Exit Flue Gas Temperature Optimisation in Stage2 Units

L.D.Sahoo, DGM(O-ST2), NTPC Vindhyachal

S Banerjee, Sr Supdt(O), NTPC Vindhyachal
Nilesh Dangayach, Sr Engr, NTPC Vindhyachal

Abstract
As part of our improvement effort in heat rate optimisation in stage 2 units, the optimisation of
exit flue gas temperature is done through changes in our operational practices in the area of
water wall soot blowing and LRSB operation in our boilers, apart from optimisation of total air
flow in the furnace and burner tilt and SADC checking. The changes of pattern is obtained
after a series of experimentation and comparison of experimental results. The improvements
obtained are validated through statistical comparison of hypothesis testing and statistical
ANOVA testing.

Business Case
NTPC vindhyachal stage II is operating two modules of 500 MW coal based units having
designed heat rate of 2220kcal/kwh. But due to various losses or due to maintaining less
optimized operational parameters we have able to maintain a heat rate of 2369 kcal/kwh in the
financial year of 2005-06. and this year target is 2340kcal/kwhr.

We are deviating 149(2369-2220)kcal/kwhr from our design value on an average in a year.
Out of this 149kcal/kwh, 30kcal/kwh heat loss is due to flue gas exit temperature difference
from design temperature while 8kcal/kwh is due to deviation in MS/HRH temperature and
spray in them. In this project our basic aim is to reduce flue gas exit temperature losses and the
losses due to MS/HRH temperature from its design value and grab at least 10-15 kcal /kwhr
from 38 kcal/ kwhr loss in the areas mentioned above.


Problem observed
High Exit flue gas loss and variations in left and right temperature in main steam and hot reheat
leading to higher spray in super heater and reheater section of the boiler are our primary
concern which are attributing huge losses in efficiency of boiler.

Apporach of the paper
The problem of high exit flue gas are mainly due to various factors like less heat absorption in
water wall and super heater and reheater sections of the boiler, total air flow in the furnace ,
coal quality and its combustions, mill combinations, position of fireball in the furnace, status of
HPHs in service, airheater air ingress etc. Our endeavour in this particular project is really to
find out the means of having effective water wall soot blowing and focused LRSB and
maintaining optimum total air flow and burnet tilt so as to obtain a situation where heat
absorption in the required areas of the furnace is optimum. So we carried out a series of
experimentations of LRSB operation and water wall soot blowing and leading to fine tuning of
operational practices. The results are compared statistically using paired T test and ANOVA
and finally establishing and concluding our findings. We will analyse one by one the factors
responsible for the variation and establishing the changes in practices.



Water wall Soot blowing operation
In stage II presently soot blowing pattern is one tier(22 soot blower) in each shift and sequence
of soot blowing is 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4,1

Observation
(1) Effect of 4
th
tier soot blowing is minimum on flue gas exit temperature and SH/RH
temperatures.
(2) While doing 1
st
tier effect is maximum and if it is in lower mill combination then
SH/RH temperatures falls sharply.

Following action taken

(1) Since it is observed that effect of 4
th
tier soot blowing is minimum so 4
th
tier soot
blower started in once in two days.
(2) Sequence is reversed i.e. it is now 3,2,1,3,2,1,3..this is giving lesser metal
temperature and better heat transfer.
(3) By changing soot blowing pattern there is considerable reduction in SH/RH spray.
This is shown below in the diagrams which compare spray behavior before and
after this change initiatives and which shows some improvement in spray in both
super heater and re heater.


LRSB Operation In Stage 2 Boiler
Basically LRSB is carried out to have better heat absorption in superheater, reheater and LTSH
section of the boiler. In order to measure and minimize exit flue gas temp, we hereby measure
and target minimization of flue gas temp at the inlet to economizer rather at the air heater outlet
flue gas temp which is prone to error due to air heater air ingress. Now we experiment with
different set of LRSB in order to find best set to get optimize flue gas at the economizer inlet.

Old LRSB practices
we are doing LRSB once in a week in each unit as many LRSB s are possible depending on the
availability of soot blowers and we are getting unintended results with further drop in main
steam and hot reheat temperature, with little bit of improvement in exit flue gas temp due to
slagging removal in super heater and reheater sections.
D
a
t
a
super heater spray (after) super heater spray(before)
100
90
80
70
60
50
+0
30
Boxplot of super heater spray{before), super heater spray {after)
D
a
t
a
REHEATER SPRAY(AFTER) REHEATER SPRAY(BEF) TfHR
30
25
20
15
10
BOXPLT SHOWING THE DIFF
Box plot showing the improvements in S/H and R/H SPRAY
Now we are focusing our attention to some restricted LRSB operation based on the gap of heat
absorption in the flue gas path and divided in to four sections namely-

1) super heater right and reheater left
2) super heater and reheater right
3) super heater and reheater left side
4) only LTSH in 2
nd
pass
While doing LRSB in above four sections we have measured flue gas temp at the eco inlet
independently and compare the results with the help of ANOVA statistical tools and the best
results in terms of minimization of flue gas is obtained while doing no 1 option i.e. super
heater right and reheater left side. The box plots manifesting the results are shown below.





















