Classification & Working of Utility Boiler

& Construction features of

Boiler Pressure Parts

By: Dhruv Garg

Engineer/Boiler/PS-TS
 Presentation Plan

• BASIC DEFINITIONS & IMPORTANT TERMS

• BOILER CLASSIFICATION

• BOILER COMPONENTS

– PRESSURE PARTS
 BOILER

“BOILER” means any closed vessel exceeding

22.75 litres in capacity and is used expressively for
generating steam under pressure and includes any
mounting or other fitting attached to such vessel
which is wholly or partly under pressure when the
steam is shut off.

- IBR
 STEAM PIPE

“STEAM PIPE” means any pipe through which steam

passes from a boiler to a prime mover or other user or
both if pressure at which steam passes through such
pipes exceeds 3.5 kg/cm2 above atmospheric pressure
or such pipe exceeds 254 mm in internal diameter and
includes in either case any connected fitting of a steam
pipe.

- IBR
 BOILER CODES
Boiler Codes have been written by various nations
in the past century to ensure safety of personnel
and to avoid loss of property. Boiler codes cover
the whole gamut of activities including Design,
Fabrication, Testing, Construction and Operation.
The various aspects of IBR Regulations are called
out and consolidated against major items like
drum, headers, lines & links, etc. The following
codes have been used widely.

1. IBR 1950
2. ASME Section-I
3. BS 1113
4. DIN TRD 300.
 CRITICAL POINT

 Increasing the pressure of steam will increase

saturation temperature of steam at which
evaporation takes place.

 A point on T-S graph, where saturated liquid

line & saturated vapour line meets, so that
associated latent heat for phase conversion is
zero, that point is called Critical Point.

The critical pressure & temperature for water are

• Pressure = 225.56 Kg / cm2
• Temperature = 374.15 deg C
 SUB CRITICAL
&
SUPERCRITICAL BOILERS

 Boiler operating below the critical point

range and have some amount of latent heat
addition in steam during phase conversion
from liquid to Gaseous state are termed as
“Sub Critical Boilers”.

 Boilers operating above the critical point

range are termed as “ Super Critical
Boilers”
 T S DIAGRAM
Basic Rankine Cycle
OUTPUT INCREASE D
C)
0
Temperature (

B C

24 deg C
E
F
A

-273
0 Entropy KJ / Kg K
8
BOILER CLASSIFICATION
 TYPES OF BOILERS

(A) BASED ON APPLICATION :

1. Utility Boilers are large capacity steam

generators used purely for electrical power
generation.

2. Industrial Boilers are small capacity boilers

intended for use in the process industries.
 Types Of Boilers…….contd
(B) BASED ON CONSTRUCTION:
1. Vertical Recovery-V2R
2. Vertical Unit 40-VU40
3. Vertical Unit 60-VU60
4. Modular Unit-MU
5. 2 Pass Single Arch
6. 2 Pass Double Arch
7. Close couple
8. Box Type
9. Tower Type
 Types Of Boilers…….contd

 Single Pass (Tower type) :

If boiler configuration is such that flue gases from
furnace continue to rise upward and all subsequent
heat absorbing coils are kept in this vertical passage,
boiler is referred as tower type boiler.

 Double Pass or Two Pass:

However, if configuration is designed such that after
furnace flue gases take a horizontal turn followed by
downward path in a separate chamber, where heat
absorbing coils like Super heaters and Economizers
are kept, it is referred as Two pass boiler.
 Types Of Boilers…….contd

 Top Suspended Boiler:

When all heat absorbing surfaces are suspended

from top structure and are free to expand downward,
the boiler is referred as top suspended.

Some boilers are bottom supported also. (like CFBC

Boilers)

But invariably large capacity boilers are top

suspended for distinctive advantage of smooth down
ward expansion of pressure parts.
 Types Of Boilers…….contd

(C) BASED ON FUEL FIRING:

1. Oil Fired Only

2. Coal ( Sub-Bituminous) Fired
3. Lignite Fired (CFBC Boiler)
4. Black Liquor (For Paper Mills)
5. Baggase (Stoker Fired)
 Types Of Boilers…….contd

(D) BASED ON TYPE OF FIRING:

1. WALL FIRING ( Only in CFBC Boilers)

2. CORNER TANGENTIAL FIRING
3. STOKER
 Types Of Boilers…….contd

Corner Tangential Fired Boiler

 When burners are located in corners of furnace well

such that the protruded flames from them form a
tangent to an imaginary circle in the center of the
furnace, the furnace (boiler) is called tangential
fired boiler.

 210/250/500MW boiler is invariably of this design.

