Energy Engineering

BME515D

Module – 1

Steam Generators

Dr.Suneel Kumar N Kulkarni Prof & HOD

Department of
Mechanical Engineering
www.cambridge.edu.in
 Syllabus

Module – 1 Steam Generators

Module – 2 Solar Energy and Bio mass Energy

Module – 3 Geothermal Energy: Tidal Energy : Wind Energy

Module – 4 Hydroelectric plants : Ocean Thermal Energy

Module – 5 Nuclear Energy

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 COURSE OUTCOMES
 Summarize the basic concepts of thermal energy systems
 Identify renewable energy sources and their utilization
 Understand the basic concepts of solar radiation and analyse the
working of solar PV and thermal systems
 Understand principles of energy conversion from alternate sources
including wind, geothermal, ocean, biomass, biogas.
 Understand the concepts and applications of fuel cells, thermoelectric
convertor and MHD generator
 Identify methods of energy storage for specific applications

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 Contents of Thermal Energy Conversion System
Module - 1
• Thermal Energy conversion system: Review of energy scenario in India, General
Philosophy and need of Energy ,Different Types of Fuels used for steam generation,
Equipment for burning coal in lump form, strokers, different types, Oil burners,
Advantages and Disadvantages of using pulverized fuel, Equipment for preparation and
burning of pulverized coal, unit system and bin system. Pulverized fuel furnaces, cyclone
furnace, Coal and ash handling, Generation of steam using forced circulation, high and
supercritical pressures.Chimneys: Natural, forced, induced and balanced draft,
Calculations and numerical involving height of chimney to produce a given draft.
Cooling towers and Ponds. Accessories for the Steam generators such as Superheaters,
De-super heater, control of super heaters, Economizers, Air pre heater sand re-heaters.

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 Review of Energy Scenario in India
• Energy Scenario in India. ... After coal, renewable hydropower
accounts for 17%, renewable energy for 12% and natural gas for
about 9%.The international energy agency estimates India will add
between 600 GW to 1,200 GW of additional new power generation
capacity before 2050

• India uses mainly non renewable energy predominantly coal as a

source of energy which is responsible for 54.6% of total energy
produced followed by crude oil (29.5%), natural gas (7.7%),
hydroelectricity (5.5%) and natural gas ( 1.3%)
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 What is world energy scenario?
• World energy consumption is the total energy produced and
used by the entire human civilization. Typically measured per year,
it involves all energy harnessed from every energy source applied
towards humanity's endeavours across every single industrial and
technological sector, across every country.

• About 65% of the electricity consumed in India is generated by

thermal power plants, 22% by hydroelectric power plants, 3% by
nuclear power plants and rest by 10% from other alternate sources
like solar, wind, biomass etc. 53.7% of India's commercial energy
demand is met through the country's vast coal reserves.

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Department of Mechanical Engineering www.cambridge.edu.in
 • Types of Fuels
• The important fuels are as follows-
1 Solid fuels
2 Liquid fuels
3 Gaseous fuels

Solid fuel refers to various types of solid material

that are used as fuel to produce energy and
provide heating, usually released through
combustion. Solid fuels include wood, charcoal,
peat, coal

Solid fuels: Coal is the major fuel used for

thermal power plants to generate steam. Coal
occurs in nature, which was formed by the decay
of vegetable matters buried under the earth
millions of years ago under pressure and heat.
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 Liquid Fuels: All types of liquid fuels used are derived from crude petroleum and its by-
products. The petroleum or crude oil consists of 80-85% C, 10-15% hydrogen, and varying
percentages of sulphur, nitrogen, oxygen and compounds of vanadium. The fractions from light
oil to heavy oil are naphtha, gasoline, kerosene, diesel and finally heavy fuel oil. The heavy
fuel oil is used for generation of steam.

Gaseous Fuels: For the generation of steam in gas fired thermal plants, either natural gas or
manufactured gaseous fuels are used. However, manufactured gases are costlier than the
natural gas. Generally, natural gas is used for power plants as it is available in abundance. The
natural gas is generally obtained from gas wells and petroleum wells.

