Steam accumulator

It can be used to smooth out peaks and troughs in demand for steam.

[2] It was invented in 1874 by the Scottish engineer Andrew Betts Brown.

[3] The tank is about half-filled with cold water and steam is blown in from a boiler via a perforated pipe near the bottom of the drum.

The remainder fills the space above the water level.

When the accumulator is fully charged the condensed steam will have raised the water level in the drum to about three-quarters full and the temperature and pressure will also have risen.