(All Conventional Pulverized fuel fired Boiler)
 Types Of Boilers…….contd

(E) BASED ON NO. OF DRUMS:

1. SINGLE DRUM
2. BI- DRUM
3. NO DRUM (Vertical Separator)
 Types Of Boilers…….contd

(F) BASED ON CIRCULATION:

1. NATURAL
2. CONTROLLED
2.1 FORCED Circulation (Pump)
2.2 CONTROLLED Circulation (+Orifice)
2.3 CC+ (Pump + Orifice + Rifled Tubing)
3. ONCE THROUGH
 Boiling Mechanism
Circulation refers to flow of steam and water mixture
generated in water walls to drum.
Steam generated forms bubbles which in any case
should immediately flow and should not stick to water
wall surface, which is termed as Nucleate Boiling.

In case, the bubbles formed are not able to flow and

sticks to water wall, thus making a film that disrupts
contact with flowing water for heat transfer is termed
as Film Boiling which is not desirable.
Thus Deviation from Nucleate Boiling (DNB) leads
to tube failures due to higher metal temperatures.

Rifled tubing (Inside surface has Helical profile) avoids

the deviation from Nucleate Boiling
 Controlled Circulation Boiler
Normal Conditions
FURNACE WALL OUTLET Smooth Tubing Rifled Tubing
uality

y
lit
Generated Q

ua
Q

ty
30%

le

uali
ab
w

ed Q
lo
Al

e ra t
Gen
10%
Elevation

Elevation
DNB

y
Qualit
DNB Region
Region

able
Allow
Quality Quality
Minimum Safety Margin Minimum Safety Margin
~10% ~30%
 Circulation in Boiler
The ratio of the weight of water to the weight of
steam in the mixture leaving the heat absorption
surfaces is called Circulation Ratio.

Controlled circulation system

• use of controlled circulation

pump
• used for pressure up to
194kg/cm2 (sub critical pr.)
• circulation ratio > 1
 Natural Circulation
At lower drum operating pressure (below 175 kg/cm2),
there is a considerable difference in densities of water
and steam.
Drum and down comers are full of relatively cold water
whereas upper portion of water walls and risers tubes
are full of wet steam. The circulation in furnace, in this
case, takes place due to Thermo-Siphon principle.
The density difference is the driving force and this
balances the frictional losses, establishes a rate of
circulation. The furnace is called Natural Circulated.
Thus Natural circulation is the ability of water to
circulate continuously, with gravity and changes
in temperature being the only driving force
known as "thermal head“.
 Forced Circulation
Beyond 175 kg/cm2 operating pressure, the driving
force due to density difference reduces considerably
and unable to establish such circulation.

Now circulation is assisted by providing pumps in

down comer path to over come frictional losses. The
amount of water, flowing in water wall tubes, is
controlled by providing orifice in each tube.

The boiler (furnace) is referred as Controlled

Circulated.

500MW boilers need controlled circulation. Less than

500MW units are generally natural circulation type.
Why controlled circulation is
required?

Diff in
Density
 Types Of Boilers…….contd

(F) BASED ON DRAFT:

1. Forced draft
2. Induced Draft
3. Balanced Draft
 Types Of Boilers…….contd

Balanced Draft Furnace

 When the secondary air being supplied to furnace by

Forced Draft (FD) fans to facilitate combustion and flue
gases of combustion from furnace are suck out by the
Induced Draft (ID) fans are adjusted in such a way that
the interior pressure of furnace is maintained at slightly
negative pressure (minus 5 mm of water column as
compared to atmospheric pressure), the boiler is
categorized as Balanced Draft furnace.

 210/250/500 MW boiler is invariably a balanced draft

boiler
Boiler Pressure Parts
 PRESSURE PARTS

(A) BASED ON CONFIGURATION :

1. HEADERS
2. PANELS
3. COILS
4. CONNECTING LINKS
5. SUPPORTS & SUSPENSIONS
(B) BASED ON SYSTEM :
1. ECONOMISER SYSTEM
2. CIRCULATION SYSTEM
3. SUPERHEATER SYSTEM
4. REHEATER SYSTEM
WATER WALLS
LOOKING FROM
OUTSIDE
WATER WALLS LOOKING FROM INSIDE OF THE BOILER
 Downcomers
• There are down comers in boiler ( 6 no. in 500
MW) which carry water from boiler drum to the
bottom ring header.

• They are installed from outside the furnace to

keep density difference for circulation of water &
steam.
 WATER
WALLS
• HEATING AND EVAPORATING THE FEED WATER SUPPLIED
TO THE BOILER FROM THE ECONOMISERS.