Fuel gas is any one of a number of fuels that under ordinary conditions are gaseous. Many
fuel gases are composed of hydrocarbons (such as methane or propane), hydrogen, carbon
monoxide, or mixtures thereof.
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Department of Mechanical Engineering www.cambridge.edu.in
 STEAM POWER PLANT
Selection of site for steam power plants
There are many factors that are to be considered while selecting
site for a steam power plant. The important factors are as
follows:
• Availability of fuel
• Transportation
• Availability of water
• Ash Disposal
• Nature of land
• Space Area
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 Layout of a Steam Power Plant
Essential components and systems of a steam power plant-
• Turbine Generator- This is the central power system where electrical energy is generated.
• Furnace Boiler - This is the unit of the plant where steam is generated by burning fuels. The type of
fuel used may be solid, liquid, gaseous or pulverized based on the availability of fuel and design of furnace
• Fuel Handling System - Steam power plants generally use coal or pulverized coal as the fuel. The
fuel is required in large quantities, which necessitates a fuel handling system. Usually, belt conveyors or
bucket elevator are used for handling the fuel.
• Ash Handling System - The ash produced in a steam power plant amounts to about 10-20 percent of
the fuel burnt. This should be removed from the furnace and disposed. This is done by a proper ash handling
system.
• Draught System - This system is essential to supply required quantity of air for combustion of the
fuel, to force the flue gases through the furnace boiler system and finally to discharge the gases to the
atmosphere through a chimney
• Condensing System - The used steam is pure having a higher temperature which can be condensed
and fed to the boiler.
• Water Cooling System - The quantity of water used in condensing the steam is very high and
should be reused in the condenser. This water gets heated up after condensing the steam and this
water is to be cooled for recirculation.
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Department of Mechanical Engineering www.cambridge.edu.in
 Lubrication System
The turbines and generators are run at high speeds (3000 rpm). A
proper lubrication system is essential to keep the system running
continuously. The lubrication system not only avoids wear and tear
but also provides a little cooling effect for the bearings of the system.

Other Accessories: In addition to the above systems a steam power

plant, is also equipped with accessories like economizer, super
heater, de super heater, air pre heater, soot blowers and furnace
cleaning units.

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 Equipment for Burning Coal in Lump Form
• Early boilers were set very close to the grates and the combustion space was
limited and hence results in poor efficiency
• A economical working of power plant depends on factors such a sufficient
of fuel in the combustion chamber and efficient transfer of heat energy
The following aspects are considered while selecting combustion
equipment's
• Initial cost of the equipment
• Combustion space available and it’s ability to withstand high temperature
• Grate area
• Operating cost
• To produce minimum smoke
• Arrangement for efficient combustion by proper mixing of air with fuel
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OIL BURNERS
Principle of oil firing.
The functions of an oil burner are to mix the
fuel and air in proper proportion and to
prepare the fuel for combustion. Fig. shows
the principle of oil firing.

This may achieved by Vaporizing or

gasifying the oil by heating with in the burner
Atomizing the oil by the burner.

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STOKERS – They are used to feed the solid fuels in small and medium size
power plants.
The different firing methods are
• Hand firing
• Mechanical stoker firing

Types of Stokers
Different types of stokers are
Over feed stokers
• Conveyor Stoker
• Spreader stoker

Under feed stokers

• Single retort stoker
• Multi-retort stoker
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 REASON FOR USING MECHANICAL STROKE FIRING
Though hand firing is simple and cheaper it is not generally used, because of the
following reasons:
• It has low combustion efficiency.
• Slow response to the load fluctuations.
• Combustion control is difficult.
• Suitable only for small power plants.

Mechanical Stoker Firing:

Even though it is costlier, generally they are used to feed the solid fuels in small and
medium size power plants, because of the following reasons:
• Combustion is more efficient.
• Fuel handling is automatic and combustion control is easier.
• Faster response to load fluctuations.
• Low quality fuels can be successfully burnt.
• Suitable for small to high capacity plants.
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OVER FEED STOKERS: A fully built up overfeed stoker will
have the beds of green coal (raw coal), incandescent coke and ash
over the grate. In this the primary air enters the grate from the
bottom, which cools the grate while moving up and gets heated as it
passes through hot ash bed.

