CHAPTER – V

AIR

AND

FLUE GAS SYSTEM

AIR PREHEATERS
INTRODUCTION
A high level of efficiency of steam generators depends on how effectively
the input energy is recovered for utilization.
The advantages of such preheating of air are as under.
 Hot air is used for drying coal as well as transporting pulverized coal to
burner.
 Even poor quality fuel can be efficiently burn with less unburnt
particles.
 Due to hot air admission into the furnace, combustion is more stable and
intensified.
 Efficiency of boiler increase due to reduction in outgoing flue gas
losses.
TYPES OF AIR HEATERS
1. Recuperative air heaters
2. Regenerative air heaters
Recuperative air heaters are of static construction. The HEAT will be flowing
on one side and the AIR in the other side of tubes or plates. Air heaters of this type
are further classified as Plate type air heaters and Tubular type air heaters.
Regenerative air heaters are of rotating type and called as Rotary air
preheaters. The heating medium flows through closely packed heating elements to
raise its temperature and then air is passed through the same elements to pickup
heat.
Air heaters of this type are further classified as Ljungstrom air heaters and
Rothemuhle air heaters. In Ljungstrom type air heaters closely packed heating
elements are rotate while in Rothemuhle type air heaters, the elements are
stationary.
AIR CIRCUIT
SELECTION OF AIR HEATERS
The following factors are to be considered for selection of air heaters
 Type of fuel,
 Quantity of flue gas to air heaters,
 Quantity of air from air heaters,
 Available temperature of flue gas at air heater inlet and desired temperature of gas at air heater
outlet,
 Ease of maintenance to ensure surface cleanliness.
ADVANTAGES OF REGENERATIVE AIR HEATERS
The regenerative air heaters have the following advantages .
They occupy less space.
Heat transfer rate is high
Draught loss is less.
Sustained high efficiency of air heaters during operation
Ease of maintenance.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF LJUNGSTROM AIR PREHEATERS
The main components of rotary air heaters are,
1) Casing
2) Rotor
3) Rotating gear
4) Drive unit
5) Sealing
6) Lubrication and cooling system of bearings
7) Soot blowers
8) Water washing system
9) Fire extinguishing system
LUBRICATION AND COOLING SYSTEM OF BEARINGS
The vertical rotor shaft has two bearing and is supported by the bottom
bearing.
Separate oil pump supplies lubrication oil for the bearings.
It takes the oil from the lube oil storage tank and supplies the oil through a
filter and oil cooler to the bearings.
Auxiliary cooling water is used for oil cooler.
SOOT BLOWERS
To remove the soot and dirt from the heating plates soot blowers and water
spray nozzles are provided in the air heaters. Two swiveling electric steam
soot blowers are installed in each RAPH, one operating in the gas-
discharging region.
 Steam is taken is from RH1inlet header or from auxiliary steam header.
RAPH WATER-WASHING SYSTEM
 In spite of soot blowing with steam, some difficult to dislodge deposits will be
still there in RAPH.
Such deposits are removed by water-washing of RAPH. Water washing is an
off-load cleaning operation.
It is to be done while the corresponding ID & FD fans are in stopped
condition. The water used for water washing is service water.
FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEM
 In case of any fire in RAPH, to put out the fire, number of water nozzles is
provided on top of each RAPH.
The nozzles are provided both in air side and gas side of RAPH. Water for fire
fighting is tapped from fire fighting water bus.
This water supply lines are available at higher elevations of boiler to supply
fire-fighting water at locations in higher elevations of boiler.
WATER SOOT BLOWER SCHEME
RAPH FIRE FIGHTING SCHEME
RAPH SPECIFICATIONS:
Number : 2 per boiler
Type : VI – 27.5/1400
Casing diameter : 10000 mm
Thickness of casing : 8 mm
Casing Height : 4,500 mm
Rotor diameter : 9200 mm
Number of sectors : 24
Number of baskets/sector : 9
Number of hot/cold end Basket : 216/216
Material of hot/ cold end Basket : Corten steel
Type of heating plates : FNC 20
Thickness of hot/cold Element : 0.75 mm/1.0 mm
Height of cold end : 400 mm
Height of hot end : 1000 mm
Gap between hot and cold end baskets : 650 mm
At inlet
Gas flow : 501380 m³/hr
Air temperature : 39.4ºC
Total mass of RAPH : 230 tons
Total heat transfer area : 33919 m²
Gas velocity in air heaters : 4.86 m/sec
Gas flow resistance across air heaters : 135 mm of WCL
No.of sectors exposed to gas : 11.5
Net free area for gas flow in air heaters : 28.64 m²
CO2 % before/after RAPH : 14.94/13.94
Excess air factor before/after RAPH : 1.3/1.392
Air pressure before/after RAPH : 364/287 mm of WCL
Air velocity in air heater : 3.37 m/sec
No.of sectors exposed to air : 11.5
Net free area for air flow in air heaters : 28.54 m
Minimum metal temperature on cold end : 77 ºC
Average metal temperature on cold end : 110 ºC
Air flow : 374925 m³/hr
Gas temperature : 316ºC
At outlet
Gas flow : 528905 m³/hr
Air temperature : 292ºC
Air flow : 347400 m³/hr
Gas temperature : 155ºC
Air leakages across seals : 8% MCR
RAPH LUB OIL SYSTEM
FAN LUB OIL SYSTEM
RAPH OPERARATING INSTRUCTIONS
PRE-START CHECKS
1. Before starting the RAPH, after any general repairs, the following checks are to be carried
out:
 verify the correct installation of air heater components.
