The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-02-24
Causes and Prevention of Explosions of
Steam. Boilers.

namely the simple bursting of the boiler when the plates
ruptued and opened by steady from Within and
tho'e explosions the effects of which seem to exceed any
thing could be imagined woud result from an accident
of this chaacer this last has been properly CARED py he
French EXPLOSIONS fui,aante Not only the boer ou'
under the but the whole or part OF IS pro-
ected the rapty and force oil rocket anu athoueh
weighing six or eight TONS be thrown to distance OF
many hundred its original position, even when the
rupture of the boiler is of small Dimensions
1t will De remarked that in these cases the opening made In
he bne ia the end opposite to the direction IN
which the boiler thrown in other WORDS it projected by
the reaction of the seam which escapes, against the air
and in fact subjected precisely to the same action
rocket No gradually increased could result
tbs descpton and is not so much an immense pressure
that required produce this rapid Development oi
that pressure An bomb shell several inches in thick
ne s. may burst by three pounds OF powder al
though we might condene with safety into the shell
fifty the amount of gas formed by the combustion OF
the powder the is that although the powder does not
form enough TO explode even much thinner SHELL ue
On, were gradually formed STILL in the actual state of things
rapid development than compensaes Tor ihe want o
quantity the effects produced are far more terrific than
which could be produced by steady PRESSURE however
great. .
The same fact still remarkable with that class OF
bod es called Illuminating powders which, ~hen exploited IN
small 1u antilles in vessels of strength will bur
them with prodig violence when the gas formed
from the combustion of the powder would not than fiji
the capacity OF the vessel this owing entirely to the in
slantaneous production OF the exploive force
These rks made merely show the necessity OF
the study of the two Glasses tor explosions,
th first of which from eithe deficiency the strength
he boiler from carelessy oveburdenng boiler proper
strength "a frequent occurrence The engines OF most
seamhoata, when regular on said To exhaust the
boiler three times in the Of minute so then. VIXEN the
engine stopped this large amount OF steam will accumu
late the boiler if be used to prevenit The
water the boilers the boat not in motion, and with
steady flies, will acquire fifty degrees of heat in two and
half minutes and let that the pressure OF the
boiler hundred pound.to the inch; al the
Of two and half minutes stoppage, the pressure will
b,y. tntty
tanned of fifty degrees OF heat will double the
pres OF the and in two and half minutes
five from the the steam will have
lated four hundred pounds pressure to the inch. Now,
there doubtless much observing the boiler.
when boat ard consequently this rtpid accumulation
becomes frequent of the first class Of explo
SONS.
The consideration of the more immediate causes of the
second elias, of explosions (eIpi0sions JumiRantes)
those which mostly excite attention, and r their explain
have search for condition of the interior Of
boilers that will give rise rapid evolution OF steam
| commonly admitted. and one in which there
is, doubtless great truth. is that Of the water getting below
the fire line Of the boilers considerable portion of The boiler
becoming exposed the action Of the fire without be-
ing contact with it, thereby getting greatly oyebeatsd and
dim nshef in streng h..
While the engine at and the safety closed the
remains quiescen under the accumulated pressure
its urfce the moment this diminished by work
ing the engine ooeuing the safety valve rothng boil
ing in the take place. it, surface raised and Brought
against the overeated sides of the boiler,
OF steam rapidly formed, and neither the safety valve
the cylinders will allow sufficiently rapid of the
steam 10 prevent. in instances. terrific explosion
particularly when the boiler is already overcharged by
steady PRESSURE weak in its natural consIucon and the
iron diminished in strength by the heat which it is sub
ieced. In the minds of this considered
| quent cause of this cless of xplosons
1t insisted by NAM, that accidents when the
proper quantity Of is in the boiler the boiler strong
and ths pressure not beyond ii, norma condition Now,
ASK ed how possible, under these for
these explosions take place? In vain have explanation
been sough after and either quit the subject in despair
finding the cause in dsbeievng that it hsppe
under tho circumstances mus', however that afte
close examination OF the subject, see to beiev
that rapid formation OF take place under tn
circumstances alluded above, and explosions result
In study the If the explosion of boilers
proceed by taking into consider the ordinary
lies OF water and the laws of liquid with reference hest
presumng that understand all the laws that obeys
being heated from the freezing point to six hundred degree
But the fact Is that, as far knowledge
does obey regular cst of laws with reference
the action of heat in this respect has
| liarites.
