Records of Steam Boiler ExplosionsMarten, Edward Bindon
History
Records of Steam Boiler Explosions
Marten, Edward Bindon
Steam-boiler explosions
There yet remains to be noticed a very large and varied class of
boilers that have been designed with the express object of avoiding
explosion. Some of these, made of cast-iron pipes of small diameter,
have already been referred to. When steam carriages were first
constructed, boilers were tried made of a cluster of small pipes,
set both upright and horizontally, connected with a general receiver
and with each other by still smaller pipes. These were found to
have such small circulation of water that they very soon burnt out,
and also led to much priming. Afterwards, narrow chambers made of
corrugated plates set like the cells of a battery were tried, but
without much success. The multitubular boilers of the locomotive type
soon superseded all others as quick steam generators, and until lately
they have been considered as almost absolutely safe from explosion.
It is found however that the barrel of these boilers is peculiarly
liable to furrowing, owing to the strain weakening the iron in certain
lines. Perhaps no boiler shows more clearly than the locomotive how
necessary it is that every part should be open to examination; and also
how unwise it would be to use for stationary purposes small cramped
up boilers, only intended to meet the necessities of locomotion. Many
explosions of locomotive boilers have taken place; but it is not
necessary to give details in this paper, as they are fully given in the
published official reports of the government inspectors.
Among the form of boilers designed to obtain very rapid generation of
steam, combined with increased safety from explosion, may be specially
named that consisting of a system of small pipes within a shell with
an artificial circulation of water, and also the boiler consisting
of a cluster of cast-iron spheres, both of which have been described
at previous meetings of the Institution (see Proceedings Inst. M. E.
1861 page 30, and 1864 page 61); but neither has been much used in
this country at present. The boilers also which consist chiefly of
small tubes hanging down into the fire, with smaller tubes or other
arrangements within them for securing a natural circulation, deserve
mention, as they appear successfully to accomplish that end.
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