T.S. Patriot State Engineering Manual
Patriot State was the training ship of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy from 1986 to 1998.
This section contains the standard procedures for carrying out normal operations of boiler. The operations included are: Lighting Off, Securing, Hydrostatic Testing, Soot Blowing, and Burner Cleaning.
- Remove the stack cover.
- Prepare boiler for lighting off. Establish the boiler water level at approximately the normal operating level. If necessary, water can be supplied to the boiler by gravity drain from the second stage feed heater through the feed suction line, feed pumps and feed discharge line. If the boiler is full of water, it can be drained down to working level through the common bottom blow line.
- Clear the main switchboard.
- Clear the emergency switchboard.
- Start the emergency diesel generator set.
- Allow set to come up to speed and voltage.
- After set has come up to speed and voltage and is operating in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations, close generator circuit breaker connecting the emergency generator to the emergency switchboard bus.
- Place emergency generator voltage regulator in automatic position.
- On the emergency switchboard, operate interlock defeater to feed main switchboard from emergency switchboard.
- On main switchboard, close bus tie circuit breaker between the emergency and main switchboards.
- Energize a forced draft blower, the cold boiler starting fuel oil service pump and the engine room lighting transformer bank, the diesel oil transfer pump and the S.S. air compressor.
NOTE: Where possible, operate blowers at low speed.
- Close the louver dampers of the forced draft blower associated with the boiler to be placed in service. Close the damper in the blower air duct cross-connection. Open the damper in the duct at the forced draft blower. Start the forced draft blower, then manually open the louver dampers wide to purge the boiler of any gas accumulation before lighting off.
- Check that the fuel oil valves at the burners are shut for the boiler being lit. Connect the flexible metal hose between the fuel oil service pump diesel oil discharge line and the boiler burner, No. 1. Open the valve in the fuel oil service pump suction line. Open the superheater circulating line (vent to escape pipe), drains and drum vent.
- Fit the atomizer of burner number one, open the fuel oil service pump discharge valve, start the pump and light off on diesel oil. Adjust the pump discharge valve to give a pressure at the burner of about 100 psi. Control the air supply by means of the air register to give proper combustion.
- When the drum pressure reaches 50 psi, close the drum vent.
- When the boiler steam pressure reaches about 100 psi, activate the contaminated steam system through the standby connection from the auxiliary steam system and supply steam to the heating coils of one of the fuel oil settling tanks.
- When the oil in the settling tank has been heated sufficiently to permit satisfactory pump operations, open the valves in the recirculating line from the fuel oil header to the service pump suction. After the forced draft system has been in operation for at least 30 seconds, manually latch open the solenoid trip valve. The solenoid trip valve will automatically trip shut upon failure of the blower, incorrect setting of the draft gates or by the blower push button on the boiler gauge board.
NOTE: Solenoid operated fuel oil trip valve energized from group control "B."
- Start the motor driven fuel oil service pump recirculating oil through one fuel oil heater and then supply steam to this heater. All oil heating drains should be discharged to the bilge until the contaminated evaporator is placed in operation.
- When the temperature of the fuel oil in the heater is suitable for combustion (approximately 180° - 200°) close the recirculating line. Light off a burner on fuel oil, using a clean atomizer and secure the diesel oil supply. Check to insure that fuel oil and steam pressures are adjusted in accordance with recommendations in the Babcock & Wilcox instruction book.
- Warm up the main steam system in preparation for starting up a turbo-generator. Also, warm up the auxiliary steam systems.
- Start the port feed pump operating at very low speed, taking suction from the distilled water tanks and discharging to the boilers through the auxiliary feed line.
- Place the second stage feed heater in service, permitting the auxiliary exhaust main to discharge steam to this unit.
- Start an auxiliary circulating pump discharging through the auxiliary condenser to be used.
- Check that a water level is visible in the auxiliary condenser gauge glass. If necessary, add water to the condenser.
