To ensure maximum safety during operations in the industry, all boiler designs, manufacture and operation must comply with the recommendations set out in a set of specific technical standards.

Therefore, it is essential that the operator of this steam generator has knowledge of the control and safety devices for boilers, as well as how they should be operated to ensure the safety of this operation.

Control and safety devices for boilers: What are they?

All industrial equipment designed to generate heat and that always works under high pressure needs to be firm regarding the lack of control of its processes.

Therefore, the device required to prevent any problems in the operation of the boiler is the safety valve . Its function meets the need to ensure that the processes remain within the parameters designed by the manufacturer.

However, the boiler safety valve acts as a “last line of protection”, so to avoid problems that reach greater proportions it is essential to also consider other preliminary devices.

Therefore, according to the guidelines set out in NR-13, the lack of any of the following mandatory items in a boiler constitutes a serious and imminent risk:

• Instrument that indicates the pressure of accumulated steam, mainly a steam manometer;
• Injector or other means of supplying water in addition to the main system;
• Rapid water drainage system;
• Water level indication system or other system that prevents overheating due to insufficient power supply.

Importance of the main boiler control and safety devices

As we have seen, for the boiler to operate more safely and be fully controllable, some devices are essential and mandatory according to NR-13. But do you know how they work and what is the importance of each of these devices?

Not yet? Then check it out!

Safety valve

Safety valves are devices used to prevent excess loads from causing serious problems, to the point of compromising the safety of operators and the industry as a whole.

The operation of this device in boilers is relatively simple. Each valve acts as a protector that helps prevent the formation of high pressures, so the valve is responsible for releasing the fluid from inside the boiler, reducing excess pressure volumes.

This equipment operates automatically. In other words, when higher pressure forces the discharge of gas or steam, the safety valve releases a certain amount of fluid on its own, without any electrical power support.

Pressure gauge

Pressure gauges are devices installed in boilers that are designed to measure the pressure inside the boiler, assisting operators and helping them to control the operational safety of the boilers.

These devices require periodic inspection and calibration so that all functions are performed quickly and safely, avoiding any failures, damages and losses for the parties involved.

Rapid drainage system

This system is responsible for quickly draining water from boilers, and is therefore applicable to alkali recovery boilers. It is mandatory and considered an emergency system, allowing for greater safety in the use of boilers. Thus, when required, this emergency system quickly drains the water, preventing cases of rapid pressure rise and even boiler explosion .

Indication system to control the water level

As can be seen in the previous devices, the water level in the boiler is a fundamental factor for the proper functioning of this equipment. Therefore, having a water level control indicator system is essential.

This system ensures that the boilers never have too much water or too little water.

If there is not enough water in the drum (low level), the water tubes may dry out and burn from the heat of the fire. On the other hand, too much water in the drum will cause liquid water to be carried along with the steam flow, impairing the operation of the boilers.

Never neglect the safety of your boiler

It is extremely important that industries use all control and safety devices, avoiding more serious problems and even unpleasant consequences.

But it is even more important that these devices function properly and can perform their functions effectively. Therefore, these devices need to be properly sized, installed and kept in constant operation.

It is also essential to choose companies that offer good security and operation devices, as well as prompt service that is tailored to your needs. This is the case with MBX.

With 100% national manufacturing, MBX offers the market efficient and effective solutions for fluid conduction and industrial maintenance.

To learn more about boilers and safety valves, we invite you to follow MBX blog .