The hot air then passes through the bed of incandescent coke, where
oxygen reacts with the carbon in the coke to form carbon dioxide,
carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Part of carbon dioxide formed
reacts with carbon in the fuel to form carbon monoxide. The gases
leaving the bed of incandescent coke consist of nitrogen, carbon
dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen and water.To these gases, then
an additional air termed the secondary air is supplied from the sides
to burn the combustible gases like the carbon monoxide, hydrogen
and other volatile matters. The burnt hot gases entering the boiler
consist of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen, and water. It may also
contain carbon monoxide, if the combustion is incomplete. The
primary and secondary air to the stoker is supplied under pressure
with the help of blowers.
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 UNDERFEED STOKERS
In this the coal is charged from the bottom, and the
primary air under pressure also moves from the bottom
through the holes in the grate. This stoker has the layers of
ash, incandescent coke bed and raw coal, in the reverse
direction as compared to that of the overfeed stoker. In
operation the primary air entering from the bottom through
the grate holes comes in contact with the coal and then
passes through the bed of incandescent coke. In operation
the primary air entering from the bottom through the grate
holes comes in contact with the green coal and then passes
through the bed of incandescent coke. Initially, air reacts
with carbon in the coke to form carbon dioxide, and the
moisture in the air reacts to release carbon dioxide, carbon
monoxide and hydrogen. While these gases pass over the
ash bed, secondary air is supplied for their complete
combustion. This method is most suitable for semi-
bituminous and bituminous coals which have high
volatile- matter.

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 CONVEYOR STOKER – CHAIN GRATE STOKER
A chain grate stoker consists of an endless chain which forms the
support for the fuel bed. The chain is made of cast iron links connected
by pins. The chain is held over two sprockets as shown figure, and
travels from one end of the furnace to the other end. The sprocket at
the front end is driven by an electric motor. The coal is fed at the front
end through a hopper which is carried by the chain to the other end,
hence into the furnace. The air necessary for the combustion of the fuel
is supplied through the air inlets below the traveling grate. The
secondary air is supplied through the openings in the top roof as shown
in figure.

The rate of fuel supplied to the grate and hence the heat to the boiler
can be controlled by two means. The first means is to control the depth
of the coal bed on the grate by controlling the feed to the hopper. In the
second method, the speed of the chain grate can be adjusted to meet
the boiler operation requirements. The chain grate stokers are widely
used for burning non-caking (that does not form a solid mass while
burning), free burning, volatile and high ash content coals.
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 SPREADER STOKER
In this type stoker, coal from the hopper is fed on to a rotating feeder which
in turn feeds the, to a spreader or sprinkler, and feed according to the
requirements. Feeder is a rotating drum fitted with blades on its periphery.
Other type of feeders such as reciprocations, endless belts or spiral worms
can also be used. The feeder continuously supply the coal on to the
spreader, a fast moving drum with blades, which in turn distributes and
feeds the coal on to the grate as shown in figure. The fuel feed rate and the
supplied to the boiler can be controlled by controlling the feed to the
hopper or by controlling the spreader speed.

Fig. shows the schematic arrangement of a spreader stoker. In this type

stoker, coal from the hopper is fed on to a rotating feeder which in turn
feeds the, to a spreader or sprinkler, and feed according to the
requirements. Feeder is a rotating drum fitted with blades on its periphery.
Other type of feeders such as reciprocating rams, endless belts or spiral
worms can also be used. The feeder continuously supplies the coal on to
the spreader, a fast moving drum with blades, which in turn distributes and
feeds the coal on to the grate as shown in figure. The fuel feed rate and the
supplied to the boiler can be controlled by controlling the feed to the
hopper are by controlling the spreader speed.

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Single Retort Stoker: The principle of construction of a single
retort stoker is illustrated in Fig. In this stoker, fuel is burnt on a
retort. The fuel is fed through a hopper and pushed on to the retort by
a piston ram movement. With the feeding from the bottom, gradually
the burning coat rises up. Above the green coal an incandescent coke
layer is formed, and above which the ash layer is formed. With the
continuous feeding of green coal, the ash level rises that is removed
by ash raker.

Multi retort stoker: It contains of a series of retorts (5 to 20) with

tuyers and pushers. It also consists of a fuel hopper and a coal pusher
at the hopper end as shown in figure. The coal fed through the
hopper is pushed by the main pusher driven by a ram. The
distributing pushers in the retorts push the coal and distribute it to all
the retorts. The movement of the fuel bed by the pushers helps in
minimizing the clinker formation. The primary air enters the wind
box below the retorts, and flows through the retorts. An air damper is
provided at the air inlet in the wind box to control the airflow to the
furnace. The airflow to the extension grate at its entry is further
controlled by another damper, since the extension grate requires
small quantity of air with less fuel burning on it. The ash formed
from all the retorts falls into the ash pit.
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Travelling Grate Boiler. Travelling Grate
Boilers offer high efficiency through a proven
design that ensures complete combustion
through high turbulence and thorough mixing
of volatile gasses. Continuous ash discharge
provides for higher productivity and lower
downtime.

