Fans in Power Stations

Power Plant Schematic

Need of Fans
Combustion Air Boiler
Flue Gases
Air needed for combustion
Flue are needed to be evacuated
Losses due to flow need to be overcome
Fan Operation
Fans cause pressure increase by:
Centrifual force created by rotation of t!e
column of air trapped between two blades
"inetic enery is supplied to t!e air t!rou!
t!e impeller
#otal pressure $ velocity !ead % static
pressure
Selection Considerations
&uantity of air to be moved per unit time
'stimated system resistance and
e(pected variations
Amount of noise permitted
Space available for fan
'conomic implications
S)S#'* +'S,S#ANC'
-!en a as is forced t!rou! a duct
system. a loss in pressure occurs/ #!is
loss in pressure is called system
resistance/
System resistance is composed of two
components:
Friction losses and
0ynamic losses/
0raft Losses
#otal losses

Furnace. S1 2 +1 Losses
p
'conomi3er Losses
0ucts 2 dampers losses
Percent Boiler +atin
Fan Classification
0esinated as dynamic pumps
Centrifual
Furt!er classification by entry and e(it of fluid4as t!rou!
impeller
Aerodynamic classifications:
A(ial flow
+adial flow : referred to as 5centrifual fan5
Cross flow
*i(ed flow
Components of Centrifual Fan
Centrifual Fan Operation
Fans cause a pressure increase t!rou! two met!ods
6 Centrifual force is created by t!e rotation of t!e column of air
trapped between two blades/
6 "inetic enery is supplied to t!e air t!rou! t!e impeller
6 #otal pressure $ velocity !ead % static pressure
Blades are airfoil6type. bac7ward6curved. forwardcurved. or radial
8strai!t9
6 Airfoil6types are comple( and e(pensive but very efficient:
#!ey are used for lare systems w!ere t!e cost is ;ustified/
Applications where the fans will handle clean air or clean gas, the highly
efficient backward inclined airfoils are the preferred design. In an
application where the fan is subject to erosion due to heavy dust
loading, a straight radial type fan provides erosion resistance, but at the
expense of efficiency.
Bac7ward6Curved Fan Blades
1ave a self6limitin power c!aracteristic.
so if si3ed correctly t!e motor won<t
over!eat or burn out even if conditions
c!ane/
1i! efficiency and stable operation
ma7e t!is blade type popular/
C!oose t!e operatin point to be ;ust to
t!e ri!t of t!e pea7 pressure flow rate to
ac!ieve bot! !i! efficiency and a stable
flow rate/
#!is type of fan operates stably because
t!e pressure difference provided by t!e
fan drops if t!e flow rate oes up/ ,f t!e
opposite were true. increased an
increased flow rate would cause increase
fan power. w!ic! is unstable/
Section of a entrifugal !an
+adial Blades
Similar performance to a
bac7ward6curved e(cept t!at it<s
easier to over!eat because as flow
rate oes up. so does power/
'asier to maintain. so it<s used in
dirty situations 8easy to clean
strai!t blades. and t!ey don<t
collect as muc!9
Blades are stroner t!an ot!er
types/
=sed primarily in industrial systems
in a corrosive or erosive
environment. suc! as material
!andlin of airborne particulate or
w!ere !i! static pressure is
re>uired/
Forward6Curved Blades
1ave problems wit! instability
because a specified pressure
rise can fit t!ree different flow
rates/
Burnout can also be a
problem because fan power
increases wit! flow rate/
&uieter t!an ot!er fans: used
for most furnace blowers
=sually limited to clean
service applications
A(ial Flow Fans
Common types: propeller.
tubea(ial. vanea(ial
#ubea(ial: impeller is inside a tube
to uide airflow and improve
performance
?anea(ial: li7e a tubea(ial e(cept
vanes eit!er up or downstream of
t!e impeller are used to reduce
swirl and improve performance
=sed to deliver lare flow rates but
small increase in pressure
'(amples include fans used for
ventilation wit!out ductwor7. mobile
room fans. and fans used to cool
computers
Axial"flow fan for induced"draft service
System Pressure 'ffects
Fan curves are typically iven in terms of total pressure vs/
volumetric flow rate
A typical fan runnin at a fi(ed speed can provide a reater
volumetric flow rate for systems wit! smaller total pressure drops 8if
we<re to t!e ri!t of t!e pea7 in t!e fan curve9/
#otal pressure loss$static pressure loss%dynamic pressure loss
,f e(it and inlet area of a duct are about t!e same. t!e dynamic
pressure loss 8or ain9 may be minimal/
Fan Curves
*anufacturer will provide a fan curve for eac! fan
#!e fan curves predict t!e pressure6flow rate
performance of eac! fan/
C!oose a fan t!at ives you t!e volumetric flow rate you
need for your system pressure drop/
C!oose a fan t!at !as its pea7 efficiency at or near your
operatin point/
Sometimes will provide data in a table rat!er t!an in a
rap!/
Centrifual Fan Performance Curve/
Fan Laws
Flow ? Speed Pressure ? (Speed)
2
Power ? (Speed)
3
Q N

