1.

6 Fundamental Calculations

1.6.1. Mass Balance

In steady state flow, the total mass

of material entering a reactor must
equal to total mass leaving the
reactor
 Example 1.3 Pulverized coal-fired steam boiler
A large pulverized, coal-fired steam boiler generates steam to generate
electricity. Compute the total mass of material entering and leaving the
boiler.
Input:

- 455 tons coal/h (114.8 kg/s)

- coal assay (by mass): 2.1% sulfur
8% ash
- 30% excess air
Output: SO2, CO2, N2, O2, flyash in stack gas and bottom ash from boiler
Assumption:
- all the sulfur and carbon are converted to SO2 and CO2
- 18% of ash leaves as fly ash and 82% leaves as bottom ash
 See notes for detailed calculations

Electricity

455 tons coal /h SO2

Pulverized CO2
(114.8 kg/sec) Coal-fired N2
2.1% Sulfur Steam O2
8% ash Flyash in stack
boiler Bottom ash in boiler
 Summary Electricity

SO2
455 tons coal /h CO2
(114.8 kg/sec) N2
2.1% Sulfur O2
Pulverized Flyash in stack
8% ash
Coal-fired Bottom ash in boiler
Steam
Carbon: 103.2 kg C/sec
boiler
Sulfur: 2.4096 kg S/sec
Ash: 9.184 kg ash/sec CO2: 378.4 kg CO2/sec
Oxygen: 360.89248 kg O2/sec SO2: 4.8192 kg SO2/sec
Nitrogen: 1177.1365 kg N2/sec Bottom ash: 7.5309 kg/sec
Total: 1652 kg/sec Fly ash in stack: 1.6531 kg/sec
Oxygen: 83.2832 kg O2/sec
Nitrogen: 1177.1365 kg N2/sec
Total: 1652 kg/sec
 The plant produces approximately 13,000
tons of coke per day, along with more than
225 million cubic feet of coke oven gas.
Clairton Works is the largest coke
producing facility in the United States,
supplying blast furnace coke for iron and
steel production for the commercial coke
market, the Mon Valley Works and other
U. S. Steel facilities