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Boiler Economy
Boiler Economy
Boiler Economy
Let us first understand how costs / savings are calculated. We know that,
Boiler Heat Input is the energy from fuel, and boiler Heat Output is the energy in steam.
Boiler Heat Input = Qf X GCV
Where, Qf = Quantity of fuel (in kg/hr)
GCV (Gross Calorific Value) =Energy contained in fuel in kcal/kg
Boiler Heat Output = Qs X (Hs – Hw)
Where Qs = Quantity of steam (in kg/hr)
Hs = Heat contained in steam (Enthalpy of Saturated steam hg)
Hw = Heat already present in the water from which steam is raised
To find out the fuel cost for liquid/gas fuels, we need to divide by the Specific gravity (ρ) of that fluid.
This is the basic equation we will work with for allocating fuel cost.
Cost of steam.
Example 5.1
Let us take a 5TPH (tons per hour) oil-fired boiler, @10.5 kg/cm2g, using DM water at an ambient temperature of
30°C.
Direct cost
First, we calculate the Direct costs of
• Fuel
• Water
• Water treatment
• Electricity
Fuel
= 7945.66 Rs/hr
Assume the boiler operates for 24 hours a day for 335 days a year which is about 8000 hours per year. So, Cost of
FO = 7945.66 x 8000 Rs/year = Rs. 635.6 lakhs/ year (A)
Water
A 5TPH boiler will use 5 tons of water per hour. Assume water cost as Rs. 10/klitre = Rs. 10/ ton of water. So, Cost of
water = 5 x 10 x 8000 = Rs. 4 lakhs/year (B)
Water treatment
Assume DM water treatment cost as Rs. 30/Klitre.
So, Cost of treatment = 5 x 30 x 8000 = Rs. 12 Lakhs/year (C)
Electricity
Electricity is used by every boiler for running its feedpumps, blowers, controls, etc. assume electricity consumption @
40 Kw-hr. Also, take the cost of electricity at Rs. 4.50p per Kw-hr. So,
Cost of electricity = 40 x 4.5 x 8000 = Rs. 14.4 lakhs/year (D)
Indirect costs
These are the costs of
• Capital cost of -Space, Boiler cost, Depreciation
• Manpower
Manpower
Assume 3 IBR boiler Operators (salary Rs. 8000/year) and one boiler Supervisor (salary Rs. 10,000/year).
Total cost = Rs. 4.1 lakhs/year (E)
Capital cost
We will take out the cost of finance of both the space and the boiler. Space cost. 5000 sq. ft of boilerhouse space x
Rs. 400/sq.ft. = Rs. 20 lakhs.
Boiler cost. Rs. 50 lakhs
Finance cost of Rs. 70 lakhs = 0.15 x 70 = Rs. 10 lakhs/year
Depreciation of boiler = 0.15 x 50 = 7.5 lakhs/year
A total Capital cost = Rs. 17.5 lakhs/year (F)
Adding A + B + C + D + E + F, we get Rs. 687.6 lakhs for a 5 TPH boiler/year.
Or, Rs. 137 lakhs / ton / year, or, Rs. 1,719 / TPH !!
Cost of leaks.
Cost of Condensate.
In the boiler , we heat water by suppling it energy in the form of heat. When the temperature goes above boiling point
of water it changes state & converts to steam. Steam is the form in which this heat energy is now carried to the
process. Lets say a jacketed vessel containing some liquid which needs to be heated. When steam is supplied to this
cooler material to be heated, the energy is transferred from steam which new changes back to liquid state- i.e it
condenses. This hot water is called condensate.
Unfortunately, in practice not all of this heat energy is transferred. Only 75% of the total energy carried by steam is
transferred. What happens to the rest? That”s right. It is now in the condensate. So, if the total energy produced by
the boiler is 100, units only 75 is transferred to the process. 25 units is trapped in the condensate.
This condensate collects in the pipes which are at a high pressure. When condensate is drained out from steam trap
to a lower pressure, instantaneously some of the condensate re-evaporates as Flash Steam. About half of the energy
carried by the condensate can be cost in this way. So ,out of the 25 units of heat in condensate 12.5 units just
evaporates.
What is Condensate Management?
We have already explained condensate and flash steam. When we talk of removing condensate, recovering it and
receiving flash steam as well, this is called Condensate Management
It is easy to figure that collecting & recovering both condensate & flash steam is very critical not just in money terms
but also to prevent wastage.
How Much can Condensate recovery save the client?
• Money Saving : Of fuel
• Money Saved : Of water Conserved• Money Saved : Of chemicals
Condensate return cuts cost of water
Condensate is after all water, and when returned to the boiler slashes water bills from the government, or, reduces
electricity costs if we are pumping it up from a nearby river.
Condensate is ideal Boiler feedwater
As condensate comes from pure steam it is distilled water with no dissolved solids. ( very low TDS). If condensate is
returned, the boiler needs lesser blowdown which is a big economic consideration as the boiler loses energy each
time it blows down.
For blowdown and TDS talk see Chemistry / TDS section
Not just that, because we are recycling condensate, we save the cost of chemical treatments that we would have to
do, were we using fresh make-up water.
Condensate adds to boiler efficiency
When cold water is used to top up the boiler, naturally the boilers efficiency is compromised the lower the feed water
temperature, the lesser the steam a boiler produces.
The boilers “From and At rating” falls. Cold water put into the boiler might even lead to thermal shock.
Condensate saves chemical costs
As condensate is pure water, and it has already been treated, it can be used as is in the boiler. This cuts the cost of
water treatment, too.
How do we determine how much condensate recovery saves the client in monetary terms? Simple. Condensate
returned, means fuel saved. How much this fuel saving is, can be determined from the formula:
Where,
Qc = Quantity of condensate (in kg/hr)
Hc = Heat contained in condensate (in kcal/kg)
Hw = Heat already present in the water at ambient tenmperature (in kcal/kg)
GCV (Gross Calorific Value) =Energy contained in fuel in kcal/kg
η = Boiler efficiency
ρ = Specific gravity of liquid/gas fuel
Example 5.2. Find the cost savings from one ton of condensate at 100°C, 0 kg/cm2g on an oil-fired boiler.
Cost of Flash.
If sufficiently hot condensate from a pressurized system is released to a lower pressure, some of that condensate will
have the heat necessary to become steam. This is called flash steam.
‘Flash steam’ is released from hot condensate when its pressure is reduced. Even water at room temperature of 35°C
would boil if its pressure were lowered far enough. It may be worth noting that water at 170°C will boil at any pressure
below 7 kg/cm2g. The steam released by the flashing process is as useful as steam released from a steam boiler.
Example 5.3
What is the total savings from 1 TPH condensate @ 7barg on oil?
First we use a flash separator to separate out flash at 0.5 barg.
The quantity of flash separated can be found from the formula:
Where,
hf1 = Enthalpy of water at the higher pressure kcal/kg
hf2 = Enthalpy of water at the flashing pressure kcal/kg
hfg2 = Enthalpy of evaporation at the flash steam pressure
% of flash steam generated = hf (7barg) - hf (0.5 barg) / hfg (0.5 barg) = 172 - 111/ 532 x 100 = 11.5 %The above
formula, in fact, is used to make the graph below.
Boiler evolution.
In the 17th century, the events of the Industrial Revolution, primarily in England, promoted the rapid development of
the steam engine by such inventors as Thomas Newcomen and James Watt.
