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The Babcock & Wilcox Company

Chapter 23
Boiler Enclosures, Casing
and Insulation

Boiler setting 5. The effect of explosions and implosions must be


considered to lessen the risk of injury to person-
The term boiler setting originally applied to the brick nel and damage to equipment.
walls enclosing the furnace and heat transfer surfaces
6. Vibrations caused by combustion pulsations and
of the boiler. Today, boiler setting comprises all the
the flow characteristics of flue gas and air must
water-cooled walls, casing, insulation, outer covering
be limited to acceptable values.
and reinforcement steel that form the outside enve-
lope of the boiler and furnace enclosure. The term 7. Insulation of the enclosures should limit the heat
enclosure may refer to either the entire setting or to a loss to an economical minimum.
part of it. 8. Neither the exterior surface temperature nor the
As larger capacity steam generating units were de- ambient air temperature should cause discomfort
manded, boiler settings underwent a long evolution or hazard to operating personnel.
from uncooled brick surfaces to todays water-cooled 9. Enclosures must be gas-tight to minimize leak-
walls. Water-cooled walls began as widely spaced tubes age into or out of the setting.
exposed to the furnace and covered with insulating 10. Settings of outdoor and indoor units that require
block. These progressed to tangent tubes covered with periodic washdown must be weatherproof.
refractory. They gradually evolved to the present day 11. Settings must be designed for economic fabrica-
construction of membrane tubes. tion, erection and service life.
12. Serviceability, including access for inspection and
maintenance, is essential.
Design requirements 13. Good appearance, in conjunction with cost and
The boiler settings must safely contain high tem- maintenance requirements, is desirable.
perature pressurized gases and air. Leakage, heat loss
and maintenance must be reduced to acceptable val-
ues. The following factors must be considered in the Tube wall enclosures
setting design: In todays units, water- or steam-cooled tubes, or
1. Enclosures must withstand the effects of tempera- both, are used as the basic structure of the enclosure
tures up to 3500F (1927C). in high temperature areas of the setting. Important
2. The effects of ash and slag, or molten ash, must types of water-cooled enclosures are membrane tubes,
be considered because: membrane tubes with refractory lining, flat stud tubes
a. destructive chemical reactions between slag and tangent tubes. The facing page illustrates present
and metal or refractory can occur under cer- day construction for tube wall enclosures.
tain conditions, Membrane tubes
b. accumulation of ash on the waterwalls can sig-
nificantly reduce heat absorption, Fig. 1 illustrates a typical furnace wall with membrane
c. ash accumulations can fall causing injury to construction. These walls are water-cooled and con-
personnel or damage to the boiler, and structed of bare tubes joined by thin membrane bars.
d. high velocity ash particles can erode the pres- The walls are gas-tight and do not require an exterior
sure parts and refractory. casing to contain the products of combustion. Insulation
3. Provisions must be made for the thermal expan- is placed on the outside of the wall and sheet metal or
sion of the enclosure and for differential expan- lagging is installed over the insulation to protect it.
sion of attached components.
4. The buckstay system must accommodate the ef- Membrane tubes with refractory lining
fects of thermal expansion, temperature and pres- There are several locations in selected types of boil-
sure stresses, as well as wind and earthquake ers that require refractory lining on the furnace side
loading appropriate to the plant site. of the tubes to protect the tubes from either erosion or

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The Babcock & Wilcox Company

