NIALL BUCKLEY

A00224937

MARCET BOILER
Lab 1

Contents
Introduction:.......................................................................................................... 1
Methodology:......................................................................................................... 2
Results:.................................................................................................................. 3
Results:.................................................................................................................. 4
.............................................................................................................................. 5
Discussion:............................................................................................................. 6
Conclusion:............................................................................................................ 6
References:............................................................................................................ 7

Introduction:
1

A Marcet Boiler is a bench top unit with a built in heating system used to demonstrate the
relationship between pressure and temperature of a system in equilibrium with water. The
boiler is fitted with a pressure gauge and a temperature gauge which are used to take readings
of both for this experiment. The readings in our case will be taken at 0.5bar increments. We
will then be able to plot a graph of pressure over temperature for both experimental and
reference values.
Steam has been used as a source of power since the 1700s where it was used in industry
and on the railways to provide drive for the engines. Back then it was inefficient as the
boilers were not very good and much of the fuel was wasted in providing power or drive.
Steam is created by adding heat or energy to a system under pressure, this energy separates
the water molecules from one another and changing the water from a liquid phase to a vapour
phase. Initially the steam is wet steam due to the fact that there are still water droplets
contained in the vapour the more it is heated the less droplets it contains and then it becomes
superheated steam which is a dry gas.
The purpose of this experiment is to investigate the relationship between the pressure and
temperature of saturated steam in equilibrium with water at pressures from 0 to 10 bar and to
use the recorded data to plot a graph of dT/dP and compare it to values obtained by
calculations from the steam table.

Methodology:

Before we started the experiment with the Marcet boiler (Figure 1) we opened the top of the
boiler as well as the tap on the side. Then we filled the boiler until the water began to flow
from the tap. The filler was then tightened and we waited for the water to stop flowing from
the tap at this point the tap was put into the closed position and we were ready to start the
experiment.
The power supply was then turned on and the system allowed to heat up to 110C. Once
this was done the pressure release valve was opened for approximately 20 seconds in order to
expel any air trapped in the system. The temperature was then recorded at zero pressure and
zero time and the stop watch was started. The pressure was then allowed to build up in .5 bar
increments where time, pressure and temperature readings were recorded. This was done up
to 10 bar. Once 10 bar had been reached the power was switched off and readings were again
taken of time, pressure and temperature until the boiler had reached a pressure of 4 bar. At
this point we could draw up a table for both sets of results and plot a graph of
temperature/absolute pressure.

Figure 1

Results:
Gauge
Pressur
e (bar)

Time
(sec.
)

Temp
eratur
e (C)

110

1.5

250

400

2.5

520

630

3.5

730

810

4.5

890

960

5.5

1030

1105

6.5

1175

1230

7.5

1290

1360

8.5

1420

1475

9.5

1535

10

1590

Temp
eratur
eK

Average
Temperat
ure (K)

Referen
ce
Temper
ature

383.1
99.6
5
121
394.1
111.4
5
128
401.1
120.2
5
133
406.1
127.4
5
138
411.1
133.5
5
Gauge
Time
Temperatu
142
138.9
Pressure415.1
(sec.)
re
(C)
(bar) 5
146 9.5 419.1
143.6
34
178
5
9
60
176
149
422.1 420.65
147.9
8.5
91
175
5
171
173
152 8 425.1 423.65
151.8
7.5 5
200
171
252
169
155 7 428.1 427.15
155.5
6.5 5
333
166
158 6 431.1 430.65
158.8
452
163
5
5.5
604
160
161 5 434.1 433.65
162.1
768
156
5
4.5
909
152
163
436.1 436.65
165
4
1106
149
5
165
438.1 439.15
167.9
5
167
440.1 441.15
170.4
5
171
444.1 443.15
173
5
173
446.1 446.15
175.4
5
175
448.1 447.65
177.8
5
177
450.1 449.65
179.9
5

Referen
ce
Temper
ature

Slope

Slop
e
Calc
ulate
d

0.06

0.07
6
0.07

372.15
384.55
393.35
400.55
406.65
Temperatu
412.05
re K
416.75
451.15
449.15
421.05
448.15
446.15
424.95
444.15
442.15
428.65
439.15
431.95
436.15
433.15
435.25
429.15
425.15
438.15
422.15

0.07
0.07
0.06
0.06

441.05

0.06

443.55

0.04

446.15

0.04

448.55

0.05

450.95

0.04

453.05

0.04

0.06
5
0.06
1
0.06
0.05
5
0.05
0.04
8
0.04
7
0.04
6
0.04
4

Figure 2 Table 1

Results:
Pressure/Temperature
12
10
8

Pressure (bar)

Experimental Value

Reference
4
2
0
350

370

390

410

430

450

470

Temperature (K)

Figure 4 Graph 1

Figure 3 Table 2

dT/dP
0.08
0.07
0.06
0.05

Slope

Experimental

0.04

Calculated

0.03
0.02
0.01
0

10

11

Pressure (bar)

Figure 5 Graph 2

Figure 6 Steam Table (1)

Discussion:
As we can see from the graphs in figure 4 and 5 the experimental values are slightly off as
compared with the reference values, this may be due to not enough air being drained from the
system at the start of the experiment. It could also be as a result of inaccuracy in the readings
for the temperatures at the corresponding pressure values. The thermometer was an analogue
one which made readings difficult due to the fact that they had to be interrupted by the reader.
The Marcet Boiler itself may also have been defective as there could have been a leak in it
which would also have thrown the results off. Impurities in the tap water could also have
contributed to inaccuracys in the readings.
The results show us that as more energy is put into the system more steam is created and
pressure builds up and although the experimental results are off compared with the reference
values the graph in figure 4 shows us a similar curve which proves the theory.

Conclusion:
The purpose of this experiment was to show the relationship between temperature and
pressure in a closed system and then to plot graphs of the results as compared with reference
values taken from a steam table. As the results show the curves in both graphs (figure 4 and
5) differ from the reference values however the relationship between temperature and
pressure in a system was demonstrated although there were inaccuracys.

References:
1. A.I.T. Moodle. [Online] 08 10 2015. [Cited: 08 10 2015.] http://www.ait.ie/.
2. Engineers Edge. Engineers Edge. [Online] LLc, 2000. [Cited: 08 10
2015.] http://www.engineersedge.com.
3. Al, Shahda Mazin Abduijabbar. Slideshare. slashdocs. [Online] 2015.
[Cited: 08 10 2015.] www.slashdocs.com.