Advantage and Disadvantage of Water Tube Boiler

Water Tube Boiler Parts

Steam is an important source of energy for our modern age. We are using steam from the very beginning of our first industrial revolution in human history. Now we are using steam from the Textile Industry to Power Plant. In a Nuclear Power Plant steam use on a huge scale. For common usages, we use a very basic type of steam generator or boiler. Water Tube and Fire Tube Boiler are one of them. Both have some advantages and disadvantages. In this post, we will learn some basic advantages and disadvantages of the water tube boiler.

These two types of boiler have a common principle for generating steam with different working principles. For Water Tube Boiler heat passes through outside (Around) of the tube and in Fire Tube Boiler heat passes through inside of the boiler tube.

Water Tube Boiler has several types by different categories. You will find each common category in this article. The water-tube boiler has some special advantage that the fire tube boiler doesn’t have.

Before we start let’s know about the working principle of a water tube boiler and it will help you to understand its advantage and disadvantages clearly.

Water Tube Boiler Working Principle:

First of all Water Tube Boiler and Fire Tube Boiler are completely opposite to its structural designs. In Water Tube Boiler water will be heated inside the Boiler Tube and heat will pass around the Tubes. Generally, heat passes from the boiler Furnace or Combustion Chamber to around the Boiler Tube. There are some other components is present with the boiler like Economizer, Air Pre-Heater, Steam Drum, Feed Water Pump, Steam Re-Heater. This type of boiler can use Oil and GAS in the Combustion Chamber.

When Feed Pump started to supply the feed water then, water converted into saturated steam. This saturated steam becomes a full Super Heated Steam by Super Heater and Steam Re-heater. Then Super Heated Steam supply to the prime mover. Now let’s go and find out the advantages and disadvantages of a Water Tube Boiler.

Advantages of Water Tube Boiler:

Operation: Operating a Water Tube Boiler is safe and easy.

Hitting Surface: It has more hitting surface and has many water tubes that heat the feed water.

Work Efficiency: This boiler has great work efficiency. We can control its heating process by controlling the amount of water supply in the water tube.

Small Steam Drum: This type of boiler has a small size steam drum. For this reason, we can use the generated steam at the pressure from 40 kg to 140kg/cm.

Flue GAS: In Water Tube Boiler flue GAS flows vertically.

Movement: It is easy to mover Water Tube Boiler from one place to another place.

Space: This Boiler required less space for installation.

Disadvantages of Water Tube Boiler:

Water Tube Damage: Boiler Tube can be damaged if there is any dust in the feed water. Because it blocks the water circulation. The deposition of salt and sediments in the inner surface of the Water Tube is a common problem for this type of boiler.

Water Level: Water Tube Boiler uses less water and for this reason, the water level needs to check randomly. A makeup water pump is used for supplying the necessary water.

Maintenance: Maintenance Cost for this boiler is high.