SP N
1

2

kW N
1

3

Varying the RPM by 10% Varying the RPM by 10% Varying the RPM by 10%
decreases or increases air decreases or increases the decreases or increases the
delivery by 10%. static pressure by 19%. power requirement by
!%.
Where Q - flow, SP - Static Pressure, kW - Power and N - speed (RP!
Fan Laws
Law @ 6 relates to effect of c!anin si3e. speed. or density on
volume flow. pressure. and power level
Law A 6 relates to effect of c!anin si3e. pressure. or density on
volume flow rate. speed. and power
Law B 6 s!ows effect of c!anin si3e. volume flow. or density on
speed. pressure. and power
#!e laws only apply to aerodynamically similar fans at t!e same
point of ratin on t!e performance curve/
!an Applications in Power Plant
Sc!eme of Air and Gas Pat!
0rau!t System Pressure ?ariation
Pressure drop calculation in air 2 as pat! and its
comparison wit! desin value/
Assessment of ,0 and F0 fan power as a function of
furnace pressure/
Assessment of effective 7inetic rate coefficient as a
function of furnace pressure/
F0 0uct AP1
Fan
0uct Furnace Bac7
pass
0uct AP1 'S
P
,0
Fan
C!imney
t 0
u
c

t 0
u
c

Pressure ?ariation
Furnace Pressure At ?arious Points in Boiler
F0 Fan ,nlet
@
ACD F0 Fan Outlet
A
ADD Air!eater ,nlet
B
@CD Air!eater Outlet
E
@DD -indbo( Pressure
C
CD F Furnace
D G Super!eater Platen ,nlet
@ A B E C F G H I @D @@ @A @B @E +e!eater ,nlet
6CD H
I L#S1 ,nlet
6@DD
@D 'conomiser ,nlet
6@CD
Air!eater ,nlet
@@
6ADD '/P/ ,nlet
@A
6ACD ,/0/ Fan ,nlet
@B
6BDD ,/0/ Fan Outlet
@E
Points in #oiler
!
u
r
n
a
c
e

