Steam Generation & Distribution

M M R Pathmasiri
BSc. Eng. (Hons), M.Eng., C.Eng, MIE(SL)

Government Authorized Examiner for Steam Boilers, Steam Receivers,

Air Receivers, Cranes, Hoists and Lifts
Accredited Energy Auditor
Former Technical Advisor – UNDP
Former Technical Advisor to the Minister of Power & Renewable Energy
Former Director General – Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority
Mobile – +94 713448272
E mail – ranjithpathmasiri5@gmail.com
 CONTENT
o FUNDAMENTALS OF STEAM
o BOILER CONFIGURATION
o LIQUID FUEL COMBUSTION
o DIFERENT TYPE OF BURNERS
o FIRE WOOD COMBUSTION
o FIRE WOOD PROCESSING
o HEAT BALANCE (EFFICIENCY CALCULATION)
 FUNDAMENTALS OF STEAM
Temperature

Boiling
point

Saturated
steam

Sensible Heat-hf Latent Heat - hfg Supper Heated Range

Enthalpy
 FUNDAMENTALS OF STEAM

• With increase of pressure, temperature increases

• With increase of pressure, latent heat decreases
• With increase of pressure, volume decreases
• Energy transport fluid
• Chemically neutral

• Water sensible heat

• Evaporation latent heat
• Total heat of steam (hf + hfg)
 FUNDAMENTALS OF STEAM

A B
Heat Exchanger

Steam Header Steam Trap

 FUNDAMENTALS OF STEAM
Temperature

Boiling At the Plant

point B
A
At the Boiler

C Saturated
steam

Sensible Heat Latent Heat

Enthalpy
 FUNDAMENTALS OF STEAM
B
Pressure Reducing Valve - PRV
A C
Heat Exchanger

Steam Header Steam Trap

 FUNDAMENTALS OF STEAM
• Dryness fraction

• Question
• Steam at 10 barg with 95% dryness fraction reduces to 5 barg. What is
the dryness fraction of steam at 5 barg.
 FUNDAMENTALS OF STEAM
Combustion chamber
1100 0C

Supper heated steam Electricity

Saturated steam Heat

184 0C

Condensate
100 0C

30 0C
BOILER CONFIGARATION

Sectional view of
a fire tube
package boiler
BOILER CONFIGARATION
BOILER CONFIGARATION
BOILER CONFIGARATION
Water
Tube
Package
Boiler
 BOILER CONFIGARATION
• Water tube boilers
• Fire tube boilers
• In situ boilers
• Package boilers
• 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 pass boilers
• Horizontal boilers
• Vertical boilers
 MAIN ACCESSORIES OF BOILER

• Burner • Sight glass

 Blower • Fire or water tubes
 Air control valve
• Combustion Chamber
 Photo cell
• Insulation
 Fuel pump
 Ignition electrode • Pressure release valves
 High voltage transformer • Main valve
 Solenoid valves • Blow down valves
• Water pump • Water level controller
• Chimney
• Fuel pre heater
• Fuel strainers
Processing of fuel Better control Introduce advance
wood and fuel (Operation and technologies
wood quality
maintenance)
• 3 T, Principal of combustion
– Time – The time taken for combustion.
– Temperature – The combustion temperature
– Turbulence - The turbulence in the combustion chamber
• For better heat transfer
– Time – The time which flue gases pass between combustion area
and chimney
– Cleanness and the area of the heat transfer surfaces
  y  2x  y  y  2x 
CH y O x   1  O
 2  3 . 76 N 2   CO 2  H 2 O  3 . 76  1   N 2  Heat.
 4  2  4 

AIR
Amount of Air (kg)
AIR FUEL RATIO =
Amount of Fuel (kg)

EXCESS AIR
LOGS

PIECES
ATOMIZATION
 PRESURE JET ATOMIZING

P
FUEL
AIR
 ROTARY CUP ATOMIZING
FUEL

AIR
 TWIN FLUID ATOMIZING

FUEL

AIR
 AIR

FUEL PUMP
Particle size – 20 microns
PRE HEATER

2
VISCOSITY COMPARISON CHART
 NOZZLE SIZING CHART
RATED OPERATING PRESSURE: POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH - Psi
GPH @
100 PSI 75 100 125 150 175 200