Watt is credited with being the first inventor to separate the steam engine, and the boiler, into two separate units in
the latter part of the 18th Century. In these early times, the primary use of the boiler was to generate steam for steam
driven engines. As steam driven engines replaced the horse, as a means of motive power, it followed that steam
driven engines were rated in ‘Horsepower’.
Boiler design progressed from what was essentially a kettle to a relatively large-diameter flue pipe submerged in
water – thus the first fire-tube boiler. As power and pressure requirements increased, boilers became larger and the
single-flue pipe became a larger number of smaller diameter flue tubes combined with an external, or internal,
furnace for the combustion of the fuel.
Competition between fire-tube boiler manufacturers eventually forced improvements in boiler design and fuel burning
equipment. This, together with a broad shift towards liquid and gaseous fuel utilization, resulted in cleaner and more
reliable combustion and improved heat transfer within the boiler.
The basic evolution in boiler designs were:
• Plain Cylinder Boiler
• Cornish Boiler
• Lancashire Boiler
• Upright Fire Tube Boilers
• Scotch Boiler
Unfortunately, the internal tube with its furnace and fierce heat was constantly changing length. It would bulge and
then contract as the temp dropped even slightly leading to stress. The results were the same. An explosion.
The Lancashire Boiler
The need for smaller more powerful, to say nothing of safer, steam boilers led to the Lancashire Boiler design. It had
many advantages:
1. First, each boiler had two completely separate furnaces sitting side by side. And each furnace had a
separate flue system. This idea was outstanding. Why?
2. Everything that burns contains some water. This water must be evaporated for fuel to burn
efficiently. Doing this, the furnace cools somewhat and that in turn lowers the amount of air being
drawn into the furnace. The less air drawn in the less heat created in the furnace. This slight cooling
placed a heavy strain on the ends of the boiler. It also slowed the heating of the water inside the
boiler reducing the amount of steam available.
3. With the Lancashire Boiler each furnace is stoked at a different time. This means that one furnace is
always producing maximum heat and that heat creates a powerful draught in both furnaces speeding
up the ignition process. Something like blowing on a campfire. It heats things up real fast.
4. It also means that more air is drawn into the system which allows combustion (burning) of the smoke
created by the "low" burning furnace. This combustion takes place in flue #2 thereby increasing the
amount of heating of the sides of the cylinder.
5. 2. Like the boilers we have already seen, the Lancashire Boiler has three flues. But the Lancashire
Boiler is designed with two separate flue systems. Gasses from the right side furnace remain on the
right side of the boiler while hot gasses from the left furnace remain on the left side. They do not
combine until they reach the base of the chimney connection. This system provided a very powerful,
even and constant draught in both furnaces.
3. Another major improvement in heat transfer and fuel efficiency was the addition of "Galloway
Tubes". Hollow metal tubes which traverse (connect both sides of ) the main flue #1. Water in the boiler
flowed through these tubes which are subject to heating by the hottest fire and gasses which pass
around them.
4. The increased efficiency of Lancashire style boilers also allowed them to be smaller. Commonly only
seven feet in diameter (side to side) and twenty-seven feet long. A great saving of both space and
weight.
5. There were extensive number of internal braces designed to keep the cylinder from rupturing. The
braces, and stays kept the ends from bulging and added much to the overall strength of the boiler.
6. These boilers were the first to feature the "low water safety valve" shown in the illustration. Should
the water level drop below the top of the internal flues, the intense heat of the furnace would quickly burn
through the metal. A float rides up and down with the water level in the boiler. As the water dropped
below a predetermined level, the valve would gradually open and release steam pressure. The noise this
valve made when it opened would also get the attention of the engineer very, very, quickly.
7. A second "Pop Off Safety Valve" was also installed at the front of the boiler. These valves operated
on steam pressure alone. When the pressure in the boiler exceeded a specified amount, these valves
suddenly "popped" wide open and stayed wide open until they were reset or replaced.
They can still be seen in some old paper plants. The concept of riveting came from these boilers (in the past,
the welding quantity was not good enough for higher pressures)
The Upright Fire Tube Boilers
We take a side track and explain something about the vertical (upright)
boiler.
• The furnace is located inside the water tank. It has a number of brass
tubes which extend through the boiler to the chimney carrying the hot
gases allowing an extremely high rate of heat transfer to the water. In
other words, the fire passed through the tubes, hence the name, Fire
Tube Boiler.
• The water tank or boiler is a vertical tank not a horizontal cylinder.
• Their compactness and the speed with which they developed a
working steam pressure was of major importance.
• The relatively low pressures developed by this style of boiler made it perfect for many jobs. From
heating a home to powering small steamboats.
Disadvantages:
• The extremely hot gasses made only one pass through the boiler so this design is not as efficient as
those that route the heat back and forth. Much heat was wasted going straight up the chimney.
The Scotch Boiler (2-pass)
Engineers and designers of steam boilers had long understood the relationship between the amount of heat
generated in a furnace and the ability of water to absorb that heat. Yet, unlike the Lancashire boiler, the
Scotch boiler does
• The water tank is made from corrugated plates and does not utilize Galloway tubes. Because of the
larger water surface exposed to the heat more heat is transferred to the water.
• The end plates are reinforced by heavy through bolts. This combination of through bolts and corrugated
plates provided an extremely strong boiler.
• The Scotch Boiler has “fire tubes” arranged above the furnaces, but below the water surface.
• At the back end of the boiler the hot gasses entered a chamber, or Dry Back which allowed the end
plate to be heated and also directed the gasses into the fire tubes. From there the hot gasses moved
forward through the numerous tubes to the chimney.
• The Scotch Boiler was quite versatile. Designs were built to deliver anywhere from 6 to 300 BHP (boiler
horse power).
Disadvantages:
Water circulation within the boiler was poor. Cooler water was settling at the bottom of the boiler, acting like
an insulator and decreasing the efficiency of the boiler.
• It also allowed mud and scales to be deposited on the outside of the main flues.
• The metal tubes could not transfer heat effectively to the water. Eventually the insulation effect would allow
the metal to heat to a point where it would bend.
Boiler classification.
There are two approaches in boiler design: fire tube and water tube. The goal in all cases is to maximize the heat
transfer between the water and the hot gases heating it.
Fire-tube boilers
The name firetube is very descriptive. The fire, or hot flue gases from the burner, is channeled through tubes that are
surrounded by the fluid to be heated. The tubes in a fire-tube boiler are made of carbon steel. The body of the boiler
is the pressure vessel and contains the fluid. In most cases this fluid is water that will be circulated for heating
purposes or converted to steam for process use.
Every set of tubes that the flue gas travels through, before it makes a turn, is considered a "pass". So a three-pass
boiler will have three sets of tubes with the stack outlet located on the rear of the boiler. A 4-pass will have four sets
and the stack outlet at the front. A fire-tube boiler was more common in the 1800s.It consists of a tank of water
perforated with pipes. The hot gases from a coal or wood fire run through the pipes to heat the water in the tank, as
shown here:
Advantages:
• Relatively inexpensive
• Easy to clean
• Compact in size
• Available in sizes from 600,000 btu/hr to 50,000,000 btu/hr
• Easy to replace tubes
• Well suited for space heating and industrial process applications
Disadvantages:
• Not suitable for high pressure applications 250 psig and above
• Limitation for high capacity steam generation
• In a fire-tube boiler, the entire tank is under pressure, so if the tank bursts it creates a major explosion.
