Lecture 5; Fossil Fuel Steam Generators (Cont.

)
Dr. Othman Hassan
Superheaters and Reheaters
 Superheaters and reheaters in utility steam generators are
made of tube 2 to 3” outer diameter.
 Generally speaking, the smaller the diameter, the lower
the pressure stress and the larger the diameter, the lower
the flow pressure drop.
 Finning superheater tubes from outside is avoided because
it increases thermal stresses.
 Because the tubes are subjected to high temperatures, high
pressures, and thermal stresses, their material of
construction must be carefully selected. Usually it is high
strength alloy steel.
Convection Superheaters
 Early superheater designs placed them above or behind
banks of water tubes to protect them from combustion
flames and high temperatures.
 The main mode of heat transfer between the combustion
gases and the superheater and reheater tubes was
convection.
Convection Superheaters
 The main distinguishing characteristic is its response to
load changes.
 As demand for steam increases, fuel and air flow and hence
combustion gas flow are increased.
 The convective heat transfer coefficients inside and outside
the tubes increase and as a result the overall heat transfer
coefficient between combustion gases and steam.
 Thus the steam receives greater heat transfer per unit mass
flow rate and its temperature increases with load.
Radiant Superheaters
 Because of the need for greater heat absorption,
Superheaters were eventually placed nearer high
temperature, in view of combustion flames.
Radiant Superheaters
 Steam flow velocities were increased to increase the
overall heat transfer coefficients and overall
superheater designs were improved to overcome
expected high metal temperatures.
 The placement of the superheater tubes in front of the
hot gases and flames results in the main heat transfer
mechanism to be radiation.
 Because the flame temperature is not strongly
dependant on load, the heat transfer per unit mass
flow of steam decreases as the steam flow increases.
Convective and Radiant
Superheaters
Convective and Radiant
Superheaters
 Convective superheaters alone are used with low temperature
superheaters.
 Radiant and convective superheaters and reheaters are used for
high temperature service.
 The radiant units are arranged in flat panels or platen sections
with wide spacing of several feet to permit radiation through.
 Then are followed by sections of a narrower spacing that permit
both radiation and convection.
Convective and Radiant
Superheaters

Pendant Inverted Horizontal

Once-Through Boilers
 They are also named forced circulation, Benson, or universal
pressure boilers.
 In contrast to the drum type, the feedwater goes through the
economizer, furnace walls, and superheater sections, changing
sequentially to saturated water, saturated steam, and superheated
steam in one continuous pass.
 No steam drum is required and no water recirculation takes place.
Once-Through Boilers
 Once- through boilers are used economically for high pressure
subcritical steam generation.
 The economical range of steam pressure is from 138 to 276 bar and flow
rate is from 3.8 to 1260 kg/s.
 Combined circulation boilers combines once-through flow and
circulation for use in supercritical pressure operation.
 Recirculation is used only during start up and low loads in a mixing
vessel to protect the furnace walls.
 A stop check valve assures once-through flow alone
at high loads.
Once-Through Boilers
Once-Through Boilers (660MW
Plant)
Once-Through Boilers (660MW
Plant)
Once-Through Boilers (660MW
Plant)