Babcock and Wilcox Boiler was discovered by George Herman Babcock and Stephen Wilcox in the year 1967. This is a water tube boiler, used in steam power plants. In this type of boiler, water is circulated inside the tubes and hot gases flow over the tubes. The water-tube Babcock and Wilcox boiler, often shortened to B&W, is a well-known steam power generator that is dependable and efficient.
This famous boiler design was created in the late 19th century by George Herman Babcock and Stephen Wilcox, and it has had a significant impact on the development of industrial and power generating systems. The Babcock and Wilcox Boiler, renowned for its exceptional efficiency, dependability, and long-lasting legacy, has had a profound impact on the development of steam technology and continues to have an effect on contemporary boiler engineering concepts.
Well, in this reading, I’ll be exploring what Babcock & Wilcox Boiler is, its application, diagram, parts, advantages and disadvantages & how it works.
Let’s Get Started!
What Is Babcock And Wilcox Boiler?
The Babcock and Wilcox boiler is a water tube boiler; with a water tube boiler, hot gases remain outside the tubes while water stays inside the tube. It is also known as a longitudinal drum boiler or a horizontal tubes boiler. Steam produced at high pressure is often produced using this kind of boiler. The Babcock & Wilcox Non-Explosive Boiler was patented in 1867 by Rhode Islanders Stephen Wilcox and his colleague George Herman Babcock. Compared to under-fire or fire-tube boilers, this boiler produced steam more safely by using water-filled tubes and de-nucleate boiling.
A small tube connects the steam-water drum of the Babcock and Wilcox Boiler, a stationary water-tube boiler, to the uptake and down headers, as seen in the illustration. Mud boxes are fitted on every down header to facilitate effective disposal of mud. Coal is fed onto a slow-moving chain via a coal hopper, and hot gases are deflected by a firebrick baffle wall to facilitate their chimney departure. Dampers, driven by a chain and pulley system, are used to control draft.
Babcock and Wilcox Boiler are essential boilers used in power stations to generate large quantities of heat. They are compact, efficient, and have a higher steam generation capacity than fire tube boilers. They also have minimal draught loss inside the furnace, making inspections easy.
How Does Babcock And Wilcox Boiler Works?
With the aid of a boiler feed pump, which keeps feeding the water against the drum pressure, the water first enters the water tubes from the drum via the down take header of the Babcock & Wilcox boiler. The hot flue gases created when coal is burned on the fire grate heat the water within the inclined water tubes.
With the use of a baffle plate that functions to deflect the flue gases evenly throughout the tubes, absorbing the greatest amount of warmth from the flue gases, these fuel gases are uniformly heated in the water tube. Steam is produced when the hot flue gases exchange heat with the heater and come into contact with water tubes.
This maintains a constant flow of water from the water drum to the water tubes and from the water tubes to the drum. Natural circulation refers to the flow of water that is sustained by convective current. Due to the density difference, the steam created is transported upward and collected at the top side of the boiler drum via the up-take header.
The steam is sent to the super heater via an anti-priming pipe within the drum that effectively extracts the moisture from it. An anti-priming pipe delivers the water-free steam to the super heater. Once the steam reaches the appropriate temperature, it is sent to the boiler’s main steam stop valve. The overheated steam stop valve is either sent inside the steam turbine to generate power, or it is collected in a steam drum. The boiler drum is positioned at an inclined angle to facilitate water circulation.
The Acceptance and Rejection Header, located at the front end, moves steam from the water tubes to the drum. The drum provides water to the boiler. The fire door feeds coal into the grate. The uptake-header is situated below the furnace. Two fire-brick baffles divert heated flue gases. The drum is filled with steam and water, and a super heater raises the temperature before releasing it. A mud box collects mud from the water. Inspection doors are used for cleaning and inspection. The water level indicator and pressure gauge measure the steam pressure within the drum.
The Babcock and Wilcox Boiler, introduced in 1890, is a boiler used for generating large amounts of heat in power stations. It has a steam generation capacity of 2000 to 40000 kg/hr and is suitable for impure and sedimentary water. However, it has high maintenance costs and is less suitable for sedimentary water. The Wilcox Boiler, on the other hand, is less efficient in storing sedimentary water, leading to scale formation and tube overheating. Despite these drawbacks, the Babcock and Wilcox Boiler remains a popular choice for power stations.
