MAEINE BOILER MANAGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION BEING A TREATISE OH BOILER TROUBLES AND REPAIRS, CORROSION, FUELS AND HEAT ON THE PROPERTIES OF IRON AND STEEL, ON BOILER MECHANICS WORKSHOP PRACTICES AND BOILER DESIGN C. E. STROMEYER, M.Inst.C.E. M CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE MANCHESTER STEAM USERS* ASSOCIATION FOR THE PREVENTION OF BOILER EXPLOSIONS; FORMERLY ENGINEER SURVEYOR TO LLOYD'S REGISTER; PAST MEMBER OF COUNCIL OF THE NATIONAL PHYSICAL LABORATORY, KEW. FOURTH EDITION LONGMANS, GEEEN, AND CO. 39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON NEW YORK, BOMBAY, AND CALCUTTA 1914 All rights reserved A PREFACE TO FOUKTH EDITION THE results of experimental researches into a variety of subjects are accumulating which affect either directly or indirectly the manage- ment or construction of boilers; these have been referred to in the various chapters of this edition. Thus amongst physical researches may be mentioned Stefan and Bolzmann's law of radiation which seems to explain why the high temperature flames which are associated with perfect combustion lead to furnace troubles, then there are Nicholson's experiments on the influence of the speed of a gas on its heat trans- mission, Coker's optical measurements of strains, and my own experi- ments on fatigue of metals as yet unpublished on brittleness caused by the presence of nitrogen in steel, and on water hammers in steam pipes. Heyn & Bauer's exhaustive experiments on corrosion have also been carefully summarised in this work. On account of the increasing use of wrought iron and steel instead of copper for steam pipes, a new chapter has been added on this sub- ject. It reviews all available experiments on the losses of pressure due to friction and to radiation, explains the methods of manufacture and discusses steam pipe explosions, of which about two hundred have been reported upon by the Board of Trade as being due either to water hammer, to inelastic arrangement or to bad material. The question of elasticity of pipe bends has necessitated the addition of a few mathematical remarks on curved beams, and a comparison of these with Prof. Bautlin's valuable experiments on full sized pipes. They were found to be of great use in estimating the stresses in the flanges of end plates of boilers. This subject and the staying of flat plates is deserving of greater attention than is generally bestowed on it by engineers. Fortunately a large number of experiments with flat plates have now been made both by the Board of Trade, the German Admiralty, Prof. Bach, and others; they have been carefully summarised and 346809 VI PREFACE TO FOURTH EDITION are found to harmonise better than might have been expected. The staying of annular water spaces of donkey boilers is also dealt with, but only mathematically, as no experiments have been carried out. The increasing use of high speed tool steel, and of electric and oxy-acetylene welding and a few other matters are also mentioned in the present edition. The re-arrangement of the Board of Trade Rules in the early part this year has necessitated a similar re-arrangement of the last chapter in the present edition, but the other leading chapters on Construction and on Management, have received comparatively few additions or alterations. C. E. S. WEST DIDSBURY, December, 1913. PEE FACE TO THE FIRST EDITION WHILE reading through these pages for the last time, and thereby completing a task which has proved a heavier one than could at first have been imagined, numerous passages have recalled to mind friendly discussions of which they are the outcome, or valuable hints and sometimes exhaustive criticisms from those friends to whom doubtful points were submitted. Should they find that their views have not in all cases been adopted, the text will doubtless also reveal to them the reasons why this could not be done; and to these friends I wish to convey my warmest thanks for the encouragement which their personal interest in this work has afforded me. While collecting the material for this work a feeling that many problems yet remain to be solved has rarely been absent from my mind, more especially when the scientific side of a question was being inquired into. Not being in a position to satisfactorily dis cuss such problems, it seemed necessary at least to state them concisely, so that scientists might be induced to solve them for us. It would have been very easy to ignore such difficulties altogether; but this course would have been contrary to my purpose, which was to produce a work of a practical