Boiler glossary

Boiler glossary W

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WASH PLATE -- Fitted in tanks to prevent large quantities of water or oil rushing from side to side when the vessel rolls.
WASTE HEAT -- Sensible heat in non-combustible gases discharged to the environment.
WASTE OIL -- Sludge.
WATER BALLAST -- Water carried for purposes of stability. Also, water taken into ballast tanks to balance or redress change of draught due to consumption of fuel.
WATER BOTTOM -- The space underneath the furnace occupied by water in an internally fired boiler.
WATER GAUGE -- The gauge glass and its fittings for attachment.
WATER GLASS -- The gauge glass and its fittings for attachment.
WATER HAMMER -- A sharp hammer-like blow from a steep-fronted pressure wave in water caused by the sudden stoppage of flow in a long pipe when a valve is closed sufficiently rapidly. Occurs also when a steam valve is suddenly opened to a cold pipe.
WATER PLAN -- A horizontal section through a ship's hull. Usually named by measurement from the base line, but sometimes from the load water plan.
WATER SOFTENER -- Removes hardness from water through an ion exchange of sodium with calcium and magnesium.
WATER TUBE BOILER -- A boiler having a heating surface consisting of a large number of relatively small diameter tubes which contain the water. The heat is applied on the external side of the tubes
WATER WALL -- Tubes welded together to form a membrane panel  Water-wall
WET STEAM -- Steam containing moisture.
WETBACK BOILER -- Firetube boiler design wherein the back side of the combustion chamber is water cooled.
WINDBOX -- A chamber through which combustion-air is supplied to the burner.
WINDLASS -- A machine used onboard ships to raise and lower their anchors. Notched wheels engage the links of the chains. Brakes are provided for control when dropping the anchors.
WING -- Structural timbers, posts, or compartments that are on the outboard side of a vessel.
WIRE-DRAWING -- The fall in pressure when a fluid is throttled by passing it through a small orifice or restricted valve-opening.
WORKING PRESSURE -- The boiler's highest allowable operation pressure.