Performance Monitoring for Optimization

T K Ray
Senior Faculty Member

Power Management Institute

NTPC Limited
rayt3@asme.org

1 March 2011

T K Ray NTPC

Presentation Outline Boiler Efficiency Air Heater Performance Performance Assessment using Field Instruments

1 March 2011

T K Ray NTPC

Heat gained by boiling water 38%

Loss due to moisture in air. Loss due to moisture in fuel. Loss due to comb. gen. moisture.

Fuel Energy 100% Hot gas

Dry Exhaust Gas Losses~ 4.6%

Flue gas

Heat loss from furnace surface. Unburned carbon losses. Incomplete combustion losses. Loss due to hot ash.

Heat gained by SH & RH 38% Heat gained by economizer & air preheater 11%

1 March 2011

T K Ray NTPC

Boiler Efficiency
For utility boilers efficiency is generally calculated by heat loss method wherein the component losses are calculated and subtracted from 100. (Boiler Efficiency = 100 - Losses in %) Commonly used standards are ASME PTC 4 -1998: Fired Steam Generators ASME PTC 4.2: Coal Pulverizers ASME PTC 4.3: Air Heaters BS 2885 (1974) IS: 8753: 1977 DIN standards
T K Ray NTPC 4

1 March 2011

Boiler Efficiency determination

The % of heat input to the boiler absorbed by the working fluid i. Input /output method & e he m & i hi ) (m = *100 Hf +B ii. Heat Loss method
= 100
L *100 Hf +B

1 March 2011

T K Ray NTPC

Parameters required for computing Boiler Efficiency AH inlet and exit FG O2 / CO2 /CO AH inlet and exit FG temp Primary / Secondary air temp at AH inlet Dry/Wet bulb temperatures Ambient pressure, bar (abs) Proximate Analysis & GCV of Coal Combustibles in Bottom Ash and Fly ash

1 March 2011

T K Ray NTPC

Boiler Losses Dry Gas Loss Unburnt C Loss Hydrogen Loss Moisture in Fuel Loss Moisture in Air Loss CO Loss Radiation/Unaccounted Loss Total Heat Loss Heat credit Boiler Efficiency

Typical values 4.56 1.50 3.29 2.53 0.12 0.04 0.89 12.93 0.44 87.51

1 March 2011

T K Ray NTPC

DFG Loss (kJ/kg of fuel) =

[ 100 C S ( + C in _ A )] * 30 . 6 (T fg T air ) 12 ( CO 2 + CO ) 100 267
DFG Loss (%) =

Seigert formula:
T fg = AL * C pa * (T fgt Tair ) C pg *100
CO
2 _ in

K (T fg Tair ) %CO2

+ T fgt

CO2 _ out =

90 * CO2 _ in AL + 90

AL = =

CO
2 _ out

2 _ out

CO

* 0 . 9 * 100

O 2 _ out O 2 _ in 21 O 2 _ out

* 0 . 9 * 100

O2 in / CO2 in measured, AL known K ~0.63 for bituminous coal

1 March 2011 T K Ray NTPC 8

 Typically 20 0C increase in exit FG temp ~ 1% reduction in boiler efficiency. DFG loss computation should be based on FG temp in AH outlet common ducts leading to ESP.

1 March 2011

T K Ray NTPC

Wet Flue Gas Loss (kJ/kg of fuel) =

M + 9H [1.88(T fg 25) + 2442+ 4.2(25 Tair )] 100

1 March 2011

T K Ray NTPC

10

Moisture in combustion air loss (kJ/kg fuel)=

M a * h *1.88* (T fg Tair )
h =kg moisture per kg dry air

M a =Dry air for combustion kg/kg of fuel

Ma =

3.034N2 C S [ + Cin _ A ) CO2 + CO 100 267

N2, CO2, CO=% volume in dry gas C, S=% in fuel

1 March 2011

T K Ray NTPC

11

Incomplete gas (CO) loss (kJ/kg fuel)=

7 CO C S 12 *[ *( + C in _ A )] * 23717 28 3(CO 2 + CO ) 100 267

23717 kJ/kg = CV of burning 1 kg of carbon in CO to CO2 CO2, CO=% volume in dry gas C, S=% in fuel

1 March 2011

T K Ray NTPC

12

Combustible in Ash Loss

Measure of effectiveness of Combustion process and Mill performance

cA Loss in kJ/kg of fuel: * 33820 100

c= % of carbon in ash A= Mass of ash kg/kg of fuel Carbon burnt to CO2 =33820 kJ/kg (8077 kcal/kg) Compute Boiler efficiency loss % due to c in Ash
23717 kJ/kg = CV of burning 1 kg of carbon in CO to CO2

1 March 2011

T K Ray NTPC

13

HEAT CREDIT
Heat Credit due to Coal Mill Power = [MP * 859.86 * 100] / [Coal FLOW * GCV * 1000] Coal Flow Rate Coal FLOW Tons/Hr Total Coal Mill Power MP kWh GCV of Coal Kcal/Kg

Probable measurement errors and resulting errors in efficiency calculations

Measurement Parameter Heat value (coal) Orsat analysis Exit FG temp Inlet air temp error, % 0.50 3.00 0.50 0.50 Error in calculated SG Efficiency, % 0.03 0.30 0.02 0.00 0.10 0.10 0.00