For example, steam locomotives have fire-tube boilers, where the fire is inside the tube and the water on the outside.
These usually take the form of a set of straight tubes passing through the boiler through which hot combustion gases
flows.
Water-tube boilers
A Watertube design is the exact opposite of a fire tube. Here the water flows through a rack of narrow tubes that are
encased in a furnace in which the burner fires into. The tubes frequently have a large number of bends and
sometimes fins to maximize the surface area. These tubes are connected to a steam drum and a mud drum. The
water is heated and steam is produced in the upper drum.
These boilers are more common today. This type of boiler is generally preferred in high pressure applications since
the high pressure water/steam is contained within narrow pipes which can contain the pressure with a thinner wall.
Large steam users are also better suited for the Water tube design. The industrial watertube boiler typically produces
steam or hot water primarily for industrial process applications, and is used less frequently for heating applications.
Advantages:
• Available in sizes that are far greater than the firetube design. Up to several million pounds per hour of steam.
• Able to handle higher pressures up to 5,000 psig
• Recover faster than their firetube cousin
• Have the ability to reach very high temperatures
Disadvantages:
• High initial capital cost
• Cleaning is more difficult due to the design
• No commonality between tubes
• Physical size may be an issue
The following simplified diagram shows you a typical layout for a water-tube boiler:
In a real boiler, things would be much more complicated because the goal of the boiler is to extract every
possible bit of heat from the burning fuel to improve efficiency.
The older fire-tube boiler design—in which the water surrounds the heat source and the gases from
combustion pass through tubes through the water space—is a much weaker structure and is rarely used for
pressures above 350 psi (2.4 MPa). A significant advantage of the water tube boiler is that there is less
chance of a catastrophic failure: There is not a large volume of water in the boiler nor are there large
mechanical elements subject to failure.
Here are some other ways to classify a boiler.
Types of fuels.
Sources of heat for the boiler can be the combustion of fuels such as wood, bagasse, coal, oil or natural gas.
Electric boilers use resistance or immersion type heating elements. Nuclear fission is also used as a heat
source for generating steam. Waste-heat boilers, or HRSGs use the heat rejected from other processes such
as gas turbines.
Boilers are now specifically designed to utilize a wide range of standard and alternative fuels.
Solids: Coals like Bitumen and Anthracite
Liquids: Oils like FO/LDO/ LSHS / HSD
Gas: Natural gas/ LPG
Alternative fuels: Agricultural waste like bagasse, husk, shells / wood / shavings
FO (Furnace Oil) This fuel is a heavy, unrefined fuel. It is less than half the cost of diesel.
LDO (Light Diesel Oil)
LSHS (Low Sulphur Heavy Stock means it is less polluting)
HSD (High Speed Diesel)
Natural gas This is piped to the plant.
With the development of fluidised bed combustion, the solid fuel boiler's efficiencies have gone up
considerably. Therefore, a lot of plants are now looking at solid fuels.
Waste Heat There are some application which are exothermic in nature - like, DG sets, reactors. Their waste
water is generally cooled before being released into rivers or sewage pipes. Instead, we now use this waste
heat to pre-heat water for steam.
Fuel Selection
Fuel is selected based on the following parameters:
• GCV (Gross Calorific Value)
• Availability
• Cost
• Manageability
• Emissions
• Byproducts
• Boiler Design
• Boiler Efficiency (η) Fuels
GCV (Gross Calorific Value). This tells us how much heat we get by burning the fuel.
Availability and cost. It is important that the fuel is available easily and at a reasonable cost.
Manageability. Fuels like coal or bagasse, are more difficult to transport, store and feed.ustion gases flows.
Emmissions from boilers have become a cause for concern in Mumbai. The eastern side of Mumbai is
switching to natural gas-fired boilers as there are residences coming up in Mulund.
Coal has a lot of by-products, especially coal dust. These are undesirable by-products especially for food or
pharma plants.
Boiler design. Obviously the choice of design determines what type of boiler is used. It is the fuel which is
decided first, as the
cost of fuel used per year is always more than the boiler cost
Efficiency (η) based on GCV
Lancashire – (50-60)%
2 P – 70%
3 P W B (oil) – 85%
FBC - (70 -75)%
Chain grate - (60-70)%
Fig. Chain grate fro a coal Boiler
Modern Boilers.
The modern boilers are far superior to these old giants. They are smaller, cheaper, with high efficiencies and
the heat release rates are higher, so smaller surface areas are needed for heat transfer.
1. Manufacturers name plate This has the MCR - Maximum Continuous Rating – of the boiler mentioned on it,
besides the F&A rating.
2. Boiler shell. This stores water for heating. It is cylindrical in shape with both ends closed.
3. Front and rear doors are closed using studs with lugs and brass nuts for ease of opening and closing. These
doors allow for total access to the return tubes.
4 Burner. An equipment which burns the fuel. Burners mix air with fuel to provide oxygen in the combustion
process. Burners are specifically matched with the furnace diameter and lenght for complete/efficient combustion.
Burners utilise gas, light/ heavy oil or pulverized (finely ground) coal in combination with air or pressure atomization of
the oil.
5. Air louver, linkage and setting is visuable for ease of monitoring, adjustment and cleaning.
6. Control panel. This is used to control the boiler and is either boiler mounted or on a separate skid.
7. Control circuit junction box with terminal strips to permit checking individual control operations.
8. Fuel oil heating and filtering systems.
9. Structural steel skid type base supports the boiler and protects burner. This is bolted to the foundation.
10. Furnace. Space in a boiler where a burner burns liquid or gas fuel. (A fire grate burns solid fuel). The hot flue
gases travel from furnace to the chimney. A large diameter furnace will provide for complete combustion and
maximum heat transfer.
11. Wetback turnaround eliminates the need for refractory lining, bafles, gaskets and provides additional primary
heating surface for incrased efficiency.
12. Split/hinged rear doors provide access to the rear tube sheet and third pass tubes.
13. Round rear smoke outlet.
14. Heavy steel lifting eyes for ease of handling.
15. Mineral fiber insulation reduces heat loss through the jacket and provides jacket support.
16. Hard enamel paint finish to the galvanized coated steel jacket.
17. 3 Pass design for optimum efficiency and economical operation.
18. Front smoke box and doors lined with ceramic fiber blanket.
Chimney. This is a system for venting hot gases and smoke from a boiler to the outside atmosphere. They are
typically almost vertical to ensure the hot gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion through convection.
The space inside a chimney is called a flue. Chimneys are tall to disperse pollutants in the exhaust over a greater
area reducing the concentration of toxins to a safe level and to increase the draw.
On and around a boiler.
The heart of any modern steam system is the boiler house. Here we need to achieve
• maximum Safety via Boiler mountings
• high Efficiency and economical running via Boiler auxillaries
• excellent Controls on pressure and temp (see Boiler controls)
Boiler mountings - for maximum safety
All the following are mounted on the boile r shell and are a must for every boiler. All of them are provided for the safe
working of boiler.
• Feed pumps
• Feed check valve
• Main steam stop valve(MSSV) or Crown valve
• Mobrey - water level indicator
• Safety Valve
• Gauge glass
• Fusible plug
Stack Economizers should be considered as an efficiency measure when large amounts of make-up water are
used (ie: not all condensate is returned to the boiler or large amounts of live steam is used in the process so
there is no condensate to return) or there is a simultaneous need for large volumes of hot water.