 no foreign material remains inside the air heater.
 The oil level of drive gear bearings is to be checked.
 After checking the lubrication and cooling system of bearings, they should be commissioned.
STARTING UP THE AIR HEATERS:
 Air heaters have to be started before starting the F.D FAN and I.D fans.
ROUTINE CHECK UP AND CARE DURING OPERATION OF AIR HEATERS
I. The following checks are to be carried out.
a) Oil level in air heater lub. Oil storage tank.
b) Oil inlet and outlet temperature.
c) Air and gas temp. at inlet and outlet of air heater.
d) Lubrication and cooling system of bearings.
II. Soot blowing is to be done once in 8hrs during operation of air heaters (on load
cleaning).
STOPPING OF AIR HEATERS
It can be categorized into two:
1. Short duration stoppage.
2. Stoppage for long duration.
 In both cases, stopping the air heater soot blowing is to be operated.
In case of short shunt down
 All Dampers should be opened for restart condition and lubrication and cooling
system of bearings can remain in commissioned condition.
In case of long stoppage
 All Dampers should be closed and cooling and lubrication system of bearings can
also be decommissioned.
LUBRICATION
Oil of grade DC-100 is used for lubrication.
AUXILIARY COOLING WATER TO RAPH
STEAM COIL AIR PRE HEATER (SCAPH)
 ATA Pressure-16ksc and Temperature-230c is used to heat the incoming air.
 SCAPH outlet minimum air temperature of 100c is to maintain.
 The SCAPH is placed in between the FD fan and RAPH.
 The STEAM flows from (front to rear), whereas AIR flows from (rear to front).
 The steam required for SCAPH is drawn from Auxiliary steam header, which gets its
supply from PRDS.
 SCAPH consists of U shaped horizontal coils through which steam at 7.2kg/cm2
pressure and 220c temperature flows.
 Its direction of flow is as from the boiler front to rear.
 The SCAPH is designed to heat air from 15.6c to 39.4c at 100% MCR and 80c at
30% MCR (with oil firing only).
 Air inlet pressure at SCAPH:-33.5 milli bar.
 Air pressure drop across SCAPH:- 3.3 milli bar (at 100% MCR).
SCAPH SPECIFICATIONS
Overall height of SCAPH : 4.5 M
Length : 7.5 M
Width : 1.3 M
Dimensions of tube : 32 x 3.6 mm
Outer diameter of fin : 62 mm Coil pitch (vertical) : 89 mm
Tube pitch (horizontal) : 80 mm
The distance between the centre lines of Inner tubes (Horizontal) :
100 mm
Steam inlet header diameter : 194 x 5.6 mm
Condensate outlet header diameter : 150 x 5.6 mm
SCAPH STEAM & CONDENSATE SCHEME
STEAM COIL AIR PRE HEATERS
(SCAPH) - METHOD OF CHARGING
There are two cases of charging.
Case-I: When both the SCAPHs are
isolated and valve is in closed condition.
Case-II: When one SCAPH is in service
and the other is in isolated condition.
RAPH CLEANING SYSTEMS
INTRODUCTION
 Soot blowing with steam is widely adopted to ensure cleanliness of air heater
elements.
 Swinging lance type soot blowers are employed in RAPH.
 If large pressure drop across air pre heaters, water washing of RAPH is to be done.
RAPH SOOT BLOWERS
 The steam at 16ksc pressure is the medium used for blowing and the source is either
from Reheater1 inlet header (or) Auxiliary steam header.
 The RAPH soot blower consists of steam blowing as well as water flushing lance.
 The RAPH is placed in between the water lance (above) and steam lance (below).
 At 50 degree in 55min we have to clean all the RAPH elements while the RAPH
rotates.
 The steam blowing will be used during normal operation.
 while the water flushing used for OFF line.
ROUTINE CHECKS
Oil level and lubrication of the soot blower drives.
Cleanliness of the drive, motor, etc.
Soot blowing can be decided by observing the pressure drop across the air heaters.
