A boilermaker is a tradesperson who fabricates steels, iron, or copper into boilers and other large containers intended to hold hot gas or liquid, as well as maintains and repairs boilers and boiler systems.
62-413: Although the name originated from craftsmen who made boilers , boilermakers assemble, maintain, and repair other large vessels and closed vats, in addition to boilers. The boilermaker trade evolved from industrial blacksmithing ; in the early nineteenth century, a boilermaker was called a boilersmith . The involvement of boilermakers in the shipbuilding and engineering industries came about because of
124-420: A fossil fuel power plant using a steam cycle for power generation, the primary heat source will be combustion of coal , oil , or natural gas . In some cases byproduct fuel such as the carbon monoxide rich offgasses of a coke battery can be burned to heat a boiler; biofuels such as bagasse , where economically available, can also be used. In a nuclear power plant, boilers called steam generators are heated by
186-448: A steam locomotive . This is because unavoidable temperature and/or pressure loss that occurs as steam travels from the boiler to the machinery will cause some condensation, resulting in liquid water being carried into the machinery. The water entrained in the steam may damage turbine blades or in the case of a reciprocating steam engine , may cause serious mechanical damage due to hydrostatic lock . Superheated steam boilers evaporate
248-401: A "craft section" largely for boilermakers. Boiler A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water ) is heated . The fluid does not necessarily boil . The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including water heating , central heating , boiler-based power generation , cooking , and sanitation . In
310-405: A boiler is combustion of any of several fuels , such as wood , coal , oil , or natural gas . Electric steam boilers use resistance- or immersion-type heating elements. Nuclear fission is also used as a heat source for generating steam , either directly (BWR) or, in most cases, in specialised heat exchangers called "steam generators" (PWR). Heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) use
372-659: A few extra quid. GMB is one of the three largest affiliates of the Labour Party . It is a significant financial contributor to the party's national and local organisation. GMB gives Labour up to £2m a year in affiliation fees and other funds, making it the third largest union donor to the party. In 1991, GMB was the first British trade union to set up an office in Brussels and has been particularly engaged in seeking to influence European Union legislation that sets minimum standards for workers and for health and safety across
434-493: A full-time requirement at power plants . Stress fractures, leaks, and corrosion demand continual repair or replacement resulting from operation at very high steam pressures. Other boilermakers might work seasonally or on an individual project such as re-fitting a boiler in a seagoing vessel or remodeling a steam plant. Boiler repair can be a high-value, high-cost service since even the smallest steam boilers for dry cleaners and tailors can cost upwards of $ 20,000 to replace. In
496-604: A high school diploma or GED. Attending a trade or technical school combined with employer-provided training can accelerate the learning curve. According to U. S. Census Bureau data of 2012, boilermakers are the most male "saturated" job in the USA, having a share of 99.8 % males and 0.2 % females. Boiler repair in the United States is governed by the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors and
558-631: A merger with the Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers, Shipwrights, Blacksmiths and Structural Workers (ASBSBSW), the union was renamed the General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trade Union (GMBATU). This was sometimes shortened to "GMB", which in 1987 became the official name of the union. For several years following the highly contested merger boilermaker members retained a distinct identity in GMB's Craft Section. The union has absorbed
620-481: A new union, named the National Union of General and Municipal Workers (NUGMW). Although the new union was one of the largest in the country it grew relatively slowly over the following decades; this changed in the 1970s when David Basnett created new sections for staff, and hotel and catering workers, and changed the union's name to the General and Municipal Workers' Union (GMWU) in 1974. In 1982, following
682-529: A similar case involving Pimlico Plumbers was confirmed at the Court of Appeal . A worker who had suffered a heart attack was found to have been unfairly or wrongfully dismissed. Another similar case against parcel delivery company Hermes Group , supported by the GMB through lawyers Leigh Day, had a similar outcome at an employment tribunal in Leeds on 25 June 2018. Hermes are considering an appeal. The GMB stated
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#1732772385422744-442: A source of many serious injuries and property destruction due to poorly understood engineering principles. Thin and brittle metal shells can rupture, while poorly welded or riveted seams could open up, leading to a violent eruption of the pressurized steam. When water is converted to steam it expands to over 1,000 times its original volume and travels down steam pipes at over 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph). Because of this, steam