This is a furnace stoker where coal feeds into a

hopper located at one end of a travelling grate
and is fed into the grate as it passes under the
hopper. This type of stoker enables fuel to be
uniformly spread on the surface using
spreaders. This type of grate is generally
used in boilers where coal is to be burnt
along with biofuels.
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 PULVERIZED COAL FIRING
Coal is powdered and charged into combustion chamber with the help of hot air. In pulverised
fuel firing system, the coal is powdered and then charged into the combustion chamber with the
help of hot air current. The main purpose of pulverizing coal is to increase the surface area of
exposure to the combustion process, which results in faster and efficient combustion. In burning
the pulverized coal, the secondary air required for the complete combustion of fuel is supplied
separately to the combustion chamber. The resulting turbulence in the combustion chamber
helps for uniform mixing of fuel and air. The air required to carry the pulverized coal and dry it
before entering the combustion chamber is termed the Priming Air, and the air supplied
separately for complete combustion is termed the Secondary Air. Pulverized coal firing
systems are universally adopted far large scale power plants.

The choice of pulverized fuel firing system depends upon the size of the boiler unit, type of
coal available, cost of coal, type of load (i.e., fluctuating or constant), the load factor and
availability of trained personnel. Generally such systems are not economical for small
capacity thermal power plants.

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Advantages of Pulverised system
• A wide variety of low grade fuels (coal) can be used and burnt easily.
• Greater surface area is exposed for combustion and hence combustion is faster and efficient.
• The system is free from clinker and slagging troubles.
• Combustion control is easy, and hence the system gives fast response to load changes.
• Preheated secondary air (up to 350°C) can be used, resulting in rapid flame propagation and faster heat supply to
the boiler.
• The pulverizing system can be maintained or repaired without affecting the combustion process.
• It has a very high rate of heat release.
• Banking losses (un burnt fuel with ash) are lower, as compared to stoker firing.
• The boilers can be started from cold very rapidly.
• Usually combustion will be smokeless.

Disadvantages of Pulverised system

• The capital investment of the system is high as it requires additional equipments (for pulverizing, and handling).
• Its operation and maintenance costs are very high.
• It produces fly-ash/fine dust and needs costly fly-ash removal equipments like electrostatic precipitators.
• The chances of explosion are high as coal burns like a gas.
• The storage of powdered coal requires special attention as it has possibilities of fire hazards.
• Skilled workers are required for safe-operation and maintenance.
• Air pollution takes place by the emission of fine particles of grit and dirt.
• The removal of liquid slag formed from low fusion temperature ash requires special handling equipments.
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Pulverised Fuel Burning System
There are two common methods of pulverized fuel burning systems
1 Unit system
2 Central or Bin system

Unit System
Advantages
• It is simple in operation and economical than the central system.
• Combustion is controlled directly after pulveriser.
• Maintenance cost is low.
Disadvantages
• The performance of the pulverizing mill is poor as the system operates at variable loads.
• The total capacity of mills must be higher than the central system.
• The unit system of fuel burning is less flexible.
• Whenever any of the auxiliaries fails the burner has to be put-off.
• Wear and tear of the fan blades is more since it handles hot air and coal particles.
• Strict maintenance
Department of pulverizing
of Mechanical mill is a must for perfect operation of the system.
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 CYCLONE FURNACE

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 Cyclone Furnace
water-
cooled horizontal cylinder in which fuel (coal, gas, or oil) is fired and heat is released at extremely high rates.
When
firing coal, the crushed coal is introduced tangentially into the burner at the front end of the cyclone (see illustr
ation). About15% of the combustion air is used as primary and tertiary air to impart a whirling motion to the pa
rticles of coal. The whirling,
or centrifugal, action on the fuel is further increased by the tangential admission of high-
velocity secondary air into the cyclone The products of combustion are discharged through a water-
cooled reentrant throat at the rear of the cyclone into the boiler
furnace. Essentially, the fundamental difference between cyclone furnaces and pulverized coal-
fired furnaces is the manner in which combustion takes place. In pulverized coal–
fired furnaces, particles of coal move along with the gas stream;
consequently, relatively large furnaces are required to complete the combustion of the suspended fuel.
With cyclonic firing,the coal is held in the cyclone and the air is passed over the fuel. Thus, large quantities of
fuel can be fired and combustion
completed in a relatively small volume, and the boiler furnace is used to cool the products of combustion

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Unit system : Unit system, each burner and a
pulverised constitute a unit. It consists of a raw coal
bunker, a feeder, pulverizing mill, separator, and the
burner. In operation, the raw coal is supplied to the
bunker, where it is crushed to the required sizes, the
crushed coal is then fed to the pulverizing mill
through the feeder at the required rate, depending
upon the combustion requirements. Hot gases are
passed through the feeder to dry the coal. The dried
coal is pulverised in the mill and it is carried to the
burner. An induced draft fan is used at the pulverize
to carry the powdered coal to the burner. A separator
is provided to separate the grains of bigger size from
the powder and returned to the pulverize for further
crushing.

