The applicant should be familiar with the information
recommended for High and Low Pressure Boiler Operators as well as the
following:
1. Sketch a large water tube boiler with all auxiliary and show combustion
flow through the boiler and label all parts.
2. Sketch a complete heavy grade fuel oil burning system including
the following:
a. Tank
b. Vent
c. Tank Heater
d. Return line
e. Full flow relief valves
f. Heater after fuel oil pumps
g. Fuel control valves
h. Mechanical atomizing burners
i. Steam atomizing burners
j. A constant differential pressure valve
k. Temperature interlock
l. Pressure interlock
3. Sketch a complete natural gas fuel firing system to include the
following:
a. Gas pressure reducing valve with vent
b. Hi-gas pressure sensing and interlock
c. Low-gas pressure sensing and interlock
d. Gas quick closing valves
e. Vent line and valve
f. Cock or plug valves
g. Gas burner
h. Flame failure device
i. Gas fuel control valve
j. Gas control with valve closed position proving micro switch
4. Sketch a feedwater system for two or more boilers from hot well
or source of supply to boiler showing types of protective valves and
means of water level control in the boilers.
5. Describe complete operation of the following steam traps:
a. The inverted bucket trap and explain how the size of the discharge
orifice is related to the trap input or line pressure.
b. Impulse trap
c. Bucket trap
d. Disc trap
e. Thermostatic trap
f. Float operated trap
6. Discuss the difference between alternating current, direct current
and the phases of alternating current used in the boiler room. Include
the voltages involved with the controls, motors, and spark ignition
devices. Discuss over current or electric short protection.
7. Describe generally accepted current feedwater treatment procedures
for control of scale forming water hardness, reduce oxidation or rusting,
control of acidity or alkalinity, control of the concentration of dissolved
and undissolved solids in the boiler water, helping undissolved material
to stay in suspension, and a means to prevent corrosion in the heating
system.
8. Discuss means to improve the quality and purity of steam. This includes
dry pipes, dryers, scrubbers, and baffles in the steam drum.
9. Describe a positive displacement and a centrifugal pump and where
each may be found in the boiler room.
10. Describe procedure to protect water side and fire side when securing
a boiler for an extended period of time.
11. Discuss the difference between a fire tube and a water tube boiler
and describe briefly an example of each. Include construction details,
means of support, superheaters, air preheaters, and economizers.
12. Explain the difference between a "pop" safety valve,
a relief valve, and a rupture disk to include the reason for the "popping"
action of the pop safety valve and the blow down reseating of the same
type of valve.
13. Describe the importance of furnace draft and means of obtaining
a balanced draft. Include the difference between a negative and positive
pressure furnace.
14. Describe a deaerating feedwater heater to include location with
respect to the feedwater pump, need for venting, operation, how fed,
how water level is controlled, and reason for having a vacuum breaker.
15. Discuss necessity for soot blowers, how operated, how installed,
and proper alignment.
16. Explain feedwater treatment.
17. Describe the combustion process and what is meant by fuel air ration
to include what a good minimum excess air percentage by volume is for
burning natural gas, fuel oil and coal. Include the means used to determine
the amount of excess air.
18. Describe procedures for boiler/furnace maintenance to include cleaning
inside and outside, testing for leaks, examination inside for corrosion
inspection for weakness, feedwater valves and connections, surface blow
dry pipes, baffles, water column lines, safety valves, vent valve connection,
gauge connection, cleaning fireside of tubes and tube sheets, fireside
corrosion, pitting, grooving, fire cracks, bulging, bagging, blisters,
etc.
19. Discuss proper start-up of auxiliary steam turbines and describe
governing, overspeed trip, types of bearings, lubrication, thrust bearings,
governing when used to drive a feedwater pump, etc., when used to drive
a centrifugal feedwater pump to a battery of boilers and in parallel
with other feedwater pumps, discuss how the turbine driven centrifugal
feedwater pump should be piped, how the pump is brought on the line
and precautions that must be taken when loading the pumps and running
them in parallel.
20. Discuss proper start up on a boiler plant or power plant with a
battery of boilers. Explain what happens when load swings up or down.
21. Discuss steam tables including a comparison of steam and water
density at different pressures up to "critical pressure" and
what takes place at that point. Discuss the difference in volume between
one pound of water and one pound of steam from atmospheric pressure
on up. Know the temperature and pressure at critical pressure. Discuss
the enthalpy of water, the enthalpy (latent heat) of evaporation, and
the temperature of saturated steam at various gauge pressures from atmospheric
pressure to critical pressure. Explain how these characteristics effect
the circulation and generation of steam in the boiler up to and past
critical pressure. Discuss superheat, describing what it is and why
it is used in a power plant. Describe what happens to the heat stored
in water at the boiling point temperature when the boiler pressure is
reduced by an additional load being placed on the boiler and there is
a natural lowering of boiling point temperature. Explain how this and
the lower pressure on the steam bubbles effects the water levels in
the boiler.
22. Knowledge of the City of Dearborn Boiler Code.
a. Definitions
b. License required and expiration
c. Exemptions from license requirements
d. Grades of licenses
e. Maximum capacity allowable for grades of licenses
f. Issuance of licenses. Methods and requirements.
g. Special licenses.
h. State of Michigan, Dept. of Construction Codes, Boiler Division
i. Post of Duty
j. Notice of place of employment
k. Reporting of defective boilers
l. Duties of Steam Engineers and Boiler Operators
m. Observation and inspection of boilers
n. Posting of regulations