inner casing is reinforced with stiffeners. Stiffener


spacing and size are set by the design pressure of the
walls between buckstays. This system provides a bet-
ter gas-tight enclosure than the former method.
In former practice, as shown in Fig. 4, the tubes are
backed with refractory, followed by a dense insulation
and an outer cold casing. The casing is supported from
the buckstays with expansion folds at the attachments.
These folds minimize stresses in the casing caused by
differential expansions between the hot tube wall and
cold casing. This method is now obsolete, but found
on many old boilers that are still in service.
While the construction of the casings described in
the preceding paragraphs applies to areas of horizon-
tal buckstay reinforcement, some industrial boiler
designs require a vertical casing that is welded verti-
Fig. 1 Membrane wall construction. cally to a bar located between two tubes (Fig. 5).
Tangent tube walls
corrosion from the products of combustion. Some of the These walls are constructed of bare tubes placed
most common applications are: next to each other with a typical gap of 0.03125 in.
1. Cyclone-fired units: lower furnace and cyclone (0.7937 mm). The refractory backup, casing and in-
burner walls. (See Chapter 15.) sulation system design, similar to that described for
2. Circulating fluidized-bed boilers: lower furnace. flat stud tube walls, has also been used with tangent
(See Chapter 17.) tube walls. These walls are typically found in the fur-
3. Refuse boilers: lower furnace. (See Chapter 29.) nace area of older boiler designs (Fig. 4).
4. Pulverized coal-fired boilers: burner throats. (See Flat stud and tangent tube wall upgrades
Chapter 26.)
In recent years, two methods have been used to
Cylindrical pin studs, welded on the hot side of the provide a better enclosure seal on units with either
tubes at close intervals, hold the refractory in place inner (hot) or outer (cold) casing as the gas seal. In
(Fig. 2). Lining the wall with refractory can also in- one method, on boiler enclosure areas with tangent
crease furnace temperature by reducing heat absorp- tubes, a round bar is seal welded between each tube
tion where this is desired. The increase in tempera- for the full length (Fig. 6). In the other method, where
ture helps to maintain the coal, peat, or lignite ash in boiler enclosure areas have widely spaced tubes with
a liquid state, thereby preventing large ash buildup flat studs, a flat bar is seal welded between the tubes
and allowing better removal of slag. These issues are just behind the flat studs over the full length (Fig. 7).
discussed in more depth in Chapter 21. However, be- These methods have been effective on many boil-
cause of maintenance problems it is usually desirable ers, providing an improved gas seal with considerably
to avoid refractory where technically acceptable. less maintenance and longer life than the casing seal
Flat stud tube walls
These walls consist of tubes with small, flat bar studs
welded at the sides (Fig. 3). These walls are typically
backed by one of two construction methods which are
usually found in the convection pass enclosure.
In the current method, the flat studded tubes are
backed with refractory covered with a welded inner
hot casing that is insulated and covered with metal
lagging for protection. The casing is supported from
channel tie bars welded to the tubes at each buckstay
row. The walls are reinforced with buckstays and the

Fig. 2 Fully studded membrane walls. Fig. 3 Flat stud tube wall construction with inner casing shown.

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The Babcock & Wilcox Company