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 Central or Bin System
Central or Bin System shows schematic arrangement
and the principle of operation of a central, or bin
system for burning pulverised coal. The crushed raw
coal is dried using hot air or flue gases and fed to the
pulverize. The pulverised coal from the pulverizing
mill is passed to the cyclone separator where over-
sized particles are separated and fed back to the mill.

The pulverised coal is then transferred from the

separator to the central bunker (bin) through a conveyer
system. The pressurized air from the forced draft fan,
supplies the stored coal to the burner. This air not only
carries the fuel, but also acts as the primary air for the
combustion of the fuel. Secondary air is supplied to the
burner separately to assist in the complete combustion.
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Advantages of Bin System
• Central system is highly flexible and hence can meet any quick changes
in the demand.
• Burner operation is independent of coal pulverization.
• The pulverizing mill can be stopped when there is a good stock of
pulverised fuel in the bin.
• The fan wear is less as it handles only natural air.
• Coal size can be controlled efficiently.

Disadvantages of Bin System

• Central system is expensive, and occupies more space.
• It requires complicated coal handling systems.
• Power consumption in auxiliaries is high.
• Chances of fire hazards are more since the pulverised fuel is stored.
• Operation and maintenance costs are high.
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 FUEL HANDLING
Three types of fuels can be burnt in any type of steam generating plant: 1. Solid fuel such as coal; 2.
Liquid fuel as oil and 3. Gaseous fuel as gas. Supply of these fuels to the power plants from various
sources is one of the important considerations for a power plant engineer. The handling of these fuels is an
important aspect. The following factors should be considered in selecting the fuel handling system :
1 Plant fuel rate.
2 Plant location in respect of fuel shipping.
3 Storage area available.

Fuel handling plant needs extra attention, while designing a thermal power station, as almost 50 to 60
percent of the total operating cost consists of fuel purchasing and handling. Fuel system is designed in
accordance with the type and nature of fuel.

Continuously increasing demand for power at lower cost calls for setting up of higher capacity power
stations. Rise in capacity of the plant poses a problem in coal supply system from coal mines to the power
stations. The coal from coal mines may be transported by the following means :
1 Transportation by sea or river, 2.Transportation by rail, 3.Transportation by ropeways,
4.Transportation by road, and 5.Transportation of coal by pipeline
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Requirements of Good Coal Handling Plant
• It should need minimum maintenance.
• It should be reliable.
• It should be simple and sound.
• It should require a minimum of operatives.
• It should be able to deliver requisite quantity of coal at the
destination during peak periods.
• There should be minimum wear in running the equipment
due to abrasive action of coal particles.
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Coal Handling Systems
Mechanical handling of coal is preferred over "manual handling" due to the following reasons :
• Higher reliability.
• Less labour required.
• Economical for medium and large capacity plants.
• Operation is easy and smooth.
• Can be easily started and can be economically adjusted according to the need.
• With reduced labour, management and control of the plant becomes easy and smooth.
• Minimum labour is put to unhealthy condition.
• Losses in transport are minimised.

Disadvantages
• Needs continuous maintenance and repair.
• Capital cost of the plant is increased.
• In mechanical handling some power generated is usually consumed, resulting in less net power available for
supply to consumers.

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Coal Transfer equipments
'Transfer' means the handling of coal between the unloading
point and the final storage point from here it is discharged
to the firing equipment.
The following equipment may be used for transfer of
coal
1 Belt conveyor
2 Screw conveyor
3 Bucket elevator

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Belt Conveyor: It is basically an endless moving belt
over which the coal is moved; the belt is connected to a
pair of drums at the ends, and supported at the upper
portion by a series of rollers (idlers) at regular intervals,
as illustrated in Fig. The belt is usually made of strong
and flexible materials such as rubber or canvas. Belt
conveyors are useful for transportation of large quantity
of coal over long distances in power plants. The belt is
inclined at about 15-20 degrees from the charge end to
the discharge end. The average speed of belt conveyors
is in the range of 50 to 100 m/minute.
Bucket elevator. In this type of elevator, steel V-
shaped buckets are rigidly fastened to an endless chain
going round sprockets. The buckets are equally spaced
on the chain, and receive their load by dipping into coal
pocket at the lower end of the system. The material
elevated in V-buckets is discharged either by centrifugal
force at the top of the elevator or by drawing back the
buckets on the discharged side.