character. If it should be objected that just because of this object even the simplest mathe- matics ought to have been omitted, such critics should remember that true practice, unlike abstract science, is unscrupulous in the choice of means, and avails itself of the gratuitous labours of scholars and scientists as readily as it adopts the more costly experiences gained by repeated failures. Besides, as the object of science is truth, practical men, whose sole aim is success, dare not remain in the dark as regards its discoveries and deductions. C. E. S. GLASGOW : August 1893. INTRODUCTION THE information contained in this work has heen collected for the use of people interested in the manufacture and management of marine boilers, and it is hoped that the summaries of the experiences gained in one of the branches with which it deals will assist those whose attention has been confined more particularly to the other. Thus, for the information of manufacturers, it was necessary to discuss the troubles to be expected from the use of defective materials, as well as the dangers to which a boiler is exposed after it leaves their hands ; while for steam users, descriptions as to the processes of construction, and scientific inquiries about corrosion, fuels, and similar subjects, had to be brought together. In spite of a very exhaustive search, extending over several years, little information either about the management or about workshop practices could be found, most books and papers professing to deal therewith doing so only in vague terms. The Author had, therefore, to rely mainly on his own experiences when explaining the various practices and manipulations. Although it was impossible to enter into every minute detail, it is hoped that no points have been omitted to which attention should be drawn. In writing the chapter on ' Mechanics ' the Author also had to rely mainly on his own resources when trying to present such problems as occur in marine boilers in as simple and yet as comprehensive a form as possible. Special attention has there been paid to the relations existing between elastic stresses and those which make their appear- ance just before rupture takes place, whereby it is hoped that the term 1 factor of safety ' has acquired a more precise meaning than it at present possesses. A graphic method for resolving stresses, a method for estimating the shearing strengths of a material from torsion experi- ments, and a discussion on the irregular distribution of stresses in X INTRODUCTION riveted joints, are some of the subjects herein discussed, and about which little will be found in earlier books. In the chapter on ' Corrosion ' attention is drawn, amongst other matters, to the strange influence which apparently harmless salts exert on the harmful activity of weak acids ; the action of air in feed-water and the much-debated question of galvanic currents in boilers have been treated in some detail. While examining the numerous experiments on ' Heat Transmission,' and before Mr. Durston's excellent paper was read, the Author was con- fronted with the serious difficulty that nearly all these experiments are incomplete as regards certain essential points. Sometimes the heating value of the coal was not stated ; sometimes the steam pressure, funnel or feed temperature was forgotten, or the ashes not weighed ; but by having brought together various experiments in one chapter a better idea can now be formed than has yet been possible about the resistance encountered by heat when it travels from the flame through the iron and scale into the water. Somewhat similar remarks might be made on the subject of ' Strength of Materials,' for metallurgists are still unable to explain why a metal which can be stretched from 20 to 30 per cent, in a testing machine sometimes shows no plasticity, and cracks spontane- ously, when fitted in a boiler. Pains have been taken to collect all references to such influences as might cause trouble when using steel, and it is hoped that the Author's experience, both in engineering works and in numerous English and foreign steelworks, has led him to touch upon everything that is essential. The chapter on ' Fuels and Combustion ' ought to be of value to those who are entrusted with the carrying out of accurate experiments on the performances of engines and boilers. Not only has it been ex- plained there how necessary it is to know the heating value of the fuel used, and whether it has been properly burnt, bat explanations have been added showing how to carry out the experiments, and as they are comparatively