Super-heaters
A superheater is a device that heats the steam generated by the boiler again, increasing its thermal energy
and decreasing the likelihood that it will condense inside the engine.
Superheat refers to the process of increasing the temperature of steam above saturation temperatures to
produce a very "dry" steam with absolutely no water vapor. This feature is most common in very large power
plant boilers of watertube construction. Power plants use superheated steam to run the turbine blades.
Turbine blades are very vulnerable to water damage. Super heated steam being absolutely dry, is much more
suited for this expensive equipment, increasing its life and reducing replacement costs.
Air pre-heaters
An air preheater is designed to heat air before combustion in a boiler. The purpose of the air preheater is to
recover the heat from the flue gas from the boiler to improve boiler efficiency by burning warm air which
increases combustion efficiency, and reducing useful heat lost from the flue. As a consequence, the gases are
also sent to the chimney or stack at a lower temperature, allowing simplified design of the ducting and stack. It
also allows control over the temperature of gases leaving the stack (to meet emissions regulations, for
example).
It uses waste heat to pre-heat air for combustion in boilers. Better combustion can be achieved as the fuel can
be atomized better after pre-heating of air.
Boiler controls.
We must have an excellent control on pressure and temperature as well as other parameters in the boiler.
• Sequence control
• Feedwater level control\
• Pressure (firing) control
• Trim control
• Blowdown control
Sequence control
Every boiler has a sequence of events to be executed before start-up and after shut down. To illustrate, a
simple start-up sequence for an oil-fired boiler is shown.
F&A rating.
The boiler is rated to work at a certain pressure and at that pressure it can generate a defined quantity of
steam. This can also be written as the F & A rating of the boiler.
This is used as a measure of the boiler ability to produce steam. It gives us the amount of steam (in kgs) that a
boiler will produce if supplied with water at 100ºC. eg. A 2 ton boiler gives us 2000 kgs of steam per hour. It is
written as 2 TPH F&A 100.
This means that when the water inside the boiler is at 100ºC and the steam take-off is also at 100ºC, the boiler
will gives us 2 tons/hour of steam.
F&A Rating X 540 = Actual Rating X ( hg – hfFW)
Where,
hg = enthalpy of steam at generation pressure
hfFW = Feed water enthalpy
Example 6.1. Take a 10 TPH boiler, @ 10.54 barg, 75°C
Distribution. Steam is carried by piping to various equipment that heat or process material. Again, the steam
is carried along because of pressure changes within the system. Steam has now arrived at its point of use.
Utilisation. Heat from the steam is now put to work. Special devices absorb heat from steam to do different
types of jobs. As the steam gives up its heat through heat transfer or use, it condenses or changes its state -
this time from a gas back into a liquid. This is called condensate. As condensate can lead to various problems
in the steam system, it is drained via steam traps almost immediately.
Condensate Return. Condensate is that is already treated before entering the steam circuit. If this is returned
to the boiler, it can replace an equal quantity of cold make-up water. This is not only energy-wise but also
helps save fuel.
In most cases, when start-up occurs, we bypass the trap. The cost of traps rise exponentially with
increasing pipe size. This way , when the normal load comes on and condensate reduces, we can
function with a much smaller trap.
Keeping cost in mind, we can also decide to use cheaper (and efficient ) traps for non- critical
applications like the steam lines, and more expensive ones for critical areas like process.
Practically, we need to install traps every 30 M in a stream line. But, if we are using cheaper traps,
we can even reduce this distance to 25 M for increased reliability of trapping and replace as &
when required.
Good design practice
In terms of configuration, this should include, among other things, the following: proper slope, the
elimination of pockets, proper trapping of condensate when pockets do occur, strategic location of
steam traps and a configuration that integrates flexibility to keep the system piping itself within
allowable stress ranges during expansion and contraction cycles.
Condensate return.
Condensate is the by -product of heat transfer in a steam system. It forms in the distribution system due to
unavoidable radiation. It also forms in heating and process equipment as a result of desirable heat transfer
from the steam to the substance heated. Onces the steam has condensed and given up its valuable latent
heat, the hot condensate must be removed immediately.
Often, the condensate which forms will drain easily out of the plant through a steam trap. The condensate
enters the condensate drainage system. If it is contaminated, it will probably be drained.
Although the available heat in a kg of condensate is small as compared to a kg of steam, condensate is still
valuable hot water and should be returned to the boiler.
If not, the valuable heat energy it contains can be retained by returning it to the boiler feedtank. This also
saves on water and water treatment costs.
Sometimes a vacuum may form inside the steam using plant. This hinders condensate drainage, but proper
drainage from the steam space maintains the effectiveness of the plant. The condensate may then have to be
pumped out.
Steam powered mechanical pumps are used for this purpose. These, or electric powered pumps, are used to
lift the condensate back to the boiler feedtank. Steam and the condensate system represents a continuous
loop.
Pipeline accessories.
The steam pipeline has many accessories, all designed for special purposes and needs.
• Stop Valves
• Bypass valves
• Non-return Valves (NRV) and Disc Check Valves (DCV)
• Control Valves (CV)
• Pressure Reducing Valves (PRV)
• Strainers
• Moisture Separators (Msep)
• Traps
• Pressure gauges (PG)
• Pressure sensors
• Temperature gauges (TG)
• Temperature sensors
• Vacuum Breakers (VB)
• Safety Valves (SV)
Stop Valves
These are basic valves that shut off or supply steam, water or air supply to the downstream end. These come
in three basic types:
• Ball
• Gate
• Globe
Our PRS for example has two stop valves one at the inlet and the other at the outlet.
Bypass Valve
This valve are the normal stop valves, but installed in a bypass line, which can be used to bypass a piece of
equipment, or a section of pipe during routine maintenance, when new fittings are to be put online, or
removed.They are usually Globe valves.
For example, if the trap needs maintenance, the stop valve before trap is shut, the bypass opened, and the
trap taken out.
Distillation columns
Distillation is a separation process, separating components in a mixture by making use of the fact that some
components vaporize more readily than others. When vapours are produced from a mixture, they contain the
components of the original mixture, but in proportions which are determined by the relative volatilities of these
components. The vapour is richer in some components, those that are more volatile, and so a separation
occurs.
In fractional distillation, the vapour is condensed and then re--evaporated when
a further separation occurs. It is difficult and sometimes impossible to prepare
pure components in this way, but a degree of separation can easily be attained if
the volatilities are reasonably different. Where great purity is required,
successive distillations may be used.
In traditional distillation, steam or another heat source is indirectly applied
through an external reboiler. In contrast, in direct steam distillation, the steam
acts as a dilutant, preventing the buildup of undesirable by-products at the
bottom of the distillation column.
Used especially in Chemical and Pharmaceutical industries.
Case study: Steam distillation is also the most common method of extracting
essential oils. Many old-time distillers favor this method for most oils, and say
that none of the newer methods produces better quality oils.
Steam distillation is done in a still. Fresh, or sometimes dried, botanical material is placed in the plant chamber
of the still, and pressurized steam is generated in a separate chamber and circulated through the plant
material. The heat of the steam forces the tiny intercellular pockets that hold the essential oils to open and
release them. The temperature of the steam must be high enough to open the pouches, yet not so high that it
destroys the plants or fractures or burns the essential oils.
As they are released, the tiny droplets of essential oil evaporate and, together with the steam molecules, travel
through a tube into the still's condensation chamber. As the steam cools,it condenses into water. The essential
oil forms a film on the surface of the water. To separate the essential oil from the water, the film is then
decanted or skimmed off the top.