During shut down, the inspection is to be carried out whether cleaning of plates is uniform.
The timing device is to be checked upto 55min.
ANNUNCIATIONS
1. RELEASE DELAY FAULT
This fault appears when RAPH left (or) right side temperature drops, but doesn't comeback
within 60sec after the respective drain valve is opened.
2. RELEASE FAULT A
If during operation of RAPH blowers, the Temperature Release on left side is OFF, (DROPS
BELOW 200C) this annunciation appears.
3. RELEASE FAULT B
 If during operation of RAPH blowers, the Temperature Release on right side is OFF,
(DROPS BELOW 200C) this annunciation appears.
FORCED DRAUGHT AND INDUCED DRAUGHT FANS
INTRODUCTION
The devices developing a pressure ratio (outlet to inlet pressure) up
to 1.15 is classified as FANS whereas devices that could develop
higher pressure ratio i.e, >1.15 is known as Blowers and
Compressors.
Compressors are water cooled.
Blowers do not have any artificial cooling arrangement.
Fans are generally classified as centrifugal fans (Radial flow fans)
and Axial flow fans.
1. Fixed blading type
2. Rotatable blading type
AUXILIARY COOLING WATER TO FD FANS & ID FANS
 Laws govern the functioning of all the above types of fans however,
1. Capacity of fan is directly proportional to Speed.
2. Head is directly proportional to Square of the speed.
3. Power is directly proportional to Cube of the speed.
THE AXIAL FLOW FANS
1. Forced draught fan
2. Induced draught fan
SUCTION CHAMBER
 The fan suction is made of fabricated walls, rein forced with stiffeners and its inlet is
provided with wire mesh coverings.
 It is rectangular in cross section at the entry point and circular when its gets connected to
the impeller housing.
IMPELLER HOUSING
 The casing is horizontally split to provide easy inspection and maintenance for the rotor.
 An inspection door is provided for assembling and dismantling of blades without removal of
impeller casing.
PITCH CONTROL UNIT
It comprises of a hydraulic servomotor.
The hydraulic servomotor consists of a cylinder assembly and a piston assembly.
The cylinder assembly, which houses piston assembly is mounted on the fan impeller hub.
Whenever fan rotates, the cylinder assembly also rotates.
The piston assembly consists of a control rod, a control slide on a piston integrated with
slide pad.
The control rod is a stepped shaft with three drilled holes on its axis.
Out of three holes, one is supply oil and the other is to return oil and the third is to collect
leakage oil.
The control slide is an integral part of piston assembly.
OPERATION OF PITCH CONTROL UNIT
During adjustable of blades, the translation movement of servomotor piston is converted
into rotation of blade shaft through the cranking levers in order to enable to set blades at
various angles.
RIGIFLEX COUPLING
The fan shaft is coupled to motor shaft by Rigiflex coupling.
It is capable of withstanding temperature up to 270c.
So, ID fans are generally run at a lower speed compared to FD fans.
LUBRICATION AND CONTROL OIL SYSTEM
The hydraulic servomotor and the fan bearings are supplied with oil at
different pressures from a common oil reservoir.
These pumps deliver oil at a pressure of 20kg/cm2.
In the discharge line of each pump, a pressure relief valve is provided
and this joined back to the oil reservoir.
A Throttle valve controls the pressure and oil flow in the lubricating oil
system.
COOLING AIR FANS
Since ID fans handle hot gases at about 150c.
In order to provide cooling, two cooling air fans are provided for ID fans
and oil servomotor.
It draws Atmospheric air to cooling.
SILENCERS
Noise is also a form of pollution.
Continuous exposure to high noise levels may effect the hearing ability
of operating personnel.
Therefore, to muffle the noise levels, silencers are provided in suction
and discharge ducts of FD & ID fans.
The acoustic property of the Glass Wool helps to bring down the noise
level to minimum.
DRAUGHT SYSTEM
INTRODUCTION
Creating a pressure difference which is called DRAUGHT can make the movement of air.
If this draught is caused Naturally by the provision of a chimney alone, it is called Natural
Draught.
Artificially with the use of fans, it is known as Artificial Draught.
In a Natural Draught system, the draught depends on the height of the CHIMNEY.
With increased boiler capacity, the Natural Draught requirements are also more.
Hence, Artificial Draught are employed in all high capacity units.
Artificial Draught systems are created with the help of Fans may be classified as FORCED
( pressure creation) (or) INDUCED (vacuum creation) types.
When the above systems are combined, it is called Balanced Draught system, in which the
difficulties of both draught system are eliminated and losses are minimized.
The fans used may be centrifugal fans (or) axial flow fans.
Axial flow fans have higher efficiency than the centrifugal fans though their cost is also
more.