806-463: Is a savings and loans co-operative established by the trade union for its members in 1998. Trading as TCU Money, it began life as GMB Lancashire Region Credit Union and was rolled out nationwide in 2000. TCU is named after Will Thorne , founder of NUGW forerunner, the National Union of Gas Workers and General Labourers and one of the first Labour Members of Parliament . The credit union
868-522: Is an efficient method of moving energy and heat around a site from a central boiler house to where it is needed, but without the right boiler feedwater treatment, a steam-raising plant will suffer from scale formation and corrosion. At best, this increases energy costs and can lead to poor quality steam, reduced efficiency, shorter plant life and unreliable operation. At worst, it can lead to catastrophic failure and loss of life. Collapsed or dislodged boiler tubes can also spray scalding-hot steam and smoke out of
930-840: Is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the PRA. Ultimately, like the banks and building societies, members' savings are protected against business failure by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme . On 28 October 2016, in a landmark ruling if not overturned on appeal, the Central London Employment Tribunal ruled that Uber drivers are "workers" entitled to
992-414: Is boiled the result is saturated steam , also referred to as "wet steam." Saturated steam, while mostly consisting of water vapor, carries some unevaporated water in the form of droplets. Saturated steam is useful for many purposes, such as cooking , heating and sanitation , but is not desirable when steam is expected to convey energy to machinery, such as a ship's propulsion system or the "motion" of
1054-408: Is by simply using an induced draught fan (ID fan) which removes flue gases from the furnace and forces the exhaust gas up the stack. Almost all induced draught furnaces operate with a slightly negative pressure. Mechanical forced draught is provided by means of a fan forcing air into the combustion chamber. Air is often passed through an air heater; which, as the name suggests, heats the air going into
1116-653: Is governed by ASME Code section B31.1. The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers is a labor union for boilermakers in Canada and the United States. In the UK, boilermakers traditionally joined the Boilermakers Society which merged with the General and Municipal Workers' Union (GMWU) , then an unskilled union, to form the modern GMB which still maintains
1178-458: Is often used in superheater sections that will not be exposed to boiling water , and electrically-heated stainless steel shell boilers are allowed under the European "Pressure Equipment Directive" for production of steam for sterilizers and disinfectors. In live steam models , copper or brass is often used because it is more easily fabricated in smaller size boilers. Historically, copper
1240-590: The 2010 Labour Leadership Election , GMB endorsed Ed Miliband over his competitor and brother David Miliband . In 2013, GMB announced it was cutting its affiliation fund from £1.2m to £150,000 by reducing the number of members it affiliates from 420,000 to 50,000. In 2013, GMB Congress, the lay member ruling body, adopted a 14-point plan to encourage GMB members to become active in the Labour Party and to stand as Labour candidates for public office (Parliament and local government). GMB has two representatives on
1302-476: The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) under a classification called R Stamp Welding. In order to perform R Stamp welds and repairs, boilermakers are tested and certified in the quality of their weld joints through a rigorous testing procedure. R stamps are issued to companies that have existing ASME code stamps issued for construction and whose quality control system covers repairs or follow
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#17327723854221364-607: The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Labour Party, Kathy Abu-Bakir and Gavin Sibthorpe. In Ireland, GMB is affiliated to the Irish Labour Party . While in the 2015 Labour leadership election GMB did not endorse a candidate, in the 2016 Labour leadership election , the union endorsed Owen Smith against incumbent leader Jeremy Corbyn . Under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn ,
1426-416: The condenser . This results in slightly less fuel use and therefore less greenhouse gas production. The term "boiler" should not be used for a supercritical pressure steam generator, as no "boiling" occurs in this device. A fuel -heated boiler must provide air to oxidize its fuel. Early boilers provided this stream of air, or draught , through the natural action of convection in a chimney connected to
1488-535: The minimum wage , paid holiday, sick leave and other normal worker entitlements, rather than self-employed . Two Uber drivers had brought the case to the employment tribunal with the assistance of the GMB Union on 20 July 2016, as a test case on behalf of a group of 19 drivers. As a consequence, The Pensions Regulator is considering if the ruling obliges Uber to create a workplace pension scheme. The ruling could have implications wider than just Uber, throughout
1550-514: The EU single market. In 2008, GMB Congress voted to withdraw local funding from around a third of the 108 Labour MPs whose constituencies received support from GMB, due to the perception that some MPs within the party were treating workers with "contempt" and generally not working in the interests of the working class and GMB members. Despite this the Congress opposed disaffiliation from the party. In
