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ENHANCING THE PERFORMANCE OF BOILERS IN THERMAL

POWER PLANT
A Project Report submitted in the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the
degree of
BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
IN
MECHANICAL (MANUFACTURING & MANAGEMENT)
ENGINEERING
By
M RA1 KUMAR(101FA08027)
P SHANKAR(101FA08042)
V RAGHU(101FA08057)
V VINOD BABU(101FA08058)
Under the esteemed guidance of
Sri K CHANDA (AGM! "PP
B NAGESWAR RAO Assistant professor
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
VIGNAN UNIVERSITY
GUNTUR



CERTIFICATE
"his is to certify that this project wor# entitled ~ENHANCING THE
PERFORMANCE OF BOILERS IN THERMAL POWER PLANT$ is the
bonafide wor# submitted by M Raj #umar!P %han#ar!& Raghu!& &inod babu under my
guidance in partial fulfillment of requirements for the award of Bachelor of technology in
'M()*A+,)A- (+G,+((R,+G$! &,G+A+ Uni.ersity! Guntur during the academic year
/0123/0145
Project Guide *ead of the 6epartment
%ri57 )handa 6r5 75&idhu
A5GM (8PR Assistant Professor
6epartment of "PP 6epartment of Mechanical (ngg
&isa#hapatnam steel plant &ignan Uni.ersity
&i9ag5 Guntur5

CONTENTS
CHAPTER No. CHAPTER PAGE No.
1. Introduction
151 Brief 6escription About "PP :
15/ %alient "echnological ;eatures of "PP 10
/
152 Process ;low )hart of "PP 12
154 6esign )apacity 14
15< %ummary 1<
2. Boiler
/51Boiler 8.er.iew 1=
/5/ )onstructional 6etails 1>
/52 Practical 8bser.ation /4
3. Energy Performance Assessment Of Boilers
251 ,ntroduction /<
25/ Purpose 8f "he Performance "est /<
252 %cope /<
254 Reference %tandards /<
25< "he 6irect Method "esting /=
25= "he ,ndirect Method "esting /?
25> Practical @or# 24
25? ;actors affecting boiler performance 2:
25: %ummary 40
4. Heat Recovery And Performance Enhancement
451 ,ntroduction 41
45/ *eat Reco.ery from flue gas 41
452 ;lue Gas 6esulphurisation 44
454 Best Practices 4=
45< 6iscussion <1
5. Conclusion </
6. References <2
1. INTRODUCTION
"he &isa#hapatnam %teel Plant (&%P is a 2 Mt ,ntegrated %teel Plant under the corporate
entity! Rashtriya ,spat +igam -imited (R,+-5 &%P is the first shore based ,ntegrated %teel
Plant in the country5 "he plant produces steel through the B;3B8; route5 &%P has the
distinction of being the first integrated steel Plant in the country to adopt 100A continuous
2
casting5 )urrently the plant is operating at 450 M" of hot metal! 25<= M" liquid steel and
251> M" of saleable steel representing capacity utili9ation of o.er 11<A5
%teel industry being energy intensi.e in nature from raw material stage to finishing stage
about 4>034?0 7@* of electricity is used5 ;or e.ery tonne of steel produced and %teel
industry requires about /<03/=0 M@ of electricity for running .arious dri.es in the plant5
R,+- reali9ed that electrical energy demand in integrated steel wor#s can be met through
installation of capti.e power plant and support from Grid5 R,+- has capti.e power plant of
/4>5< M@! and an additional 2: M@ installed capacity for waste energy reco.ery! to meet
energy requirements in &%P5
1.1BRIEF DESCRIPTION ABOUT TPP
%teel industry is a power intensi.e industry and requires uninterrupted power supply to
critical loads5 "his requires a dependable and reliable capti.e power source which can cater to
all important loads of the plant all the time for safe and smooth operation of the steel plant5
"hermal Power Plant ("PP in &isa#hapatnam %teel Plant ser.es the abo.e purpose! "PP has
a nameplate generating potential of /?=5< M@ including auBiliary limits to cater to the plant
load requirements and to eBport surplus power to AP"RA+%)8 as and when required5 "he
.ital functions of "PP along with major equipment for the same are listed belowC
1."o maintain a.erage Power Generation le.el of /2? M@ from "PP! G("% D
BP"% and be able to eBport surplus power when agreed upon with buyer5
"he main Generating units areC
Main "PP of /4>5< M@ capacity consisting of 2 E =0 M@ sets and 1 E =>5< M@
set5
4
Bac# Pressure "urbine %tation (BP"% of 1< M@ capacity located in )o#e 8.ens
area ha.ing / E >5< M@ units5
Gas (Bpansion "urbine %tation (G("% of /4 M@ capacity located in Blast ;urnace
area ha.ing / E 1/ M@ units5
BP"% and G("% are referred to as the AuBiliary Units of "PP5
/5"o supply uninterrupted )old Blast air to Blast ;urnace as per B; flow requirements
"urbo Blowers of =0=> +M
2
F min ensure uninterrupted )old blast to the Blast
;urnace (/ wor#ing G 1 standby
1"o produce 6M @ater to meet both internal and Plant needs
)onsists of = streams of 6e3minerali9ing units of ( < E 1/< G 1 E 110 M
2
F*r
capacity
/5"o supply process steam to the plant5
25"o supply chilled water to the plant5
1.2 SALIENT TECHNOLOGICAL FEATURES OF TPP UNITS
BOILERS
"hermal Power Plant has < Boilers each of 220 "Fhr %team capacity at 101 A"A and <40
o
)5
"he Boilers are of B*(- ma#e! capable of firing combination of fuels namely! )oal! )o#e
8.en Gas! Blast ;urnace Gas and 8il5 )rushed coal is con.eyed from Raw Material
*andling Plant to "PP through con.eyors5 "he )oal is pul.eri9ed in Bowl Mills and fired in
the furnace5 +ormally 4 Boilers are #ept in full load operation to produce /4>5< M@ of
power! supply steam to / "urbo Blowers and process needs5 BoilerHs outlet flue gas is passed
through (lectro %tatic Precipitators to control air pollution5 "he fly ash and Bottom Ash
generated are pumped in slurry from to Ash Pond through on ground pipe lines5 "he clarified
water is re3circulated bac# to ash system5
TURBO GENERATORS
"hermal Power Plant has 4 "urbo Generators! three of =0 M@ capacities each and the fourth
=>5< M@5 %pecial features of the "urbo %ets areC3
<
i. (lectro *ydraulic "urbine Go.erning system5
ii.)ontrolled eBtractions at 12 A"A and 4 A"A for process steam needs in "G 1! / D 25
iii.)entral admission of steam to reduce aBial thrust5
iv.Air cooled Generators5
Power is generated and distributed at 11 7& for essential category loads5 (Bcess power from
"G31! / and 2 is transferred to //0 7& Plant Grid through step up F down transformers5 All
the Power Generated from "G34 at 11 7& is stepped up through a //0 7& transformer and
transferred to Plant Grid5
TURBO-BLOWERS
&%P has / Blast ;urnaces5 "o meet the Blast air requirement! 2 "urbo Blowers! each of =0=>
+M
2
Fmin capacity! are installed at "PP5 "hese blowers are of aBial type and are the largest
blowers installed in ,ndia5 "o meet the .arying needs of Blast ;urnace! the blowers are
pro.ided with adjustable stator guide blades in the low pressure compression stages5 "he
Blowers are pro.ided with suction filters! pre3coolers and inner coolers5
AUXILIARIES OF TPP
"hese include coal con.eyors! cooling towers D pump house noC 4 for cooling water system!
