
Boiler proper ends at the first weld/flange/threaded connection and falls under ASME Code Section 1: Construction of Power Boilers
Boiler external piping begins where boiler proper ends, and goes to the last required valve by code, so that would be up to and including the 2nd (outside) blowdown valve. This also falls under ASME Code Section 1: Construction of Power Boilers.
Power piping which is outside of the boiler external piping is boiler non-external piping and falls under ASME B31.1: Power Piping
What are the minimum sizes for a water column connection to the boiler, water column drain, gauge glass connection to the water column, and gauge glass drain? Where can this info be found?
Water column to the boiler: 1”
Water column drain: 3/4”
Gauge glass to water column: 1/2”
Gauge glass drain 1/4”
Found in ASME Code Section 1: Construction of Power Boiler
Where can you go in the code to learn about how to operate and take care of power boilers?
ASME Code Section 7: Recommended Guidelines for the Care of Power Boilers
Where can you find information regarding non-destructive examinations?
ASME Code Section 5: Non-destructive Examinations
Where in the code can information on heating boilers be found? What stamp is required on a heating boiler?
ASME Code Section 4: Heating Boilers
An H stamp is required
Name some sections of the 522 CMR’S
522 CMR-1.00, GENERAL PROVISIONS 522 CMR-2.00, POWER BOILERS 522 CMR-4.00, HEATING BOILERS 522 CMR-7.00, AIR TANKS 522 CMR-9.00, REFRIGERATION EQUIPMENT 522 CMR-11.00 WELDING SPECIFICATIONS 522 CMR-16.00 CONTROLS AND SAFETY DEVICES 522 CMR-18.00 CONTINUING EDUCATION 522 CMR-19.00 PORTABLE BOILERS
How many poles on a generator
Either 2 or 4 depending on the speed
What is excitation
Process of creating a magnet, how a generator gets its magnetic polarity, 2 pole goes 3600 rpms / 60 cycles /sec, 4 pole goes 1800 rpms to get 60 cycles/sec
Where would you find information regarding limits on Opacity limits. NOx limits, and Stack testing
CMR 310 section 7, Air pollution
- 06 Opacity
- 13 Stack testing
- 27 NOx allowance