1612-523: The GMB clashed with the party over the issues of Trident renewal and fracking , both of which are opposed by Corbyn. In the 2020 Labour leadership election , the GMB endorsed Lisa Nandy , who subsequently finished third. The GMB is led by a general secretary and treasurer. In 2005 Paul Kenny was appointed the acting general secretary, in place of Kevin Curran who stepped down after being suspended on full pay during an inquiry into ballot-rigging during
1674-536: The GMB to become a safe and rewarding place for women. The report made 27 recommendations for change, on which the union's National President, Barbara Plant, promised to act. The GMB sponsors the Nottingham Panthers ice hockey team and the Castleford Tigers rugby league team. Until May 2011 it sponsored Swindon Town Football Club , but when Paolo Di Canio was appointed manager
1736-490: The United States, many boilermakers are employed in repairing, repiping , and re-tubing commercial steam and hot water boilers used for heating and domestic hot water in commercial buildings and multi-family dwellings. Sometimes these boilers are referred to as pressure vessels . Generally, a pressure vessel is a storage tank or vessel that has been designed to operate at pressures above 15 psi (1.03 bar; 103 kPa). The two main responsibilities of boilermakers are
1798-432: The air intake and firing chute, injuring the firemen who load the coal into the fire chamber. Extremely large boilers providing hundreds of horsepower to operate factories can potentially demolish entire buildings. A boiler that has a loss of feed water and is permitted to boil dry can be extremely dangerous. If feed water is then sent into the empty boiler, the small cascade of incoming water instantly boils on contact with
1860-524: The changeover from wood to iron as a construction material. It was often easier, and less expensive, to hire a boilermaker who was already in the shipyard--fabricating iron boilers for wooden steamships--to build a ship. This overlap of skills could extend to anything large and made of iron--or later, steel. In the UK, this effective monopoly over an important skill of the industrial revolution led to boilermakers being labeled 'the labour aristocracy" by historians. Boilermaking, welding , and fitting tubes can be
1922-476: The corresponding feedwater pressure must be even higher, demanding a more robust pump design. Another consideration is safety. High pressure, superheated steam can be extremely dangerous if it unintentionally escapes. To give the reader some perspective, the steam plants used in many U.S. Navy destroyers built during World War II operated at 600 psi (4,100 kPa ; 41 bar ) pressure and 850 degrees Fahrenheit (454 degrees Celsius) superheat. In
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1984-422: The event of a major rupture of the system, an ever-present hazard in a warship during combat , the enormous energy release of escaping superheated steam, expanding to more than 1600 times its confined volume, would be equivalent to a cataclysmic explosion, whose effects would be exacerbated by the steam release occurring in a confined space, such as a ship's engine room . Also, small leaks that are not visible at
2046-401: The exhaust of the combustion chamber. Since the heated flue gas is less dense than the ambient air surrounding the boiler, the flue gas rises in the chimney, pulling denser, fresh air into the combustion chamber. Most modern boilers depend on mechanical draught rather than natural draught. This is because natural draught is subject to outside air conditions and temperature of flue gases leaving
2108-531: The following configurations: To define and secure boilers safely, some professional specialized organizations such as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) develop standards and regulation codes. For instance, the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code is a standard providing a wide range of rules and directives to ensure compliance of the boilers and other pressure vessels with safety, security and design standards. Historically, boilers were
2170-486: The following smaller unions: In 1992, the GMB for the first time allocated all of its members to one of eight industrial sections: clothing and textiles; commercial services; construction, furniture and allied; energy and utilities; engineering; food and leisure; process; and public services. The GMB's sections were rationalised in 2006, with the union since then consisting of GMB Commercial Services, GMB Manufacturing, and GMB Public Services. Thorne Credit Union Limited
2232-666: The forced draught fan allowing the furnace pressure to be maintained slightly below atmospheric. GMB (trade union) The GMB is a general trade union in the United Kingdom which has more than 560,000 members. Its members work in nearly all industrial sectors, in retail, security, schools, distribution, the utilities, social care, the National Health Service (NHS), ambulance service and local government. Founded in March 1889, it grew rapidly under
2294-450: The furnace in order to increase the overall efficiency of the boiler. Dampers are used to control the quantity of air admitted to the furnace. Forced draught furnaces usually have a positive pressure. Balanced draught is obtained through use of both induced and forced draught. This is more common with larger boilers where the flue gases have to travel a long distance through many boiler passes. The induced draught fan works in conjunction with