pump houses for ash water! ash slurry! fire water and fuel oil D *%6! air compressor station!
emergency diesel generators! electric switch gear for power distributionI .entilation and air
condition equipment etc5 "he entire power generated at Bac# Pressure "urbine %tation and
Gas (Bpansion "urbine %tation is transmitted o.er 11 7& cables to power plant! stepped up
through a //0 7& transformer at -B%%3< and transferred to Plant Grid5
CHEMICAL WATER TREATMENT PLANT (CWTP)
)hemical @ater "reatment Plant located in "PP 9one produces high purity 6e3minerali9ed
water and soft water5 "here are siB streams of 6e3minerali9ing units each capable of
producing 1/< cubic meters per hour and two softening units of 1/< cu5 meters per hour each5
6M @ater is supplied to "PP! %teel Melt %hop! )6)P Boilers at )o#e 8.ens! and Rolling
Mills5 %oft water is supplied to )hilled @ater Plant ,! ,, and %M% mould cooling5 "he return
condensate from "hermal Power Plant! )hilled @ater Plant +oC1 and )hilled @ater Plant
+oC/ is polished at )@"P in / streams! each of 100 cub5 meterFhr capacity5 All the de3
minerali9ed water produced F polished at )@"P is de3aerated and dosed with Ammonia
before pumping to consumers5 = de3aerators are installed at )@"P for this purpose5
CHILLED WATER PLANT NO: 2 (CWP-2)
)hilled @ater Plant +oC / located in "PP 9one is ha.ing nine chillers! each ha.ing a chilling
capacity of 22> m
2
of water per hour5 "he chillers operate on liquid absorption technique
ha.ing -ithium Bromide cycle5 "he chilled water is supplied to "PP! Blast ;urnace and
=
%inter Plant for air conditioning purpose at >
o
)5 "he return water temperature is 1=
o
)5 %team
and cooling water requirements are met by "PP and Pump *ouse +oC 4 respecti.ely5
COKE DRY COOLING PLANT (CDCP) BOILERS
,n &%P! hot co#e produced in the )o#e 8.en Batteries is cooled by circulating +itrogen in
)o#e 6ry )ooling Plant5 "he hot circulating gas is passed through @aste *eat Boilers in
which steam is produced at 40 7%)A pressure and 440
o
) temperature5 "here are three )o#e
6ry )ooling Plant four @aste *eat Boilers5 Boiler is of /< "Fhr )apacity5 "hese are once
through! forced circulation Boilers! 6eaerators and Boiler ;eed Pumps! ser.ing all the 2
plants! are located at )6)P315
BACK PRESSURE TURBINE STATION AND CHILLED WATER PLANT NO:1
(BPTS & CWP-1)
"he 40 7%)A %team generated in )6)P Boilers is utili9ed for dri.ing / nos5 of >5< M@
Bac# Pressure "urbines for generation of Power5 "he /5< A"A eBhaust steam is utili9ed for
production of 9one5 "he )@P31 has < chillers installed! each capable of cooling 22> )u5
Meters of water per hour from 1? ) to 10 )5 "he )hilled @ater is supplied to Gas )oolers
and for air conditioning needs of )8))P Jone5 BP"% and )@P31 are housed in a single
building located near Battery +oC 2 of )8 D ))P Jone5
GAS EXPANSION TURBINE STATION (GETS)
Both the Blast ;urnaces of &%P are designed to operate at a high top pressure of /5<
#gFsq5cm5 "he high pressure of B; Gas after passing through the "urbine is fed to Gas
distribution net wor# and is used as heating fuel in "PP D other units of &%P5 (ach Blast
;urnace is connected to a Gas (Bpansion "urbine of 1/ M@ capacity >5< M@ of power is
eBpected to be generated by each of the "urbine at full production le.el5 G("% is located in
B; Jone! between the two furnaces5
1.3 DESIGN CAPACITY
"he design capacity and current le.els of operation /00=30> figures are gi.en in the table
belowC
>
S.No. EQUIPMENT DESIGN CAPACITY
CURRENT LEVELS OF
OPERATION (2008-09)
015 Boilers < E 220 "K 1=<0 "F*r5
%team capacity at 101 A"A
and <40
o
) temperature5
11<2 "onsF*r5
0/5 "urbo Generators 2 E =0 M@ G 1 E =>5<
M@ K /4>5< M@
/045:2 M@ (under floating
conditions
025 "urbo Blowers 2 E =0=> +M
2
Fmin5 <?1< +M
2
Fmin
045 )@"P < E 1/< M
2
F*r5
1 E 110 M
2
F*r5
6M @ater production
/ E 1/< M
2
F*r5
%oft @ater production
24<5<0 M
2
F*r5

<< M
2
F*r5
)hilled @ater
Plant3/
: )hillers each 22>M
2
F*r5
chilling capacity
1/40 M
2
F*r5
0<5 )6)P Boilers 1/ E /< "F*r at 40 A"A and
440
o
) temperature5
1445?: "onsF*r5
0=5 BP"% / E >5< M@ 115=4 M@
)hilled @ater
Plant31
< )hillers each 22>M
2
F*r5
chilling capacity
100=5/ M
2
F*r5
0>5 G("% / E1/ M@ 1052< M@ (due to low Gas
pressure D flow at "urbine inlet5
154PROCESS FLOW CHART OF TPP
1.5 Summary
"he thermal power plant unit of the steel plant is the major unit of the plant5 "he heart of this
unit is the boiler operation to generate required amount of electricity from steam5 "he steam
required to produce electricity is .ery high when compared to any other boilers5 Beside that
?
the plant should constantly produce the required amount of steam to generate uninterrupted
power supply to the whole industry5 %o the boilers are the primary requirement of the plant to
generate power and it should also run efficiently to meet the plant requirements5
2. BOILER
2.1 BOILER OVERVIEW
A steam generator or boiler is! usually! a closed .essel made of steel5 ,ts functions is to
transfer the heat produced by combustion fuel (liquid! solid! or gaseous to water! and
ultimately to generate steam5 "he steam produced may be suppliedC
15"o steam engines or turbines (turbo generators
/5At low pressures for industrial processes wor#
25;or producing hot water! which can be used in .apour absorption processes
,n "PP! < boilers are installed with a capacity of 220 ton Fhr each with 101 A"A and 1/
auBiliary waste heat reco.ery boilers installed capacity /< tonFhr each 40 A"A! to supply
steam to turbo generators for power generation and 12 A"A! > A"A steam for different
processes throughout the plant5
:


2.1 process flow chart
2.2 CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS
2.2.1 General specifications:
Ma#e C B*(-! "R,)*L5
"ype of unit C single drum! natural circulation! 2 stage superheated
balanced draught! multi fuel firing! non3reheat
"ype of furnace C fusion welded dry bottom
"ype of super heater C radiant and con.ection
"ype of economi9er C plain tube in line
%team "emperature )ontrol C spray3type
2.2.2 "he process in the boiler can be clearly understood by #nowing the following
conceptsC
Air F flue gas path
@ater F steam path
;uels and firing
)ombustion in furnace
A.Air / flue gas path:
Air used for combustion of lignite or any other fuel applied in power generation! should be
preferably hot5 Air pre3heaters are arranged in the flue gas ducts for preheating the air!
