Air Pre-Heater (APH)

by Arif Abdul Rohman

https://www.ljungstrom.com/field-assembled-air-preheaters/ https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-stereogram-of-a-trisector-rotary-air-preheater_fig6_336951328

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 Constructions

(General)

• RegenerativeTri-sector Air
Preheater
• Flow Direction : Gas Downward –
Air Upward

•Consist of thousands of Heating Elements

• Around ~48 rotor-modules(7.5deg each)
• 2 sets Rotor Weigh 1680 tons
• Normal rotating speed 0.85-1rpm

• https://slideplayer.com/slide/14286211/89/images/7/Top+Connecting+Flanges+Bottom+Connecting+Flanges.jpg

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 Improving
~(5-10)%
Boiler
Efficiency

Reduce Plant
Heatrate

Why is APH
Important? Reduce
Exhaust Gas
Temperature

Increase Air
Temperature
Without
additional
Fuel

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 Why is APH Important?
To more clear, Let me answer by simulation with reasonable dummy CASE (no APH operated)
data.
• This simulation is To see Boiler coal consumption if there are no APH
• Temp. Air inlet-outlet (Tai & Tao), Temp. gas inlet-outlet (Tgi & Tgo),
ask me for other parameters.
From data, we state that temperature of air outlet APH is 367,5 before
entering Boiler. Because the simulation is without APH, so the
temperature → 33,5 (not increased)
This means to reach same temperature of furnace combustion let say
1600 degC, we will need more coal.
From the simulation we can see the additional coal rate are 12,229 kg/s,
it equals 686,76 Million Rupiah per day.
From this calculation we can easily state that with APH the process will be
• Coal content : more efficient.
But don’t forget !!! There are still a lot of parameters to be considered,
such as CAPEX, OPEX , Technical, Problems, etc.

• Other assumptions

You need calculation sheet Excel?

Just contact me !

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 • Air Leakage : fromair flow to gas
flow

APH Performance
Analysis (ASME PTC 4.3)
• Air Leakage • Gas Side Efficiency : ratio of
• Air Side Efficiency temperature drop of gas and
• Gas Side Efficiency potential drop temperature due to
heat transfer from gas to air
• X-ratio

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Air Leakage
-Arrows number 1-2, 3-4 are direct leakage due to pressure
difference, minimized by seal
-Arrows number 5-6 is indirect leakage which is entrained air due to
rotational part 35
 Different flow between inlet &
outlet gas : difficult to measure
velocity in large duct

How to Calculated based on CO2 content

measure the in flue gas stream at the inlet and
outlet APH (more accurate)
leakage
Calculated based on O2 content in
flue gas stream at the inlet and
outlet APH (more accurate)

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Effect of Air
Leakage

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 1. c 1. b 1. a

Mashroom deformation in operating

conditions

Minimizing Leakages
1. Sealing
a. Axial Seal
b. Radial Seal
c. Circumferencial/bypass Seal
2. LCS automatically minimize a leakage when mashroom
deformation occur, it works by MW at that time

38
Automatic gap tracking LCS
Maintenance to minimize leakage
Adjust Sector Plate

Replace Broken Seal and Heating Element

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Dew Point Corrosion & Deposit Plugging
(Fouling)
• Most common problem in APH
• Usually In Cold End Side due to
lower temperature
• Corrosion can cause
Heating Element & Seal
Broken → Decrease
Performance of APH and
Boiler
• Deposit from flue gas can
block heating element →
heat transfer not effective

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1359431116327600
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How Corrosion & Deposit Occur?
-Corrosions : Acid Dew Point
Corrosion & Oxide Corrosion
- Rust : Iron sulfate & iron oxide
- (Dew Point Temperature)
Low Sulphur -> 124.38 degC
High Sulphur -> 142.92 degC
-Corrosion can be caused by not
appropriate sootblowing steam
properties. Because it can
condense in heating element
and reacts with Fe
- Beside Corrosion, condensed acid
attracts ash and other flue gas species
creating deposition/fouling on heat
transfer surface
- Sootblowing is used to get rid of
deposits sticked in heating element
- Sootblowing can be shedduled once a
day, once every 8 hours, or when APH
delta pressure reach a limit determined
by operators. But, It can't be used
continuously because it will damage
the surface
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RCA

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 • Use high corrosion-resistance material
• Use cheaper mild steel with enamel
coated
• Use Lower Sulfur Coal
• Cold End Gas Teperature :
- Firing : Boiler efficiency concerned
- Sootblowing : can't continuously
• Preheat air before entering Air
How to preheater using Steam coil air
preheater (plant modification). in LBE
condition we just need increase 6degC
Overcome Dew- more of primary air
Point Corrosion
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 • If Leakage still < 10 %, for APH with seal, it's still
OK
• Replacing broken Seals with a new one can
reduce Air leakage
• Corrosions is one of problems faced in APH
maintenance. It's generally caused by bad quality
of coal used, H2SO4 resembles dew, high
humidity air leakage, and sootblowing steam
below recommendation.
Additional • Replacing heating element by high corrosion
resistance material especially cold end side, or
by enamel have to be considered
• Avoid operating APH with Gas outlet
Temperature below 142 degC
• Sootblowing done by appropriate steam
properties, like choosing superheated steam with
pressure 1.379 MPa and temperature 352 degC
(Superheat 153 degC)