A

Seminar Report
On

SUPERCRITICAL STEAM GENERATOR

By
RAJAT GUPTA
(Roll No.: 1519240175)

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

G.L. Bajaj Institute of Technology & Management

April-2019
 Table of Content
S. No. Description Page No.

Table of content 2
Abstract 3
01 Introduction to Steam Generators 4
1.1 Classification of boilers according to pressure of steam generated

02 History of supercritical steam generation 4

03 Supercritical Steam Generator 5
3.1 Working of Supercritical steam generator
04 Difference between Subcritical and Supercritical Steam Generator 7
05 Advantages of Supercritical Steam Generator 8
06 Material Selection for the construction of supercritical boilers 8
07 Operational effects on supercritical boilers components 8
08 Thermal Performance and Emission Reduction 9
09 Indian Scenario of Super Critical Power Plants 9
10 Conclusions 9

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 Abstract
As the science and technology is developing by each passing day. The main focus
of all sectors using these technologies is on increasing the efficiency without
leaving any negative effect on the environment. In the same way, the power
generating units are focusing on to increase the efficiency of power plants by
using advanced technologies. One such technology in power sector is
supercritical steam generators. These works on pressure and temperature which
is above critical point of water. In the current scenario in India about 11.35% of
the total installed capacity is produced using supercritical steam generators in
powerplant. As we know, each thing has its advantages and limitations, in
supercritical technology metallurgical limits is one of the biggest challenges for
the developers of supercritical steam generators as they are subjected to very high
temperature. This report will give you a brief introduction about supercritical
steam generators and how they are different from the existing sub-critical steam
generators.

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1. Introduction to Steam Generators
Steam generators are used to generate steam by burning of fuel in furnace at desired
temperature and pressure. Steam generators are used in power stations in which turbines are
operated with the help of steam produced by them. It is a complex system made up of different
units like furnace, reheater, evaporator, economizer, superheaters, burners, dust collectors, etc.
Traditionally, the term “boiler” is used to define the whole steam generator.

1.1 Classification of boilers according to pressure of steam generated

The following hierarchy shows the classification of boiler according to pressure of steam
generated. The steam generated in low-pressure boilers (15-20 bar) are used for process
heating. The steam generated in medium-pressure boilers (20-80 bar) are used for power
generation or combined use of process heating and power generation. The steam generated in
high-pressure boilers above 80 bars.
The subcritical boilers produce steam below critical pressure (221 bars). These boilers provide
steams at a pressure above critical pressure. Our discussion is mainly focused on the
supercritical boilers.

Classifiaction of Boiler According to

Pressure of Steam Generator

Low-Pressure Medium- High-Pressure Sub-critical Supercritical

Boiler Pressure Boiler Boiler Boiler Boiler

Fig. 1 Classification of Boilers on the basis of working pressures

2. History of supercritical steam generation

The concept of supercritical steam generation was given by Mark Benson in 1922. He patented
his design of new boiler which converts water into steam at high pressures. His main concern
about his new design of boiler was safety. Before the design of Mark Benson, earlier steam
generators were designed for low pressure operations up to 100 bars. The characteristic which
makes Benson’s boiler different from other ordinary boilers was steam separator drum. In
conventional boilers, these steam separator drums were used but the invention of Benson’s
design removed the use of steam drum in boilers. Since, Benson’s boiler works above critical
pressure so water is directly converted into steam without any phase change process thus this
design disregarded the use of steam separator in supercritical steam generation. With the
development of technology, several developments were made in Benson’s design which
deviates the design of developed Benson’s boiler from the original concept given by Benson.

