NCCER Millwright Practice Exam

The steam chest is a type of what?

1. Header pipe

2. Pressure vessel

3. Cylindrical chamber

4. Heat exchanger

The correct answer is: Header pipe

The steam chest functions as a header pipe, which is primarily responsible for distributing steam from a boiler to various points of use in a steam system. By its design, it collects steam from the boiler and directs it towards the steam lines, ensuring that the steam flow is evenly distributed to different equipment such as turbines, heat exchangers, or other steam-driven apparatus. In the context of a steam system, a header pipe plays a crucial role in maintaining pressure and temperature consistency within the steam distribution network. It is typically designed to accommodate the volume and pressure of the steam being transported, highlighting its functional importance in ensuring efficient operation. While a steam chest may share some characteristics with a pressure vessel, as it must withstand pressure, its primary purpose aligns more closely with that of a header pipe. A cylindrical chamber design does not adequately capture the functionality of a steam chest, and it is not classified as a heat exchanger, which serves a different purpose—primarily facilitating heat transfer between two or more fluids.