7.00 6.05 7.00 7.82 8.58 9.25 9.90

7.50 6.49 7.50 8.38 9.19 9.91 10.60
8.00 6.93 8.00 8.94 9.80 10.58 11.31
8.50 7.36 8.50 9.50 10.45 11.27 12.08
9.00 7.79 9.00 10.06 11.02 11.91 12.73
9.50 8.22 9.50 10.60 11.70 12.60 13.50
10.50 9.10 10.50 11.70 12.90 13.90 14.90
12.00 10.40 12.00 13.40 14.70 15.90 17.00
13.50 11.65 13.50 15.07 16.53 17.90 19.17
15.50 13.37 15.50 17.33 18.95 20.56 21.8
FOR COMPLETE COMBUSTION
MAINTAIN
• CORRECT NOZZLE
• CORRECT PUMP PRESSURE
• CORRECT PRE HEATING
TEMPERATURE
• OPTIMUM AIR FUEL RATIO
• Energy input – Furnace oil - 42000 kJ/L
• Efficiency of boiler/air heater – oil fired - 85%
• Energy output - 35700 kJ/L
• Energy content of biomass @ 30% moisture
- 13000 kJ/kg
• Efficiency of boiler/air heater – Biomass fired- 71%
• Energy output - 9230 kJ/kg
• Biomass to fuel ratio - 4
 Input Energy
Boiler efficiency calculation
100

Moisture content of FW 35%

Useful Energy Loss Flue gas temperature 235 0C
71 29 Excess air 60%

Surface Loss Stack Loss Ash

2.0 25.7 1.3

Moisture Dry Air

14.2 11.5

Moisture from Firewood Moisture from

Combustion Reaction –
5.4 8.8
 O2 percentage vs excess air
Excess Air Percentage

O2 Percentage
 • Sizing (Size reduction)
Pre- • Separation
processing • Moisture reduction

• Pre-heating
• Steam explosion
Pre-treatment • Steam conditioning
• Torre faction and
• Ammonia fiber explosion (AFEX)

• Briquetting
Densification • Pelleting
• Baling
Size Reduction
Size Reduction
Moisture Reduction
 Torrefraction

Biomass residues
before and after
torrefaction

Biomass pellets
and torrefied
biomass pellets
Low bulk density, loose forms and wide variations of
particle sizes are common drawbacks of WAB
The fuel quality of biomass could be improved by means
of compaction into high density and regular shape.
 Effect of more excess air in the combustion

 Combustion temperature get reduced

 Combustion efficiency get reduced
 Tar formation increases
 Rate of heat transfer get reduced
 Overall efficiency reduces
 Effect of moisture in fuel wood

 Combustion temperature get reduced

 Tar formation increased
 Combustion efficiency get reduced
 Overall efficiency drops??
Maintain uniform size
Avoid use of different size of firewood in
the combustion
Avoid over feeding
 MMR Pathmasiri ranjith@energy.gov.lk
7/19/2022 7:11 PM 46
Tele - 0112 697422 Fax 0112 682534
 0
Flue Gas Temperature ( C)

0
50
100
150
200
250
300
9:00

9:25

9:50

10:15

10:40

11:05

11:30

11:55

12:20

12:45

13:10

13:35

14:00

14:25

14:50

Tim e
15:15

15:40

16:05

16:30

16:55

17:20

17:45

18:10

18:35

19:00

19:25

19:50

20:15

20:40
Effect of uneven feeding

47
 How to Improve Boiler Efficiency
• Optimize air fuel ratio
• Optimize blow down rate
• Reduce surface losses
• Clean the boiler at correct time
• Maintain the boilers accessories on time
• Regulating the ID and FD fans with VFDs in biomass boilers
 Tea Sector
Specific biomass consumption
From this survey 1.97
kg firewood per kg of
SLSEA baseline value 1.78
made tea
The best value observed by SLSEA (Harangala TF) 0.56
Overall biomass consumption (2013)
Annual tea production (2013) 340.03 Mn kg
Consumption of Firewood 705,000 MT
Consumption of Saw Dust 41,800 MT
Saving Potential
w.r.t SLSEA baseline 67,800 MT
w.r.t. best case 503,100 MT
 Boiler Efficiency Calculation