Ult. anal. of coal (C) 1.00 Ult. anal. of coal (H) 1.00 Fuel moisture 1.00

1 March 2011

T K Ray NTPC

15

Unburnt Carbon Loss (Controllable) Cunburnt is a measure of effectiveness of comb. process Cunburnt includes the unburned constituents in FA and BA Focus to be on FA due to uncertainty in repeatability and representativeness +50 PF fineness fractions to be < 1%

1 March 2011

T K Ray NTPC

16

Influencing Factors - Unburnt Carbon Loss

1 March 2011

Type of mills and firing system Furnace size PF fineness (Pulveriser problems) Coal FC/VM ratio, coal reactivity Insufficient excess air in combustion zone Air damper / register settings Burners design / condition Burner balance / worn orifices Primary Air Flow / Pressure
T K Ray NTPC 17

Dry Gas loss reduction requires Boiler operation at optimum excess air Cleanliness of boiler surfaces Reduction of tempering air to mill Reduction in air ingress Cleaning of air heater surfaces and proper heating elements / surface area

1 March 2011

T K Ray NTPC

18

Air Optimization

Air Heater in Fossil Fired Plant

The rotating cylinder packed with thousands of sq m of specially formed sheets of heat transfer surfaces. As it revolves, heat of FG is absorbed through one half.

The accumulated heat is released to the incoming air as the same surfaces pass through other half. The heat transfer cycle is continuous as the surfaces are alternately exposed to the outgoing gas and incoming air.

1 March 2011

T K Ray NTPC

20

Air Heater - Performance Indicators

Air-in-Leakage (~13%) Gas Side Efficiency (~ 68 %) X ratio (~ 0.76) Flue gas temperature drop (~2200C) Air side temperature rise (~2600C) Gas & Air side pressure drops

The indices are affected by changes in entering air or gas temperatures, their flow quantities and coal moisture.

1 March 2011

T K Ray NTPC 21

AH Leakage
The leakage of the high pressure air to the low pressure flue gas due to
Differential Pressure increased seal clearances in hot condition seal erosion improper seal settings.

Direct flow of air through gaps between rotating and fixed structure Leakage gap area x (density x P)1/2 Entrained air in elements carried via rotation from air side to gas side
Rotor Turndown HE grows radially more than the CE, rotor goes outward and downward
T K Ray NTPC

1 March 2011

22

Leakage paths

Increased AH leakage leads to Reduced AH efficiency Increased fan power consumption Higher gas velocities that affect ESP performance Loss of fan margins leading to inefficient operation and at times restricting unit loading
1 March 2011 T K Ray NTPC 23

AH Leakage
Typically air heater starts with a baseline leakage of 6 to 10% after an overhaul What we measure is mainly leakage through radial seals at hot & cold end Leakage through circumferential seals is substantial and has a major effect on heat transfer but nominal effect on APC Leakage is expressed as a % of inlet gas flow and not a % of fan input flow
1 March 2011 T K Ray NTPC 24

Air Heater Leakage - Calculation

This leakage is assumed to occur entirely between air inlet and gas outlet Empirical relationship using the change in concentration of O2 or CO2 in the flue gas

AL = =

CO

2 _ in

CO
2 _ out

2 _ out

CO

* 0 . 9 * 100

O 2 _ out O 2 _ in 21 O 2 _ out

* 0 . 9 * 100

5 .7 2 .8 = * 0 . 9 * 100 21 5 . 7 = 17 . 1 %
Method of determination of O2 or CO2 should be the same at inlet and outlet wet or dry (Orsat) O2 dry = O2 wet / (1- FG Moisture)
1 March 2011
T K Ray NTPC

25

Data Collected / Measured

O2 or CO2 in FG at AH Inlet O2 or CO2 in FG at AH Outlet Temperature of gas entering/leaving air heater Temperature of air entering/leaving air heater Diff. Pressure across APH on air & gas side

CO2 measurement is preferred due to high absolute values; In case of any measurement errors, the resultant influence on lkg. calculation is small.

1 March 2011

T K Ray NTPC 26

Factors affecting APH performance Operating excess air levels PA/SA ratio Inlet air / gas temperature Coal moisture Air ingress levels Upstream ash evacuation Soot blowing No. of mills in service Maintenance practices

1 March 2011

T K Ray NTPC 27

Presentation Outline Boiler Efficiency Air Heater Performance Performance Assessment using Field Instruments Use of Performance Evaluation Software

1 March 2011

T K Ray NTPC

28

Factors affecting Boiler efficiency

Design Coal Quality Operating parameters Mill Performance - PF Fineness Burner-to-burner PF balance Excess Air Level Water Chemistry Boiler loading Component condition AH Performance Boiler Air Ingress Furnace / Convective section Cleanliness Insulation Quality of Overhauls
1 March 2011 T K Ray NTPC 29

Boiler & Air Heater Performance Assessment

Accurate determination of Boiler Efficiency & Air Heater performance poses many challenges. Acceptance Test accuracy is not cost justified, but theres a need to obtain representative & accurate performance data & trend the same. Diagnostic tests are required for the following
Root cause analysis of different problems Identifying reasons for boiler inefficiency To verify the feedback from online instruments
1 March 2011 T K Ray NTPC 30

The Diagnostic Tests

Clean Airflow Tests Dirty Airflow Tests Iso-kinetic Coal Sampling PA Flow Calibration Furnace Exit HVT Traverse Air In-Leakage survey Insulation survey Furnace temperature survey Boiler Efficiency Tests AH Performance Tests Boiler Tuning & Optimization

1 March 2011

T K Ray NTPC

31

Thanks
rayt3@asme.org

1 March 2011

T K Ray NTPC

32