Windbox
The windbox is a reinforced, metal-cased enclosure
that attaches to the furnace wall, houses the burn-
ers, and distributes the combustion air. It may be lo-
cated on one furnace wall, on two opposite furnace
walls, or on all furnace walls using a wraparound con-
figuration. The attachments to the furnace walls must
be gas-tight and permit differential thermal expan-
sion between the tubes and casing.
For large capacity boilers, the windbox may be com-
partmented and placed only on the front and rear fur-
nace walls. The windboxes are compartmented (inter-
nally separated with horizontal division plates) for
better combustion air control.
Tempering gas plenum
This enclosure, located above the windbox, provides
for the distribution and injection of flue gas which is
used to temper the furnace gases and control the ash
fouling of heating surfaces. It is constructed similarly
to the windbox, but is normally protected on the in-
side by a combination of refractory and stainless steel
shields opposite the gas ports.
Penthouse
The penthouse casing forms the enclosure for all mis-
Fig. 4 Tangent tube wall construction with outer casing shown. cellaneous pressure parts located above the furnace
and convection pass roofs. It is a series of reinforced
flat plate panels welded together and to the top pe-
they replaced. Their biggest drawback is high instal- rimeter of the furnace pressure parts. Various seals
lation costs because the entire boiler must be stripped are used at the penetrations through the penthouse
of its existing casing and insulation, then a new in- walls, roof and roof tubes. Some examples are cylin-
sulation and lagging system must be installed. drical bellows or flexible cans sealing the suspension
hangers, large fold (pagoda) seals around the steam
Casing enclosures piping and refractory or casing seals around heating
surface tube penetrations through the roof tubes. On
The casing is the sheet or plate attached to pres- many utility and some industrial boilers a gas-tight
sure parts for supporting, insulating, or forming a gas- roof casing is used on top of the roof tubes as the pri-
tight enclosure.
A boiler unit contains many cased enclosures that
are not water-cooled. These enclosures must be de- Membrane Wall Flat Stud Tubes
signed to withstand relatively high temperatures while
having external walls that minimize heat loss and
protect operating personnel.
Casings are constructed of sheet or plate reinforced
with stiffeners to withstand the design pressures and
temperatures. When the casing is directly attached to Seal Weld
the furnace walls, expansion elements are added to Fig. 5 Casing attachment to membrane wall.
allow for differential thermal expansion of the tubes
and casing. The frontispiece shows typical enclosures
including the hopper casing, windbox, tempering gas
plenum and penthouse casing.
Hopper
Seal Weld
Hopper enclosures are used in various areas of the Round Rod
Fig. 6 Tangent tubes with closure rods.
boiler setting that may include the economizer hop-
per, furnace hopper enclosure and the wash hopper Flat Studs
for dry bottom units.
The enclosure provided by the hopper casing may
also serve as a plenum for the recirculating gas which
leaves the economizer hopper through ports and en-
ters the furnace through openings between tubes in Seal Weld Flat Bar
the furnace hopper. Fig. 7 Widely spaced tubes with flat studs and closure bars.

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The Babcock & Wilcox Company

mary gas seal (pressure boundary). Penthouses may


or may not be designed as pressure-tight enclosures
with seal air. It depends upon whether the boiler is a
pressure fired or a balanced draft unit and whether
the roof seals are seal welded gas-tight or are the re-
fractory type.

Design considerations
Resistance to ash, slag and erosion
Ash has a tendency to shed from a water- or steam-
cooled metal surface, particularly when its tempera-
ture is well below the ash softening point. Wall type
sootblowers remove ash in high temperature areas
where it tends to adhere to the walls. (See Chapter 24.)
Extensive areas of exposed refractory must be
avoided because large accumulations of ash could fall
into the furnace damaging equipment or causing in-
jury to personnel. Also, crotches in the tube wall should Fig. 8 Bottom supported unit.
be designed to prevent ash and slag accumulation.
Pressure part erosion is reduced to acceptable lev- flues and ducts while metal hoses and sliding or
els by limiting the gas velocity through the unit. How- toggled gasketed couplings are used in piping. Water
ever, local high velocities can still occur in areas where seals are generally used between ash hoppers or slag
gas bypasses baffles or heating surfaces. These high tanks and the associated furnace. With large units,
velocity lanes are best eliminated by proper design, the expansion may be as great as 12 in. (305 mm)
baffle installation and routine maintenance. between adjacent parts yet the joints must remain
Some unit designs such as process recovery, refuse pressure-tight.
and circulating fluidized-bed boilers require large
areas of refractory on tube surfaces. In these units, Support
the refractory system is designed to eliminate the ef- The support of boilers is discussed in Chapter 40.
fects of corrosion or erosion, or both, on pressure parts It is generally more economical to support the smaller
while minimizing the reduction in heat absorption by units from the bottom and the larger units from the
pressure parts. top. In either case, the boiler setting is formed by the
waterwalls when these are available.
Expansion For bottom supported units, the enclosure is usu-
With the inner cased unit, Fig. 3, temperature dif- ally supported from a common foundation with the
ferentials can occur between the casing and the tubes boiler as shown in Fig. 8. For top supported units, cased
during startup. Expansion of the wall in the horizon- enclosures are supported from the pressure parts with
tal direction is governed by the temperature of the the exception of the penthouse enclosure which is sup-
channel tie bar. Because the casing and the channels ported directly from the structural steel by the hanger
are at the same temperature, they can be welded to- rods.
gether. Vertical expansion differences are accommo-
dated by flexing of the casing flanges at the top and Explosions
bottom of each casing section. In the design of settings, the effect of possible ex-
With a bottom supported unit, such as the PFI in- plosions must be considered to minimize the possibili-
tegral furnace boiler (Fig. 8) which is designed for ties of personnel injury and serious equipment dam-
pressure firing, the structure is fixed at a point at one age. It is imperative that all types of boilers be de-
end of the lower drum. Clearances, seals and supports signed to minimize the risk and effect of explosion.
are designed for known expansions in all directions This requires that all new boilers and boilers under-
from the fixed point. going major alterations be designed and evaluated so
With a top supported unit (see frontispiece), the that they are in compliance with the National Fire Pro-
expansion occurs downward from one elevation. The tection Association (NFPA) 85 Standard, Boiler Com-
horizontal expansion of a boiler in both the fore and bustion Systems Hazards Code. On units with fluid
aft as well as in the side to side direction is determined or fluidized fuels, care must be taken to avoid puffs
by the location and method in which the hot boiler is that can occur from improper fuel and air mixture
tied to cold building steel. Typically, a combination of during startup. (See Chapter 11.) A better understand-
link ties and bumper ties is used to attach the hot boiler ing of the technical problems and the development of
walls, via the buckstay system, to cold building steel. adequate design and operating codes have eliminated
Flues and ducts, piping, ash tanks and burner lines most explosions.
must be designed with expansion joints or seals to The enclosure is designed to withstand common
accommodate movement. Flexible metal bellows, me- puffs and large transient gas-side pressure excursions.
tallic box fold joints, or non-metallic belts are used in A design can be provided that results in the failure of

