Assignment on Coils Rupture in Boilers

Introduction of Coils Rupture in Boilers

            It is important to know that boilers are used for a variety of purposes as they also come in a variety of types. There are boilers for general use, and then there are boilers which are called steam boilers or industrial boilers. The function of these boilers is different from each other. Generally, a boiler consists of a closed vessel, and it is used for the heating of a range of liquids, as well as, water. The boilers are also used to generate vapor or stream. It is vital to mention here that boilers are handled and operated with various sources such as electricity, fuels, combustion, or nuclear energy. When it comes to seeing the work of power plants, a boiler happens to be one of the major heating systems on a global level. There are so many types of boilers which a variety of components. That’s why they are used in a range of industries with great applications such as textiles industry, power sector, plywood sector, sugar plants, food processing industry, as well as, thermal power plants. In every industry, the stakeholders should know what the average life with the safety of a boiler is, and when boilers should be replaced with new ones to avoid any health and safety risks. In this report, the focus will be the health and safety risk of boilers having the risk of coils rupture, and what are the global industry standards in this regard to remain safe from such hazards, and what safety and health guidelines are vital to be followed in different given circumstances (Thermodyne Boilers, 2020).

Discussing Fire Protection, Health and Safety Issues along with Best Industry Practices

            Before discussing the issue related to the boiler, it is vital to understand what the coil type boiler is. It is important to know that a coil type boiler is based on the design of water tube. In this kind of boiler, water travel is happening through coil along with its surroundings by flue gases. In this boiler, the steam is generated, which is directly fed to the given process. It is crucial to keep in mind that at this stage, there is no capacity of steam storage; rather it continues to be fed. It has been observed that if there is fluctuation in the load, then the coil type boiler will show poor performance in such conditions. The dryness fraction is another issue faced by these kinds of boilers. It is vital for the people handling the boilers that there are a variety of reasons for coils to fail and burst. For instance, the coils can get failed if there is pH or TDS related to the feed water. That’s why it is important to use high-quality manufactured coil type boilers so that any operational issues are avoided due to incapacity of the boiler to handle the process (Forbes Marshall, 2020)

            The steam generating boilers have coils, which are used for the overall steaming process. Here, a range of scenarios is going to be presented to show what happens, when a steam coil is failed in a steam boiler. The steam coils are used in boilers, because these coils are very efficient in productivity, as well as, having great cost-efficiency. The first reason for a steam coil to get failed is erosion. The erosion can happen in the tube of coils due to two primary reasons, the first reason is internal steam velocity, and the second reason is the poor quality of steam. When more liquid is contained in the pound of gaseous steam, the quality will get poorer. It has been observed if the design of the steam coils is not as per safety and quality standards, then the risk of rupture will always be there (Ifezue, 2017). The corrosion is another reason for steam coils in steam boilers to get failed. When steam coils are having remaining non-condensable gasses, then carbonic acid and oxidation corrosion can happen, which can play a part in the burst of steam coils. Freezing can be another reason for the failure of steam coils. If the selection of coils is improper, and it was not made sure that certain steam coil is not made for certain use in steam boilers, then wrong selection will cause steam coils to burst because they were not supposed to handle the pressure of work, which is being loaded on them. In addition, if the installation of steam coils in the boilers was not as per quality and safety standards of best industry practices, then again there will always be a risk of steam coils to get failed and burst causing damaging to people working around, as well as, a risk for the plant to catch fire (Campbell-Sevey, 2020)

            It is vital to understand that if boilers get failed due to rupture of coils, then it can not only cause financial damage, but it can also cause physical damage for workers, who are involved in handling these boilers on a daily basis. In most cases, the boilers cannot be repaired for use, and if there is an opportunity to repair, but it will be too costly to do so. So, a company should always keep in mind while using and installing boilers with coils that quality material boiler is selected in the first place. Then they should be installed by experts with high-quality work experience so that installations of these boilers don’t have any flaws. There are various global and local level best industry practices, which are given to stay health and safety risk-free in any given circumstances. So, the industry guidelines for safety should always be followed to avoid above mentioned issue related to rupture of coils being used in the boilers.

            To be more specific in avoiding health, safety and fire risks with boilers getting failed due to rupture of coils, a range of industry-standard practices are provided by various local and international organizations. One such organization is “The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors”. The organization started its work in 1919 so that safety to the property, as well as, life can be ensured in a variety of industries. Different functions are performed by this National Board such as educating the government and public officials, as well as, promoting safety. For this purpose, they come up with a range of training programs (The National Board, 2020). A safety act is present at the website of the National Board, providing guidelines for industries in terms of handling boilers in a safe and secure manner. In 2004, a law was passed with the title “The Boiler and Pressure Vessel Safety Act” According to this act, different types of inspections are required to make sure that boilers work efficiently without causing any harm. For instance, one rule for inspection is mentioned, which states that boilers such as high-temperature and high-power boilers should be inspected with one annual internal inspection, along with one external inspection. As far as low-pressure boilers are concerned, a biennial inspection is needed, which should be done internally after every period of four years. Hot-water heating boilers should also have a biennial inspection. The act has also explained that pressure vessels should also be inspected. The boiler certificate given through this act will be valid for different periods for different types of boilers. If companies can allow such inspections and maintain all safety standards, then the above-mentioned boiler burst issues can be avoided (The National Board, 2020)

Conclusion of Coils Rupture in Boilers

            After analyzing the various issues, and elements of best industry practices, it can be said that coils rupture in boilers is something, which can happen very often if safety measures are not taken as per the industry level guidelines. The best practices and guidelines should be used by companies to make sure that the best quality boilers with the best quality coils are used, which have the capacity to sustain different loads. Moreover, the safety measures should also be followed when the installation of these boilers is being made in any industrial units so that any risks to safety, the health of people and industrial units can be ensured because rupture of coils in boilers can cause great damage in the shape of catching fire.

Conclusion of Coils Rupture in Boilers

Campbell-Sevey. (2020). What Causes Steam Coils to Fail? Retrieved April 20, 2020, from https://www.campbell-sevey.com/what-causes-steam-coils-to-fail/

Forbes Marshall. (2020). Comparison of Coil Type and Shell Type Boilers. Retrieved April 20, 2020, from https://www.forbesmarshall.com/Knowledge/SteamPedia/Boilers/Comparison-of-Coil-Type-and-Shell-Type-Boilers

Ifezue, D. (2017). Investigation of Failed Coils from a Steam Boiler. Journal of Failure Analysis and Prevention, 17(5).

Thermodyne Boilers. (2020). What is Boiler? Boiler Components & Application of Boiler System. Retrieved April 20, 2020, from http://www.thermodyneboilers.com/what-is-boiler/