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The developed benson boiler was first operated in 1930 without using pressurizing valve
between 40-180 bar. This operation gives the birth of modern variable pressure Benson boiler.
Philo Power Plant in Ohio was the first commercial supercritical steam electric generating unit
in the world,

3. Supercritical Steam Generator

It is a type of boiler which works at supercritical pressure to produce steam for the operation
of thermal power plant for the production of electric power. Now a day’s power production
industries are moving towards to use supercritical boilers rather than subcritical boilers due the
following advantages:
1. To generate same amount of heat energy, supercritical boiler takes less fuel in
comparison to subcritical boiler. Thus, efficiency of supercritical boilers is higher than
the subcritical boilers.
2. The carbon emissions (exhaust emissions) are lower relative to subcritical boilers since
it uses less amount of fuel to provide heat energy.
3. Since it does not use steam separator thus size of supercritical boiler is less than the
subcritical boiler with the same output.

Fig. 2 Temperature-Entropy diagram of supercritical steam generator during heat addition

The working pressure and temperature of supercritical boiler above the critical point of water.
Water above the critical point (221 bar, 374°C), shows different properties than its other phases.
There is no saturation vapor phase and boiling point above critical point. So, pressurized water
above critical point directly converted into supercritical steam without taking part in phase
change process as in subcritical boilers (i.e., enthalpy of vaporization hfg = 0). This makes
supercritical boiler different from subcritical boilers. Technically the term boiler should not be
used for supercritical steam generators as there is no boiling takes place during the conversion
of steam. Fig. 2 shows the conversion of water into supercritical steam above critical point on
temperature-entropy curve. Fig.3 shows the subcritical and supercritical zones on enthalpy-
pressure diagram.

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 Fig. 3 Enthalpy-Pressure diagram to differentiate subcritical and supercritical zones.
In subcritical boilers, water passes through saturation phase before water completely changes
its phase to superheated steam. Thus, subcritical boilers require an additional component called
steam drum which act as a separator between liquid water and saturated vapor which is further
converted to superheated steam. While conversion of water into steam in supercritical boiler
doesn’t pass through phase change process. Thus, supercritical boilers don’t require steam
drum. This is one of the economic advantages of supercritical boilers.
In traditional subcritical boilers, the net heat supplied to boilers from fuel to convert water to
steam is used in three means i.e., sensible heating in economizer, latent heat of vaporization in
evaporator, and heat required for superheating in superheater.
Qsupplied = Qeconomizer + Qevaporation + Qsuperheater
In case of supercritical boilers, Qevaporation which means less heat is required in supercritical
boilers for same heating effect as in subcritical boilers.

3.1 Working of supercritical steam generators

The supercritical steam generators will experience two kinds of circulatory systems i.e, Wet
Mode and Dry Mode.
(a) Wet Mode: It occurs when boiler load is below 30% or we can say that water pressure is
below critical point. In this condition, one can not negate the separating unit of liquid water
and steam completely. Below, critical point water will surely pass saturation phase so, steam
separator is required. Boiler circulation pump is used to ensure continuos flow of water inside
the boiler evaporator where the amount of water circulated passsing the evaporator is more
than amount of superheated vapor till the working pressure is below the critical point.
(b) Dry Mode: It occurs when boiler load is above 30% or we can say that water pressure is
above critical point. In this condition, water will not pass through saturated phase. In this case,
boiler ciculating pump and seprator will stop working. This leads the foundation of once-

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through boilers i.e, Single fluid flow will be observed by boiler which means water entering
the boiler will pass only once through the boiler pipes in absence of working of circulating
pumps.

4. Difference between Subcritical and Supercritical Steam Generator

The following table shows the difference between subcritical and supercritical steam generator:
Sub-critical Steam Generator Supercritical Steam Generator
Conversion of water into steam takes place Conversion of water into steam takes place
below the critical temperature of water. above critical temperature of water.
Mean temperature of heat addition is lower Mean temperature of heat addition is higher
so, it has lower efficiency. so, it has higher cyclic efficiency.
Steam Drum is required due to evaporative Water directly flashes to vapor stage. Hence,
zone. no steam drum is required.
Boiler size is large due to steam drum. Thus, Small plant size due to absence of boiler
large plant size. drum riser.
Less work output is obtained so less power More work output is obtained so more power
generation. generation.
Less Initial Cost High initial cost because high grade material
is required to bear high temperature and
pressure.
High maintenance cost Less maintenance cost
Number of stages is limited in turbine and Number of stages can be increased in turbine
reheater may be used. and reheater is not required in general.

