NY Boiler Operator flashcards
NY Boiler Operator · Build recall with a focused review session.
33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- ASME Section I
- Code covering power boilers operating above 15 psig; establishes requirements for materials, design, fabrication, inspection, and stamping of high-pressure boilers.
- Lowest permissible water level
- The lowest water level at which a boiler can be safely operated, established by the manufacturer and marked on the boiler; firing below this level is prohibited.
- Safety valve set pressure
- The pressure at which a safety valve begins to open; must not exceed the boiler MAWP, and total relieving capacity must equal or exceed maximum generating capacity.
- Fusible plug
- A plug with a low-melting alloy (melts near 445-455 °F) installed at the lowest permissible water level to warn of low water by releasing steam or water.
- MAWP
- Maximum allowable working pressure; the highest pressure at which a boiler is designed to operate safely, stamped on the boiler and used to set safety valve limits.
- Furnace purge
- A pre-ignition procedure that forces air through the furnace for a set number of volume changes (typically at least 4) to remove combustible gases before lighting the burner.
- Bottom blowoff
- A procedure that opens the bottom blowdown valve to remove sludge and sediment from the boiler; performed at low fire with the boiler under pressure and never left unattended.
- Warm-up rate
- The rate at which a cold boiler is heated, typically limited to about 100 °F per hour or less per manufacturer to prevent thermal stress and tube leakage.
- Normal shutdown
- A controlled sequence: reduce firing to low fire, purge, close the fuel valve, allow cooling, then close the main steam stop valve and open drains.
- Emergency shutdown
- Immediate trip of the burner, closure of fuel supply and main steam stop, and notification of the supervisor; the furnace is not re-entered until purged and cool.
- Stoichiometric air
- The exact amount of air needed for complete combustion of a fuel; natural gas requires about 10:1 air-to-fuel by volume, and excess air is added above this.
- Excess air
- Air supplied above the stoichiometric requirement to ensure complete combustion; typical values are 5-15% for gas and 10-20% for oil.
- Burner turndown ratio
- The ratio of maximum firing rate to minimum stable firing rate; packaged burners typically achieve 5:1 to 10:1 turndown.
- Flame scanner
- A UV or IR sensor that proves the presence of flame; if no flame is proven within the trial-for-ignition period, the burner must trip.
- Balanced draft
- A furnace condition in which forced draft and induced draft fans maintain a slightly negative furnace pressure, typically about -0.1 to -0.5 inches of water column.
- Atomization
- The process of breaking fuel oil into fine droplets using steam or air so it mixes with air and burns completely; oil must be heated to proper viscosity first.
- Feedwater pH
- The acidity or alkalinity of water supplied to the boiler; for carbon steel boilers, pH should be maintained between 8.5 and 10.5 to limit corrosion.
- Ion exchange softener
- A water treatment device that replaces calcium and magnesium hardness ions with sodium ions to prevent scale formation in the boiler.
- Surface blowdown
- Blowdown taken from the water surface to control total dissolved solids and remove floating impurities; distinct from bottom blowdown, which removes sludge.
- Deaerator
- Equipment that heats feedwater to about 227-230 °F and vents dissolved gases, reducing oxygen to low levels; residual oxygen is scavenged chemically.
- Steam trap
- A device that removes condensate and non-condensable gases from steam lines while preventing steam loss; failed-open traps waste steam, failed-closed traps cause water hammer.
- Low-water fuel cutoff
- A safety device that shuts off the burner when boiler water falls below the lowest permissible level; must be tested daily or per code.
- High-pressure limit switch
- A control that trips the burner at a set pressure below the safety valve setpoint, typically 5-10 psi lower, to prevent overpressure.
- Flame safeguard
- A control system that proves pilot flame before opening the main fuel valve and closes the main fuel valve within 1 second of flame loss.
- Combustion air proving switch
- A switch that senses airflow and interlocks with the burner, preventing firing when combustion air is inadequate.
- Burner management system
- A control system that sequences purge, pilot, main flame, and shutdown, with interlocks that prevent out-of-sequence operation.
- Hydrostatic test
- A pressure test, typically 1.5 times MAWP for new construction, used to verify boiler integrity; existing boilers may be tested at MAWP per code.
- Ultrasonic thickness testing
- A non-destructive method that measures boiler wall thickness to detect corrosion and compare against minimum allowable thickness per code.
- Gauge glass blowdown
- A daily or per-shift procedure that opens the gauge glass drain to clear the glass, then closes it and verifies the water level returns.
- Internal inspection
- An annual examination of the water side for scale, corrosion, and pitting, and the fire side for soot and refractory damage.
- NYC high-pressure operator license
- A license issued by the NYC Department of Buildings required to operate boilers above 15 psig; renewal and continuing education requirements apply.
- NYC boiler inspection
- An inspection performed by a DOB-licensed inspector with annual reports filed with the Department; required under Title 24 of the Rules of the City of New York.
- Boiler operator log
- A record of pressure, temperature, water level, and blowdown maintained by the operator; logs are subject to inspection by the Department of Buildings.