P
r
e
s
s
u
r
e

Induced Draft Fans
*ove t!e combustion flue as t!rou! t!e boiler. air !eater. and
precipitator or t!e ba!ouse. scrubber. and c!imney to t!e
atmosp!ere
typically consume appro(imately AJ of t!e ross electrical output/
,0 fans !ave t!e larest desin marins of any ma;or e>uipment in a
fossil6fueled power plant/ typically @CJ on flow. BDJ on !ead. and
@CKC on temperature/
Lare marins are intended to allow for t!e followin
=ncertainty in determinin system re>uirements
Allowance for wear
Operatin fle(ibility
Allowance for pluae and lea7ae
Air infiltration
Gas to be !andled by ,0 fan
#!eoretical air for combustion
'(cess air re>uired at burner
,nfiltration
Lea7ae air6to6as t!rou! t!e air !eater
Forced Draft & PA Fans
F0 fans provide combustion air for boilers
,n pulveri3ed coal6fired boilers. appro(imately one6t!ird
of t!e combustion air is PA t!at is used to transport t!e
pulveri3ed coal to t!e burners/
#!e PA fan application is similar to t!e F0 fan:
#!e F0 fans for a coal6fired plant consume
appro(imately D/GJ of t!e ross electrical output/
#!e desin marins on F0 fans are typically smaller t!an
t!e marins on ,0 fans but still larer t!an on ot!er ma;or
e>uipment/ *arins of @CJ on flow and BDJ on !ead at
t!e ma(imum e(pected ambient temperature are
common/
Ot!er Fans in #!e System
Ignitor Air !an: Provide combustion air to t!e
initors/ #a7e suction air from t!e atmosp!ere and
supplies air to t!e initor wind bo(/
Scanner Air !an: Supplies coolin air to flame
scanners/ Normally t!ere are two fans ta7in suction
from F0 Fan disc!are duct/
$ill Seal air fan: Seal air fans provide air for t!e
sealin of *ill bearin/ Suction is from cold Primary
air and pressure is boosted up to maintain t!e
differential pressure
!an ontrols
,nlet ?anes
,nlet vanes introduce a swirl to t!e flow enterin a fan/
#!e ma;or disadvantae of inlet vanes is poor efficiency at lower loads/
,nlet vanes are sub;ect to erosion if as! concentrations are !i!
,nlet 0ampers
,nlet dampers control air flow by introducin a
swirl in t!e flow and pressure drop/
,nlet dampers !ave a low initial cost. are simple.
and are not as prone to erosion as inlet vanes/
inlet vanes and can be located completely
outside t!e duct/
#!e biest disadvantae of inlet dampers is
t!eir low efficiency at low loads/
#wo6Speed *otors
#!e fan selection wit! two6speed motors is
t!e same as wit! inlet vane control or inlet
damper control/ #!e fans for two6speed
motors are often si3ed so t!at t!e fan can
operate on low speed at full load and at
normal operatin temperature/ #!e !i!
speed provides t!e desin marin/
Fluid 0rive
Fluid drive is a met!od of varyin t!e fan speed for flow control/
#!e fan selection is essentially t!e same as t!e inlet damper
alternative. e(cept t!at a fluid drive is located between t!e motor
and t!e fan to control t!e fan speed/
,nlet dampers are typically used in addition to t!e fluid drive to
increase t!e speed of response to avoid furnace pressure
e(cursions durin transients
#!e use of t!e dampers for control durin normal operation is typical
but can be eliminated in most installations/
=sin speed control wit! t!e dampers full open can result in a
sinificant power savins
1ydraulic Couplin
Bearings
Bot! centrifual and a(ial fans can use eit!er
ball or roller bearins: !owever. ball and roller
bearins are more common on a(ial fans/
Slidin contact bearins are more common on
centrifual fans/
Ball and roller bearins consist of four ma;or
components:
Outer race
,nner race
+ollin elements
Spacer for t!e rollin elements
Sleeve #earing omponents
Lubrication Systems
Static lubrication in w!ic! eac! bearin !as a fi(ed supply of oil in
t!eir sumps is very common/
#!is met!od is simple and very cost6effective: !owever. it relies on
operator viilance to detect low oil levels or poor oil >uality/
=se of temperature sensors to provide remote warnin to t!e control
room operators. in case of a !ot bearin. offers added protection for
t!is met!od/
A ear pump attac!ed to t!e input s!aft of t!e driver is a second
met!od used to provide lube oil to fan and motor bearins/
A t!ird met!od. t!e use of fluid drives to supply oil to t!e bearins.
is also used on some fans/
A fourt! met!od involves t!e use of a dedicated circulatin lube oil
system/
#1AN"S
'SO'
P*,
+evisFluid *ec!anics
CDCAA@
ion
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