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The Babcock & Wilcox Company

studs, stud attachments and welds rather than fail- on units with high static pressure induced draft fans.
ure of tube walls in the event of a major furnace ex- The risk of furnace implosions exists whenever a fan
plosion. This minimizes the risk of release of large is located between the furnace and the stack. This risk
quantities of high pressure steam. Unfortunately, this exists even if the furnace is not normally being oper-
design may also result in extremely hot gases being ated at a negative pressure since the rapid furnace
directed at platforms and steel in areas that were not temperature decay occurring on a Master Fuel Trip
designed to accommodate high temperature gases. (MFT) results in the furnace being exposed to the
Explosion doors were once used on small furnaces maximum head capacity of the fan on a transient ba-
to relieve excessive internal furnace pressure. These sis during the fuel trip. This risk is also increased where
doors are no longer used because the rapid internal axial flow forced draft (FD) fans are used since they
pressure increase from a fuel explosion is not signifi- can go into stall on the negative transient, blocking
cantly relieved by opening one or more doors. Explo- air flow into the furnace which is needed to restore
sion doors may also be more of a hazard than a safety the furnace pressure. The rules for determining mini-
margin because, in the event of a puff, they may dis- mum continuous and transient design pressures for
charge hot gases that would otherwise be completely the furnace enclosures can be found in the NFPA 85
contained within the setting. Standard. In addition, induced draft fan controls are
The forces from normal operating negative or posi- specified in NFPA 85 to minimize possible operating
tive furnace gas-side pressures and from transient or control errors and to reduce the degree of furnace
negative or positive furnace gas-side pressures, as draft excursion following a fuel trip.
defined by NFPA 85, are contained by rectangular bars
called tie bars and/or channel tie bars attached to wall Vibration
tubes to form continuous bands around the setting.
Cold beams (buckstays), which are attached to the Excessive vibration can cause failures of the tubes,
tie bars with slip connections, accommodate the gas- insulation, casing and supports. These vibrations can
side pressure loadings and limit the inward and out- be produced by external rotating equipment, furnace
ward deflection of the wall tubes. pulsations from the uneven combustion of the fuel, or
Because the buckstays are outside of the insulation, turbulence in the flowing streams of air or gas in flues,
special corner connections are required that allow the ducts and tube banks.
walls to expand (Fig. 9). Forces generated by furnace Tube walls, flues and ducts are designed to limit
gas-side pressures concentrate at the corner connec- vibration during normal operating conditions. In re-
tions. These connections must be tight during startup gard to wall tube vibrations, buckstays are typically
when the walls have not fully expanded and during spaced to ensure that the natural frequency of the wall
the normal operating fully expanded position. tubes is greater than or equal to 6 hertz. The moment
The vertical tubes that span between the buckstays of inertia of a buckstay must be chosen to ensure that
act as a beam to resist the internal furnace pressure. the buckstay natural frequency is greater than or
The larger the tube diameter and the heavier the tube equal to 3 hertz, based on a simply loaded uniform
wall, the farther apart the buckstays may be spaced, beam. Flues, ducts and casings are similarly stiffened
provided that allowable wall tube vibration limits are by bars or structural shapes to limit vibration. This
not exceeded. Permissible deflections and/or combina- stiffening is particularly necessary in sections of flues
tions of the positive or negative pressure loadings with and ducts where the flow is highly turbulent, as in
wind or seismic loadings determine the size of the the fan discharge connecting piece. Every effort should
buckstay beam. be made to eliminate the sources of severe vibration,
such as unbalanced rotating equipment, poor combus-
Implosions tion and highly turbulent or unbalanced air or gas flow.
Implosions are usually caused by an extremely
rapid decay of furnace pressure due to sudden loss of Heat loss
fuel supply or by the improper operation of dampers
Heat loss from a boiler setting is reduced by insu-
lation, usually as an integral part of the boiler enclo-
sure. (See Figs. 1 through 4.) There is an economical
balance between the value of the heat loss and the
cost of the insulation and installation.
The insulation system is designed to provide both
safety for personnel and minimal heat loss. In addi-
tion, indoor units require ventilation for both opera-
tor comfort and room air change.
The materials used most frequently for heat insu-
lation are listed below.

