Anatomy & Organs of Power Plant Steam

Generators

By
P M V Subbarao
Professor
Mechanical Engineering Department
I I T Delhi

Structure of A Two in One Device–

Combustor and Heat Exchanger……
 Details of Basic Processes

• Generation of Thermal Energy – Using Natural Resources.

– Chemical Energy: Microscopic Potential Energy
– Conversion of MPE to MKE
– Combustion Sciences.
• Transfer of Thermal Energy to working fluid.
– Transfer MKE of gas to MKE of steam.
– Science of Heat Transfer.
A True Design Reason behind Geometry of
Natural Systems…..

African Mammoths
Elephant
Indian Elephant
An Evolution to Perfection of Heat Transfer is
Sustainable
A Reason behind Survival of Electonics
Global Geometry of A Steam Generator
 Phenomenological Model

Hot Flue Thermal Structure Steam

Gas SH

Convection & Convection HT

Radiation HT

Drop in Enthalpy Rise in Enthalpy of

of Flue Gas Steam
Mechanism of Heat Transfer

Source/Supply Thermal Structure Sink /Demand

 Components of A Steam Generator
System : Heat Transfer

drum R screen

Platen SHTR
H tubes
DPNL SH T
R stack

LTSH

Economiser
BCW
pump
Furnace

APH ESP ID Fan

Bottom ash
 Steam Generator Furnace : Function -1

• Structurally boiler furnace consists of the combustion space

surrounded by water walls.
• The furnace is designed to perform two functions
simultaneously, namely:
• Release of the chemical energy of fuel by combustion
• The first task of combustion technology is
• to burn the fuel efficiently and steadily,
• to inhale controlled excess air (as little as possible),
• To generate a flame with controlled shape which will generate
lowest amount of pollutants.
 Steam Generator Furnace : Function - 2

• Transfer of heat from the furnace to the working fluid

inside the water walls.
• The important task of furnace heat removal is to produce a
controlled Furnace Exit Gas Temperature (FEGT).
• FEGT is an important aspect of boiler safety & Efficient
Operation.
 Furnace Exit

Hot Exhaust gases

Heat Radiation &

Convection Flame

Burner
Structure of Furnace Wall
 General Design Principles

• The furnace should provide the required physical environment

and the time to complete the combustion of fuel.
• The furnace should have adequate radiative heating surfaces to
cool the flue gas sufficiently to ensure safe operation of the
downstream convective heating surface.
• Aerodynamics in the furnace should prevent impingement of
flames on the water wall and ensure uniform distribution of heat
flux on the water wall.
• The furnace should provide conditions favoring reliable natural
circulation of water through water wall tubes.
• The configuration of the furnace should be compact enough to
minimize the amount of steel and other construction material.
Further Geometrical Details of A Furnace
 Determination of Furnace Size

• What is the boundary of a furnace?

• The boundary of a furnace is defined
by
– Central plane of water wall and
roof tubes
– Central lines of the first row super
heater tubes.
  = 30 to 50O
  > 30O
  = 50 to 55O
• E = 0.8 to 1.6 m
• d = 0.25 b to 0.33 b
Sizing of A Furnace

m c LHV
V
qv

m c LHV
Agrate  a  b 
qA

m LHV
2 a  b H b 
qb
h f ,min  h f , s

bmin  bs
 Furnace Depth & Height
• Depth (a) to breadth (b)ratio is an important parameter from both
combustion and heat absorption standpoint.
• Following factors influence the minimum value of breadth.
– Capacity of the boiler
– Type of fuel
– Arrangement of burners
– Heat release rate per unit furnace area
– Capacity of each burner
• The furnace should be sufficiently high so that the flame does not
hit the super heater tubes.
• The minimum height depends on type of coal and capacity of
burner.
• Lower the value of height the worse the natural circulation.
 Heat Available to The Furnace Walls

     
Q fu  m c LHV  Q CO  Q C  Q slag  Q ai


• Q CO Incomplete combustion loss

• QC Unburned Carbon loss


• Q slag Loss due to slag


• Q ai Energy brought in by preheated air & fuel.