utili9ing the heat in waste gases5 ;6 fans suc# atmosphere air and pass it through ducts of
rotary air heaters then temperature of air is raised up to 2>0M)5
"he air then aid for combustion with fuels in tangential firing 9one in furnace rises to
temperature of 1/<0M) and effects heat transfer through radiation dominantly5 "he direct
effect of radiation is absorbed by water wall platen then flue gas reduced to :?0M)5 ;lue gas
from the furnace sweeps through the super heaters and then proceeds along the con.ecti.e
shaft 9one! where economi9ers and air heaters are arranged in the following manner along the
gas pathC
15 low temperature super heater
/5 economi9er
25 tubular air heater
10
B. Water / steam path:
@ater from 6M plant pumped by B;P will enter economi9er through ;eed Regulating
%tation! where manual and motor control .al.es operates according to the flow requirements
of boiler5 (conomi9er heats water by eBchanging of heat of flue gases established abo.e air
preheater5 After economi9er water directly enters in to steam drum5 ;our of the = down
comers will form bottom ring at the base of boiler to form water walls which eBtends and
formed as furnace walls for the boiler5 *eaders! which collects steam from water walls pushes
miBture of water and steam in to drum by natural difference of density5 %team separator in
drum separates steam and water5 %team then again enters steam walls and then flows through
the below mentioned sequenceC
low temperature super heater
platen super heater
final super heater
;inally steam enters 101 A"A headers5
C.Fuels and firing:
A coal fired unit incorporates oil burners also to a firing capacity of /<A of boiler load for the
reason ofC
a "o pro.ide necessary ignition energy to light off coal burner
b "o stabili9e the coal flame at low boiler F burner loads
c As a safe start up fuel and controlled heat input during light off
Light fuel oil: "he fuel for the ignition is light fuel oil5 +ormally -;8 is used for cold start
ups and it is sometimes referred as Nwarm3up fuelH5 Being a distillate! -;8 burns clean ad
complete in a cold furnace without any un3burnt oil con.eyors5 -;8 has the ad.antage of
being low .iscous at ambient temperatures requiring no heating! and it can be air atomi9ed5
Heavy fuel oil: *;8 recommended as startup fuel in a cold boiler if steam is a.ailable for
following ser.icesC
a ;or atomi9ing the *;8 at the oil gun
b ;or tan# heating! main heating and heat tracing of *;8
c "o preheat the air at the steam coil air pre3heater
11
Coke oven gas: )o#e o.en gas is supplied to the boiler from co#e o.en batteries5 "his gas
can be used for warming up and for load carrying5 "his gas gi.es stable flame normally
without any need for support by igniters5 "here are totally 2/ )8G gas spuds arranged in four
ele.ations in the auBiliary air compartments5
Blast furnace gas: "his is supplied from blast furnaces5 "he calorific .alue of the gas is low
and hence needs support at low loads when the burnt separately5 Also as no reliable flame
scanning can be obtained with this gas flame! an auBiliary firing either oil or coal firing is
resorted to whene.er there is need for B;G firing5 Also the gas is characteri9ed by its high
le.el of toBicity and hence utmost care should be ta#en for handling this gas5
Pulverized coal fuel: (ach boiler ha.ing > mills and they wor# according to the fuel
requirement and a.ailability of B;G and )8G5 "he coal grinded to .ery fine by the mill
grinders and of required grade powder only enters boiler by pneumatic transfer of primary air
which is coming from "A* at 2>0 )5 )apacity of mills is 1> tonFhr and .olumetric type5 )old
air arrangement is also there if the temperature of coal is too high5 ;rom each mill four outlets
will be there for each corner in a single ele.ation5
Tangential firing: ,n the tangential firing system the furnace itself constitutes the burner fuel
and air are introduced to the furnace through the four wind boB assemblies located in the
furnace corners5 "he fuel and air streams from the wind boB no99les are directed to a firing
circle in the center of the furnace5 "he rotati.e cyclonic action that is characteristic of this
type of firing is most effecti.e in turbulently miBing the burning fuel in a constantly changing
air and gas atmosphere5
Fig. 2.2 Wind box Arrangement
1/
C.Combustion in furnace:
;urnace is the place where combustion of the pul.eri9ed fuel and oil fuel ta#es place with the
aid of air supplied5 @e can say that two processes occur in the furnace simultaneously5 8ne
process is that of a chemical reaction eBothermic in nature which releases a lot of heat and the
other process is the transfer of this heat to the medium inside the water walls5 %o the
efficiency the furnace depends on the utili9ation of heat energy for e.aporation of water and
in reduction of radiation and other losses5
,n our boilers the furnace is a dry bottom pul.eri9ed fuel furnace ha.ing suspension system
of firing5 ;urnace is screened by water walls on all the four sides5 ;urnace bottom is hopper
shaped and is immersed in water in the slag bath5 "he maBimum temperature encountered in
the furnace is 1/<0M) to 1200M)5 since ash function temp is 14<0M) fly ash collects at the
bottom of the furnace in solid state5 1<A of ash falls below in the furnace into the slag bath5
"hey are cooled by the water in the slag bath and are remo.ed by two slag con.eyors5
2.2.3 Water Wall Furnace:
;urnace .olume C /200m
2

*eat transfer area C 1/20 m
/
Area of refractory eBposed to furnaceC nil
"ube 86 O thic#ness C =25< O 45? mm
/
"ube material C %A 1:/
Pitch C >=5/ mm
+o5 of tubes in front and
Rear wall each C 12/
+o5 of tubes in right and
left side wall each C :/
6esign metal temperature C 2>2M)
6esign pressure C 1/1 #gFcm
/


Fig. 2.3 Water Wall Furnace
12
2.2.4 ECONOMIZER:
"ype C Plain tube inline
-ocation C ,,
nd
pass after -"%*
+umber of ban#s C /
"ube 86 O thic#ness C 445<O45<
*eat transfer area sq m C /420
+o of tubes trans.erse
to gas flow C 104
+o of tubes along C 2/
gas flow
6esign pressure C 1/4
6esign temperature C 2>1
Fig. 2.4 Economizer
2.2.5 STEAM DRUM:
"ype of construction C @elded
,nside diameter C 1</4 mm
