Boiler

A boiler is a vessel that transfers heat to water or another fluid, producing hot water or steam for heating and other uses. Its pressure boundary contains the heated fluid.

Combustion: A chemical reaction in which a fuel reacts with an oxidizer, releasing heat and often light. Fuel combustion supplies heat in many boilers, though electric and other heat sources are also used.
Fire-tube boiler: A boiler in which hot combustion gases flow through tubes surrounded by water. This common design places the hot gases inside tubes and the boiler water outside them.
Central heating: A system that generates heat in one location and distributes it to multiple rooms or spaces. Boilers commonly heat water or produce steam for distribution through a building.
Water heater: An appliance that heats water for domestic or commercial use, usually without producing steam for distribution. The distinction from a boiler depends on system design and terminology, especially in North American usage.
Heat exchanger: A device that transfers heat between fluids without necessarily mixing them. Boiler heating surfaces transfer energy from hot gases or another source into the working fluid.
Water-tube boiler: A boiler in which water flows through tubes heated externally by combustion gases or another source. Its tube arrangement suits high pressures and large steam outputs.
District heating: A system that distributes heat from centralized sources to buildings through a network of pipes. Large boilers can supply heat across neighborhoods or campuses rather than one building.
Furnace: A heating appliance that warms air and distributes it through ducts or directly into a space. A furnace heats air, while a boiler heats water or produces steam.
Steam drum: A pressure vessel in a water-tube boiler that separates steam from circulating water. In many water-tube boilers, this vessel collects the steam-water mixture and separates its phases.
Boiler pressure: The pressure of water or steam contained within a boiler during operation. Pressure affects steam temperature, equipment design, and the hazards a boiler must control.

Linked from 14 pages