INDIAN BOILER REGULATION - 1950

BEGINNING OF BOILER LEGISLATION IN INDIA

Steam Boilers are of very ancient origin. The introduction of famous James Watt's improved steam engine from 1769 to 1775 onwards resulted in great improvement in steam plants.

BEGINNING OF BOILER LEGISLATION COUNT

In the year 1863, a very serious boiler explosion occurred in Calcutta which caused the loss of several lives. As a result of this explosion, the necessity of inspection of boilers was widely recognised and a bill was introduced in the Bengal Council to provide for the inspection of steam boilers. In the year 1864, the Bengal Act VI of 1864 was passed which provided for the inspection of steam boilers and prime movers in the town and suburbs of Calcutta. This is the beginning of boiler legislation in India.

EXPLOSIVE PROPERTY OF WATER

The explosive property of water in a Boiler can be explained by way of an example. A domestic pressure cooker contains only a couple of litres of water that too at low pressure above atmospheric . If the lid of a pressure cooker is opened without releasing the pressure, thereby suddenly exposing the water under pressure to atmospheric pressure, the water explodes and results into a fatal accident. When a fatal accident is the result of a couple of litres of explosive water, the danger involved in Boilers containing hundreds/thousands of litres of explosive water can be easily imagined.

WHAT IS IBR?
IBR is Indian Boiler Regulations, which was created in 15th September 1950 in exercise of the powers conferred by section 28 & 29 of the Indian Boilers Act. The Indian Boilers Act was formed in 1923, 23rd February to consolidate and amend the law relating to steam boilers.

WHICH STEAM BOILERS AND STEAM PIPES ARE REGULATED BY IBR ?

Steam boiler: Steam boilers under IBR means any closed vessel exceeding 22.75 litres in capacity and which is used expressively for generating steam under pressure and includes any mounting or other fitting attached to such vessel which is wholly or partly under pressure when the steam is shut off. Steam pipes: IBR steam pipe means any pipe through which steam passes from a boiler to a prime mover or other user or both if pressure at which steam passes through such pipes exceeds 3.5 kg/cm2 above atmospheric pressure or such pipe exceeds 254 mm in internal diameter and includes in either case any connected fitting of a steam pipe.

REGULATIONS

REGULATIONS FOR THE REGISTRATION OF BOILERS AND INSPECTION OF BOILERS AND STEAM PIPES

REG: 376 PREPARATIONS FOR INSPECTION

REG 376 (a) : At every examination of boiler or the grant of renewal of a certificate, the boiler shall be empty and thoroughly clean in all its parts. Except as provided as for in sub-regulation (f) all doors of manholes, handholes and sightholes and cleaning plugs , all firebars, front plates, bridge plates, oil fuel burners and mechanical stoker fittings shall be removed. All valves and cocks comprising the boiler mounting shall be opened up and taken apart and the valves or cocks ground, when necessary, before the Inspectors visit.

At alternative annual inspections and subject to a minimum of three bottom rows or all tubes subject to the first pass of heat being opened up for inspection the Inspector may at his discretion relax the preparation for inspection called for under (a) above in favour of boilers having an evaporative capacity of 200,000 lbs. per hour and over, and fed either water treated to the satisfaction of the Inspectors.

At Abhijeet 865 TPH i.e 1,906,998.567 9 lbs per Hour

REG:377 HYDRAULIC TEST OF BOILER FOR REGISTRATION

Every boiler shall be hydraulically tested in the presence of an Inspector.