Autoclaves and sterilizers
An autoclave is a pressurized device designed to heat aqueous solutions above their boiling point.
The heat generated under pressure is called latent heat and has more penetrative power to
squeeze through bacteria and even their dormant, heat-resistant form—the spores. This
works just fine on solid objects when we start to talk about hollow objects ( needles, tools etc
etc) you need to make sure all the air get sucked out or otherwise it will act as an insulation
for the bacteria you want to kill.
Their chambers are usually made of SS316 grade stainless steel chamber, and conform to
pressure vessel codes. They have to produce sterile loads repeatedly. They must be very
easy to clean and reliable.
Autoclaves are widely used in medicine and metallurgy.
Sterilisation is the elimination of all transmissible agents (such as bacteria, prions and
viruses) from a surface, a piece of equipment, food or biological culture medium. This is different
from disinfection, where only organisms that can cause disease are removed by a disinfectant.
In general, any instrument that enters an already sterile part of the body (such as the blood, or
beneath the skin) should be sterilized. This includes equipment like scalpels, hypodermic needles
and artificial pacemakers. This is also essential in the manufacture of many sterile
pharmaceuticals.
CSG Clean Steam Generators / PSG Pure steam generators
They are basically heat exchangers in which steam is used to convert ultra-pure water to ultra-pure
steam. Used in Pharma, Food industries.
Steam jacketed molding presses
Used in the following industries: Tyre, Rubber, Chocolate, Fibre glass thermocole
packaging.
Vapour absorption chillers
The absorption chiller is a machine to produce chilled water by using heat such as steam,
hot water, gas, oil. The chilled water is then used for airconditioning plants.
Absorption chillers use heat instead of mechanical energy to provide cooling. A thermal compressor consists
of an absorber, a generator, a pump, and a throttling device, and replaces the mechanical vapor compressor.
Chilled water is produced by the principle that liquid, which evaporates easily,
absorbs heat from surrounding when it evaporates. In the chiller, refrigerant
vapor from the evaporator is absorbed by a solution mixture in the absorber.
This solution is then pumped to the generator. There the refrigerant re-
vaporizes using a waste steam heat source. The refrigerant-depleted solution
then returns to the absorber via a throttling device.
Pure water is used as refrigerant and lithium bromide solution is used as
absorbent.
Ejectors
Ejector is the generic name of a jet appliance capable of aspirating different products: gases,
liquids and solids (powders, granulates or sludge) and takes different names according to its
functions: jet vacuum pump, thermocompressor, gas scrubber, eductor, etc. The operating theory
is the same for every type of ejector.
Jet vacuum pump (our main application for the ejector)
Static operating apparatus capable of obtaining a vacuum within a capacity. The vacuum
corresponds to the suction pressure of the steam or gas needed by process requirements. The
suction pressure is obtained by means of thermodynamic and fluid mechanics laws: A high energy
potential motive fluid is relieved through a converging and diverging nozzle and accelerated to
velocities that are often supersonic. At the outlet of the nozzle, the potential energy of the motive
fluid is transformed into kinetic energy.
At the inlet of the diffuser, the motive fluid gives off part of its kinetic energy to the aspirated fluid
so that the mixture of the two fluids goes through inverse transformation in which the velocity is converted into
pressure at the diffuser discharge.
1. Motive fluid inlet
2. Vacuum – suction
3. Nozzle
4. Diffuser
4.1. Converging mixing cone
4.2. Diffuser neck
5. Discharge
Turbines
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it
into useful mechanical work. It is operated by highly pressurized steam directed against vanes on a rotor.
It has completely replaced the reciprocating piston steam engine primarily because of its greater thermal
efficiency and higher power-to-weight ratio. Also, because the turbine generates rotary motion, it is particularly
suited to be used to drive an electrical generator - it doesn't require a linkage mechanism to convert
reciprocating to rotary motion.
Pic. Turbine rotors on which high-pressure steam is directed
Steam turbines are made in a variety of sizes ranging from small 1 hp (0.75 kW) units used as mechanical
drives for pumps, compressors and other shaft driven equipment, to 2,000,000 hp (1,500,000 kW) turbines
used to generate electricity.
There are several classifications for modern steam turbines.
Noncondensing or backpressure turbines are most widely used for process steam applications. The exhaust
pressure is controlled by a regulating valve to suit the needs of the process steam pressure. These are
commonly found at refineries, pulp and paper plants, and desalination facilities where large amounts of low
pressure process steam is available.
Condensing turbines are most commonly found in electrical power plants. These turbines exhaust steam in a
partially saturated state, typically of a quality greater than 90%, at a pressure well below atmospheric to a
condenser.
Extracting type turbines are common in all applications. In an extracting type turbine, steam is released from
various stages of the turbine, and used for industrial process needs or sent to boiler feed water heaters to
improve overall cycle efficiency. Extraction flows may be controlled with a valve, or left uncontrolled. Induction
turbines introduce low pressure steam at an intermediate stage to produce additional power.
Quality of steam.
Steam may be at the correct pressure and temperature, but the quality of steam is very important as well.
Good quality steam must be dry. Dry steam is steam which has a very high dryness fraction, ie almost no
moisture. Unfortunately, in most steam systems we are faced with wet steam. Wet steam is steam containing
a degree of water. It can reduce plant productivity and product quality, and can cause damage to most items
of plant and equipment. It can cause erosion and affect heat transfer processes.
What is the ideal steam quality?
• Steam must not be wet, but with as high a dryness fraction as possible.
• There should be no air present in steam.
• Steam should not contain any dirt.
Only then do we deliver it to our process.
Dry steam
Dryness fraction achieved from a typical shell boiler where the heat is supplied only to the water and where
the steam remains in contact with the water surface, typically contains around 5% water by mass. If the water
content of the steam is 5% by mass, then the steam is said to be 95% dry and has a dryness fraction of 0.95.
This is because bubbles of steam break through the water surface and they cause turbulence and splashing.
Therefore the steam space contains a mixture of water droplets and steam. This kind of steam is called wet
steam.
The actual enthalpy of evaporation of wet steam therefore is only 95% of the one in the steam table. So, wet
steam has lower usable heat energy than dry saturated steam. Also, the specific volume of water is much
lower than steam. Therefore, the total specific volume of steam will also reduce by the same factor.
Causes of wet steam
The boiler itself generates saturated steam which is inherently wet. Most shell type steam boilers produce
steam with a dryness fraction of between 95 and 98%.
Priming and carryover beacause of foaming and scale within the boiler shell increase wetness still further.
Steam condenses on the way from the boiler to the process as there is always a certain degree of heat loss
from the distribution pipe. The condensed water molecules will eventually gravitate towards the bottom of the
pipe forming a film of water. Steam flowing over this water can raise ripples that can build up into waves. The
tips of the waves tend to break off, throwing droplets of condensate into the steam flow.
Problems caused by wet steam
Water – a heat barrier. Water doesnt allow the heat in the steam to cross over to the process, ie the medium
to be heated. You can see the temperature drop because of the layer of moisture in the steam pipe. This
hampers not just plant productivity by increasing the cost of fuel, but also product quality.
Waterhammer. Failure of valves and flowmeters due to rapid wear or waterhammer.
Corrosion and Wiredrawing. Water droplets increase the amount of corrosion. Water droplets travelling at high
steam velocities will erode valve seats and fittings, a condition known as wiredrawing.
