Ohio stationary steam engineer Actual
Exam Newest Complete 100 Questions
And Correct Detailed Answers| Already
Graded A+
1. Combustion efficiency may be increased by _____ the primary air.
Answer: Preheating (preheated air improves combustion efficiency).
2. What is the purpose of cinder reinjection?
Answer: Increase efficiency (unburned carbon is returned to the furnace).
3. What is true about the dew point of flue gases?
Answer: Dew point is the temperature at which the gases will condense
(can cause corrosion).
4. What will not cause high stack temperatures?
Answer: A plugged dry pipe (dry pipe affects steam quality, not stack
temperature).
5. What is true about smoke?
Answer: Smoke consists of unburned hydrocarbons (incomplete
combustion).
6. What is used to reduce SO₂ emissions in coal-fired boilers?
Answer: Wet or dry scrubbers (remove sulfur dioxide from flue gas).
7. In a solid fuel-fired boiler, a gradual increase in flue gas exit
temperatures over a shift indicates the operator needs to _____.
Answer: Operate soot blowers (soot buildup insulates tubes, raising exit
gas temp).
,8. Which watertube boiler is the largest in size and steam-generating
capacity?
Answer: Utility watertube boiler (used in power plants, very high capacity).
9. The blowdown on a safety valve can be altered by changing the setting
of the _____.
Answer: Huddling ring (adjusts the blowdown – the difference between
popping and reseating pressure).
10. Copper and brass piping may be used for piping systems as long as the
temperature does not exceed ____.
Answer: 406°F (above this, strength drops significantly; some codes say
406°F max for copper/brass).
11. What is not measured in a 3-element feedwater system?
Answer: Drum pressure (3-element measures steam flow, feedwater flow,
and drum level).
12. If the flame in a gas-fired boiler is pulsating, how can the problem be
fixed?
Answer: Increase furnace draft (pulsation often due to draft imbalance or
improper air-fuel ratio).
13. Grindability of coal is an issue to be considered when operating which
kind of coal-burning equipment?
Answer: Ball-and-race pulverizer (grindability affects mill capacity and
power consumption).
14. When using an induced draft fan, where will the strongest negative
draft be found?
Answer: At the inlet of the ID fan (maximum suction point before gases are
discharged).
15. How do you bank a fuel oil-fired boiler?
Answer: Turn off the fuel and air supplies, then re-light the burner as
necessary to maintain a predetermined minimum steam pressure (banking
keeps the boiler warm for quick restart).
,16. What is true about the lubricating oil used in a steam turbine?
Answer: It must readily separate oil and water (turbine oil needs good
demulsibility to release condensed steam).
17. What supplies the oil to a large steam turbine during start-up?
Answer: Auxiliary oil pump (main oil pump is driven by the turbine shaft
and not turning at start-up).
18. What device prevents the over-travel of the governor linkage?
Answer: Dashpot (provides damping to prevent hunting and over-travel).
19. When taking a boiler out of service, what should you not do?
Answer: Close the vent (venting must remain open to prevent vacuum
collapse when cooling).
20. What type of turbine oil purification system removes a portion of the oil
and replaces it?
Answer: Makeup oil system (periodic replacement of a fraction of the oil
volume).
21. What type of steam turbine system has steam take-offs prior to the
condenser?
Answer: Extraction turbine (steam is extracted at intermediate pressures for
process or feedwater heating).
22. What pressure is the threshold for exhaust side protection?
Answer: 15 psi (exhaust pressure above 15 psi requires special safety
considerations; low-pressure boilers are ≤15 psi).
23. What grade of fuel oil can be ignited by an electric spark from
electrodes?
Answer: #2 fuel oil (light oil, low flash point, easily ignited by spark).
24. What is the cheapest, easiest form of water treatment?
Answer: Blowdown (removes concentrated impurities by dumping a
portion of boiler water).
, 25. How can temporary hardness be removed from water?
Answer: Either by heating the water or by softening the water (heating
precipitates calcium bicarbonate).
26. What pH value shows alkalinity?
Answer: 9 (pH above 7 is alkaline; 9 is moderate alkalinity).
27. High alkalinity can cause what boiler condition?
Answer: Caustic embrittlement (cracking of stressed metal due to
concentrated sodium hydroxide).
28. What condition caused by improper water treatment may be remedied
by maintaining proper alkalinity?
Answer: Foaming/carryover (proper alkalinity reduces surface tension and
foam formation).
29. What test is used to measure water hardness?
Answer: SOAP test (soap solution titration measures total hardness; also
EDTA titration but “soap test” is classic answer).
30. What water test uses a color comparison?
Answer: Phosphate test (colorimetric comparison using a color wheel or
comparator).
31. When must a boiler have 2 bottom blowdown valves?
Answer: If the pressure is higher than 100 psi (ASME and Ohio code require
two valves in series for pressures over 100 psi, or one slow-opening and
one quick-opening).
32. What is the maximum pressure for which a seatless type blowdown
valve can be used?
Answer: 450 psi (seatless valves like Y-globe or venturi designs are rated
up to 450 psi typical).
33. What system is directly piped into a boiler flash tank?
Answer: Continuous blowdown (bottom blowdown goes to blowdown
tank; continuous goes to flash tank for heat recovery).