• THESE ARE VERTICAL TUBES CONNECTED AT THE TOP AND

BOTTOM TO THE HEADERS.

• THESE TUBES RECEIVE WATER FROM THE BOILER DRUM

BY MEANS OF DOWNCOMERS CONNECTED BETWEEN DRUM
AND WATER WALLS LOWER HEADER.

• APPROXIMATELY 50% OF THE HEAT RELEASED BY THE

COMBUSTION OF THE FUEL IN THE FURNACE IS ABSORBED
BY THE WATER WALLS.
 Water Walls Tubes Construction

 Membrane Panel
Furnace walls:

When tubes are welded

together using either
welded metal between
tubes (membrane walls)
or a filler plate welded to
both adjacent tubes (fin
welded), the wall is called
Welded Wall.
Construction of Water Walls
• Tangent tube The
construction consists
of water wall placed
side by side nearly
touching each other.
An envelope of thin
sheet of steel called
"SKIN CASING" is
placed in contact with
the tubes, which
provides a seal
against furnace
leakage.
 Pressure Parts …..contd
(C)BASED ON FLOW
1. ECONOMISER
2.1 Eco inlet Link
2.2 Eco inlet Header
2.3 Eco Coils
2.4 Eco Intermediate Headers
2.5 Eco Hanger Tubes
2.6 Eco Outlet Header
2.7 Eco Connecting Links to Drum
2. DRUM With Internals
3. DOWN COMERS
3.1 Suction Manifold (500 MW)
3.2 Circulating Pumps (500MW)
3.3 Discharge Lines (500MW)
(C) Based on Flow …contd
4. WATER WALL INLET HEADERS

5. WATER WALL PANELS

5.1 Front
5.2 Rear
5.3 Side
5.4 Extended Side
6. WATER WALL Loose tubes

(Arch, Extended Side, Hanger and screen)

7. Water wall outlet headers

8. Risers

9. Drum
 Water Path in Boiler (500MW)
Collected in outlet Inside drum -
Economizer water wall headers water separated
(From BFP & discharged to from steam-water
discharge lines) steam drum through mixture through
riser tubes turbo separators &
screen driers
Rises through
Steam Drum furnace wall tubes
(Via economizer - front/rear sides Dry saturated
links to drum) (absorbs latent steam exits the
heat) drum & enters into
1st stage of
superheating
Boiler Water
Via Downcomers Circulation pumps
to Pump Suction to water wall
Manifold bottom ring
headers
 SH STEAM OUTLET

CRH IN HRH OUT

DRUM

FRONT ROOF REAR ROOF

LTSH
EXTENDED
WW

Economiser

WATER INLET

WATER WALL BOTTOM RING HEADER

 Steam Path in Boiler
SH SCW Backpass
side outlet SCW front SH steam
Steam Drum
hdrs(4) (F/R; wall inlet cooled rear
left/right) header wall tubes
upper
SH SH steam SCW front
connecting cooled Back & screen
tubes Pass side SH rear roof
tubes
walled tubes junction
header
SH Radiant SH Steam Backpass
Roof Inlet cooled rear roof LTSH &
Header (Backpass) tubes economiser
sidewall support
inlet header tubes
SH Radiant Backpass
Roof tubes LTSH &
(F & R) SH Radiant LTSH &
Roof outlet economiser economiser
(Ist Pass) Header supports support
lower headers
 Steam Path in Boiler (contd.)
SH steam
cooled rear SH links from Main Steam
wall inlet SH DeSH
DeSH (MS) line
header

SH steam SH Division
SH links to SH outlet
cooled rear Panel inlet
DeSH headers
wall tubes header

LTSH steam
SH Pendant
cooled rear LTSH outlet SH Division
Platen
wall tubes headers Panel
Assembly
inlet header

SH Division
LTSH
LTSH coil Panel outlet SH pendant
horizontal
terminals header and inlet header
spaced coils
links
 Transfer of Energy in SH
Super heater heats the high-pressure steam from
its saturation temperature to a higher specified
temperature.

Hot Flue Thermal Structure SH Steam

Gas SH

Convection & Convection HT

Radiation HT
Drop in Enthalpy Rise in Enthalpy of
of Flue Gas Steam
Mechanism of Heat Transfer
 Mechanism of Heat Transfer :

Rate of heat transfer from hot gas to cold steam

is proportional to:
• Mean Temperature difference between Hot Gas
and Cold Steam.
• Surface area of heat transfer

Thot gas,in Tcold gas,out

TSH steam,out Tcold steam,in

 SUPERHEATER (For 250 MW Units)
SH heating surfaces are in the form of coils which are
made by bending the tubes in cold or hot condition. The
superheater is composed of four basic sections.

