LANCASHIRE BOILER Parts, Working, Application, Advantages and Disadvantages

LANCASHIRE BOILER is a simple horizontal boiler and belong from the shell and tube types of boilers. 

It has a circular shell connected to end plates supported by gusset plates.  It has a circular shell connected to end plates supported by gusset plates. 

Lancashire boiler have two fire tubes whose length is equal to length of the boiler and diameter of the fire tube is less than half of the diameter of the shell. 

LANCASHIRE BOILER DIAGRAM

LANCASHIRE BOILER DIAGRAM

You can read our other article to know all about Locomotive boiler Parts, Working and Applications and Cornish Boiler: Parts, Working, Advantages, & Disadvantages

Parts of LANCASHIRE BOILER

Grate

Grate contain the fuel for combustion

Feed valve

Feed valve is used to enter fuel material inside the grate

Fire hole

Fire hole is used to introduce the initiating fire spark 

Safety valve

Safety valve is used to release the pressure when it crosses the safety limits of the boiler

Bottom flue

Flue present at the bottom of the shell and take the hot gases from the front to back of the boiler

Side flue

Flue present at both sides of the shell and take hot gases from the back to the main outlet of the boiler

Low water alarm

Alarm which inform us when water level is low than safety line

Dampers

Flow of gases from side flues to the chimney is controlled by the sliding doors located at the end of side flue

Blow-off clock

For the removal of mud and sediments and blow off clock is provided at the bottom of front section of boiler.

Fusible plug

Fusible plug is used to prevent the coil tubes of the boiler are overheating, extinguishing the fire when water level is lower than a particular level

Working of LANCASHIRE BOILER

In Lancashire boiler fuel is added into the grate of the boiler and burning of this make gases hot. These hot gases start their motion from grate section and enter the fire tube of the boiler. 

Hot gases enter at the front section of the boiler and leave the boiler from the back and enter the bottom fuel and start moving toward the front section of the boiler. 

At front section hot gases leave the bottom flue and enter in side flue and move again toward the back of the boiler and enter the main outlet there. 

There is 85% heat transfer when hot gases are in fire tube and 15% when they are in bottom and side flue. Pressure range of the boiler is about 0.7 MPa to 2 MPa and efficiency is 65 to 70%. 

Dimension of the boiler depends on the dimension of the shell which is 2 to 3 m is diameter and 6 to 10 m in length.

Application of Lancashire Boiler

Lancashire Boilers are used to drive

• Steam turbines 

• Marines  

• Locomotives

Lancashire Boilers are used in industries as processing agent 

• textile industry 

• paper industry 

• sugar industry 

• tire industry 

• chemical industry 

• breweries industry

 Advantages of Lancashire Boiler

• Lancashire Boiler is an Economical boiler 

• It can be easily operated 

• Compactness 

• Portability 

• Simple design  

• Easy construction 

• Have low maintenance cost 

• High overall efficiency (80% to 85%) 

• Steam produce have excellent quality 

• Due to the large quantity of water available, it can easily overcome the load fluctuation

Disadvantages Lancashire Boiler

• Corrosion in water legs 

• It is difficult to clean inside 

• Low steam production rate (9000kg/hr) 

• Horizontal structure cover more ground space 

• Maintenance of brick work is tedious. 

• Have limited grate area because the fire tubes have small diameter. 

• It’s a low pressure Boiler maximum limit is only 20 bars