Watertube boilers are better suited for higher pressures because they feature which design?

Watertube boilers are better suited for higher pressures primarily due to their bent tube design. This design allows for greater flexibility and accommodates the stresses imposed by high-pressure conditions. In a watertube boiler, water flows through the tubes, and the heat from the combustion gases surrounds these tubes. The bent tube design helps distribute the thermal and mechanical stresses more evenly across the system, reducing the risk of failure compared to other designs.

Furthermore, the construction of watertube boilers typically features thinner walls than those found in firetube boilers, which allows them to operate effectively at elevated pressures. The arrangement of the tubes can also facilitate improved heat transfer, making the boiler more efficient when handling high-pressure scenarios.

Other designs, while having their own benefits, do not provide the same structural advantages in high-pressure applications. For instance, vertical tube configurations often have limitations in terms of heat transfer and scalability, while flat surface designs might not effectively manage the stresses associated with high-pressure operation. Rectangular drum designs, though effective in some settings, do not inherently offer the same level of adaptability and strength as the bent tube configuration.