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BUCKET ELEVATOR In this type of elevator, steel
V-shaped buckets are rigidly fastened to an endless
chain going round sprockets.

The buckets are equally spaced on the chain, and

receive their load by dipping into coal pocket at the
lower end of the system.

The material elevated in V-buckets is discharged either

by centrifugal force at the top of the elevator or by
drawing back the buckets on the discharged side.

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Screw Conveyor
• It consists of an endless screw
fitted to a shaft.

• The driving mechanism is

connected to one end of the shaft
and the other end of the shaft is
supported in an enclosed ball
bearing.

• The screw while rotating in a

trough/housing transfers coal
from one end to the other end.
The following particulars relate
to this conveyor.
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 Ash Handling Equipment
1 Mechanical Handling System
2 Hydraulic Handling System
3 Pneumatic Handling System
A good ash handling plant should have the following characteristics :
• It should have enough capacity to cope with the volume of ash that may be produced in a station.
• It should be able to handle large clinkers, boiler refuse, soot etc. with little personal attention of the workmen.
• It should be able to handle hot and wet ash effectively and with good speed.
• It should be possible to minimize the corrosive or abrasive action of ashes and dust nuisance should not exist.
• The plant should not cost much.
• The operation charges should be minimum possible.
• The operation of the plant should be noiseless as much as possible.
• The plant should be able to operate effectively under all variable load conditions.
• In case of addition of units, it should need minimum changes in original layout of plant.
• The plant should have high rate of handling.
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 MECHANICAL HANDLING
SYSTEM:
The hot ash coming out of boiler furnace is
made to fall over the belt conveyor through
a water seal as shown in figure. The cooled
ash falls on the belt conveyor and it is
carried continuously to the dumping site or
overhead bunker. The ash is carried to the
dumping site from the ash bunker with the
help of trucks. Control valve is opened and
closed manually to load the truck. The life
of this system is 5 to 10 years. The
maximum capacity of this system is
limited to 5 tons per hour. The major
advantage of this system is low power
consumption.

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Pneumatic Handling System: This system has been developed for
handling abrasive ash as well as fine dusty materials such as fly-ash
and soot.
This is more suitable to the boiler plants from which ash and soot
must be transported some considerable distance for final disposal.
. The ash collected in the ash hopper is passed through the ash
crushers shown in figure. The ash carried by the air is separated into
the primary and secondary separators working on cyclone principle
and is collected in ash hopper as shown in figure. The clean air is
discharged from the top of the secondary air-separator into the
atmosphere through exhauster.
The exhauster used may he mechanical as I.D. fan or stream jet type
or water jet type. If the mechanical exhauster is used, then it is
necessary to use filter or air-washer before the air enters into the
exhauster to ensure the clean air exhaust to atmosphere. The
mechanical exhauster is preferred where large tonnages of material
are to | be conveyed.
The power requirement of mechanical exhauster is approximately 3
kW per ton of material. The steam-jet exhauster is commonly used
for small and medium-sized plant. The steam consumption of this
system is approximately 120 kg per ton of material discharged. The
water-jet exhauster may be used more economically where large
quantities of water are easily and cheaply available. The ash carrying
capacity of this system varies from 5 to 30 tons per hour.
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 High pressure system

Hydraulic Handling
System
In this system ash is
carried out with the flow
of water with the high or
low velocity through the
troughs and finally
dumped into the sump
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 Low pressure system