In NNTPP, a balanced draught system is employed with two FD fans and two ID
fans, both of which are AXIAL flow type.
FORCED DRAUGHT FAN
 Each forced draught fan is capable of supplying 5,75,100m3 air per hour at a
pressure of 66.18 millibar (66.18 X 10.2mm of water column). At M.C.R. each fan
is required to supply only 4,28,400 m3 air per hour (119 m3 /sec) at a pressure of
41.57 millibar at 39.4ºc. The F.D. fans are of API- 20/12-23 type.
INDUCED DRAUGHT FAN
The induced draught fans are of API – 30/20-23 type and are capable of
discharging at the rate of 10,79,100metercube/hour. (299.75 cu.m/sec) at a pressure
of 47.06 millibar. But at 100% M.C.R. each fan is required to discharge 8,17,740
cu.m/hour (227.15 cu.m/sec) at a pressure of 30.10 millibar. Both F.D and I.D fan
are having variable pitch control blades for regulation of output effectively and
economically.
PERFORMANCE OF FD FAN
PERFORMANCE OF ID FAN
HOT AIR DISTRIBUTION DUCT
The hot air from RAPH goes to the hot air distribution duct.
From the hot air distribution duct, tapings are taken for the secondary air, mill hot
air and air to oil burners.
MILL HOT AIR
Mill hot air at a temperature of 286c is used to temper the hot flue gases, which is
at a temperature of 1051.8c.
Thus, the flue gas and hot air mixture going through the resuction duct is bought to
a temperature of 814c.
SECONDARY AIR
Major portion of combustion air is supplied as secondary air to the above
Pulverized fuel burners.
Secondary air is taken from hot air distribution duct.
Secondary air is supplied at 17.3 milli bar and 286c temp at the rate of 36.4kg/sec.
MILL HOT AIR
SECONDARY AIR TO LIGNITE BURNER
HOPPER AIR
Each boiler has two after burning grates, where combustibles in slag are burnt.
Air for the combustion of the lignite particles in slag is supplied as hopper air.
The hopper air duct is taken from the U shaped interconnection of the hot air
distribution duct.
OIL BURNER AIR
The combustion air supplied to the oil burners on both sides is specificially
termed as Oil burner air.
Air is supplied at the rate of 12.83kg/sec to each oil burner at 286c and its
pressure before the flow meter is 17.3 milli bar.
The oil burner air is distributed as primary air and secondary air.
This air along with the primary air helps in complete combustion of the fuel
oil.
HOPPER AIR ARRANGEMENT
OIL BURNER SECONDARY AIR SCHEME
AIR DISTRIBUTION
The total air supplied to the combustion system will be distributed as follows:
1) Mill hot air 23.72%
2) Secondary air 67.08%
3) Hopper air or grate air 9.20%
GAS PATH
I. FURNACE
 Boiler is having a single pass furnace with more (or) less, a square cross section.
 All heat transfer elements except air-preheaters and economizer are located in the
furnace itself.
 SH1, SH3,RH2,SH2,RH1 and Economizer are arranged one after another in the gas
flow path in the furnace.
 Presently the furnace outlet temperature before SH1 coils is maintained at around
950c to avoid slagging.
AIR DISTRIBUTION BOX CONNECTIONS
HEAT RELEASE IN THE FURNACE
Heat release per cubic meter per hour is 1,11,600 kcal.
FLUE GAS DUCT TO RAPH
The flow path of flue gas from the furnace to RAPH is as under.
A rectangular opening is provided at the furnace outlet, through which the Flue gas leaves then
flows through a Circular duct.
These ducts travel downward joining there respective RAPH.
FLUE GAS IN RAPH
In the RAPH, the flue gas goes out the heat to the combustion air and the temperature of gas
drops from 316c to 149c.
The AIR duct is in the FRONT side and the GAS duct is in the REAR side.
FLUE GAS ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATOR
The boiler is provided with an ESP.
12% ash in lignite of gas is 13.2gms/m3.
7.858gms/m3 with 7% ash in lignite (design).
Ash collection efficiency is 99%. Pressure drop across ESP is 1.1 millibar.
FLUE GAS PATH
INDUCED DRAUGHT FANS
From the ESP, the gases flow to the ID fan.
The discharge pressure is 4.2 millibar.
Suction of the ID fan is 29.5 millibar.
CHIMNEY
The flue gases from the ID fans are let out of through a chimney.
The height of the chimney enables the diffusion of ash particles over a very
large area and helps in the safe guard of environment.
Since only 1% of the total ash is escaping through chimney.
REFRACTROY LINING
A minimum air gap of 100mm between the concrete shell and the refractory
lining is maintained through out the chimney.
A 12mm thick C.I. CAP covers it at the top.
AUXILIARY COOLING WATER TO BOILER SIDE