2356-435: The furnace, as well as the chimney height. All these factors make proper draught hard to attain and therefore make mechanical draught equipment much more reliable and economical. Types of draught can also be divided into induced draught , where exhaust gases are pulled out of the boiler; forced draught , where fresh air is pushed into the boiler; and balanced draught , where both effects are employed. Natural draught through
2418-421: The guidelines set up by ASME to obtain an R stamp. Welders identify their welds by stamping their identifying welder number adjacent to their completed weld with a set of steel stencils. Welding, fitting, and installing the tubes and accessories that attach to the boiler can also be performed by boilermakers, and is governed by the same organizations as R Stamp Welding. This certification is called Power Piping and
2480-411: The heat produced by nuclear fission. Where a large volume of hot gas is available from some process, a heat recovery steam generator or recovery boiler can use the heat to produce steam, with little or no extra fuel consumed; such a configuration is common in a combined cycle power plant where a gas turbine and a steam boiler are used. In all cases the combustion product waste gases are separate from
2542-504: The heat rejected from other processes such as gas turbine . There are two methods to measure the boiler efficiency in the ASME performance test code (PTC) for boilers ASME PTC 4 and for HRSG ASME PTC 4.4 and EN 12952-15 for water tube boilers: Direct method of boiler efficiency test is more usable or more common. where To measure the boiler efficiency in indirect method, parameter like these are needed: Boilers can be classified into
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2604-642: The inspirational leadership of Will Thorne (1857-1946), to become a national union, winning a series of disputes in 1889 and gaining concessions on pay, conditions, and the introduction of the Eight Hour Day for its members. GMB merge, beginning when the National Amalgamated Union of Labour (NAUL), National Union of General Workers (NUGW) and the Municipal Employees Association (MEA) in 1924 joined into
2666-460: The longevity of older wrought-iron boilers far superior to that of welded steel boilers. Cast iron may be used for the heating vessel of domestic water heaters. Although such heaters are usually termed "boilers" in some countries, their purpose is usually to produce hot water, not steam, and so they run at low pressure and try to avoid boiling. The brittleness of cast iron makes it impractical for high-pressure steam boilers. The source of heat for
2728-541: The one other candidate, Paul McCarthy. Roache took up the post in 2016, but resigned in April 2020 after allegations of harassment. This post was known as "assistant general secretary" until 1935. This position was known as "Chair of the Executive" or "National Chairman" from 1938 until the early 1990s. In 2020, following the resignation of general secretary Tim Roache and subsequently receiving anonymous allegations,
2790-415: The overall energy efficiency of the steam plant (the combination of boiler, superheater, piping and machinery) generally will be improved enough to more than offset the increased fuel consumption. Superheater operation is similar to that of the coils on an air conditioning unit, although for a different purpose. The steam piping is directed through the flue gas path in the boiler furnace, an area in which
2852-491: The point of leakage could be lethal if an individual were to step into the escaping steam's path. Hence designers endeavor to give the steam-handling components of the system as much strength as possible to maintain integrity. Special methods of coupling steam pipes together are used to prevent leaks, with very high pressure systems employing welded joints to avoided leakage problems with threaded or gasketed connections. Supercritical steam generators are frequently used for
2914-402: The production of electric power . They operate at supercritical pressure. In contrast to a "subcritical boiler", a supercritical steam generator operates at such a high pressure (over 3,200 psi or 22 MPa) that the physical turbulence that characterizes boiling ceases to occur; the fluid is neither liquid nor gas but a super-critical fluid. There is no generation of steam bubbles within
2976-433: The ruling was likely to affect 14,500 Hermes couriers. General Secretary, Tim Roache, described it as: another nail in the coffin of the exploitative, bogus self-employment model which is increasingly rife across the UK ... Bosses can’t just pick and choose which laws to obey. Workers' rights were hard won, GMB isn’t about to sit back and let them be eroded or removed by the latest loophole employers have come up with to make
3038-607: The so-called gig economy . On 10 November 2017 the Employment Appeal Tribunal upheld the first tribunal's ruling. Uber indicated that it would appeal further. The law firm Leigh Day started the legal action against Uber on behalf of 25 members of the GMB union, which initially included J. Farrar and Y. Aslam, although the two pursued this latest case with a different union, the Independent Worker's Union of Great Britain . On 10 February 2017
3100-413: The steam to carry more energy. Although superheating adds more energy to the steam in the form of heat there is no effect on pressure, which is determined by the rate at which steam is drawn from the boiler and the pressure settings of the safety valves . The fuel consumption required to generate superheated steam is greater than that required to generate an equivalent volume of saturated steam. However,