NOTE:- Boiler working at a pressure 50 kg/cm2 or more and

used for electric power generation need not hydraulically tested for issue of certificate every year provided such boiler is carried out as per provision of regulation 376 Also captive Boiler and waste heat boiler(fired and Unfired) used in continuous process plants need not be HT every year

Boiler at Abhijeet :- 170 kg/cm2

REG:378 PREPARATION FOR HYDRAULIC TEST

a)The chest of all mountings subject to the steam pressure shall be in place and shut tight or blank flanged. b)The safety valves should invariably be removed and the chest opening blank flanged. c)The attachment for the Inspectors pressure gauge shall be in order. d)All doors shall be properly jointed and tightened up. The boiler shall be completely filled with water, care being taken to allow all air to escape and, if possible, a preliminary test not exceeding the working pressure of the boiler shall be taken before the Inspectors visit, to test the tightness of the joints. e)When a boiler is hydraulically tested for the first time, it shall be entirely cleared of lagging or brickwork; at subsequent tests the lagging or brickwork, or portions thereof, shall be removed if required by the Inspector.

REG: 379 PROCEDURE OF HYDRAULIC TEST

If all components of the boiler in the manufacturers premises have not been tested hydraulically as per regulation 268, the test, on completion, shall be taken to 1 times the maximum working pressure. Maximum working pressure = 182.5 kg/cm2 HT Pressure :- 182.5 x 1.5 = 273.75 kg/cm2 (For boiler including economizer & SH)

Subject to the provisions of sub-regulation (e) of regulation 381, every boiler shall be hydraulically tested after erection at site in presence of the Inspector to 1 times the maximum working pressure as certified by the Inspecting Authority in Form II, to be stamped on the boiler, as free from any indication of weakness or defects. Maximum Working pressure 182.5 kg/cm2 HT Pressure:- 182.5 x 1.25 = 228.125 kg/cm2

iii)The temperature of the water used as medium of pressure testing shall not be less than 20C and greater than 50C. (iv)The test pressure shall be raised gradually under proper control at all times so that it never exceeds by more than 6% of the required pressure and maintained for 30 minutes whereupon the pressure shall be reduced to maximum allowable working pressure and maintained for sufficient time to permit close visual inspection for leakage of pressure parts.

The boiler shall satisfactorily withstand such pressure without appreciable leakage or undue deflection or distortion of its parts for at least ten consecutive minutes. If the test is not satisfactory, the working pressure allowable by calculation shall be suitably reduced, unless the owner desires to make such alterations as will enable the boiler to withstand satisfactorily the hydraulic test, in which case the boiler shall again be examined after the alterations have been made, the pressure recalculated, if necessary, and the boiler tested to the satisfaction of the Inspector.

* At the first hydraulic test of a boiler prior to the issue of an original certificate deflection measurements shall be made before, during and after test of each furnace length, fire-box and flat end or other plates. After the application of the hydraulic test the Inspector shall carefully examine the boiler inside and outside and satisfy himself that it has satisfactorily withstood the test.

REG:381 PROCEDURE FOR REGISTRATION

The owner of any boiler which is not registered under the provisions of this Act may apply to the inspector to have the boiler register. Every such application shall be accompanied by prescribed fee. On receipt of an application under subsection (1),the inspector shall fix a date, within thirty days or such shorter period as may be prescribed from the date of the receipt, for the examination of the boiler and shall give the owner there of not less than ten days notice of the date so fixed. On the said date the inspector shall proceed to measure and examine the boiler and to determine in the prescribed manner the maximum pressure. If any , at which such boiler , may be used, and shall report the result of the examination to the Chief Inspector in the prescribed from.

WHEN AND HOW THE RENEWAL OF CERTIFICATION OF BOILER DONE

On the expiry of the period for which it was granted. When any accident occurs to the boiler. When the boiler is moved (portable boilers or vehicular boilers) When any structural alteration, addition or renewal is made in or to the boiler If the Chief Inspector in any particular case so directs when any structural alteration. On the communication to the owner of the boiler .