• An exact fraction of this total heat should be absorbed in

furnace.
• The designer provides an environment for the same.
 Burner Arrangement & Flame Shapes

• An array of burner installed

on walls or at corners of
furnace
• Fuel and combustion air
projected from the each
burner create a complex Tangential fired furnace*

shape of flame. Opposed wall fired furnace

• Intense mixing of fuel and air

stream at the centre

Down fired furnace

 Radiative HT from Flame to Water Wall

4 2
• Emitted Radiation heat flux of flame: J fl   flT fl kw / m

• Emitted Radiation = Available Heat

• Heat flux absorbed by walls :qabs   J fl

Thermal efficiency factor,  

Q abs   A flT fl4 kW
• The rate of heat absorption

  kW   A
 
4 4 4
Q abs  Qrad tra  A eff T  Tfl wa fl T fl
 Furnace Exit Gas Temperature
• The temperature of products of combustion at the exit of
the furnace is called FEGT.
• Defines the ratio of furnace heat absorption to outside heat
absorption.
• High FEGT – Compact furnace & Large secondary section
• FEGT < Ash Deformation Temperature.
• Generally FEGT = Ash Softening Temperature – 100.

FEGT is a Right Measure of Steam Generator Health !

A Healthy SG will Always Perform Better !!!

A SG Always Healthy will Perform Better !

 Limits on Furnace Exit Gas Temperature

• FEGT is an important design parameter.

• Defines the ratio of furnace heat absorption to Convection
heat absorption.
• FEGT < Ash Deformation Temperature.
• FEGT = AST – 100
• FEGT < 1100 0C – Strong slag
• FEGT < 1200 0C – Moderate slag
• FEGT < 1250 0C -- Weak slag
• Any design procedure can be used but it should satisfy the
requirements of FEGT.
Effect of Coal Quality on Furnace Size
 Daily Variation of FEGT
1225

0
C
1200

1175

1150

1125

1100
 Instantaneous Dirtiness of Water walls

• During the operation of steam generator, ash and slag deposits

on the boiler water walls and other heat transfer sections.
• Thermal conductivity of the deposits are much less than steel.
• Furnace dirtiness decreases radiation heat transfer to water
walls.
• FD Enhances the Furnace Exit Gas Temperature.
• Less steam is generated in the furnace.
• More heat is transferred to superheaters.
• Leads to increase in turbine inlet temperature.
• Special water spray is automatically activated to attemparate
the Turbine inlet steam.
• This leads to increased chimney gas temperatures.
 Impact of Dirtiness on SG Performance

• Dirtiness of furnace leads to increased chimney gas

temperatures.
• Enhances the metal temperatures of superheaters.
• Increases the probability of tune leakage/failure.
• Furnace and convective pass slagging and fouling have a
detrimental effect on boiler performance and emissions.
• High FD is responsible for the primary cause of reduced
operating efficiency in coal-fired boilers.
 The Act of Sootblowing

• Sootblowing is used to control the level of ash and slag

deposits on the boiler heat transfer sections.
• On-line cleaning of localized areas is performed by
sootblowers using high pressure steam or air.
• Wall blowers are used to remove slag from furnace water
walls.
• Retractable blowers are used to clean the convective pass of
the boiler.
• Furnace cleaning increases radiation heat transfer to water
walls and reduces the Furnace Exit Gas Temperautre.
 Positive Impact of Sootblowing

• Regular sootblowing results in :

– higher furnace exit gas temperature (FEGT),
– higher steam temperature,
– higher desuperheating spray flows, and
– higher Nox emissions.
• As the convective pass of a boiler slags and fouls,
– heat transfer decreases,
– resulting in a decrease in steam temperature,
– decrease in desuperheating spray flows, and
– an increase in flue gas temperature at the boiler exit.
• For best boiler performance it is important to maintain an optimal balance
between furnace and convection pass heat transfer.
 TYPES OF SOOT BLOWERS

TYPE OF BLOWERS APPLICATIONS

- LONG RETRACTABLE CONVECTION ZONE

SOOT BLOWER (SH, RH, LTSH, ECO)

-WALL DESLAGGER FURNACE WALL

-ROTARY SOOT BLOWERS AIR HEATERS

Typical 500MW plant Soot Blowing system:

Wall Blowers - 88 Nos + (16 No. FP.)
Long Retractable Blowers - 36 Nos + (28 No.FP )
Air Heater Blowers - 4 Nos.
 Arrangement of Soot Blowers
in A 500 MW Steam Generator
Schematic Layout of Sootblowers
 Effects of Sootblowing on Unit Operation and
Emissions

• While ash and slag deposition is a gradual process, sootblowing

results in an abrupt change in local heat transfer.
• This can result in unfavorable energy distributions among
different heat transfer sections, loss of thermal performance and
increased unit heat rate.
• Figure shows the effect of sootblowing on furnace cleanliness
(expressed as FEGT).
• Next Figure shows the effect of cleaning of a platen
superheater on its surface cleanliness.
Pre & Post-Sootblowing Variations in FEGT
Effect of SB on A Superheater Cleanliness
Effect of SB on A Superheater Scaled
Cleanliness Factor