Operation Engineers

Salient Features of Boiler Operation Engineers’ Rules, 2011

This is a Central Rule implemented by State Governments. It stipulates the rules for the procedure for awarding the Certificate of  Proficiency as a Boiler Operation Engineer.

1.     The Certificate of Proficiency as a Boiler Operation Engineer shall qualify the holder thereof to be in-charge of a boiler or boilers of any type and size provided that the boilers are so situated that none of them is at a distance of more than fifty meters radius from any one of them.

2.     An applicant for boiler operation engineer Examination shall have completed the age of twenty three. He shall possess a degree or diploma in Mechanical or Electrical or Chemical or Power Plant or Production or Instrumentation Engineering from a recognised Institution. He shall have working experience of not less than two years in case of Degree holders and not less than five years in case of Diploma holders in the operation and / or maintenance of a Boiler of not less than 1000 sq.m.  heating surface area or a battery of boilers of not less than 1000 sq.m.  heating surface area in aggregate out of which at least one boiler is of not less than 500 sq.m.  heating surface area. However, for degree holders or post graduate diploma holders from a National Power Training Institute, requirement of minimum working experience shall be one year.

3.     A candidate, in order to be qualified for a certificate of proficiency as Boiler Operation Engineer, is expected, by the Board of Examiners, that he

a.     can calculate loads, areas, volumes, quantities and weights;

b.     can give description of the principal types of steam boilers used on land and to state the purposes and reasons for which different types of boilers are employed; and from the data and formulae supplied, calculate the safe working pressure for any part of a boiler in accordance with the Indian Boiler Regulations;

c.     can calculate the direct stress, the torsional stress and the bending stress in round bars and shafts and the bending stress in rectangular bars and levers with given load;

d.     understands the working and management of steam boilers, super heaters and economizers;

e.     understands the use and purpose of various valves, cocks, mountings, fitting and other safety devices;

f.      can give a description of and explain the functions of feed pumps, feed injectors, feed regulators, feed water filters and softeners, feed heaters, air heaters, calorifiers, steam accumulators, forced draught, induced draught and automatic draught control devices;

g.     can answer questions on fact relating to combustion, heat and steam and calculate consumption of coal and water and quantity of steam that may be generated from a given  heating surface under the various systems of draught, in any land boiler and also calculate the overall efficiency of boiler plant;

h.     can explain jet and surface condensation, reheating and the working of steam expansion;

i.      can explain the general methods employed in laying foundation for boilers and chimneys and the suitable area and height of chimneys to promote efficient combustion;

j.      can explain the significance of principal appliances in use for the prevention of smoke and the principle on which they work and give description of the principal mechanical stokers, pulverisers, gas, oil and pulverized fuel systems in use;

k.     understands the need for periodical cleaning, the methods used for prevention  of scale or other deposits on heating surfaces and the necessity for maintaining a certain pH value in feed water;

l.      can detect defects in boilers and state the means and methods of rectifying them.

m.    understands the precautions to be taken for starting a boiler and economiser from cold or from banked fire condition;

n.     understands the procedure to be adopted in putting an economizer out of commission while the boiler is on steam;

o.     can explain the methods adopted for the achievement of fuel economy and the use of various instruments used in a Boiler House;

p.     materials used in Boiler components and piping; and

q.     can read and prepare a working sketch and drawing of boilers and boiler mounting or parts thereof.

4.     A candidate, in order to be qualified for a certificate of proficiency as Boiler Operation Engineer, shall secure at least forty five per cent marks in each of two written papers as well as in the drawing and oral examinations; but the aggregate should not be less than fifty per cent of the total marks.  Examination is conducted in the following manner:

a.     A written examination consisting of one paper on Boilers to cover the syllabus stipulated under sub-para (a) to sub- para (h) of paragraph 3 and another paper on Boilers to cover the syllabus stipulated under sub-para (i) to sub-para (p) of paragraph 3.

b.     A written drawing examination covering the syllabus stipulated under sub-para (q) of paragraph 3.

c.     An oral examination to answer questions pertaining to Boiler Practices and, if required by the examiner, to demonstrate in the examination room or in a workshop, his ability to carry out the practical aspects of his duties in a Boiler House.