The platen section is located directly above the furnace

in front of the furnace arch. It absorbs heat mainly by
radiation.

The pendant spaced section (Final Superheater) is

located in back of the screen wall tubes. The mode of
heat transfer is convection.

The horizontal section of the superheater (LTSH) is

located in the rear gas pass above economiser.
The steam cooled wall sections form the side, front and
rear walls and roof of the vertical gas pass.
SUPERHEATER HEADER & TUBES
 Platen Superheater
• Flat panels of tubes located
in the upper part of the
furnace, where the gas
temperature is high.
• The tubes of the platen SH
receive very high radiation
as well as a heavy dust
burden.
• Mechanism of HT : High
Radiation & Low convection
• Thermal Structure:
– No. of platens
– No. of tubes in a
platen
– Dia of a tube
– Length of a tube
 Geometry of Thermal Structure :
Platen SH
• The outer diameter of platen SH is in the range of
32 – 42 mm.

• The platens are usually widely spaced,

S1 = 500 – 900 mm.

• The tubes within a platen are closely spaced,

S2/d = 1.1.

• The number of parallel tubes in a platen is in the

range of 15 – 35.
Convective Superheater (Pendant)

• Convective super heaters are

vertical type (Pendant ) or
horizontal types.
• The Pendant SH is always
arranged in the horizontal
crossover duct.
• Pendant SH tubes are widely
spaced due to high temperature
of flue gas and ash is soft.
S1 • Transverse pitch : S1/d > 4.5
S2 • Longitudinal pitch : S2/d > 3.5
• The outside tube diameter :
32 – 51 mm
• Tube thickness : 3 – 7 mm
 Convective Superheater (Horizontal)
• The horizontal SH are located in the back pass.
• The tubes are arranged in the in-line configuration.
• The outer diameter of the tube is 32 – 51 mm.
• The tube thickness of the tube is 3 – 7 mm.
• The transverse pitch : S1/d = 2 – 3.
• The longitudinal pitch :S2/d = 1.6 – 2.5.
• The tubes are arranged in multiple parallel sets.
• The desired velocity depends on the type of SH and operating
steam pressures.
• The outside tube diameter : 32 – 51mm
• Tube thickness : 3 – 7mm

S1
S2
 MAIN
BOILER PARAMETERS
(A) UTILITY BOILERS:
1. Main Steam Flow – t/hr.
2. Main Steam Pressure – kg/Sq.Cm.(g)
3. Main Steam Temperature - ºc
4. Reheater Flow – t/hr.
5. Reheater Pressure – Kg/Sq.Cm.(g)
6. Reheater Temperature - ºc

(B) INDUSTRIAL BOILERS:

Steam Flow – T/Hr.

(C) HEAT RECOVERY UNITS:

Fuel Used – T/Day.
 AS THE UNIT SIZES GREW, BOILER
SIZES SUPPLYING STEAM TO TURBINES
HAVE ALSO INCREASED

SIZE Steam Flow PRESSURE TEMP

(T/H) (KG/CM2) (DEG C)

• 30MW 150 63 490

• 60/70MW 260 96 540
• 110/120MW 375 139 540/540
• 200/210MW 690 137/156 540/540
• 250MW 805 156 540/540
• 500MW 1670 179 540/540
100% MCR Load
100% MCR Load
100% MCR Load
 Desuperheaters

Permit reduction of superheated steam temperature

up to design temperature conditions.

Desuperheaters are provided in

1. Super heater connecting links
2. Cold Reheat line

SH Temperature control Mechanism:

Spray Type Desuperheaters is used for temp control.

RH Temperature control Mechanism:

The reheat steam temperature is controlled mainly by
tilting burners
Desuperheaters are used in the reheater system as a
last measure to control temperature.
COAL BURNER & TILT SYSTEM
BURNER TILT SYSTEM
17 November 2009 PMI Revision 00 72
 Reheater ( 250 MW)
Purpose
RE-HEAT the steam (at 350 deg C) from HP TURBINE
to 540 deg C for I.P Turbine.

The Reheater - Single stage – 2 Sections.

Front & rear pendant vertical spaced.

The front section is located between the superheater

platen section and the rear water wall hanger tubes.

The rear section is located between rear wall hanger

tubes and water wall screen.
 Reheater

• The pressure drop inside re-heater tubes has

an important adverse effect on the efficiency of
turbine.

• Pressure drop through the re-heater should be

kept as low as possible.

• The tube diameter : 42 – 60mm.