Mineral wool
This material is comprised of molten slag, glass or
rock, blown into fibers by steam or an air jet or spun
Fig. 9 Tie bar and buckstay arrangement at corner of furnace. by high speed wheels.

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The Babcock & Wilcox Company

Mineral wool base block Mineral wool fibers and


clay, molded under heat and pressure to form blocks,
are used to insulate membrane tube walls and boiler
casings up to temperatures of 850, 1200 or 1900F (454,
649 or 1038C) depending upon the grade.
Mineral wool blanket Mineral wool fibers, com-
pressed into blanket form and held in shape between
hexagonal wire mesh or expanded metal lath, are
used on all types of enclosures with external metal lag-
ging or casing and for piping inside cased enclosures.
The temperature limit is normally 1200F (649C).

Calcium silicate block


Reacted hydrous calcium silicate block is used on
enclosures and piping, generally below 1200F (649C).

High temperature plastic


Insulating cement made of mineral wool fibers pro-
cessed into nodules and dry mixed with clay forms a
tough, fibrous monolithic insulation in final dried con-
dition. Drying shrinkage is as much as 40%, but there
is a tendency to crack upon drying. This material is
used principally on irregularly shaped valves and fit-
tings and to fill gaps between block insulation. Insu-
lating cement is available in grades useable up to
1900F (1038C).

