Firetube vs Watertube boilers and full speed

[Rancor]

Good info, thank you.

Interesting though, if firetube boilers are the way to go, why is every modern steam plant where efficiency is the number one priority such as the coal plant Steven spoke about above a water tube setup?

 

[Steven Christian]

Water tube setups allow for higher temps and pressures where their needed like the really big turbine gen sets. Today I don't know of any coal burners being built in the USA with the exception of one tiny plant (17 Mw) in Alaska. China is building them like crazy. Most now here are combined cycle (gas turbine-steam generator sets. But most of these also use a water tube setup for the steam generator part of the plant. The design with the watertube setup using exhaust waste heat is about 50% more efficient for the same amount of fuel burned. With natural gas costing around 30% of what it did 10 years ago its the way to go. Nat gas is so cheap right now they are practically giving it away. 1.85 spot price today.

 

[J Sheehan]

Just an interesting fact about the LNER W1, nick named the "Hush Hush".

It's corridor tender has survived and is coupled behind preserved A4 60009 Union of South Africa.