REG:382 ENGRAVING OF REGISTRY NUMBER

The registry number of every boiler shall, within a period of one month from the date of receipt thereof be cut in the front plate or any such position as shall be pointed out by the Inspector. The device for each State and Union territory shall be distinguished by the letters For Example:Andaman and Nicobar Islands A&N Andhra Pradesh AP

The distinguishing letters shall be engraved above a number and separated there from by a horizontal line 64 mm in length

The letters and figures shall be 25 mm in height and of suitable

breadth. In the case of small boilers the letters and figures of the device may, in the discretion of the Chief Inspector, be reduced to 10 mm in height. The whole shall be enclosed in a rectangle, the upper and lower sides of which shall be 76 mm apart and 6 mm clear of the top of the letters and the bottom of the figures respectively. JH 1234 For small industrial boiler,the letter S shall be added as prefix UP S123

REG:383 MEASURMENT OF HEATING SURFACE

For amount of registration and inspection fees the heating surface of a boiler shall be the total surface of all plates and tubes exposed to heat on one side and in contact with water on the other measured on the water side or the fire side, whichever is larger. H.S. in square feet = 2L(3.14d+D) Where:- L length of the boiler b/w end plates in feet d- Mean external diameter of the furnace in feet D Internal diameter of the largest belt of shell

(ft)

For steam and water drums of water tube boilers the heating surface of the drum shall be taken as half the external mean circumference multiplied by the clear length of drum between the outer brick walls or centres of cross boxes

Heating Surface Area (SQ.M) Economiser :- 7843 Super Heater :- 12710 Reheater :- 3760 Water Walls :- 3962 TOTAL 28275

REG:385 REGISTRATION FEE

The required fee to accompany an application under sub-section (1) of section 7 of the Act shall be:Sq.mtr Sq.mtr

REG:386 MEMORANDUM OF INSPECTION BOOK

A Memorandum of Inspection Book shall be prepared for each boiler in Form I.

The Memorandum of Inspection Book should always be kept clean and up-to date Inspection Books except when actually required by Inspector, should be filled in the office of the Chief Inspector

REG. 602, REG. 603, REG. 604, REG. 605, REG. 605-A
QUALIFICATION TESTS FOR WELDERS ENGAGED IN WELDING OF BOILERS AND STEAM-PIPES UNDER CONSTRUCTION, ERECTION AND FABRICATION AT SITE IN INDIA .

No welder shall be engaged on welding of boilers or steam-pipes under construction, erection or fabrication at site or in the repair of boilers or steam-pipes, unless he possesses a certificate as required under the Regulations hereinafter contained. Every welder shall be duly tested and qualified to the satisfaction of the Competent Authority who shall assess his performance for qualifying for the certificate. The Competent Authority may thereafter issue a certificate in the Form XIII indicating the class and type of welding in which he has qualified.

Issue of duplicate certificate (i)In case of loss of a certificate issued to a welder in Form XIII, a duplicate certificate may be issued by the Competent Authority who issued the original certificate provided that the Competent Authority is satisfied with the genuineness of the case. (ii)Fee for issue of duplicate certificate shall be Rs.25/-.

INSPECTION
Ground inspection. Inspection at time of erection. Inspection at time of fit up. Weld inspection.

FORMS ISSUED

ISSUED BY THE BOILER MANUFACTURER:

Form III for the boiler Form VIII for the economiser THESE MUST BE COUNTERSIGNED BY THE INSPECTING AUTHORITY

ISSUED BY THE INSPECTING AUTHORITY

Form II for the boiler or boiler part Form VII for the economiser

ISSUED BY THE MATERIAL MANUFACTURERS AND MANUFACTURERS OF FITTINGS & MOUNTINGS

From IIIA issued by the pipe manufacturer and is applicable to all steam pipes, piping sections and butt weld fittings made from pipe From IIIB issued by the tube manufacturer, i.e. source material at the tube mill indicating the material, method of manufacture and testing From IIICissued by the fitting/mounting manufacturer for boiler safety valves and

From IV issued by the steelmakers indicating the method of manufacture of the steel and the results of physical and other tests An updated list of well-known steelmakers, foundries, forges, tube/pipe makers recognised by the Central Boilers Board is available from us.