"hic#ness
%hell C ><F:< mm
*ead C >< mm
-ength C 11?00mm
Material C %A /::
6esign pressure C 1/1 #gFcm
/
6esign material temperature C 2/2M)
%team separator C "urbo separator
%team scrubber C %creen drier! along
the length of the drum

Fig. 2.5 Steam Drum
2.2.7 AIR HEATERS:
Primary:
14
"ype C tubular
+umber off C one
-ocation C ,, pass! after economi9er
Medium C flue gas inside tubes and
primary air outside5
*eat transfer area C <?/> m
/
"ube 86 O thic#ness C <1O/ mm
/
"ube material C B% 1>>< Grade ,,
6esign temperature C 40<M) Fig.2.6 Primary Air Heater
Secondary:
"ype C Regenerati.e! bisector
+umber off C one
-ocation C ,, pass! after tubular air heater
*eat transfer area C 1:000
*eight of heating element C /000
"ube material C carbon steel3hot and intermediate )orten steel
6esign metal temperature C 4<<M)
Fig. 2.7 Secondary Air Heater
2.2.8 FANS
Forced Draught Induced Draught
"ype ABial impulse 6ouble suction radial
1<
+umber / /
;low <=5: m
2
Fsec 12? m
2
Fsec
"emperature <0M) /1>M)
6ensity of medium 150>= #gFm
2
05>10> #gFm
2
%peed 14?0 rpm >1< rpm
6ri.e Motor Motor
Motor type ,nduction %quirrel cage induction
Motor rating 2/< 7@ :00 7@
Motor speed 14?0 rpm >40 rpm
"ype of fan coupling 6irect! fleBible *ydraulic
"ype of regulation ,G& %peed control through
hydraulic coupling
(a) FD Fan (b) ID Fan
Fig. 2.8 Fans
2.2.9 FEED WATER SYSTEM:
Requirement of the boiler feed water is met by a 6M plant5 ;eed water is deaerated and then
pumped by a feed pump in to a common header from where the feed water is passed through
two *P heaters5 ;eed water from *P heaters passes through a common header from where
indi.idual boilers are fed5
Feed pump:
+umber off C <G/ (stand by
"ype of dri.e C motor dri.en through step up gear boB
)apacity C 2>< cm
2
Fhr
*ead C 1441 mlc
"emperature of water C 14/M)
6ensity C :/452 #gFm
2
%peed C 420< rpm
Power input C 1=?0 7@
1=
Booster pump C %e.en
2.3 PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS:
8nly < of the > mills installed are in operation and the remaining two mills are dismantled
for all boilers and they are used as spare parts for the remaining equipments5 "he continuous
a.ailability of )8G and B8G in .aried quantities demands only 4 coal mills in general and
AA! B) ele.ations are sufficient to supply gaseous fuel for running of boiler5 6(! ;G
ele.ations are presently not in use due to inadequate gas supply5
"he abo.e obser.ation applies to oil input points also in the respecti.e ele.ations
Retractable soot blowers are not commissioned and wall soot blowers are operating fewer
times than it intended due to ash accumulation and lea# problems5
"he efficiency of the boilers should be calculated to chec# the performance and ta#e required
measures if necessary5
3. ENERGY PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OF BOILERS
3.1 Introduction
Performance of the boiler! li#e efficiency and e.aporation ratio reduces with time! due to poor
combustion! heat transfer fouling and poor operation and maintenance5 6eterioration of fuel
quality and water quality also leads to poor performance of boiler5 (fficiency testing helps us
to find out how far the boiler efficiency drifts away from the best efficiency5 Any obser.ed
abnormal de.iations could therefore be in.estigated to pinpoint the problem area for
necessary correcti.e action5 *ence it is necessary to find out the current le.el of efficiency
for performance e.aluation! which is a pre requisite for energy conser.ation action in
industry5
3.2 Purpose of the Performance Test
"o find out the efficiency of the boiler
"o find out the (.aporation ratio
"he purpose of the performance test is to determine actual performance and efficiency of the
boiler and compare it with design .alues or norms5 ,t is an indicator for trac#ing day3 to3day
and season3to3season .ariations in boiler efficiency and energy efficiency impro.ements5
3.3 Scope
"he procedure describes routine test for both oil fired and solid fuel fired boilers using coal!
agro residues etc5 8nly those obser.ations and measurements need to be made which can be
readily applied and is necessary to attain the purpose of the test5
3.4 Reference Standards
1>
British standards, B!"#: $%!&
"he British %tandard B%?4<C 1:?> describes the methods and conditions under which a boiler
should be tested to determine its efficiency5 ;or the testing to be done! the boiler should be
operated under steady load conditions (generally full load for a period of one hour after
which readings would be ta#en during the neBt hour of steady operation to enable the
efficiency to be calculated5
"he efficiency of a boiler is quoted as the A of useful heat a.ailable! eBpressed as a
percentage of the total energy potentially a.ailable by burning the fuel5 "his is eBpressed on
the basis of gross calorific .alue (G)&5
"his deals with the complete heat balance and it has two partsC
Part 8ne deals with standard boilers! where the indirect method is specified
Part "wo deals with compleB plant where there are many channels of heat flow5
,n this case! both the direct and indirect methods are applicable! in whole or in part5
'() tandard: PTC*"*$ Po+er Test Code for team ,enerating -nits
"his consists ofC
Part 8neC 6irect method (also called as ,nput3output method
Part "woC ,ndirect method (also called as *eat loss method
. !&#/: .ndian tandard for Boiler )fficiency Testing
Most standards for computation of boiler efficiency! including ,% ?><2 and B%?4< are
designed for spot measurement of boiler efficiency5 ,n.ariably! all these standards do not
include blow down as a loss in the efficiency determination process5
Basically Boiler efficiency can be tested by the following methodsC
1. The Direct Method: @here the energy gain of the wor#ing fluid (water and steam is
compared with the energy content of the boiler fuel5
2. The Indirect Method: @here the efficiency is the difference between the losses and the
energy input5
3.5 The Direct Method Testing
3.5.1 Description
"his is also #nown as Ninput3output methodH due to the fact that it needs only the useful
output (steam and the heat input (i5e5 fuel for e.aluating the efficiency5 "his efficiency can
1?
