BOILER HEAT TRANSFER

COMPONENTS
POWER THEORY 1 – PMOI1008
AGENDA
▪ Baffles ▪ Reheaters
▪ Designs ▪ Location
▪ Locations ▪ Economizers
▪ Waterwalls ▪ Integral and Separate
▪ Boiler Construction ▪ Air Heaters
▪ Superheaters ▪ Design
▪ Internal Types ▪ Operation
▪ Separately-Fired ▪ Types

▪ Homework
COURSE COMPETENCY
1. Demonstrate a sound knowledge of steam generator principles,
construction, components, fittings and testing.

2. Produce clear workable sketches of steam generators, fluids circuits,

components, and fittings.
SIMPLE STEAM GENERATING UNIT
BAFFLES
▪ Direct the flow of combustion
gases through the boiler.
▪ Ensures maximum heat transfer
to the boiler water.
▪ Constructed of refractory or tube
walls.
▪ Two types:
▪ Cross Baffle
▪ Perpendicular to the tube.
▪ Longitudinal Baffle
▪ Lengthwise to the tube.
BAFFLES
WATERWALLS
▪ Tubes arranged to enclose all or
part of the furnace in a
watertube boiler.
 SUPERHEATERS
▪ Raises steam temperature above
saturation.
▪ Any moisture present in the
steam will be evaporated as it
passes through the superheater.
▪ Once enough heat has been
transferred to the steam to
evaporate all moisture, the
“phase change” is complete and
steam temperature will begin to
rise.
SUPERHEATERS
▪ Phase Change = Latent Heat
▪ Temperature Rise = Sensible Heat
▪ Superheated steam does two
things:
▪ Increased temperature of the steam
increases the amount of energy per kg
of steam, which allows the steam to
perform more work.
▪ Prevents early condensation in the
critical areas, such as the turbine
blading.
SUPERHEATERS
▪ Located away from the radiant heat
Convection Superheater of the furnace, but within the flue
gas path.
▪ Rising steam temperature
characteristic.
▪ Steam load increase = steam
temperature increase.
▪ This is due to the increased mass of
flue gas during high load operation.
▪ Increased firing rate = higher
temperature flue gas (more fuel and
air flowing).
SUPERHEATERS
▪ Exposed to radiant heat of furnace.
Radiant Superheater
▪ Falling steam temperature
characteristic.
▪ Steam load increase = steam
temperature drops.
▪ Highest steam temperature at low
loads.
▪ This happens because the furnace
temperature does not increase as rapidly
as steam flow during a load increase.
▪ At high loads, there is more steam being
generated to cool the effect of radiant
heat on the tubes.
SUPERHEATERS
Combination Superheater
▪ Provides steady steam temperature
at all loads.
▪ Takes advantage of both
superheater characteristics
resulting in a flat curve.
▪ One superheater stage is in the
radiant section and one stage is in
the convection section.
 SUPERHEATERS

Pendant Superheaters
▪ Tubes are suspended vertically
▪ Usually used for radiant
superheaters
▪ Located at the top of the furnace
SUPERHEATERS
Horizontal Superheaters
▪ Tubes are run horizontally, normally in
ductwork.
▪ Often used as a convection superheater.
Integral Superheaters
▪ Superheaters sections that are within the
boiler tube bank (generating bank).
▪ It is an “integral” part of the boiler.
▪ Not very common.
SUPERHEATERS
Platen Superheater
▪ An assembly of tubes set into a
pattern of a gas-tight band, with
inlet and outlet headers.
▪ Can be arranged vertically or
horizontally with a spacing of about
500-1000 mm between them.
SUPERHEATERS
Platen Superheater
SUPERHEATERS
Separately-Fired Superheater
▪ Separate furnace.
▪ Independent of boiler operating
conditions.
Advantages
▪ Precise temperature control
▪ High steam temperatures
Disadvantages
▪ Increase of cost
▪ Decreases boiler efficiency
▪ More space required
 REHEATERS
▪ Similar in construction to a superheater.
▪ Receives steam that has already passed
through the high-pressure section of the
turbine.
▪ Steam has dropped in pressure and
temperature.