Erratic operation of control valves and flowmeters beacause of the above.
Scaling. Pure steam cannot carry any impurities, but water can. These impurities only increase scaling of
pipework and heating surfaces.
Understanding Water hammer
In a lot of steam systems, one can hear a thudding sound and feel the pipes vibrating intermittently. This
phenomenon is called water hammer and is caused by water lying in the bottom of steam lines, trapped in the
steam system. Water is formed by steam condensing. Steam traveling at up to 100 Kms per hour makes
“waves” as it passes over this condensate. (see fig.)
If enough condensate forms, high-speed steam pushes it along, creating a dangerous slug that grows larger
and larger as it picks up liquid in front of it. Anything that changes the direction - pipe fittings, regulating valves,
tees, elbows, blind flanges - can be destroyed. In addition to damage from this “battering ram”, high velocity
water may erode fittings by chipping away at metal surfaces.
Fig. Condensate allowed to collect in pipes isblown into waves by
steam passing over it and blocks flow at point A. Condensate in B
causes a pressure differential that allows steam pressure to push the
slug of condensate along like a battering ram.
Going back to basics, Momentum = mass X velocity
As water is 1000 times denser than steam, its mass and therefore
momentum is very large. At the high speed inside a steam pipe, it doesnt
turn at the bends, but crashes into them impacting the steam system. ( Practical: When you walk into factory
where the pipes are old, but the bends are new, you know they have problems with moisture and water in their
system).
If its not removed by moisture separators or drained by traps, it can cause a lot of damage to the steam
system.
Steamline Moisture Separator
How do you know a plant needs a moisture separator? When a plant experiences reduced heat exchanger
efficiency, erosion at pipe directional changes, erosion to in-line equipment and water hammer, the installation
of a separator is a must. All are possible indicators that the presence of entrained condensate particles and
the accumulation of condensate exists in the flow of steam.
Moisture separators remove the moisture that remains suspended in the steam flow, which cannot be
removed by either drainage or steam trapping. The separator is designed to work in-line and removes
approximately 95 - 98% of the entrained condensate particles.
Water drops have more mass and therefore more inertia than steam. (Water hammer is caused because of
this same reason, as, at bends the steam passes easily, but the water slug crahes into the bend causing
damage.)
In the Steamline plate type moisture separator we take advantage of this inertia difference between water and
steam. The Msep contains intercepting plates in its body. The steam + water mix has to change direction a
number of times to go through.
Fig. Inside a Moisture separator
What happens? First, the separator has a larger cross-section than the pipe. As the steam, with the entrained
condensate particles, enters the chamber of the separator it suddenly and momentarily looses some of its
velocity due to the sudden enlargement of the separator chamber. Some drops just fall to the bottom of the
separator as condensate. The mass of most condensate particles propels them forward into the impingement
baffles. These drops have too much inertia and mass to change direction when they hit the plates, so they just
collect on them or the outer perimeter wall of the separator chamber and collect at a low point in the separator.
The dry steam flows around the intercepting plates and comes out on the other side.
The MSep is fitted with a suitable steam trap module from the bottom to ensure the efficient removal of
condensate, without the loss of live steam.
There are other types of separators in use like the cyclonic and coalescence types of separator, but the plate-
type has an acceptable efficiency for steam velocities which are typically in the range of 10 m/s to 30 m/s.
Steam and air don't mix
Effect of Air on Steam Temperature
When air and other gases enter the steam system, they consume part of the volume that steam would
otherwise occupy. The temperature of the air/steam mixture falls below that of pure steam. There are tables
available that show the various temperature reductions caused by air at various percentages and pressures.
Effect of Air On Heat Transfer
The normal flow of steam towards the heat exchanger surface carries air and other gases with it. The steam
velocity pushes the gases to the walls of the heat exchangers, where they may block heat transfer. This
compounds the condensate drainage problem, because these gases must be removed along with the
condensate.
Since they do not condense and drain by gravity, these non-condensible gases set up a barrier between the
steam and the heat exchanger surface. The excellent insulating properties of air reduce heat transfer. In
fact ,under certain conditions as little as ½ of 1% by volume of air in steam can reduce heat transfer efficiency
by 50 % as seen in the figure below.
Fig. Steam condensing in a heat transfer unit moves air to the side of the heat transfer area. Here, the
air collects or "plates out" to form effective insulation.
When non-condensible gases (primarily air) continue to accumulate and are not removed, they may gradually
fill the heat exchanger with gases stop the flow of steam altogether. The unit is then “air bound”.
An air film 1mm thick has the same resistance to heat transfer as water 1" thick or iron 4.3" thick.. As a film it
acts as an insulator, in solution with steam it deprives the steam of its full heating potential. In other words, air
will assume a part of the total volume or pressure that is available. This is explained by Daltons Law of Partial
Pressures.
Daltons Law of Partial Pressures
In gas mixtures, each gas assumes a part of the total volume or pressure. This is referred to as partial
pressure. The partial pressure of each gas is dependent upon its proportion of the total mixture.
If we were to have a total steam line pressure of 5 kg/cm2 g consisting of 80% steam and 20% air the effective
steam pressure would be:
0.80x 5 = 4.0 kg/cm2 g
And the effective air pressure would be:
0.20x 5 = 1.0 kg/cm2 g
As a result the steam would effectively be 4 kg/cm2g steam in a 5 kg/cm2g line. In checking a thermometer in
the line at that location we would find the temperature to be 151.2° C for the 4 kg/cm2g steam and not 158.2°
C for the 5 kg/cm2g steam we would expect to find. That is a 7°C difference between the two pressures. In
addition there will also be a change in kcal's.(Although the 4 kg/cm2g steam has more enthalpy of latent heat
per weight than does the 5 kg/cm2g steam it has less by volume. Latent heat of evaporation at the 5 kg/cm2g
is 498.3 kcal/kg while for 4 kg/cm2g is 509.5 kcal/kg. It shows a difference of 11.2 kcal/kg.)
Fig.Chamber containing air and steam delivers only the heat of the partial pressure of the steam, not
total pressure.
In effect the air has displaced a portion of the enthalpy needed, by displacing a portion of the steam.
In order to make the distribution system as efficient as possible it becomes necessary to remove any air
before it can effect heat transfer by filming or becoming mixed with the steam.
Corrosion
Because boiler systems are constructed primarily of carbon steel and the heat transfer medium is water, the
potential for corrosion is high. Iron is carried into the boiler in various forms of chemical composition and
physical state. Most of the iron found in the boiler enters as iron oxide or hydroxide. Any soluble iron in the
feed water is converted to the insoluble hydroxide when exposed to the high alkalinity and temperature in the
boiler.
These iron compounds are divided roughly into two types, red iron oxide (Fe2O3) and black magnetic oxide
(Fe3O4). The red oxide (hematite) is formed under oxidizing conditions that exist, for example, in the
condensate system or in a boiler that is out of service. The black oxides (magnetite) are formed under
reducing conditions that typically exist in an operating boiler.
The deposition of these metallic oxides in the boiler is frequently more troublesome than the actual damage
caused by the corrosion. Deposition is not only harmful in itself, but it offers an opening for further corrosion
mechanisms as well.
Contaminant products in the feed water cycle up and concentrate in the boiler. As a result, deposition takes
place on internal surfaces, particularly in high heat transfer areas, where it can be least tolerated. Metallic
deposits act as insulators, which can cause local overheating and failure. Deposits can also restrict boiler
water circulation. Reduced circulation can contribute to overheating, film boiling and accelerated deposition.