• Input • Losses
 Fuel – Flue gas
 Water – Blow down
 Electricity – Radiation and
• Output Convection
 Steam
 FLUE GAS
ENERGY OUTPUTS
INPUTS
STEAM

SURFACE

ELECTRICITY
FUEL

WATER

AIR
BLOWDOWN
 Boiler Efficiency Calculation

 Boiler heat transfer efficiency

Energy transferred to water/Input energy in fuel
 Boiler overall efficiency
Energy in productive steam/Total input energy
Boiler Efficiency Calculation

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msgdr jdhq WIaK;ajh yd jdhq
f.da,fha WIaK;ajh w;r
fjkihs'
 Boiler Efficiency Calculation
Boiler performance ratio
Fire wood 3.2 to 3.5 kg steam/kg of firewood

Furnace oil 13.0 to 13.5 kg steam/Liter of FO

 BOILER BLOWDOWN
TDS level of boiler feed water is 250 ppm of a
boiler with a capacity of 10,000 kg/hr and
TDS level of boiler inside boiler is 2500 ppm.
Calculate blow down amount.

F = TDS in feed water

S = Steam generation capacity
B = TDS in boiler water
 Maintaining the Records

1. Weighing the fire wood

2. Measure feed water consumption

3. Maintaining the boiler log book – Flue gas temperature,

boiler pressure, feed water temperature, Fuel pre heating
temperature, Hot water in and out temperature, maintenance
activities done etc.
 Enhancement of Boiler Efficiency
5 percent reduction in excess air increases boiler efficiency by 1 percent (or 1 percent
reduction of residual oxygen in stack gas increases boiler efficiency by 1 percent).

22 °C reduction in flue gas temperature increases the boiler efficiency by 1 percent.

A 3 mm thick soot deposit on a heat transfer surface can cause a 2.5 percent increase in
the fuel consumption.

A 0.25 mm thick air film offers the same resistance to heat transfer as a 330 mm thick
copper wall.

70 percent of heat losses can be reduced by floating a layer of 45 mm diameter

polypropylene (plastic) balls on the surface of a 90 °C hot liquid/condensate
 Boiler Maintenance
• Next date of cleaning the boiler

Flue gas temperature = Steam temperature + 50 0C

 BOILER MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

DAILY MAINTENANCE
o Blow down the boiler according to the TDS level
o Blow down the water gauge glass
o Check fuel pressure
o Check fuel pre heating temperature
o Clean the ash pit
o Clean the boiler accessories
o Clean the pumps, compressor and other equipment
available in boiler room
 BOILER MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

WEEKLY MAINTENANCE
o With the burner running remove photocell and check flame
failure circuit
o Ignition electrode to be cleaned
o Check the operation of solenoids valves
o Clean the electrical controllers and the panel board
o Blow off the soot in fire tubes (cleaning has to be done
while the boiler is slightly warm)
 BOILER MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

MONTHLY MAINTENANCE
o Clean the feed water tank
o Clean the water strainers
o Clean the fuel strainers
o Test the safety valves
ONCE IN TWO MONTHS
o Blow off the soot in fire tubes
o Cleaning has to be done while the boiler is slightly warm
 BOILER MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE
ONCE IN THREE MONTHS
• Check the water pump output pressure
• Check all the motors

ONCE IN FOUR MONTHS

• Tune the burner using sophisticated combustion
analyzer
• Inspect the refractory
• Inspect the water side and clean with high pressure
water
 BOILER MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

YEARLY MAINTENANCE
• Test the safety valves
• Inspect all the valve and repair if necessary
• Chemical cleaning or high pressure cleaning of water side
• Overhauling of water level controllers