Exam Newest Complete 100 Questions
And Correct Detailed Answers| Already
Graded A+
1. Combustion efficiency may be increased by _____ the primary air.
Answer: Preheating (preheated air improves combustion efficiency).
2. What is the purpose of cinder reinjection?
Answer: Increase efficiency (unburned carbon is returned to the furnace).
3. What is true about the dew point of flue gases?
Answer: Dew point is the temperature at which the gases will condense
(can cause corrosion).
4. What will not cause high stack temperatures?
Answer: A plugged dry pipe (dry pipe affects steam quality, not stack
temperature).
5. What is true about smoke?
Answer: Smoke consists of unburned hydrocarbons (incomplete
combustion).
6. What is used to reduce SO₂ emissions in coal-fired boilers?
Answer: Wet or dry scrubbers (remove sulfur dioxide from flue gas).
7. In a solid fuel-fired boiler, a gradual increase in flue gas exit
temperatures over a shift indicates the operator needs to _____.
Answer: Operate soot blowers (soot buildup insulates tubes, raising exit
gas temp).
,8. Which watertube boiler is the largest in size and steam-generating
capacity?
Answer: Utility watertube boiler (used in power plants, very high capacity).
9. The blowdown on a safety valve can be altered by changing the setting
of the _____.
Answer: Huddling ring (adjusts the blowdown – the difference between
popping and reseating pressure).
10. Copper and brass piping may be used for piping systems as long as the
temperature does not exceed ____.
Answer: 406°F (above this, strength drops significantly; some codes say
406°F max for copper/brass).
11. What is not measured in a 3-element feedwater system?
Answer: Drum pressure (3-element measures steam flow, feedwater flow,
and drum level).
12. If the flame in a gas-fired boiler is pulsating, how can the problem be
fixed?
Answer: Increase furnace draft (pulsation often due to draft imbalance or
improper air-fuel ratio).
13. Grindability of coal is an issue to be considered when operating which
kind of coal-burning equipment?
Answer: Ball-and-race pulverizer (grindability affects mill capacity and
power consumption).
14. When using an induced draft fan, where will the strongest negative
draft be found?
Answer: At the inlet of the ID fan (maximum suction point before gases are
discharged).
15. How do you bank a fuel oil-fired boiler?
Answer: Turn off the fuel and air supplies, then re-light the burner as
necessary to maintain a predetermined minimum steam pressure (banking
keeps the boiler warm for quick restart).
,16. What is true about the lubricating oil used in a steam turbine?
Answer: It must readily separate oil and water (turbine oil needs good
demulsibility to release condensed steam).
17. What supplies the oil to a large steam turbine during start-up?
Answer: Auxiliary oil pump (main oil pump is driven by the turbine shaft
and not turning at start-up).
18. What device prevents the over-travel of the governor linkage?
Answer: Dashpot (provides damping to prevent hunting and over-travel).
19. When taking a boiler out of service, what should you not do?
Answer: Close the vent (venting must remain open to prevent vacuum
collapse when cooling).
20. What type of turbine oil purification system removes a portion of the oil
and replaces it?
Answer: Makeup oil system (periodic replacement of a fraction of the oil
volume).
21. What type of steam turbine system has steam take-offs prior to the
condenser?
Answer: Extraction turbine (steam is extracted at intermediate pressures for
process or feedwater heating).
22. What pressure is the threshold for exhaust side protection?
Answer: 15 psi (exhaust pressure above 15 psi requires special safety
considerations; low-pressure boilers are ≤15 psi).
23. What grade of fuel oil can be ignited by an electric spark from
electrodes?
Answer: #2 fuel oil (light oil, low flash point, easily ignited by spark).
24. What is the cheapest, easiest form of water treatment?
Answer: Blowdown (removes concentrated impurities by dumping a
portion of boiler water).
, 25. How can temporary hardness be removed from water?
Answer: Either by heating the water or by softening the water (heating
precipitates calcium bicarbonate).
26. What pH value shows alkalinity?
Answer: 9 (pH above 7 is alkaline; 9 is moderate alkalinity).
27. High alkalinity can cause what boiler condition?
Answer: Caustic embrittlement (cracking of stressed metal due to
concentrated sodium hydroxide).
28. What condition caused by improper water treatment may be remedied
by maintaining proper alkalinity?
Answer: Foaming/carryover (proper alkalinity reduces surface tension and
foam formation).
29. What test is used to measure water hardness?
Answer: SOAP test (soap solution titration measures total hardness; also
EDTA titration but “soap test” is classic answer).
30. What water test uses a color comparison?
Answer: Phosphate test (colorimetric comparison using a color wheel or
comparator).
31. When must a boiler have 2 bottom blowdown valves?
Answer: If the pressure is higher than 100 psi (ASME and Ohio code require
two valves in series for pressures over 100 psi, or one slow-opening and
one quick-opening).
32. What is the maximum pressure for which a seatless type blowdown
valve can be used?
Answer: 450 psi (seatless valves like Y-globe or venturi designs are rated
up to 450 psi typical).
33. What system is directly piped into a boiler flash tank?
Answer: Continuous blowdown (bottom blowdown goes to blowdown
tank; continuous goes to flash tank for heat recovery).