3162-407: The steam within. The design of any superheated steam plant presents several engineering challenges due to the high working temperatures and pressures. One consideration is the introduction of feedwater to the boiler. The pump used to charge the boiler must be able to overcome the boiler's operating pressure, else water will not flow. As a superheated boiler is usually operated at high pressure,
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#17327723854223224-566: The superheated metal shell and leads to a violent explosion that cannot be controlled even by safety steam valves. Draining of the boiler can also happen if a leak occurs in the steam supply lines that is larger than the make-up water supply could replace. The Hartford Loop was invented in 1919 by the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company as a method to help prevent this condition from occurring, and thereby reduce their insurance claims. When water
3286-409: The temperature is typically between 1,300 and 1,600 degrees Celsius (2,372 and 2,912 degrees Fahrenheit). Some superheaters are radiant type, which as the name suggests, they absorb heat by radiation. Others are convection type, absorbing heat from a fluid. Some are a combination of the two types. Through either method, the extreme heat in the flue gas path will also heat the superheater steam piping and
3348-459: The union conducted a barrister-led internal inquiry. This concluded that bullying, misogyny, cronyism and sexual harassment were "endemic" within the union. More specifically the report stated "The GMB is institutionally sexist. The General Secretaries and all regional secretaries are, and always have been, men. Women are underrepresented throughout the GMB’s ranks", concluding that culture must change for
3410-469: The union's leadership election. The episode was seen as a power struggle between the national office and powerful regional heads, led by Kenny, who opposed centralisation. Kenny had lost the 2003 vote to Curran. In May 2006, Kenny was elected unopposed as general secretary. Tim Roache was elected as general secretary and treasurer in November 2015, receiving 56.7% of the vote on a turnout of 4.2%, beating
3472-541: The use of oxy-acetylene gas torch sets to cut or gouge steel plate and tubes, followed by gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), or gas metal arc welding (GMAW) to attach and mend the cut sections of tubes and steel plates. Boilermakers usually go through a formal apprenticeship which includes about four years of paid on-the-job training combined with classroom instruction. Unions and many employers offer these apprenticeships. To become an apprentice, one must be at least 18 years old and have
3534-485: The use of a chimney is a type of induced draught; mechanical draught can be induced, forced or balanced. There are two types of mechanical induced draught. The first is through use of a steam jet. The steam jet oriented in the direction of flue gas flow induces flue gases into the stack and allows for a greater flue gas velocity increasing the overall draught in the furnace. This method was common on steam driven locomotives which could not have tall chimneys. The second method
3596-414: The water and then further heat the steam in a superheater , causing the discharged steam temperature to be substantially above the boiling temperature at the boiler's operating pressure. As the resulting " dry steam " is much hotter than needed to stay in the vaporous state it will not contain any significant unevaporated water. Also, higher steam pressure will be possible than with saturated steam, enabling
3658-406: The water, because the pressure is above the critical pressure point at which steam bubbles can form. As the fluid expands through the turbine stages, its thermodynamic state drops below the critical point as it does work turning the turbine which turns the electrical generator from which power is ultimately extracted. The fluid at that point may be a mix of steam and liquid droplets as it passes into
3720-401: The working fluid of the steam cycle, making these systems examples of external combustion engines . The pressure vessel of a boiler is usually made of steel (or alloy steel ), or historically of wrought iron . Stainless steel , especially of the austenitic types, is not used in wetted parts of boilers due to corrosion and stress corrosion cracking . However, ferritic stainless steel
3782-655: Was often obtained from specialist ironworks , such as those in the Cleator Moor (UK) area, noted for the high quality of their rolled plate , which was especially suitable for use in critical applications such as high-pressure boilers. In the 20th century , design practice moved towards the use of steel, with welded construction, which is stronger and cheaper, and can be fabricated more quickly and with less labour. Wrought iron boilers corrode far more slowly than their modern-day steel counterparts, and are less susceptible to localized pitting and stress-corrosion. That makes
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#17327723854223844-511: Was often used for fireboxes (particularly for steam locomotives ), because of its better formability and higher thermal conductivity; however, in more recent times, the high price of copper often makes this an uneconomic choice and cheaper substitutes (such as steel) are used instead. For much of the Victorian "age of steam", the only material used for boilermaking was the highest grade of wrought iron , with assembly by riveting . This iron
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