Commencing with the ordinary temperature,
gradually abstracing heat from it, the water conrncs
continues do until reaches forty degrees, when
dminuton of will 10 expand until it reache
freezing point. Here then, is cir umsance occurring
water contrary TO what knew Of rs belonging ohe
liquids, which by the abstraction of heat down
their freezing PORT. Again. it is usually considered that
any thing is fixed, it is that water becomes soid when
uced thirty dgrees dts freezing pont singu,
this the for, under certain circumstance
Gas that of perfect repoe) water may be reduced 10 ten
twelve degre below the freezing point witt
becoming solid this them is another popularity bsongn
Is to water that no other LIQUID know Of possesses.
!, It we consider the temreratue at which water
II heqted in the open air, without boiling. third still
remarkable pecu ary win be Nothing appears bett
1t settled, than that bns al 2l2 degrees in
e sells and that cannot BE- heated beyond that, HI
been clearly proved and the exnerment lately repeated
Prof Faradav the Royal Institution, thai water complete
deprived of air, be heated in vessel to $50
ID go degrees without commencing to boil hut the ebul
l. ton begins, steam given off in explosive
all the heat that has accumulated between 22 and go
II gree instantly into the formation of the
III falls 2l2 degrees and the regular ebutin continne
Seeing then the existence of this latter pecuiarty in
what then is there irrational in upposing that water in
boiler acquire Temperature beyond that due 10 the
ne of steam the surface?
When the boiler perfectly close and the heated
OF does boil hut gradually increases in temperature,
d. of steam umuang above the surface of the wstt
ne in proportion to he temperature of the and
,d cording exper ments made wate in boiler 800 degr
m ought To furnish steam exertng of little
than sixty pounds the square inch Suppo'e then bo
to be in that condition and the water shonld continue
~ heat without that heat converting additional
tity Uf the water into "a rational suppostic
'ie when that water in vessel under cert
conditions be heated 40 or 81 above 22 degrees
he ont the formation of steam y and suppose the water arrv
to 800 degrees and the of steam be at 50
nd which 80 pounds lower than what due to water at
degrees Should any disturbance of this state of thi
ST. take place. eth by the opening of the safety valve.
in the working of the engine the would evolve with
eou rapidy amount of steam due to this of
ID degrees, and properly estimate the spdIty
nc which this will take place, particle OF water g
J ont almost at the instant portion of steam and 81
this RAPIDLY increased of 80 pounds might be 81
Us cient to endanger the boiler.
Now, if it be possible for the water to acquire forty
Il fifty degrees temperature than ought to have, in
sideraon of the pressure of the the surface,
" would be liable at noment to have the pressure
VI boiler doubled almost nstantaneousy.
I'm These then, indications that advance, thinking II
e worthy the attention of those engaged in invest garg
IN subject and may be- seeking for the of those
oz posons, when thing connected with the boiler
en- renty should be. This of those explanations
by can only he properly determined by experiment.
There supposed of the explosion OF boi
ie that sometimes insisted upon with great deal OF tena
he by their advocates 1t occasionally stated, when all
10 explanations fail to for particular explosion,
ms, electricity has been the without telling how this
DE tricty could be formed and when formed how could
n boiler Although it is possible to render a boiler,
steam escaping electric, must be inolaed for this pur
viz either on glass rods or of electricity
e In the of boilers they constructed this insola
er do sxist YET if by hazard prodigous amou
On electricity accumulated in boiler from the known
ducuby OF metals the electricity could be discharged
re- the boiler without disturbing the delicate part
els structure And, could accumulate the electricity
GUS of ne,,. tn a'an,,;i, a. % =, M , wy % NY, ~ 10
10 harmless result to the boiler.
Anothercause, occasionally advanced, is that the expl
of hydrogen gas has burst the boiler This, however,
ae enabe than the by electricity for we must
ears learn how this gas formed, and formed how
'hle produce explosion Direct experiments have been
in by evsporang to dryness in boiler, and exam
ten from time to time the steam without finding any hyd
ent gas mixed with In order form hydrogen from the