▪ Steam gets “reheated” back to its initial

superheat temperature.
▪ Located between the primary and
secondary stages of the superheater so
the steam temperature profile is flat and
steady.
▪ This location allows it to take advantage
of radiant and convective heat transfer.
 ▪ A heat exchanger, located after the
ECONOMIZERS superheaters and reheater, which
absorbs heat from the flue gas and
transfers it to the incoming
feedwater.
▪ Convective heat.

▪ Feedwater is supplied at a pressure

above that of the boiler and supplied
at a rate proportional to steam
output.
▪ Forced flow.

▪ Boiler efficiency is increased by

adding “sensible heat” to the
feedwater prior to it entering the
steam drum.
▪ Reduces thermal is reduced as the
feedwater is brought to within 20°C
of the boiler water temperature.
ECONOMIZERS
Integral Economizer
▪ Named such due to its location
in the boiler.
▪ Consists of vertical tubes.
▪ Tubes run either between:
▪ The steam drum and economizer
water drum
▪ Between 2 economizer water
drums.
ECONOMIZERS
Integral Economizer
ECONOMIZERS
Separate Economizer
▪ Rows of horizontal tubes, located
outside the furnace proper.
▪ Most common type.

▪ There are headers, but no drums.

▪ The supply header is distributes
feedwater through the
economizer tubes. The preheated
water then collects in the outlet
header and sent to the steam
drum.
ECONOMIZERS
▪ To increase heat transfer surface
area, some tubes are of the
finned-tube design rather than
just being bare tubes.
▪ The overall size of the economizer
can be decreased while still
maintaining an adequate heating
surface.

▪ However, this can also have

negative impacts.
▪ Decrease flue gas velocity.
▪ Increase chances of outer tube
surface fouling.
AIR HEATERS
▪ “Preheats” combustion air
coming in from the Forced
Draft Fan.
▪ Last stage of heat recovery.
▪ Last component flue gas passes
over before it leaves the steam
generator.

▪ Another method for improving

boiler efficiency.
▪ Classified according to two
types:
▪ Recuperative
▪ Regenerative
 Plate Air Heater
AIR HEATERS
▪ Combustion air and flue gas do
not come into contact.
▪ Heat is transferred
continuously via the metal
surfaces of the heat
exchanger.
▪ The solid surfaces between the
“cold” air and “hot” flue gases
separate the gases and serve as
the heat transfer medium.

▪ Two types of recuperative air

heaters:
▪ Plate
▪
AIR HEATERS

Tubular Air Heater

 AIR HEATERS ▪ Combustion air and flue gas do not
Rotary Regenerative Air Heater come into contact.
▪ Transfers heat from flue gas to a
solid medium, which then gives up
its heat to the incoming, cool
combustion air.
▪ The heat transfer medium, usually
corrugated metal plates, is rotated
through the flue gas and air
streams slowly at about 2-3 RPM.
▪ As the rotor passes through the flue
gas, the plates pick up heat from the
flue gas.
▪ The rotor then passes through the
incoming air and heat is transferred
from the plates to the air.
AIR HEATERS

Rotary Regenerative Air Heater

Demonstration
 AIR HEATER What is dew point?

Corrosion Issues Dew point is the temperature at

▪ Corrosion is a major concern at the “cold-
end” or the air heater. The cold-end
refers to the gas outlet/air inlet end.
▪ Particularly when we are firing hydrocarbons
(oil, natural gas).
which air, or in this case flue gas,
can no longer “hold” all of the
water vapor that is mixed in with
it, so the vapor condenses.

▪ All hydrocarbon fuels contain carbon (C),

hydrogen (H), and sulphur (S).
▪ If the flue gas drops below it’s dew point,
steam will condense into moisture on the
surfaces of the air heater, resulting in
corrosion.
AIR HEATER
▪ Operate at a higher flue gas exit
Corrosion Issues temperature
So how do we combat this effect? ▪ Suffer a loss of heat recovery and boiler
efficiency

▪ Use corrosion resistant materials

▪ Use an air heater bypass to prevent

overcooling
▪ Use steam coils to preheat the incoming
air
AIR HEATER
Bypass Configuration Steam Coil Configuration
AIR HEATER
HOMEWORK
Read Electric Boilers  4A Unit 11 Chapter 4