• The design is similar to Final (Pendant) super-

heater.
 CRH to HRH
Reheater
vertically
placed rear HRH line
CRH line outlet
header

Reheater
vertical
DeSH
spaced rear
assemblies

Reheater Reheater
Vertical vertical
platen inlet spaced front
header assemblies
FRONT REHEATER PANEL
RH CRISS-CROSS
RH INLET HEADER RH OUTLET HEADERS

FLOW

ROOF ELEVATION

FLOW FLOW

SAIYAMEESE ARRANGMENT IN RH
Supports & Suspensions
For Super Heater &
Re Heater
 SUPPORTS & SUSPENSIONS FOR SH & RH

1. Vertical Assemblies are suspended from the ceiling.

2. In Pendant assemblies, the Tie Lugs are welded in

between tubes at the top row to transfer the load from
centre to end terminals.

3. The horizontal Super heaters are supported by

Economiser hanger tubes through strap supports.
 SUPPORTS & SUSPENSIONS FOR SH & RH
Contd

4. The pendant coils are suspended by high crown

supports. The high crown plates are welded on either
side of seal band and the load is transferred through
end bar.

5. The headers will be independently supported from the

ceiling through tie rod assemblies with or without
variable spring hangers as the case may be.
 SPACERS FOR SH & RH:

•Spacer are used to maintain pitches along and across

coil assemblies. The type of spacers generally used
are transverse spacers and alignment ties.

•Fluid Cooled Spacers or Mechanical Spacer Bar are

used as transverse spacers.

•Alignment Ties are used to maintain pitch between

tubes in the same assembly.

•Flexible Connector and Alignment Band are used as

alignment ties. Flexible connectors in combination
with fluid cooled spacers are used. Mechanical spacer
bars in combination with alignment band are used.
The spacers are all made of stainless steel.
In pendant SH or RH assemblies the tie lugs are
welded in between tubes at the top row to transfer
the load from centre to end terminals
 Economizer
Economiser are feed-water heaters in which the heat
from waste gases is recovered to raise the
temperature of feed-water supplied to the boiler.
 Economizer
• The economizer preheats the feed water by utilizing the residual
heat of the flue gas.
• It reduces the exhaust gas temperature and saves the fuel.
• Modern power plants use steel-tube-type economizers.
• Design Configuration: divided into several sections : 0.6 – 0.8 m
gap

17 November 2009 PMI Revision 00 91

 Advantages of Economizer

6oC raise in feed water temperature in

economizer corresponds to a 1% saving in
fuel consumption.

220 C reduction in flue gas temperature,

increases boiler efficiency by 1%.
 Location and Arrangement

• Placed ahead of air-pre heaters in back pass.

• Placed below the Low Temp Super-heater.
• Heat Transfer in counter-flow arrangement
• Horizontal in-line arrangement of tubes (facilitate
complete draining)
• Recirculation valve and Non-return valve
incorporated to ensure recirculation in case of no
feed-flow
• Ash hopper placed below, as flue gas takes a
turn.
 ECONOMIZER TUBES
( Horizontal Inline Arrangement)
ECONOMIZER & LTSH HANGER TUBES
 Type of Construction

• Plain Tube : Several banks of tubes with either-

in-line or staggered type formation. Staggered
arrangement induces more turbulence than the
in-line arrangement. This gives a higher rate of
heat transfer and requires less surface but at the
expense of higher draught loss.
• Welded Fin-tube : Fin welded design is used for
improving the heat transfer.
Finned Economizers
Materials Specifications for
Boiler Pressure Parts
 Economizer System
S. Design
Description Material
No. Temp.
Coils SA 210 GrA1 326
1. Economiser
Headers SA 106 Gr C 398

Circulating System
S. Design
Description Material
No. Temp.
1. Drum SA 299 368
Tubes SA210 Gr C 398
Water
2. SA 299, SA106
Walls Headers 370
Gr C
 Roof & Steam Cooled walls

Sl.
Description Material Design Temp.
No.

Tubes SA 213 T11 413

1. Roof
Headers SA106 Gr C 368
Tubes SA210 Gr C 405
2. SC walls
Headers SA106 Gr C 368 -394
 Superheater System
Sl.
Description Material Temp. Range
No.
Coils T11 404 - 477
LTSH
1. Headers SA106 Gr. C
394 -452
SA335 P12
T11, T22,
Div. Coils 409 - 535
2. T91
Panel
Headers SA335 P12 420 - 496
T22, T91,
Coils 478 - 600
Platen TP347H,
3.
(Final) Headers SA335 P12
489 - 572
SA335 P22
 Reheater System

S.
Description Material Temp. Range
No.
T11, T22,
Coils 351 - 589
T91, TP347H,
1. RH
Headers SA106 Gr C
361 - 590
SA335 P22
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