Table. 1 Difference between subcritical and supercritical steam generators

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5. Advantages of Supercritical Steam Generator
Following are the advantages of supercritical boilers over conventional subcritical boilers.
a. Improvement in plant efficiency
Since, mean temperature of heat addition is more than that of sub-critical Rankine cycle
thus it has more efficiency.

b. The decrease in coal consumption

Since, it requires less heat for same power output as in subcritical steam generator due
to the absence of heat of vaporization. Thus, less fuel is required which shows decrease
in coal consumption.

c. Reduction in greenhouse gases

Due to the reduction in the CO emissions in supercritical boilers there is degradation in
greenhouse gases by considerable amount.

d. Even distribution of heat

Due to spiral wall arrangement in supercritical boilers, there is uniform distribution of
heat which leads to less boiler tube failure, hence improving system continuity.

6. Material Selection for the construction of supercritical boilers

Since supercritical boilers works at very high temperature and pressure above critical point so
it is necessary to select a material for its construction such that it can bear the stress generated
due to high temperature. The material which is selected for the boiler construction must possess
the following properties.
a. Material should possess large thermal conductivity so that thermal gradient can be
minimized.
b. Material should have the ability at structural level to resist the damaging metallurgical
change due to high temperature rise.
c. Material should possess good resistance against erosion, corrosion, and oxidation due
to varying atmospheric condition.
d. The coefficient of thermal expansion should be low so that it can resist the thermal
stresses produced in material.
e. The strength to weight ratio of the material should be high (density should be low).
f. Material should be available in desired shape and size and ease in fabrication so that
convert it into boiler by machining, forging, casting and welding.
g. During the operational conditions, there is large vibration within boiler which produces
cyclic stress in it. Thus, material of the boiler should be such that it possesses high
fatigue strength.

7. Operational effects on supercritical boilers components

In operational conditions, some effects can be seen in boiler can be-
 Ageing due to high temperature effect.
 Ash attack due to high temperature corrosion.
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  Erosion due to high velocity flue gas with the particulate burden
 Oxide scale growth on steam side.
 Thermal cycling.

8. Thermal Performance and Emission Reduction

The supercritical steam generators are mainly used to increase the overall plant thermal
efficiency by reducing the fuel consumption per unit generated electric power. It can be
increased in two ways i.e., either by increasing superheater / reheater steam temperatures or
pressures or both. Due to the reduction in fuel consumption, there will be reduction in CO2
emissions. In comparison to subcritical boilers there will be reduction of about 8-10 % in CO2
emission in supercritical boilers. Other emissions like, NOX, SOX are also reduced with reduced
fuel consumption.

9. Indian Scenario of Super Critical Power Plants

India has installed capacity of 274818 MW from all kinds of power production units in form
of Coal, Gas, Diesel, Nuclear power plants. Out of 274818 MW of capacity only 11.35 % of
the total capacity is generated using supercritical units. The existing powerplants of NTPC
which uses supercritical boilers in India are located in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra,
Andhra Pradesh, Gujrat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana.

10. Conclusions
 If supercritical & ultra-supercritical power generation technology is to become one of
the preferred choices in new power plant construction, it has to become economic
against the alternative technologies such as subcritical coal-fired conventional power
plants.
 Advanced austenitic stainless steels for use as superheater and reheater tubing are
available for service temperatures up to 650°C and possibly 700°C. Ni base superalloys
would be needed for higher temperatures.
 Ferritic materials will be replaced by nickel-based superalloys for ultra-supercritical
applications as steam conditions are increased. This changeover point is an issue still
to be resolved.
 Better understanding of maintenance needs of the ultra-supercritical boiler and related
auxiliary systems is essential for long-term, reliable operation.