- Start an auxiliary condensate pump discharging to the second stage feed heater and also recirculate by opening the valves in the recirculating line to the condenser in service.
- Start the gland exhaust fan.
- Supply gland sealing steam to the turbo-generator.
- Start the auxiliary air ejectors.
- Warm up the turbo-generator. When the vacuum reaches 15" Hg, start the turbo-generator exhausting to the auxiliary condenser.
- Open the cutout valves associated with the automatic makeup from the auxiliary steam to the auxiliary exhaust system.
- Open the gate valve in the auxiliary exhaust unloading line to the condenser in service and set-up the auxiliary exhaust unloading valve to unload to the condenser.
- Adjust the recirculating valve to maintain a reasonably constant water level in the condenser gauge glass. Take on makeup feed as necessary.
- After the turbo-generator is operating in accordance with manufacturer's recommendations, bring the set-up to speed and voltage and synchronize with the main bus tie as described in chapter 22, condition 2, parallel operation. The bus tie breaker on the main switchboard will trip.
- Turn control selector switch on emergency switchboard from feedback to automatic position. Close bus tie breaker on main switchboard and stop diesel engine manually.
- Set-up the burners with the proper sprayer plates for the service required and light off other burners as necessary.
- Place the boiler feed regulator in service and open wide the valves in the main feed line. Secure the auxiliary feed line.
- Put the combustion control system in operation in the manner described in the General Regulator Corporation instruction book.
- The other boiler may now be started and placed in service in the manner outlined in the Babcock & Wilcox instruction book.
- When a turbo-generator is in operation, the main propulsion unit and its associated equipment may be put into service as described in the General Electric instruction book, "Turbines and Reducton Gears."
If shore steam is available for dead ship starting, the procedure outlined in this section should be followed with the exception that bunker fuel oil may be used to light off initially, in lieu of diesel oil. In this case, shore steam is used for heating oil in a settling tank and a fuel oil heater.
The following are the procedures for securing one boiler during two boiler operation following the securing of the main steam and bulkhead steam stop valves. Note: If practicable, the soot blowers should be operated just prior to securing out the boiler.
The master sender must be open to the boiler that is to remain in service and secured to the boiler that is coming out of service.
Secure all fires by closing the fuel valves first and the steam atomizing valves shortly afterward. Leave air register doors open for a couple of minutes to burn away any fuel remaining on the furnace floor and to expel any remaining combustion gasses from the furnace. Then close all register doors tightly.
When the boiler pressure drops below line pressure, close the auxiliary and turbogenerator stop valves. Crack open the superheater drains to the bilge to drain condensate out of the superheater headers. Secure the forced draft fan, Secure the power to the combustion control board and place the air volume regulator and steam pressure regulator on hand control. Close the main feed stop and check valves. Maintain water level in the drum gauge glass by use of the auxiliary check valve. Secure the cooling water supply and drains to the external attemperator.
Approximately one half hour after securing the fires, secure the Ljungstrom air heater motor, lube oil pump, and the air heater cooling water supply.
When the steam drum pressure has dropped to approximately 10 psi, crack the steam drum vend to prevent the formation of a vacuum in the boiler.
To operate sootblowers
- Obtain permission from bridge to blow tubes.
- Fill oil cups for IK and G-9-B blowers with mystery oil.
- Open sootblowers steam supply root valve. Open drain to bilge.
- When the drain blows clear of all water close drain and open steam supply secondary valve. Open the sootblower steam header drain valve, located behind the gauge board. Drain well.
- When the header drain blows clear, close drain valve until only a small amount of steam is blowing out of the drain.
- Put F.D. fan damper on manual and open fully. Fan should be on 3rd speed.
- Blowers should be operated in the following sequence. Air preheater gas side, IK-1, IK-2, A,B,C, air preheater gas side. Use pushbuttons to start each blower. Push only one button at a time until the sootblower in operation has completed its cycle. The IK's should only be blown once. The G-9-B's should be cycled until the periscope no longer blacks out while blowing, but do not cycle any unit more than five times.