be e.aluated using the formulaC
3.5.2 Merits and Demerits of Direct Method
(erits
Plant people can e.aluate quic#ly the efficiency of boilers
Requires few parameters for computation
+eeds few instruments for monitoring
0emerits
6oes not gi.e clues to the operator as to why efficiency of system is lower
6oes not calculate .arious losses accountable for .arious efficiency le.els
(.aporation ratio and efficiency may mislead! if the steam is highly wet due to water
carryo.er
3.6 The Indirect Method Testing
3.6.1 Description
1:
"he efficiency can be measured easily by measuring all the losses occurring in the boilers
using the principles to be described5 "he disad.antages of the direct method can be o.ercome
by this method! which calculates the .arious heat losses associated with boiler5
"he efficiency can be arri.ed at! by subtracting the heat loss fractions from 1005An important
ad.antage of this method is that the errors in measurement do not ma#e significant change in
efficiency5
"hus if boiler efficiency is :0A! an error of 1A in direct method will result in significant
change in efficiency5 i5e5 :0 P 05: K ?:51 to :05:5 ,n indirect method! 1A error in
measurement of losses will result in
(fficiency K 100 3 (10 P 051 K :0 P 051 K ?:5: to :051
&arious *eat losses occurring in the boiler areC
Fig. 3.1 Losses occurring in the boiler
The following losses are applicable to liquid, gas and solid fired boilerC
L13 -oss due to dry flue gas (sensible heat
L23 -oss due to hydrogen in fuel (*/
L33 -oss due to moisture in fuel (*/8
L43 -oss due to moisture in air (*/8
L53 -oss due to carbon monoBide ()8
L63 -oss due to surface radiation! con.ection and other unaccounted losses which are
insignificant and are difficult to measure5
The following losses are applicable to solid fuel fired boiler in addition to above:
L73 Un burnt losses in fly ash ()arbon
L83 Un burnt losses in bottom ash ()arbon
Boiler Efficiency by indirect method 100 - (L1+L2+L3+L4+L5+L6+L7+L8)
/0
3.6.2 Measurements Required for Performance Assessment Testing
"he following parameters need to be measured! as applicable for the computation of boiler
efficiency and performanceC
a ;lue gas analysis
15 Percentage of )8/or 8/ in flue gas
/5 Percentage of )8 in flue gas
25 "emperature of flue gas
b ;low meter measurements for
15 ;uel
/5 %team
25 ;eed water
45 )ondensate water
<5 )ombustion air
c "emperature measurements for
15 ;lue gas
/5 %team
25 Ma#eup water
45 )ondensate return
<5 )ombustion air
=5 ;uel
>5 Boiler feed water
d Pressure measurements for
15 %team
/5 ;uel
25 )ombustion air! both primary and secondary
45 6raft
e @ater condition
15 "otal dissol.ed solids ("6%
/5 p*
25 Blow down rate and quantity
3.6.3 Test Conditions and Precautions for Indirect Method Testing
A) The efficiency test does not account forC
tand1y losses. (fficiency test is to be carried out! when the boiler is operating under a
steady load5 "herefore! the combustion efficiency test does not re.eal standby losses! which
occur between firing inter.als5
/1
Blo+ do+n loss. "he amount of energy wasted by blow down .aries o.er a wide range5
oot 1lo+er steam2 "he amount of steam used by soot blowers is .ariable that depends on
the type of fuel5
'u3iliary e4uipment energy consumption2 "he combustion efficiency test does not account
for the energy usage by auBiliary equipments! such as burners! fans! and pumps5
B) Preparations and pre-conditions for testing
Burning the specified fuel(s at the required rate5
"ests are done while the boiler is under steady load5 "esting is a.oided during warming up
of boilers from a cold condition
"he chartsFtables are obtained for the additional data5
%ampling and analysis of fuel and ash5
(nsuring the accuracy of fuel and ash analysis in the laboratory5
)hec#ing the type of blow down and method of measurement5
(nsuring proper operation of all instruments5
)hec#ing for any air infiltration in the combustion 9one5
C) Flue gas sampling location
,t is suggested that the eBit duct of the boiler be probed and tra.ersed to find the location of
the 9one of maBimum temperature5 "his is li#ely to coincide with the 9one of maBimum gas
flow and is therefore a good sampling point for both temperature and gas analysis5
D) Planning for the testing
"he testing is to be conducted for duration of 4 to ? hours in a normal production day5
Ad.anced planning is essential for the resource arrangement of manpower! fuel! water and
instrument chec# etc and the same to be communicated to the boiler %uper.isor and
Production 6epartment5
%ufficient quantity of fuel stoc# and water storage required for the test duration should be
arranged so that a test is not disrupted due to non3a.ailability of fuel and water5
+ecessary sampling point and instruments are to be made a.ailable with wor#ing condition5
-ab Analysis should be carried out for fuel! flue gas and water in coordination with lab
personnel5
"he steam table! psychometric chart! calculator are to be arranged for computation5
3.6.4 Boiler Efficiency by Indirect Method: Calculation Procedure and Formula
//
,n order to calculate the boiler efficiency by indirect method! all the losses that occur in the
boiler must be established5 "hese losses are con.eniently related to the amount of fuel burnt5
"heoretical (stoichiometric air fuel ratio and eBcess air supplied are to be determined first for
computing the boiler losses5 "he formula is gi.en below for the same5
Table. 3.2 Formula Table
L1. Heat loss due to dry flue gas ()
"his is the greatest boiler loss and can be calculated with the following formulaC
A *eat loss in dry flue gas (-1 K QmO)pO("f 3"aFG)& of fuelRO100
L2. Heat loss due to evaporation of water formed due to H2 in fuel ()
"he combustion of hydrogen causes a heat loss because the product of combustion is water5
"his water is con.erted to steam and this carries away heat in the form of its latent heat5
A *eat loss due to formation
of water from */ in fuel (-/ K Q:O*/OS<?4G)p("f 3"aTFG)& of fuelRO100
/2
L3. Heat loss due to moisture present in fuel ()
Moisture entering the boiler with the fuel lea.es as a superheated .apor5 "his moisture loss is
made up of the sensible heat to bring the moisture to boiling point! the latent heat of
e.aporation of the moisture! and the superheat required bringing this steam to the temperature
of the eBhaust gas5 "his loss can be calculated with the following formula
A *eat loss due to moisture
in fuel (-2 K QMOS<?4G)p("f3"aTFG)& of fuelRO100
L4. Heat loss due to moisture present in air ()
&apour in the form of humidity in the incoming air! is superheated as it passes through the