Ceramic fiber
High purity ceramic fibers, with melting points Fig. 10 Thermal conductivity of various refractory materials.
above 3000F (1649C), are occasionally used for tube
enclosure seals where resiliency or high temperature
insulation is required. personnel. This can be helped by using grating rather
than solid floors, by ample aisle space between adja-
Heat loss calculations cent boilers, by the location of fans to assist the circu-
lation of air around the boiler and by installing ven-
Calculations of the heat flow through a composite tilating equipment to assure adequate air exchange.
wall are discussed in Chapter 4. Thermal conductivi- Good ventilation does not greatly increase overall
ties of a wide range of commercial refractory and in- heat loss. Air velocity affects the surface heat trans-
sulating materials, at the temperatures for which they fer coefficient. This can be verified by data from Fig.
are suitable, are given in Fig. 10. Combined heat losses 11. However, surface conductance is only a small part
(radiation plus convection) per square foot (square of the total resistance to heat flow. For example, an
meter) of outer wall surface are given in Fig. 11 for increase in air velocity from 1 to 10 ft/s (0.3 to 3 m/s),
various ambient air velocities and surface air tem- for the conditions given in Fig. 13, will increase the
perature differences. The American Boiler Manufac- heat loss rate through the wall by only 2%.
turers Association (ABMA) Radiation Loss Chart pro- Unlike heat loss, outer surface temperature is con-
vides a quick approximation for radiation loss, ex- siderably affected by the surrounding conditions. In
pressed as a percentage of gross heat input (Fig. 12). the situation shown in Fig. 14, where two walls of
similar temperatures are close together, the radiant
Ventilation, surface temperature, conditions heat transfer from either wall is negligible. The natural
To maintain satisfactory working conditions for circulation of air through such a cavity is inadequate
personnel around a boiler, a cold face temperature of to cool the walls to a temperature suitable for person-
135F (57C) or less is considered satisfactory. Heat nel working in the vicinity. From Fig. 15 it can be seen
losses, corresponding to these surface temperatures, that a considerable change in surface film resistance
range from 90 to 130 Btu/h ft2 (284 to 410.1 W/m2), which will cause an appreciable change in lagging or sur-
can be readily absorbed by the air circulation generally face temperature while not affecting the heat loss
provided in present day boiler rooms. through the wall to any extent.
Insulating a boiler to reduce heat loss to a value Increased insulation thickness would not signifi-
that can readily be absorbed by the total volume of cantly reduce the surface temperature in the cavity
room air does not in itself assure comfortable working shown in Fig. 14. Cavities should therefore be avoided
conditions. Proper air circulation around all parts of in areas where operators work. Ventilating ducts to
the boiler is also necessary to prevent the accumula- reduce the air temperature in such a cavity can be
tion of heat in the areas frequented by the operating installed if necessary.

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The Babcock & Wilcox Company

Leakage
Continuing efforts have been made over the years to
reduce air infiltration into boiler settings. Such in-leak-
age increases gas flow and the heat rejected to the stack,
thereby lowering boiler efficiency and increasing the
amount of induced draft fan power. (See Chapter 10.)

Corrosion
One of the advantages of membrane walls compared
to cased walls is that they eliminate flue gas corrosion
on the cold face of the enclosure walls. Most flue gases
contain sulfur; therefore, metal parts of the setting
must either be kept above the dew point of the gases
or out of contact with the gases. (See Chapter 21.) The
dew point generally ranges between 150 and 250F (66
and 12lC) and is dependent on the fuel, its sulfur con-
tent and the firing method.
Flues carrying low temperature spent gases should
be insulated on the outside to inhibit corrosion. This
is particularly necessary on outdoor units. Water-
cooled doors and slag tap coils require water tempera-
tures above 150F (66C) to keep the cooling coils above
the dew point of the gases.
When casing is located outside of insulation or re-
fractory, it is still subject to the action of the flue gases.
When this type of casing is subjected to a tempera-
ture below the dew point, an asphalt mastic or other
type of coating is needed to protect it from corrosion on
the inside. This problem requires special attention in the
Fig. 11 Heat loss from wall surfaces (radiation + convection) design of outdoor installations where temperatures may,
(Source ASTM Standards, Part 13, 1969). at times, be below flue gas dew point temperatures.

Fig. 12 Radiation loss in percent of gross heat input (American Boiler Manufacturers Association).

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Fig. 13 Temperature gradients through tube and brick wall.