- After completion of blowing tubes, the steam root valve and secondary valve should be secured and the drain valves left cracked open.
- Notify the bridge that you have finished blowing tubes.
Fuel oil burners are to be switched and cleaned at the watch engineers discretion. Keeping in mind firing rate and last burner change. Keep track of cleaned burners on the status board. To clean burners:
- Remove burner from register and drain in barrel.
- Blow out burner with steam.
- Blow out burner with air.
- Place burner in burner bench. The burner nut should be scraped clean of all deposits with a brass scraper. A wire brush may be used but caution should be taken against coming in contact with the sprayer plate. This may cause damage.
- Clean holes in sprayer plate with brass wire and wipe off. Scrape deposits with brass scraper. Only brass may be used on the sprayer plate.
- At NO time will the burner barrel be disassembled unless the Watch Engineer feels that the flame is distorted and more thorough cleaning of the sprayer plate is needed. If this step is needed, then follow steps 7 through 11.
- Remove burner nut and wash in carbon remover.
- Loosen packing nut and slide gooseneck forward until backside of sprayer plate is exposed.
- To remove sprayer plate, use open end wrench to secure gooseneck and proper (6 sided) wrench to loosen sprayer plate. Remove sprayer plate and soak in carbon remover, then repeat step #5.
- Reassemble burner. Take care that the sprayer plate sits in its landing in the outer burner barrel.
- Hang the burner on the front of the burner bench with the tip hanging in the trough of carbon remover.
This is a general instruction and may be changed at any time at the Watch Engineer's discretion. As a reminder to all firemen, the fireman on watch is responsible for seeing to it that all burners are clean and marked, that all drip pans and drain cans are CLEAN and ready for the next watch and status board is updated for cleaned burners.
- Close the valve at the steam end of tube.
- Open the valve at the water end.
- Open the blow down valve, blow for about 15 seconds, close blow down valve.
- Close the valve at the water end.
- Open the steam end valve.
- Open blow down again and blow out steam lines for 15 seconds, close blow down valve.
- After blow down, open both the steam valve and the water valve and allow 30 minutes for set-up to achieve normal operating temperatures.
The feedwater regulator must be blown down whenever the drum pressure has dropped below 25 psi. The act of blowing down removes all air in the system and insures proper operation.
To lower the level, increase the length of pilot stem on the thermostatic expansion element. This increases the amount of control air that is sent to the steam flow controller and thus closes the feed valve.
To raise the level do just the opposite of the above, shorten the stem.
If the level drops too much between minimum load and maximum load, increase sensitivity of the flowmatic element by moving slider towards the pivot point. in 1/4" increments.
If the level fluctuates too much during steady loads, you must decrease the sensitivity of the flowmatic element by moving the slider away from the pivot point. in 1/4" intervals.
To shift the feedwater regulator from Manual to Automatic Control:
- Obtain the desired normal water level.
- Synchronize the auto gauge with the hand gauge. The adjusting knob is lengthened to increase the auto pressure.
- When the gauges are sychronized, the transfer valve may be switched to automatic.
To shift the feedwater regulator from Automatic to Manual Control
- Synchronize the hand gauge with the auto gauge.
- Switch transfer valve to hand.
- When on manual, turn the knob clockwise to increase the loading pressure. This increased pressure closes the valve.
In preparing the boilers for the hydrostatic test, they shall be filled with water at not less than 70° F. and not more than 160° F.
The safety valves must be secured by means of gags.
Hydrostatic pressure is applied to the boiler(s) by the hydrostatic test pump. Test pressure is equal to 1-1/4 times the MAWP.
Hydrostatic tests are done anytime extensive repairs have been made or the strength of the vessel is in question. Also, it should be tested once a year according to regulations. All tests must be done in the presence of a certified marine inspector.
Direct comments to William Haynes whaynes@maritime.edu
Mon, Jul 1, 1996
TSPS Engineering Manual ©1995 Massachusetts Maritime Academy