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Generation of Steam
1. Horizontal, Vertical or Inclined Boiler. If the axis of the boiler is horizontal, the boiler is called horizontal, if the axis is vertical, it is
called vertical boiler and if the axis is inclined it is called as inclined boiler. The parts of horizontal boiler can be inspected and repaired
easily but it occupies more space. The vertical boiler occupies less floor area.
2.Fire Tube and Water Tube Boilers:
In the fire boilers, the hot gases are inside the tubes and the water surrounds the tubes. Examples: Cochran, Lancashire and Locomotive
boilers. In the water tube boilers, the water is inside the tubes and hot gases surround them. Examples: Babcock and Wilcox, Stirling,
Yarrow boiler etc.
3.Externally Fired and Internally Fired The boiler is known as externally fired if the fire is outside the shell. Examples: Babcock and
Wilcox boiler, Stirling boiler etc. In case of internally fired boilers, the furnace is located inside the shell. Examples: Cochran, Lancashire
boiler etc.
4.Forced circulation and Natural Circulation In forced circulation type of boilers, the circulation of water is done by a forced pump.
Examples: Velox, Lamomt, Benson Boiler etc. In natural circulation type of boilers, circulation of water in the boiler takes place due to
natural convention currents produced by the application of heat. Examples: Lancashire, Babcock and Wilcox boiler etc.
5.High Pressure and Low Pressure Boilers The boiler which produce steam at pressures of 80 bar and above are called high pressure
boilers. Examples: Babcock and Wilcox, Velox, Lamomt, Benson Boiler etc. The boilers which produce steam at pressure below 80 bar are
called low pressure boilers. Examples: Cochran, Cornish, Lancashire and Locomotive boiler etc.
6. Stationary and Portable boilers: Primarily, the boilers are classified as either stationary or mobile.
Stationary boilers are used for power plant steam, for central station utility power plants, for plant process steam etc. Mobile boilers or
portable boilers include locomotive type, and other small units for temporary use at sites.
7. Single Tube and Multi Tube Boiler
The fire tube boilers are classified as single tube and multi-tube boilers, depending upon whether the fire tube is one or more than one.
Examples: Cornish, simple vertical boiler are the single tube boiler and rest of the boilers are multi-tube boiler.
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Chimney
In boiler furnace, proper combustion takes
place only when sufficient quantity of air
is supplied to the burning fuel. To obtain
draught as defined above and to function
as stated above the told required is called
as chimney
Draught is the pressure difference which causes a flow of
air or gases from one point to another point in the boiler
Draught system. Draught is required in a boiler system mainly due
Draught is nothing but the small pressure to two reasons.
difference which is required to maintain a 1.To supply sufficient air for completing the combustion.
2.To remove flue gases from the system after combustion
constant flow of air through at furnace for and the heat exchanger.
combustion and discharge the burnt gases There are two types of draught applied to the boiler
through the chimney to atmosphere. system. 1 Natural draught and 2 Forced draught.
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Natural Draught
Draught is the pressure difference which causes a flow of air or
gases from one point to another point in the boiler system.
Draught is required in a boiler system mainly due to two
reasons.
1 To supply sufficient air for completing the combustion.
2 To remove flue gases from the system after combustion
and the heat exchange.

Natural draught help in the difference of pressure for

maintaining the constant flow of air and discharging the gases
through the chimney to atmosphere

Natural draught allows natural circulation of air through the

boiler system. The natural draught mainly depends upon
the height of the chimney.
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 FORCED DRAUGHT
In forced draught system, a blower is
installed near the base of the boiler. This
draught is known as positive draught
system or forced draught system because
the pressure of the air in system is above
atmospheric pressure and air is forced to
flow through the system.
The difference you are asking belongs to
the artificial draught system in
mechanical draught. Forced Draught.
Fan or blower is placed before grate or
situated within the oil burner assembly in
case of oil fired boiler. Pressure inside
the flue passages is slightly more than
atmospheric pressure.
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Induced Draught
In this system, the blower is located near the base of the
chimney instead of near the grate. The air is sucked in the
system by reducing the pressure through the system below
atmosphere. The induced draught fan sucks the burned
gases from the furnace and the pressure inside the furnace
is reduced below atmosphere and induces the atmospheric
air to flow through the furnace. The action of the induced
draught is similar to the action of the chimney. The
draught produced is independent of the temperature of the
hot gases therefore the gases may be much heat as
possible in air-preheater and air-preheater are incorporated
in the hat the temperature of the gas handled by the em
and its function is similar as mentioned in forced draught
but total draught produced in induced draught system is
the sum of the draughts produced by the fan and chimney.
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Balanced Draught
It is always preferable to use a combination of
forced draught and induced draught instead of forced
or induced draught alone.

If the forced draught is used alone, then the furnace

cannot be opened either for firing or inspection
because the high pressure air inside the furnace will
try to blow out suddenly and there is every chance of
blowing out the fire completely and furnace stops.

