BMA 167 - Steam Plant Operations

1. Identify boiler types
   1. Explain fundamental principles of low pressure steam boilers
   2. Explain fundamental principles of high pressure (power) steam boilers
   3. Discuss fundamental principles of firetube steam boilers
   4. Explain the operation of firetube steam boilers
   5. Identify and discuss three common types of firetube steam boilers
   6. List advantages of watertube steam boilers
   7. Identify and discuss two common types of watertube steam boilers
   8. Discuss ASME code standards
   9. Discuss NFPA 85 and NFPA 86 code standards
2. Understand functions of steam boiler fittings and requirements
   1. Explain the requirements for fitting use
   2. Explain the purpose and function of safety valves
   3. Explain the purpose of the water column and the uses of its various attachments.
   4. Be familiar with water column requirements per ASME code.
   5. Explain the fundamental principles of steam pressure gauges, boiler vents, and steam separators.
3. Understand fundamental boiler room systems
   1. Explain the operation of a steam system
   2. Explain the operation of a feedwater system
   3. List considerations for fuel systems
   4. Identify and describe types of fuel systems
   5. Identify and explain types of draft systems
4. Understand fundamental steam and water accessories
   1. Describe feedwater heaters
   2. Explain and identify feedwater pumps
   3. Describe a surge tank.
   4. Explain the condensate tank and pump unit.
   5. Describe a main feedwater line
   6. Describe an identify types of feedwater regulators
   7. Identify and describe types of steam traps.
   8. Describe a desuperheating and pressure-reducing station
5. Understand fundamental fuel burning equipment
   1. Describe the types of fuel oil burners
   2. Explain the operation of pressure atomizing burners
   3. Describe the types of steam atomizing burners
   4. List and describe fuel oil accessories.
   5. List the common components of high pressure gas burners.
   6. List the components of low pressure gas burners
   7. Describe combination gas/fuel oil burners.
   8. List and describe the components of stokers
   9. Explain how waste heat can be utilized
6. Understand draft fundamentals
   1. Define draft and explain why it is needed in a steam boiler
   2. Explain how draft is measured
   3. Explain the operation of manometer and diaphragm draft gauges.
   4. List and describe the uses of natural draft.
   5. List and describe the types of mechanical draft
   6. List and describe the types of air heaters and their use
   7. Describe the gas and fuel oil draft system
   8. Describe chain grate stoker and pulverized coal draft systems
7. Discuss fundamentals of Combustion
   1. Identify three types of fuels for combustion and considerations for selecting a type of fuel.
   2. Describe the use of coal as a fuel for combustion
   3. Describe the use of fuel oil as a fuel for combustion
   4. Describe the use of natural gas as a fuel for combustion
   5. Identify fuel storage and handling procedures
   6. Discuss environmental regulations involved in storage and handling.
   7. Describe the combustion of fuels
   8. Define furnace volume and identify considerations related to furnace volume.
   9. Identify products of combustion and methods of analysis.
8. Exam and discuss combustion controls.
   1. Explain the purpose of automatic combustion controls and identify the four basic types of combustion control systems.
   2. Describe the ON/OFF control system.
   3. Describe the modulating controls system
   4. Describe the positioning control system.
   5. Identify controls for air for combustion and gases for combustion.
   6. Identify the function of building/plant automation controls and describe the role played by building/plant operation controls.
   7. Be able to troubleshoot flame safeguard systems
9. Discuss boiler water treatment systems
   1. Explain the need for boiler water treatment
   2. List and describe the problems that can result from improper boiler water conditions
   3. Explain how boiler water analysis is done
   4. List and describe the methods of external boiler water treatment.
   5. Describe an automatic blowdown system
10. Discuss steam boiler operation
    1. List common duties and responsibilities of a boiler operator
    2. Describe the responsibilities of a boiler operator when taking over a shift.
    3. List and describe cold plant start-up procedures.
    4. List and describe live plant start-up procedures.
    5. Explain boiler inspection procedures.
    6. Describe common emergency procedure a boiler operator should be aware of.
    7. List common routine boiler plant maintenance procedures.
    8. List and describe boiler room safety practices and procedures.
    9. Describe lockout tag out techniques used in steam equipment.
11. Perform steam calculations
    1. Be able to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius and vise-versa
    2. Be able to estimate heating surface area of a boiler
    3. Be able to calculate volume in gallons of various tank shapes
    4. Be able to calculate boiler horsepower (BHP) of a boiler system
    5. Be able to convert Kilowatts to HP and vise-versa
    6. Understand steam tables and the characteristics of steam and different pressures and temperatures.
    7. Be able to convert to/from PSI, inches water column (W.C.), inches mercury (Hg), and feet of head
    8. Explain what pressure, temperature, enthalpy, and energy are. Explain how they are related