simple, seagoing engineers possessed of a knowledge of chemistry might easily inform themselves on questions such as how much heat and unconsumed fuel are escaping up the funnel, and how much priming water is carried over with the steam, about which points reliable information is still wanting. For the convenience of draughtsmen the rules of the Board of Trade and of Lloyd's Kegister on the scantlings of boilers have all been placed near the last pages, and much trouble has been taken to make INTRODUCTION XI the tables which are based on them not only reliable and comprehen- sive, but also compact. But as these rules are liable to occasional amendments, the tables may also have to be revised from time to time. These rules and tables are preceded by a short chapter on ' Design/ in which such hints have been given as will, it is hoped, facilitate drawing-office work. It has not been thought advisable to reproduce any drawings of complete boilers, but a long list has been compiled of publications where they can be looked up, together with their prin- cipal dimensions, their performances, and the builders' names. These and the other references to publications were found to be so numerous that it was necessary to abridge their titles to a few initial letters, which have been rearranged in alphabetical order in the following list, together with the necessary particulars for easily finding the required volume. It was at first intended to quote only such papers or books as had been printed in the English language ; but many of these turned out to be translations, and it soon became evident that they could not always be relied upon. Not only were the misprints sometimes of the most serious nature, but in several instances it was found impossible to trace the original paper, because of the date, volume, or page being wrongly given. The plan had therefore to be adopted of mentioning only the original notice of ex- periments on investigation, no matter in what language they were first described, LITEBATUKE The following books and publications arc referred to in the text : J. F. BABNABY. Effects of Heat on the Bending Qualities of Iron,' 1881. Admir- alty Letter, N.S. ^ViF- J. F. BABNABY. ' Influence of Repeated Heating and Cooling of Steel and Iron,' 1882. Admiralty Letter, N.S. HVs!*- W. M. BABB. ' A Practical Treatise on High-Pressure Steam Boilers.' Indian- apolis, 1880. B. H. BABTOL. ' A Treatise on the Marine Boileru of the United States.' Phila- delphia, 1851. G. BEBKLEY. Experiments on the Mechanical Properties of Steel, made at Wool- wich Dockyard,' 1870. L. E. BEBTIN. 'Marine Boilers.' (Translated by L. ,G. Robertson.) London, 1898. N. P. BDBOH. * A Treatise on Boilers and Boiler- Making.' London, 1873. C. BUSLEY. 'Die Schiffsmaschine.' Kiel, 1883. (Anew edition is in progress, as well as a translation by H. A. B. Cole. London, 1892, not completed 1901.) A. LE CHATELIER. 'Influence de la Temperature sur les Proprietes Mecaniques des Metaux.' Paris, 1891. D. K. CLABK. Recent Practice in Locomotive Engineering.' London, 1858. D. K. CLABK. ' A Manual of Rules and Tables.' London, 1878. E. CLABK. ' Britannia and Conway Bridges.' 1850. F. COLYEB. 4 Management of Steam Boilers.' London, 1885. F. COLYEB. ' A Treatise on Modern Steam Engines and Boilers.' London, 1886. J. H. COTTEBILL. ' The Steam Engine.' London, 1878. C. C>ucHE. 'Permanent Way,' &c. (A Translation.) London, 1877. V. DESHAYES. ' Classement et Emploi des Aciers.' Paris, 1880. W. FAIBBAIBN. ' Useful Information for Engineers.' London, 1856. L. FLETCHER. ' Red-hot Furnace Crown Experiments.' Manchester Steam Users, 1889. N. FOLEY. ' The Mechanical Engineer's Reference Book.' London, 1891. E. FBANKLAND. * Experimental Researches.' London, 1877. DB. F. GBVSHOFF. ' Theorie der Elasticitat und Festigkeit, mit Bezug,' &c. Berlin, 1866 and 1878. C. E. GBOVE and W. TBOBPE. ' Chemical Technology.' London, 1889. H. M. HOWE. The Metallurgy of Steel.' New York, 1890. W. S. HUTION. 'The Practical Engineer's Handbook.' London, 1887. W. S. HUTTON. ' Steam Boiler Constructions.' London, 1891. J. S. JEANS. ' Steel : its History, Manufacture, Properties, and Uses.' London, 1890. xiii XIV LITERATURE D. KIRKALDY. ' Results of an Experimental Enquiry into the Tensile Strength ot Wrought Iron and Steel.' Glasgow, 1863. D. KIRKALDY. ' Results of an Experimental Enquiry into the Mechanical Proper- ties of Steel of Different . . . Conditions.' London, 1873. D. KIRKALDY. ' Experimental Enquiry into the Properties of Essen and Yorkshire Iron.' London, 1875. D. KIRKALDY. ' Strength and Properties of Materials,'