To Be A World Class Maritime Academy

OBJECTIVES

Upon Completion of this lesson, students should be able to:

GLO:- Describe the operation of selected Auxiliary machinery fitted on board the
merchant ship using basic terms and sketches as appropriate including the following:-

1. Describe the operation of the exhaust gas composite boiler.

Marine Auxiliaries – Auxiliary Boiler

Introduction

There are many uses of steam on board a merchant ship. These include steam for
maintaining the temperature of the cargo oil, heating up heavy fuel oil as well as for
heating up during oil purification. In the domestic service, it is used to heat up air for air
conditioning in winter as well as for heating up domestic water for bathing.

For all ships, therefore a boiler has to be fitted so that adequate steam can be provided.

Exhaust Gas Composite boiler.

This fire tube boiler is called a composite boiler because it has two different exhaust gas
sections in one body. Referring to the sketch below, this boiler contains an oil fired
section where the oil fired flue gas flows through the tubes of one section. On top of this
section is the exhaust gas tube section where the exhaust gases from the main engine
are passed through. The water surrounds the tubes of both sections with the water level
as shown in the sketch below.
At sea:-
The main engine produces a lot
of high temperature exhaust gas.
This exhaust gas passes through
the tubes of the exhaust gas
section. This heats up the water
to generate steam.

In port:-
The burner is running and the
flame heats up the water in the
boiler. The flue gases on the way
out of the boiler passes through
the fire tubes in the lower end.
This flue gas heats up the water
surrounding the tubes and steam
is generated.

Complementary Studies (Engineering) –Marine Auxiliaries DNS S5 - Ver1./ 06Oct2008/LSC page 1 of 3

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Heat recovery from the exhaust gases

Other heat recovery methods (besides the composite boiler) can be used. In all cases
the heat from the exhaust gases must be recovered before the exhaust gases leave the
funnel with all the heat. The heat exchanger to recover the heat from the exhaust gases
must be fitted in the exhaust piping leading out of the funnel. Here the exhaust gases are
normally led through the tubes while the water flows outside the tubes
The sketch below shows two ways of recovering the heat. These are using the exhaust
gas heater and exhaust gas boiler.

Drawing: Heat recovery methods (a) and (b)

(a) Exhaust gas heater - This sketch shows the use of a circulating pump to circulate
the water in the boiler to the exhaust gas heater. The heated water returns to the
boiler and the water flashes into steam in the boiler.
(b) Exhaust gas boiler - The sketch shows the exhaust gas boiler where the water is
boiled inside it. The steam produced is taken out of the boiler.

When at sea, the main engine provides the exhaust gases for heating up the water.
Steam is then produced for the use of the ship’s consumers.

When at port, the main engine is stopped. No exhaust gas is available. The oil fire
section of the boiler has to be used to provide the heating to the boiler water.

Complementary Studies (Engineering) –Marine Auxiliaries DNS S5 - Ver1./ 06Oct2008/LSC page 2 of 3

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KEY QUESTIONS

C & D MARINE AUXILIARIES – AUX. BOILER, PUMPS, FRESH WATER GENERATOR,

REFRIGERATION, AIR CONDITIONING. STEERING GEAR, CPP, EMERGENCY FIRE PUMP,
EMERGENCY GENERATOR.

1. Sketch an auxiliary exhaust gas composite boiler and describe how it

operates.
2. List the boiler mountings and explain the purpose of each mounting
listed.

Complementary Studies (Engineering) –Marine Auxiliaries DNS S5 - Ver1./ 06Oct2008/LSC page 3 of 3