boiler5 %ince this heat passes up the stac#! it must be included as a boiler loss5
"o relate this loss to the mass of coal burned! the moisture content of the combustion air and
the amount of air supplied per unit mass of coal burned must be #nown5
"he mass of .apour that air contains can be obtained from psychometric charts5
A *eat loss due to moisture
in air (-4 K QAA%OhumidityO)pO("f3"aFG)& of fuelRO100
L5. Heat loss due to incomplete combustion ()
Products formed by incomplete combustion could be miBed with oBygen and burned again
with a further release of energy5 %uch products include )8! */! and .arious hydrocarbons and
are generally found in the flue gas of the boilers5 )arbon monoBide is the only gas whose
concentration can be determined con.eniently in a boiler plant test5
A *eat loss due to partial
con.ersion of ) to )8 (-< KQ(A)8O)F(A)8GA)ROQ<>44FG)& of
fuelRO100
L6. Heat loss due to radiation and convection ()
"he other heat losses from a boiler consist of the loss of heat by radiation and con.ection
from the boiler casting into the surrounding boiler house5
+ormally surface loss and other unaccounted losses is assumed based on the type and si9e of
the boiler as gi.en belowC
For industrial fire tube / packaged boiler 1.5 to 2.5
For industrial water tube boiler 2 to 3
For power station boiler 0.4 to 1
/4
L7. Heat loss due to unburned carbon in fly ash and bottom ash ()
%mall amounts of carbon will be left in the ash and this constitutes a loss of potential heat in
the fuel5 "o assess these heat losses! samples of ash must be analysed for carbon content5 "he
quantity of ash produced per unit of fuel must also be #nown5
A of heat loss due to unburned carbon
in fly ash K ("otal ash collectedF#g of fuel burntOG)&
of fly ashO100 F G)& of fuel
A of heat loss due to unburned carbon
in fly ash K ("otal ash collectedF#g of fuel burntOG)&
of bottom ashO100 F G)& of fuel
Heat Balance:
*a.ing established the magnitude of all the losses mentioned abo.e! a simple heat balance
would gi.e the efficiency of the boiler5 "he efficiency is the difference between the energy
input to the boiler and the heat losses calculated5
3.7 Practical Work:
(fficiency of boilers in steel plant is calculated by ,ndirect Method and a sample calculation
is shown below5 "he *eat balance sheet is also prepared5 "he calculations are shown along
with the heat balance sheet5 "he parameters are obtained from the shift operator log boo#
from Main )ontrol Room! "PP5 "he .alues are the mean of the readings ta#en from
+o.ember /011 to Uanuary /01/5
3.7.1 Parameters for boiler efficiency calculation:
;uel firing rate K /<=0 tonsFhr
%team generation rate K 220 tonsFhr
%team pressure K 101 A"A
%team temperature K <22
o
)
;eed water temperature K 1:=
o
)
A)8/ in ;lue gas K 1/
A)8 in flue gas K 05<0
A.erage flue gas temperature K 1:0
o
)
Ambient temperature K 2=
o
)
*umidity in ambient air K 050/04 #gF#g dry air
%urface temperature of boiler K 1=<
o
)
@ind .elocity around the boiler K 25< mFs
/<
"otal surface area of boiler K >2:> m
/
G)& of Bottom ash K =00 #)alF#g
G)& of fly ash K 4</5< #)alF#g
Ratio of bottom ash to fly ash K ?0C/0
Fuel Analysis (in )
Ash content in fuel K 4051:
Moisture in coal K 1/5<
)arbon content K 445:2
*ydrogen content K /5=4
+itrogen content K 15<=
8Bygen content K 14
G)& of )oal K /?<0 #calF#g
25>5/Efficiency Calculation by Indirect Method
Step-1 Finding theoretical air requirement
"heoretical air requirement for
)omplete combustion K Q(115=O) G S245?O(*/38/F?T G (452<O%RF100 #gF#g of coal
K Q(115=O445:2 G S245?O(/5=4314F?T G (452<O0RF100
K <5<< #gF#g of coal
Step-2 Find theoretical CO2
A )8/ at theoretical condition ()8/ t K Moles of )F (Moles of +/GMoles of )
Moles of +/ K (@t of +/ in theoretical airFMol5wt of +/ G (@t of +/ in fuelFMol5wt of +/
Moles of +/ K Q4541O(>>F100RF/?G Q15<=F/?RK051>=>
Moles of ) K 0544:2F1/K0502>4
()8/t K 0502>4F(051>=>G0502>4
()8/t K 1>54=A
Step-3 To find excess air supplied
Actual )8/ measured in flue gasK1/50A
A(Bcess air supplied((6 K >:00OQ()8/AtG( )8/AaRF()8/aAOQ1003()8/AtR
K >:00OQ1>54=31/RF1/OQ10031>54=R
K 425<4A
Step-4 To find actual mass of air supplied
Actual mass of air supplied K S1G(AF100TOtheoretical air
K S1G425<4F100TO<5<
K >5:=#gF#g of coal
/=
Step-5 To find actual mass of dry flue gas
Mass of dry flue gas K Mass of )8 /GMass of +/ content in the fuel G Mass of +/ in the
)ombustion air supplied G Mass of8/ in flue gas
Mass of dry flue gas K Q(0541=<O44F1/R G0501<=G (>512O>>F100G Q(>5123<5<<O/2RF100
K >50=?:#gF#g of coal
Step-6 To find all losses
1.A *eat loss in dry flue gas (-1 K QmO)pO("f V"aFG)& of fuelRO100
K Q>50=?:O05/2O(1:032=F/?<0RO100
L1 8.78
2.A *eat loss due to formation
of water from */ in fuel (-/ K Q:O*/OS<?4G)p("f V"aTFG)& of fuelRO100
K Q:O050/=4OS<?4G054<(1:032=TF/?<0RO100
L2 5.44
3.A *eat loss due to moisture
in fuel (-2 K QMOS<?4G)p("f3"aTFG)& of fuelRO100
K Q052<0OS<?4G054<(1:032=TF/?<0RO100
L3 7.606
4.A *eat loss due to moisture
in air (-4 K QAA%OhumidityO)pO("f3"aFG)& of fuelRO100
K Q>5:=O050/4O054<O(1:032=F/?<0RO100
L4 0.464
5.A *eat loss due to partial
con.ersion of ) to )8 (-< KQ(A)8O)F(A)8GA)ROQ<>44FG)& of
fuelRO100
K (05<O0544:2F(05<G1/OQ<>44F/?<0RO100
L5 3.622
6.A *eat loss due to radiation
and con.ection (-= K 1A (using standard data for power plant
boilers
L6 1
7.A *eat loss due to un burnt
in fly ash
AAsh in coal K 4051:
Ratio of bottom ash to fly ash K ?0C/0
G)& of fly ash K 4</5<7calF#g
Amount of fly ash in1#g of coal K 05/O05401:
K 050?02?#g
*eat loss in fly ash K 050?02?O4</5<
K 2=52>1#)alF#g of coal
A *eat loss in fly ash K (2=52>1O100F/?<0
L7 1.33
8.A *eat loss due to un burnt
/>
in bottom ash
G)& of bottom ash K =00#)alF#g
Amount of bottom ash in 1 #g
of coal K 05?O05401:
K 050=44204#g
*eat loss in bottom ash K 050=4O=00
K <15442/#)alF#g of coal
A*eat loss in bottom ash K (<15442/O100F/?<0
L8 6.76
Boiler efficiency by indirect method K 1003(-1G-/G-2G-4G-<G-=G->G-?
K 100 V (?5>?G<544G>5=0=G054=4G25=00G1G1522G=5>=
K 100 V 245:>
65.03
3.7.3 Summary of
Heat Balance for
Power Plant Boiler
Input/output Parameter
kcal/kg of coal
*eat input K /?<0
-osses in boiler
1.6ry flue gas!-1 K /<05/2
2.-oss due to hydrogen in fuel!-/ K 1<<504
3.-oss due to moisture in fuel!-2 K /1=5>>1
4.-oss due to moisture in air!-4 K 125//4
5.Partial combustion of ) to )8!-< K 1025//>
6.%urface heat losses!-= K /?5<
7.-oss due to un burnt in fly ash!-> K 2>5:0<
8.-oss due to un burnt in bottom ash!-? K 1:/5==
Boiler efficiency
100 -
(L1+L2+L3+L4+L5+
L6+L7+L8)
65.03
3.8 Factors Affecting Boiler Performance
/?