With the use of externally insulated casing, corro- Fig. 15 Effect of surface film resistance on surface temperature and
heat loss rate.
sion problems are greatly reduced because the flue
gases are completely contained by a metal skin, which
is well above the dew point temperature. However, Resistance to weather
even with the inner casing, seals and expansion joints Outdoor boiler installations are possible in mild cli-
must be insulated properly to avoid cold spots and mates. While the initial cost of the plant is reduced,
consequent corrosion. maintenance of the boiler and auxiliary equipment
must be considered. Severe weather can extend out-
age time and increase maintenance expenses. These
units must also have sufficient reinforcement to with-
stand the pressure and suction forces of the wind.
Lagging is an outer covering over a wall used for
protecting the insulation from water or mechanical
damage. It is relatively simple to make a metal lagged
unit rainproof. Joints and flange connections are over-
lapped and flashings are used around openings. Weld-
ing of joints or the use of mastic compounds is neces-
sary in areas which are difficult to seal.
Sloping roofs are required and are particularly
important on aluminum lagging where pockets of
water would eventually stain the surface. Direct con-
tact between aluminum and steel must be avoided to
prevent galvanic corrosion of the aluminum in the
presence of moisture. Roof flashings should be de-
signed so that water runoff does not wet the aluminum.
Weather hoods should be used to keep rain, snow
and ice from contacting outdoor safety valves. Nozzle
and valve necks must be insulated and protected with
sheet metal or outer waterproof covering. Outdoor
control lines containing air or flue gas, drain and sam-
pling lines and intermittently operated steam and
water lines should be insulated and protected by elec-
tric resistance heating tape. Steam pipe tracer lines
may also be used in some cases. Dry air should be sup-
plied for control lines and sootblowers. Steam and wa-
Fig. 14 Cavities tend to raise wall surface temperatures. ter lines outside the setting must be completely drainable.

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The Babcock & Wilcox Company

Fabrication and assembly Appearance


The setting must be designed for economical fabri- The setting should present a good appearance and
cation and assembly. This requires integration of all be designed so that it can be retained indefinitely with
shop and field methods and practices. Small units can a minimum of housekeeping. The outer surface should
be completely shop assembled. For larger units the trend be easy to clean. Equipment handling flue gas, coal,
has been toward shop subassembly of large components. ash or oil should be designed to minimize leakage.
Shipping clearances usually limit the size of shop- Light gauge metal lagging is generally used as an
assembled wall panels to 16 ft (4.9 m) in width or 105 outer covering. This is particularly true for outdoor
ft (32 m) in length. These size criteria can not be used units where it is relatively simple to make the metal
simultaneously. That is, as the panels are made longer, lagging water-tight. Many types of covering are found
the maximum width will be less and as the width is in older installations including plastic insulation, in-
increased the maximum length decreases. Shop assem- sulating cement, canvas and welded steel casing.
bly of components permits better quality control of the Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show metal lagging. Light gauge
more complicated parts. galvanized steel or clad aluminum sheets are com-
Casing enclosures, tube connections to headers, tie monly used. Galvanized steel is generally less expen-
bars, doors and other attachments are normally of sive than aluminum, but for outdoor units it may be
welded construction. New and improved materials and necessary to paint the galvanized steel after weath-
attachment methods reduce the manhour require- ering, unless the climate is dry. The clad aluminum
ments for insulating boilers/auxiliary equipment and may be preferable because it only requires painting
installing metal lagging. under more severe conditions.

Serviceability
Many setting details must be designed to simplify
operation and maintenance. Working areas around
the unit should have adequate lighting and comfort-
able temperatures. Clearances for servicing and re-
moving parts should be provided. Access through the
setting is necessary for inspection of boiler internals.
Suitable platforms for access doors, sootblowers, in-
struments and controls are essential.
Fig. 16 Inspection door for balanced draft furnace.
Inspection doors allow observation of combustion
conditions and the cleanliness of heat absorbing sur-
faces. Figs. 16 and 17 illustrate inspection doors for bal-
anced draft and pressurized settings. Safety is provided
by two types of interlocks which assure that compressed
air is properly aspirating the aperture before the door is
opened. A feature of this door is that the aspirating jet
does not restrict the comparatively wide view angle.
The tube bends that form openings must have the
smallest possible radius. The length of the stud plate
closures around the opening is minimized so that the
plates can be adequately cooled by welded contact to
the tubes, thereby preventing burn back and subse-
quent overheat of seals. Fig. 17 Inspection door for pressurized furnace.

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Typical coal-fired utility boiler setting and enclosure.

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