Localized attack on metal can result in a forced shutdown. The prevention of a forced shutdown is the true aim
of corrosion control.
Clean, clean steam
Strainers
They are used to provide clean steam to the process. Strainers are installed in the steam pipes to ensure that
no dirt gets through with the steam. Often, pipeline debris such as dirt, metal burrs from welding, scale, rust
and other solids find their way into the steam pipes leading to more maintainance hassles and plant
shutdowns. Strainers are an important pipeline accessory that literally 'strains out' these solids in flowing
liquids or gases, and protects steam equipment. Every important equipment like a PRV or trap has to have a
strainer fitted upstream, ie just before it.
There is a fine mesh provided in the strainer which effectively filters out solids from the system. During routine
maintenance strainers must be cleaned regularly otherwise unclean steam will go through and damage the
plant pipework and fittings. It may contaminate the product as well.
Steamline makes two strainers. The CRPS and trap modules have the Y-strainers and the PRS has a 'bucket'
strainer.
Y-type Strainers.These strainers are manufactured in-house for the CRPS and the Trap modules. These are
standard strainers and can be used for steam, any other gas, or even liquids. The body is a cylindrical pipe
and has a mesh pocket attached to it which contains the strainer mesh (80microns). This filters out all the
solids. It can handle pressures upto 10 kg/cm2g and is available in line sizes upto 2". Generally used for
condensate or small steam lines.
As the Y-type strainers are more compact than the pot strainers, the surface area of the mesh available for
straining is less and therefore, the dirt accumalates faster. This means more frequent cleaning. This is only a
problem during commissioning when the plant is new and a lot of welding grit is present in the
pipes.Installation of Y-type strainers.
• For Steam : Horizontal mounting with drain pocket in the horizontal plane prevents water collection,
which prevents carryover.
• For Liquids : For eg. in our CRPS systems, the strainer is mounted with the
mesh pocket facing vertically down. If this is not done, the water may draw back
the dirt upstream if the flow reduces.
If you install the strainer with the mesh pocket pointing up, all the debris will fall into the
pipe!!
Bucket strainers.
The Steamline pot strainer has a bucket type structure. This is a vertical cylinder. It's
chamber is larger than a typical Y-type strainer. The straining area is therefore much
larger and can go without cleaning longer. This also reduces the pressure drop across
the pot strainer as the flow is not hampered by that much debris. The bucket strainer can be used on bigger
dia pipes. Strainers may have accumalated debris in the bottom of the bucket, which is removed via the drain
plug.
Bucket strainers have to be installed in a horizontal position only.
Pic. A Steamline Flash condensate Deaertor Head has an all SS assembly and
is fitted to the top of the feedtankwith inlet for condensate, make up water and flash steam.
In addition, sometimes Flash Steam is generated from high pressure Condensate. This flash steam will
escape to the atmosphere and the heat will be lost. A third inlet is sometimes provided in a De-aerator Head to
mix flash steam with make-up water, thus condensing the flash steam and saving its heat. This type of unit is
called the Flash Condensing De-aerator Head.
Deaerators are typically elevated in boiler rooms to help create head pressure on pumps located lower. This
allows hotter water to be pumped without vapor locking should some steam get into the pump.
Chemical dosing of feedwater
The basic contaminants are reduced to a minimum, consistent with boiler design and operation parameters.
That is - calcium and magnesium hardness, migratory iron, migratory copper, colloidal silica, etc.
Ion exchange systems
Ion exchange systems range from light commercial water softeners and filters to specially designed industrial
equipment. Also known as deionizations (DI) systems. These systems are considered high-end where the
highest quality of water treatment is needed, such as with steam turbines.
Reverse Osmosis (RO)
Reverse Osmosis systems are available for tap water, brackish water or seawater. These systems are
considered high-end where the highest quality of water treatment is needed, such as with steam turbines
TDS control.
Water that is fit for human consumption is not necessarily fit for a boiler. This is because water can have many
dissolved solids that lead to " hardening " of water. These cause scaling which in turn leads to '' hot spots" in
the boiler which lead to corrosion.
Boiler feed water contains dissolved solids, both from raw water and water treatment chemicals. As steam is
raised from a boiler, the level of concentration of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in the boiler water increases.
The maximum allowable TDS is 3500 ppm for any boiler. This seems very small. How can such a small value
affect the working of such a large body of water inside the boiler?
The salt truck story
Suppose the TDS in a boiler is 200 ppm (Parts Per Million). This gives us a percentage value of
200 / 1,000,000 X 100 = 0.002 %
This salt does not evaporate. So, over time the TDS valves keep rising. 0.002% is seeming such a small
number, but look what happens inside the boiler.
We assume a 10 ton boiler working 3 shifts ( 24 hours) for 30 days. The feed water has 200 ppm TDS.
We will have 14.4 kgs of salt in 30 days. So, in a few months we will have a small truck-load of salt in the
boiler!
Lets see if the TDS can be reduced in a water softening plant.
Water softening and TDS
Total Dissolved solids (TDS) is the sum of both Hard and Soft salts.
A water softener basically uses chemicals to remove (precipitate) the hand salts and substitutes it with a soft
salt. It does this by a reaction called base exchange softening.
Ca SO4 + Na OH -------- Na 2 SO4 + Ca OH
Soft salt + Hard salt precipitate
Before softening,
Hard salts + Soft salts = TDS
10 + 90 = 100
After softening,
Hard salts + Soft salts = TDS
2 + 98 = 100
So, unfortunately, while a water softening plant reduces the “hardness” (i.e. the presence of scale forming
salts), it does not reduce the TDS of the feed water. In practice we may in fact, find a slight rise in TDS as
brine (NaOH) gets added to precipitate the hard salts. So, in a boiler the foaming and carryover problems
remain as the TDS has not decreased. The only issue we have dealt with is reduced the scaling because the
hard salts are precipitated.
Even if we use RO water, the Boiler water TDS keeps rising, albeit slowly.
Normally, plants periodically drain 10-15% of the boiler water and this is called blowdown.
High TDS, big problems
Foaming & Carryover
Pure water does not foam when it boils. However, as the amount of impurities rise, a foam layer is formed at
the steam separation surface. The amount of foaming is directly proportional to the TDS level in the boiler.
Foaming (or “priming”) causes carryover of water, or wet contaminated steam, which
may be carried over into the steam system and depending on the conditions at the
steam water interface, can even cause surges of water into the steam system. The
products of carryover would be deposited on heat transfer surfaces and ancillary
equipment, reducing steam system efficiency and plant productivity. This is what causes
fouling of heat exchangers, malfunctioning of control valves and steam traps etc.
Formation of foam at the separation layer is a matter of great concern for any boiler
operator. Level controls in a boiler recognize liquids and gas. But, they start
malfunctioning when confronted with foam in the boiler. We know that the water must never drop below the fire
tube level. If the water level is falling, but the foam prevents a level control from sensing low level water the
feed pumps do not switch on and a potentially dangerous situation could develop.
Scale only 1mm thick on the water side could increase fuel consumption by 5 to 8%. (Source: PCRA
Handbook No. 3 - Efficient Generation of Steam)
Tube surfaces underneath the scale may become overheated leading to tube damage or tube failure. High
TDS levels in a boiler also shows up in the steam system -valves get while deposits strainers need to be
cleaned very often, etc.
In order to prevent these problems, the TDS needs to be controlled within a certain specified maximum limit.