"he .arious factors affecting the boiler performance are listed belowC
Periodical cleaning of boilers
Periodical soot blowing
Proper water treatment programme and blow down control
6raft control
(Bcess air control
Percentage loading of boiler
%team generation pressure and temperature
Boiler insulation
Wuality of fuel
3.9 Summary
All these factors indi.iduallyFcombined! contribute to the performance of the boiler and
reflected either in boiler efficiency or e.aporation ratio5 Based on the results obtained from
the testing further impro.ements ha.e to be carried out for maBimi9ing the performance5 "he
test can be repeated after modification or rectification of the problems and compared with
standard norms5 (nergy auditor should carry out this test as a routine manner once in siB
months and report to the management for necessary action5
4. Heat Recovery and Performance Enhancement
4.1 Introduction
Based upon the efficiency calculations! we ha.e found that lot of heat energy is wasted from
flue gas loss and loss due to moisture content in fuel5 Moreo.er due to moisture in fuel! lot of
energy is wasted as unburned fuel or formation of bottom ash5 %o to enhance the performance
of boilers! we ha.e to eBtract sensible heat from flue gas and use it for .arious purposes
#eeping in mind that decreasing the flue gas temperature will increase the sulphuric acid
content and decrease the moisture in fuel or using quality fuel that has low ash content5
"his in fact in.ol.es .arious factors such as large in.estment! economy! en.ironmental
factors! plant layout! etc5 %o to increase the efficiency of the boilers! we should find the best
practices for decreasing the flue gas loss and reduce the moisture content in fuel5
4.2 Heat Recovery from Flue Gas
"he temperature of the flue gas lea.ing the boiler is commonly reduced in an air preheater
(AP* when the sensible heat in the flue gas lea.ing the economi9er is used to preheat
combustion air5 Preheating of combustion air has a significant positi.e effect on boiler
/:
efficiency5
Fig. 4.1 Acid dew point temperature as a function of the SO3 and H2O concentration5
%ulphuric acid in the flue gas is formed in gas3phase reactions of %82 and */8 upstream of
the AP*5 "he %82 is formed from %8/ by homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions in the
furnace and con.ection pass of the boiler5 "he presence of %82 in the flue gas increases the
dew point of the flue gas5 "he acid dew point temperature is presented in ;ig5 45/51 as a
function of the %82 and */8 concentration in the flue gas5 %ulphuric acid condenses as
temperature is decreased bellow the dew point temperature5 "he condensed sulphuric acid
(acid and water miBture sulphuric acid is hydroscopic is corrosi.e to the ineBpensi.e
materials used in construction of the AP* heat transfer surfaces and downstream ductwor#5
Besides acid deposition! the other impediment to reco.ering heat from the flue gas by
additional cooling in the AP* is the (%P performance5
20
Fig.4.2 Ash resistivity versus flue gas temperature for a high-resistivity ash.
The ash samples were taken from the electrostatic precipitator when operating in
descending temperature mode at 7.2 moisture content.
As presented in fig545/5/! resisti.ity of fly ash decreases as the flue gas temperature is
reduced below 200;5 *owe.er! in case of the high3resisti.ity ash! the temperature reduction
would not be a problem! for the low3resisti.ity ash low flue gas temperatures will ha.e a
significant negati.e effect on the (%P performance5
Un3reacted ammonia combines with %82 in the flue gas stream and %82 produced on the %)R
catalysts to form ammonium bisulphate (AB%5 "he AB% forms in a temperature range
between the AP* flue gas inlet and outlet temperatures5 "he deposits are stic#y and corrosi.e
to steels commonly employed in the AP*s5
Upon eBiting the (%P! it is common to cool the flue gas by e.aporati.e cooling to a
temperature close to the adiabatic saturation temperature by spraying water into the flue gas
stream within a wet flue gas desulfuri9ation (;G6 system5
According to an ;G6 manufacturer! the optimal flue gas temperature for a desulfuri9ation
process is approBimately 14:; (=<M)5 )ooling of the flue gas to the saturation temperature
21
occurs in a spray area! and the flue gas lea.es the ;G6 reactor at a temperature close to the
saturation temperature5
Most of the moisture can be remo.ed from the flue gas by cooling it to a .ery low
temperature5 "he chilled ammonia concept! de.eloped by Alstom Power! employs cooling of
the flue gas to a .ery low temperature using chillers5 At the current state of technology
de.elopment! such low3temperature cooling of the flue gas is eBpensi.e due to high power
requirements for the chillers5
)ondensation of the flue gas moisture liberates latent heat5 "he amount of latent heat released
is a function of the flue gas temperature and coal type5 "he amount of released latent heat
increases as "M content of the coal increases and temperature of the flue gas decreases5 "he
latent heat can be reco.ered in condensing heat eBchangers ()E(s! but due to the low
temperature of a cooling fluid! there are practical temperature limits (approBimately 100; to
110; that impose limits on the amount of latent heat than can be economically reco.ered
from the flue gas5 A.ailable
heat sin#s limit the amount of low3temperature heat that can be beneficially used5
"he total (sensible and latent heat of the flue gas is presented in fig5 45/5 As the flue gas is
cooled below its saturation temperature! the amount of total heat greatly increases5 *owe.er!
as discussed pre.iously! there are practical limitations associated with cooling of the flue gas
to low temperatures and beneficial use of the reco.ered low temperature heat5
Fig. 4.3 Total heat in flue gas as a function of flue gas temperature and coal type.
2/
4.3 Flue Gas Desulphurisation
8ne of the most commonly used ;G6 technologies for scrubbing pollutants from power plant
gas emissions is a limestone forced oBidation (-%;8 scrubber system5 ,n this process! many
pollutants end up in the circulating water in the scrubber5 "o maintain appropriate operating
conditions! a constant purge stream is discharged from the scrubber system! and the purge
stream contains contaminants from coal! limestone! and ma#e3up water5 "he purge is acidic
and supersaturated with gypsum! with high concentrations of "6%! "%%! hea.y metals!
chlorides and occasionally! dissol.ed organic compounds5
%tate and ;ederal laws regulate the concentration of pollutants in ;G6 wastewater prior to
discharge to waterways5 ,n some cases (e5g5! power plants discharging to large ri.ers! the
wastewater may be suitable for discharge after minor treatment for suspended solids and p*
adjustment5 *owe.er! in many cases! the wastewater requires treatment for the reduction of
#ey contaminants! including suspended solids! )86FB86! total nitrogen! and selected hea.y
metals to .ery low concentrations5 "he scrubber purge stream is most often treated in a
dedicated wastewater facility rather than an eBisting treatment system5
4.3.1 Lime in Flue Gas Desulphurisation
-ime and limestone play a significant role in the remo.al of pollutants from flue gas streams
of coal3fired power plants! incinerators and industrial facilities5 ;lue gas desulfuri9ation
(;G6 primarily refers to the remo.al of sulphur dioBide (%8/5 *owe.er! lime and limestone
are also used in the remo.al of other pollutants such as hydrogen chloride (*)l! sulphur
trioBide (%82! fine particulates and mercury5 ,n the U%! air pollution control applications
were the second largest use of lime in /002! consuming o.er 254 million tons of lime5 -ime
and limestone products are used in both wet and dry ;G6 processes to absorb the sulphur
content5
,n the wet ;G6 processes these products are slurred with water and sprayed into a flue gas
scrubber .essel5 "he acidic gases! normally %8/ and *)l! are absorbed into the water where
they chemically react with the lime and limestone5 "he reaction products! primarily calcium
sulphite! can then be oBidi9ed to produce calcium sulphate! saleable gypsum by product5
"here are three basic types of dry ;G6 processes5
6ry injection processes inject dry hydrated lime directly into the flue gas stream5
%pray dryer processes inject finely atomi9ed lime slurry into a separate .essel5 @ater from
the slurry is e.aporated before the solids contact the .essel walls5
)irculating fluidi9ed bed processes inject dry hydrated lime in a separate fluidi9ing .essel5
22
@ith all three processes! the acidic gases combine with lime to form a dry product which is
remo.ed from the flue gas stream in particulate control de.ices such as bag houses or