NEW CHANGED PRACTICES
The most encouraging results are obtained by doing soot blowing in the S/H right and R/H left
side of the boiler and accordingly we had revised attention on focused way of doing LRSB
rather than doing random basis and a result the along with exit flue gas minimization , we have
optimized the variation in left and right variations to a great extent which further reduces
reheater and superheater spray requirements. Thus we are focusing our attention on the LRSBs
as shown in the fig below and we are obtaining the best of results in the way less exit flue gas
at eco inlet and less super and reheater spray.




D
a
t
a
S
f
H

R
f
H

R
H
S

O
N
L
Y
2
N
D

P
A
S
S

O
N
L
Y
S
f
H

R
f
H

L
H
S

A
N
D

2
N
D

P
A
S
S
S
f
H

R
H
S

A
N
D

R
f
H

L
H
S
590
580
570
560
550
5+0
BOX PLOT SHOWING THE LEAST ECO IJL TEMP









From the flue gas diagram shown above taken just after LRSB it is evident that there was a
substantial improvement in closing gap of variation in flue gas left and right temp, difference
of which was nore than 50-60 deg C initially before the start.


The above effect in terms of improvement in better heat absorption is manifested by way low
flue gas at eco inlet and at the AH outlet as well. Along with this there is a perceptible change
and minimizing of MS/HRH temp variations are seen leading to a low re heater and super
FOCUSSED LRSBs IN LHS AND RHS OF THE BOILER
heater spray observed. This improvements are sustained for at least a day or two and
accordingly we had devised our changed operational practices and it is proposed for LRSB
operation at least twice in week of 1
st
pass SH RHS and LHS R/H in each unit. The
improvement as seen just after doing this change and observed for a period of one month and
the re heater spray requirements are compared and shown below.



















Along with the above improvements, the SAPH AND PAPH outlet temp for a period of one
month seen and recorded through a box plot as shown below and the improvement of at least
5deg C in SAPH.















Total air flow in the furnace
It is desirable to maintain optimum air flow inside the furnace to have at least 2.5-3% excess
air for proper combustion of coal and to avoid any excess air in the furnace so that the loss
through the exit is minimum.

With close monitoring on CO and maintaining it less than 20 ppb is the target. To maintain that
at present we are maintaining total air flow near about 50T/hr more than boiler load index and
D
a
t
a
RH S PRY AFT RH S PRY BEF
+0
35
30
25
20
15
10
Boxpl ot of RH SPRY BEF, RH SPRY AFT
D
a
t
a
SAPHA OfL AFT SAPHA OfL BEF
170
165
160
155
150
1+5
1+0
Boxplot of SAPHA OJL BEF, SAPHA OJL AFT
D
a
t
a
PAPH B AFT PAPH B BEF
155
150
1+5
1+0
135
130
125
120
Boxplot of PAPH B BEF, PAPH B AFT
this is giving CO less than 20ppb and excess air 3.0%. Further monitoring o2 level inside the
furnace through HVT probe in between comparing the value with economizer outlet provides
us the input like air ingress through pent house are also being carried out.

Burner tilt & SADC checking : Burner tilt and SADC external inspection is done in every
shift by operator and defects also being attended on regular basis.

APH Ingress: APH ingress are being reduced during annual overhauling and in this step soft
seal is provided in both PAPH and SAPH and the results are quite satisfactory.

Financial benefits- With the change in practices and implementing it with true spirit in st#2
units through all the groups in operation team we are able to save following heat rate
components-

Every One Degree Decrease In Average Flue Gas Temp At Aph O/L Gives Heat Rate
Improvement To 1.4KCAL/KWH.

So By Decreasing 4.5C We Are Saving Heat Rate 6.3KCAL/KWH

Every 10T/Hr Decrease In RH Spray Saving 3KCAL/KWH.

Every 3C Rise In Ms/Rh Temp.Saving 2 KCAL/KWH


So total savings in terms of heat rate in this project is : 11.3KCAL/KWH

Conclusion- With a methodical and statistical approach we have identified some areas of
improvement and grabbed low hanging fruits in our boiler operational optimization and
established the improvements obtained there of. Further the experimentation we have carried
out in this project gave us some insights in the areas like optimization of super heater and
reheater metal temp, optimization of boiler combustion, aux power optimization of boiler
auxiliaries etc and we are confident that gradually we will able to establish some operating
band for important parameters of boiler and will able to fine tune the optimization further.