The chart below shows the recommended water characteristics for shell boilers in accordance with IS: 10392-
1982 and BS: 2486-1964, for pressures up to 25 bar g:
The Dissolved solids, PPM (parts per million) is 3500. This is the Set point of TDS that no boiler should be
allowed to across because of scale, foam and carryover problems. This set point can be measured by a
conductivity meter dipped in a sample of boiler water. (Conductivity is directly proportional to TDS levels.)
Blowdown
All steam boilers need to be "blown down" to control their TDS level.
The main purpose of blowdown is to maintain the solids content of the boiler water within prescribed limits.
This would be under normal steaming conditions. However, in the event contamination is introduced in the
boiler, high continuous and manual blowdown rates are used to reduce the contamination as quickly as
possible.
Because each boiler and plant operation is different, maximum levels should be determined on an individual
basis.
Bottom Blowdown
Conventionally, this is done through a manual slide valve. By definition, bottom blowdown is intermittent and
designed to remove sludge or sediment from the bottom of the boiler where it settles. The frequency of bottom
blowdown is a function of experience and plant operation. Bottom blowdown can be accomplished manually or
electronically using automatic blowdown controllers. The control is a large (usually 25 to 50 mm) key operated
valve. This valve might normally be opened for a period of about 1 - 2 minutes, once a shift.
Disadvantages
• A large quantity of hot, saturated water is drained and the same amount of relatively cold make-up
water is added. This leads to thermal shock in the boiler.
• As we now have to provide more heat to bring this extra water to 100ºC, we are decreasing the overfall
efficiency of the boiler
The formula for amount of blowdown required is
Where,
F = Feedwater TDS in ppm
B = Boiler water set point in ppm
S = Steam generation in kg/hr.
Continuous Blowdown
Frequently used in conjunction with manual blowdown, continuous blowdown constantly removes
concentrated water from the boiler.
Continuous blowdown allows for better control over boiler water solids. In addition, it can remove significant
levels of suspended solids. Another advantage is that the continuous blowdown can be passed through heat
recovery equipment.
How much blowdown is enough?
Too little, and your TDS could rise above limits specified for your boiler, giving rise to foaming, scaling and wet
steam. Too much, and you're draining water that you've paid to heat.
The need for Automatic Blowdown Controller (ABCO)
Blowdown of the boiler can keep TDS within the required limits. Blowdown is achieved either by manual or
automatic methods. In the manual method, blowdown is achieved by opening a large bore valve at the bottom
of the drum (or on the side of the drum in case of continuous blowdown). However, this practice can be highly
wasteful. As the period of blowdown is not related with either boiler steam load or feedwater purity, the TDS
level in manual methods can vary greatly, causing an average TDS level much lower than the allowable limit,
and leading to excess blowdown.
On the other hand, an automatic blowdown control system, based on TDS measurement and subsequent
corrective action, can maintain a TDS level much closer to the set point, resulting in considerable fuel savings.
Combustion.
Combustion is a process of oxidation in which combusinble products such as fuel is burned in the presence of
oxygen. Combustion liberates heat and by products such as ash.
Burner
For liquid or gaseous fuels, we use a Burner. A burner sends heat into the boiler tubes and it is set to maintain
the correct pressure in the boiler. If the boiler pressure falls because of growing steam demand, the burner
switches on to produce more steam from the boiler. As long as the amount of steam being produced in the
boiler is as great as that leaving the boiler, the boiler will remain pressurised. This maintains correct pressure.
If correct pressure is maintained, correct temperature is also maintained as they are interlinked.
Proper atomised fuel gives better combusion efficiencies. Modulating control gives optimum fuel handling.
Also provision of appropriate excess air for combusion gives good results.
In case of gaseous fuels, minimum excess air is required and there is no extra cost incurred in ha
Fire grate
In case of solid fuels, there is no burner required. Fuel is supplied over a grate which is fire pulverise, and
excess air is supplied to acheive better combusion efficiencies. Ash handling is main problem incase of solid
fuels.
Boiler Turndown
Turndown tells us the amount of control we have over the fuel.
In a simple on-off control, the boiler either fires x amount of fuel or is switched off.
A boiler turndown of 1.2 means we can fire less fuel on more fuel.
A 1:2 turndown means a 2 step control is possible.
1:4 turndown looks something like this.
It has 4 step control. Modern boilers can also provide a stepless control from 25-100%.
As fuel load increase or decreases, the amount of fuel fired into the boiler should
proportionately be increased or decreased. But when modulation is not possible, (as in
a simple on-off control) , the boiler burns less fuel at low loads and the rest of the
unburnt fuel is blown out through the stack .
The O in the left side of the equation is the exact amount of air required to burn a given
amount of fuel, also called stoichiometric air quantity.
Practically though, the amount of air needed is in excess of times, to achieve complete
combustion of fuel. Therefore we provide "excess air". Excess air from 20-30% is
normally used. We have to carefully control this excess air quantity as we risk blowing
out unburnt fuel.
else the losses can really add up over time.
The boiler furnace has a punker plate (similar to our home gas burners ) through which
a pressurized mixture of liquid fuel and air is sprayed. This atomizes the fuel and a
proper mixing of fuel with air takes place. This ensures the highest combustion
efficiency.
Solid fuels too are crushed or broken down (there is always a coal crusher at power
plants) to increase the combination efficiency.
Excess Air
Perfect combustion is attained when the flue gas analysis shows no carbon monoxide or oxygen. This means
that every available fuel molecule and every available oxygen molecule came into contact with each other.
Ideally, the Combustion Equation (stoichiometric air) should look something like this:
Cn Hn + O2 ------> CO2 + H2O + Heat (fuel) (air)
Such perfect mixing is not possible, even with the most advanced burner. Given complete mixing, a precise
amount of air (stoichiometric) is required to completely react with a given quantity of fuel. In practice, if only
stoichiometric amount of air is provided, then the combustion looks something like this:
Cn Hn + O2 ------> CO2 + H2O + CO + Heat
Fuel Stoich. Air
As seen above, CO (unburnt fuel) is present in the flue gas as the stoichiometric air quantity is insufficient to
ensure complete combustion.
Therefore, additional or “excess air” must be supplied for complete combustion to occur. The presence of
excess air means that more air is available for combustion than is actually required. For efficiency reasons,
“excess air” is always provided to assure that all fuel is burned inside the boiler. There is no CO component
anymore. By operating your boiler with a minimum amount of excess air, you can decrease stack heat losses
and increase combustion efficiency.
In addition, air has other components besides O2, and fuel may have impurities like sulphur. Hence the real
world combustion equation, looks like this:
Cn Hn + S2 + N + O2 ------> CO2 + H2O + Heat + O2 + SOx + NOx Fuel Excess
Undesirable by-products
However, the excess air passing through the boiler is heated by the fuel, and vented out of the chimney. So,
the more the excess air, the lower the boiler efficiency. Hence, excess air must be optimized such that it is just
enough to burn all the fuel while not removing too much heat.
Large, unnecessary amounts of excess air can occur because of:
♦ Burner/control system imperfections
♦ Variations in boiler room temperature, pressure, and relative humidity
♦ Need for burner maintenance
♦ Changes in fuel composition
In modern history, excess air is controlled using a feedback system in which a sensor (generally O2) is used to
provide feedback on flue gas constituents and controls the amount of combustion air provided to the boiler.
This is called Trim Control, or Combustion Control.