electrostatic precipitators ((%PXs5
Fig. 4.4 Flue gas desulphurisation process
4.4 Best Practices for utilising the low-temperature heat from flue gas
4.4.1 Feed water heating and Combustion Air Preheat.
"he technology to reco.er low3temperature heat from flue gas originated in (urope! where it
has been used to impro.e performance of coal3fired power plants and industrial plants for
more than 1< years5 Utility companies such as R@( Power! &attenfall! and others utili9e the
low3temperature heat from flue gas for feed water (;@ heating and preheating of
combustion air5
4.4.2 Flue Gas Reheat by Preheated Air
)ooling of the flue gas upstream to a lower temperature results in lower e.aporation within
the ;G6 and less water ma#eup5 -ower e.aporation and less water added to the flue gas
stream result in lower moisture content of the flue gas at the ;G6 outlet5 "he flue gas lea.ing
the ;G) with lower temperature! then a larger portion of the ;G) operates below the acid
dew point temperature! resulting in increased */%84 condensation and increased ;G) cost5
4.4.3 Installation of FGC Model
Another approach to reheating! in this reheat arrangement! ambient air is heated in the ;G)
and miBed with a saturated flue gas lea.ing the ;G6 in a miBing boB5
24
'dvantage* 8nly one heat eBchanger is needed5 ;lue gas is diluted and flue gas moisture
content is lower compared to a con.entional flue gas reheat5
0isadvantage*"he air added to the flue gas increases the total flow rate through the stac#5
"he si9e of the ;G) will be larger compared to the flue gas3to3water design5
Fig. 4.5 FGC Model
4.4.4 Flue Gas Coolers And Condensing Heat Exchangers
Flue Gas Cooler
,t is an important piece of equipment which enables reco.ery of heat from the flue gas5 As
the section of the ;G) operates below the acid dew point temperature! heat transfer surfaces
need to be constructed from corrosion3resistant materials5
"he heat eBchanger is built of smooth flouroplastic "eflon (G3;lon tubes arranged in a U3
tube configuration5 A G3;lon foil lining protects the ;G) casing against condensing acid5 G3
;lon features high resistance to corrosion5
%ulphuric acid condenses on surfaces of the tubes! forming a thin layer of diluted sulphuric
acid that attracts fly ash and forms deposits5 @ash water and condensed acid are discharged
into the ;G65
2<
Fig.4.6 DESIGN OF BBS FLUE GAS COOLER
"he gas3to3water @AGA&8 eBchanger is suitable for applications where *)l and *;
concentration is lower than 1< to /0 mgFm
2
5 ,n cases where *)l and *; concentration is
higher! enamel glass3lined plus P;A3lined mild steel is recommended5
'dvantages
Anti3adhesi.eness and resistance against *; and strong mineral acid5 %howing that the steel
tube is protected e.en if one of the layers is damaged5
"his type of heat eBchangers are practically being used in -ogichem Process (ngineering!
7rugersdorp! %outh Africa5
4.4.5 GAGAVO Flue Gas
"he gas3to3gas heat eBchanger (GAGA&8 with in3line placed plastic tubes in cross flow
arrangement is specifically designed for flue gas reheat5 Raw flue gas flows inside the tubes
from top to bottom5 All parts are corrosion resistant and made of P";(! P;A! or nic#el3based
alloy5
"hese heat eBchangers are practically being used in R(PUB-,7A P8@(R P-A+"!
P(R+,7! BU-GAR,A5
2=
Fig. 4.6a GAVAVO Flue Gas Cooler by FLUCOREX
Fig. 4.6b Design of GAGAVO Heat Exchanger with PTFE Tubes
A water washing system may be installed at the top of the GAGA&8 casing where the water
washing of the inner surface of the plastic tubes remo.es the deposits5 "he cleaning system
consists of a stationary or retractable water washing lance with se.eral no99le groups5 "he
washing cycle is programmable to meet plant3specific conditions5 Use of corrosion3resistant
plastic or alloys increases the cost5
"hese type of heat eBchangers are used practically in ;U(- "()* ,nc! ,llinois! United
%tates5
4.4.6 Condensing Efficiency
A condensing heat eBchanger operates at lower temperature in order to condense moisture
from the flue gas stream5 "he heat sin# temperature imposes a limit on the amount of water
that can be reco.ered by condensation from a flue gas stream5 )ondensation efficiency! the
percentage of flue gas moisture condensed out the flue gas stream determined5 "he results
indicate eBcellent agreement between the theoretically and eBperimentally determined .alues5
)ondensation efficiency increases as sin# temperature is reduced5
2>
Besides the flue gas temperature! condensation efficiency is a strong function of the coal
type! which affects the initial moisture content of the flue gas5 "he results clearly show that
high3moisture coals are prime candidates for water reco.ery from the flue gas5
Fig. 4.7 Condensing Efficiency as a Function of Flue Gas Temperature and Coal Type
4.4.7 LDD System
A process of using desiccants to remo.e moisture from the flue gas has been proposed5 "he
liquid desiccant dehumidification process in.ol.es intimate contact between a liquid
desiccant and flue gas5 6ehumidification ta#es place in the absorber tower! where se.eral
le.els of sprays are used to inject liquid desiccant in a counter3current flow to contact the flue
gas5 A mist eliminator at the top of the tower is employed to control any entrained desiccant5
Additional de.elopment is needed to impro.e system performance5
A combination of the flue gas condenser and desiccant systems might be a practical option
for reco.ering water from the flue gas5
2?
Fig. 4.8 Conceptual Layout of a Proposed Commercial LDD System
4.5 Discussion
"he abo.e mentioned heat reco.ery methods from flue gas are based on the present flue gas
temperature obtained from control room during the period of eBperimentation5 Applying any
of these methods will utili9e the considerable amount of waste heat from the boiler5 Beside
this! the quality of coal is to be monitored5 "he preferable quality is of higher calorific .alue!
low ash and moisture content5 "he bi3products of the steel plant such as blast furnace gas and
co#e o.en gas also has considerable amount of calorific .alue which help to run the boiler
efficiently and should be used to sa.e natural resources e.en though the coal is the main
source of heat energy5 "o decrease the temperature of the flue gas! spraying water is not the
only solution5 *owe.er it is the most common practice in thermal power plants5 ,nstead of
spraying water! the temperature can also be reduced by using heat eBchangers! heating feed
water and using it for drying combustion air5 (fficiency calculation should be performed
regularly to find the causes for the change in performance of the boilers5
"he best method for utili9ing the flue gas is using condensing water heaters and using it as air
pre3heaters5 ,f equipments are pre3installed and are already ser.ing the required quantity then
abo.e other mentioned low heat reco.ery methods can be used to utili9e the waste heat5
4.6 Conclusion:
"he #ey step to enhance the performance of boilers in thermal power plant is the detailed
study of boiler in the plant and then the efficiency calculation5 "he efficiency calculation by
indirect method is the best way to account all the boiler losses5 "he flue gas loss is always
higher than any other losses5 "he flue gas loss can be minimi9ed by heat eBtraction and
proper utili9ation5 Moreo.er when the primary fuel is coal! it should be accounted that it is of
higher calorific .alue! low moisture and low ash content5 "he heat reco.ery method is done
by obser.ing the amount of flue gas loss! temperature of the flue gas and layout of the plant5
@hen the flue gas loss is reduced and the moisture content in the fuel is low! efficiency of the
boiler can be as high as ?0 percent
References:
2:
15 6a.id %pain! P5 (5 +ationwide Boiler ,nc5 @ays to impro.e efficiency of boilers5 1!
%eptember /010
/5 U5 Gladstone (.ans D )5 6amodaran! Modern "rends ,n Boilers and (fficiency
,mpro.ement Programmes5
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