If the induced draught is used alone, then also

furnace cannot be opened either for firing or
inspection because the cold air will try to rush into
the furnace as the pressure inside the furnace is
below atmospheric pressure. This reduces the
effective draught and dilutes the combustion.
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Introduction to Cooling Ponds
It is sometimes advisable not to locate a power plant where condensing water facilities in the
usual form of river are not available. In such cases, the choice goes to spray pond or cooling
towers. The spray cooling pond is one of the simplest methods of cooling the condenser water
although it is not efficient.
The following principles must be adopted for the design of cooling ponds.
1 The long dimension should be placed broad side to the prevailing wind.
2 Spray nozzles should be placed 1 to 2 meters above the water surface to obtain maximum
cooling.
3 The nozzle arrangement should be such that there is no interference between the different
sprays produced.
4 The distributing pipes may be spaced 6 to 7 m apart.
5 A sufficient space (15 to 20 meters) should be allowed between the last nozzle and the edge
of the pond to prevent excessive spray loss.
6 The pressure of 1.5 bar should be used at nozzles for better atomization of water.
7 A surface area of 2.5 to 3 m2 per liter flow of water per second should be provided.

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Cooling Pond

A cooling pond is a man-made body of water primarily

formed for the purpose of storing heated water and/or
supplying cooling water to a nearby power plant or
industrial facility such as a petroleum refinery, pulp and
paper mill, chemical plant, steel mill or smelter.

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Types of Cooling Ponds
1 Natural System
2 Directed Flow System
3 Single Deck System

Natural System:: In natural

flow system, water coming
out from the condenser is
just allowd to flow into the
pond.
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Directed Flow System
In directed flow system, the hot
water coming out of condenser
enters the middle channel as shown
in Fig and on reaching the far end
divides into two currents, being
directed by the baffle walls so as to
traverse the pond several times
before uniting at the intake point.
The water gets more time and
passes over a more surface, so the
cooling achieved is very effective.
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COOLING TOWER

A cooling tower is equipment used to reduce

the temperature of a water stream by extracting
heat from water coming out from the
condenser and emitting it to the atmosphere.

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Natural Draft cooling tower
The natural draft cooling tower makes
use of the difference in temperature
between the ambient air and the hotter
air inside the tower. As hot air move
towards the tower fresh cool air is
drawn in to the tower through an inlet.
Concrete is used for the construction
of cooling tower. These cooling
towers are mostly only for large heat
duties because concrete structure are
expensive.
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Hyperbolic Cooling Tower
The arrangement of hyperbolic cooling tower
is shown in Fig. It is steel reinforced concrete
structure mostly slack (empty space) and the
bottom 10 m above the air-intake contains
packing over which warm water flows. The
shape of the stack is circular in plan and
hyperbolic in profile. The operation of this
tower is much like that of other natural draft
spray cooling towers with hot water cascading
over timber splash type filling through which
cooler air moves.
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Economiser
A common application of economizers in
steam power plants is to capture the waste
heat from boiler stack gases (flue gas) and
transfer it to the boiler feed water. This
raises the temperature of the boiler feed
water, lowering the needed energy input, in
turn reducing the firing rates needed for the
rated boiler output.

The function of the economizer is to heat

the water before being supplied to the boiler
using the combustion discharged by the
boiler The economizer uses the waste flues
which recovers the heat energy it increases
the boiler efficiency.
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Superheater
The function of the super heater in the
thermal power plant is to remove the last
traces of moisture (1 to 2%) from the
saturated steam coming out of boiler and
to increase its temperature sufficiently
above saturation temperature. The super-
heating raises overall cycle efficiency as
well as avoids too much condensation in
the last stages of the turbine (below 12%)
which avoids the blade erosion.

The heat of combustion gases from

furnace is utilized for the removal of
moisture from steam and to superheat the
steam. Super-heaters usually have several
tube circuits in parallel with one or more
return bends, connected between headers.

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Air Preheater
An air preheater (APH) is any device
designed to heat air before another process
(for example, combustion in a boiler) with
the primary objective of increasing the
thermal efficiency of the process.

Air preheater increases the temperature of

the air supplied to coal for combustion using
flue gases. Air is drawn in using a forced
draught fan and is passed through pre heater
before supplying to the boiler. This process
increases the thermal efficiency and steam
capacity.
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DE - SUPERHEATER

What is the purpose of a de super

heater?

The primary function of a de super

heater is to lower the temperature of
superheated steam or other vapours.
This temperature reduction is
accomplished as a result of the process
vapour being brought into direct contact
with another liquid such as water. The
injected water is then evaporated

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 THANK YOU

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