Which system can be used to determine the evaporative capacity of feed water to test safety valves?

The accumulation test is a method specifically designed to evaluate the performance of safety valves in a boiler system. This test involves allowing the pressure within the boiler to rise by closing off the safety valve while monitoring the pressure increase over time. By determining how much pressure accumulates in a given period, operators can calculate the evaporative capacity of the feed water, which is crucial for ensuring that the safety valves function correctly and will open at their designed pressure setting.

In the context of maintaining boiler safety, understanding evaporative capacity is critical since it helps to demonstrate that the safety valves can handle the maximum expected pressure in the system without failure. This ensures that the boiler operates safely under its design conditions and can efficiently mitigate excess pressure.

The other options do not serve this specific purpose. A flow meter measures the rate of flow but does not directly relate to pressure accumulation or safety valve testing. A pressure gauge indicates the current pressure but does not provide information about pressure changes over time in relation to safety valve performance. A thermocouple measures temperature, which is not relevant to testing the operation of safety valves directly affecting pressure control. Therefore, the accumulation test is uniquely suited for evaluating safety valve performance regarding evaporative capacity.