Talk:Stirling boiler

Related questions
Hi, we are the caretakers for the Stirling Boiler pictured in the article (Mount Molloy). We have some steam specialists coming in and I'm happy to try adding a bit more detail to this article. First point: the picture of our boiler asserts that it was first fired on sugarcane bagasse. This is not correct but I can't see how to edit the caption (well I added a caption way upstream in the wikimedia page, but that edit is not showing here. FWIW, the boiler powered a large sawmill, and was fired from timber offcuts. There was no cane around the Molloy district til recent years, long after the sawmill had ceased operation.

First proof-read
Some questions...
 * Where does the name 'Stirling' come from?
 * Maker presumably, but I haven't researched any more. US I think, so I know little.


 * 'plant waste' -- is this meaning cut vegetation, or the by-products of industrial processes?
 * Stuff that grows. You'd need a lot of it, so empirically this means it has to be first-cut waste straight off the field, rather than an intermediate waste stream of much lower volume.

ANSWER : tecnical way of describe the "full ahead" condition of steam production.
 * 'Heavy firing rate' -- the meaning of this may not be clear to someone of limited English


 * The term "'mud' drum" is explained, albeit late in the article, but the link is not made explicitly between the word 'mud' and the precipitate mentioned. Would be worth examining the whole article coverage of the phrase to see whether explanation is required earlier, or the term introduced later
 * I don't know what a "mud drum" is. Maybe it's just another term for water drum, maybe it implies more. If it's a mud collector, does the 5-drum Stirling have one or two (the mud accumulates in just one of those water drums). Perhaps it's just a period term and otherwise interchangeable, because the two refs I used for the Stirling article are fairly contemporaneous and both use it, but most other texts I have on boilers (haven't yet checked all for Stirling content) use "water drum" instead. I preserved its use, but couldn't claim to understand any subtle distinction.
 * Having consulted my only reference on such matters (finding one reference to mud!) I have taken the liberty of adjusting the related wording. I don't think I have implied significantly more than was present before. Please change if necessary. -- EdJogg (talk) 22:03, 1 October 2009 (UTC)

EdJogg (talk) 14:09, 1 October 2009 (UTC)
 * How is the 'mud' removed? (Presumably by way of a 'mud hole'? I am starting to detect a need for a Glossary of boiler terminology page! That would make your linking MUCH easier!)
 * Manholes in the drum ends. We certainly need that glossary, I've a bunch of terms that could go straight into it. Don't think I've ever created one on WP though, so I'm not too familiar with the process and structure. Maybe later... Andy Dingley (talk) 16:27, 1 October 2009 (UTC)

ANSWER : "male quick exhaust valve" were used in steam generators, usually with manual control. To be opened shortly or you could have "LWL" (low water level) in the superior drums.

And a possible answer...

EdJogg (talk) 15:52, 1 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Would Heat recovery steam generator be appropriate as a link for heat-recovery boiler redlink? That article is not very general, but could be expanded...
 * Different critter, although the same purpose. It's tied up with the differences between "boilers" and "steam generators". A heat recovery boiler is generally low enthalpy: low exhaust temperatures raise low temperature steam. A steam generator is a different beast, and high enthalpy (monotube boilers, flash steam, low-water-volume boilers). Although it can be used to recover waste heat (as described), this only works if that waste heat is at unusually high temperatures. In practice, it's gas turbine exhaust (generally power generation, sometimes gas pipeline compressors) and not much else.
 * I've been planning to do heat-recovery boilers soonish, but was thinking more in terms of the Clarkson thimble-tube and suchlike, as used on diesel ships to provide hotel services from the main engine exhausts. I've redir'ed it in the meantime. Better than nothing, as the article name is clearly distinct it's not actually wrong. Andy Dingley (talk) 16:27, 1 October 2009 (UTC)