Qassim University

F
Faculty
lt off Engineering
E i i

Boilers In Steam
Power Plants

Power Plants
E 470

Prof. Dr. Gamal I. Sultan

ME
mal P

Mansoura University
Faculty of Engineering
Therm

Mechanical Power Engineering

Email: gisultan@mans.edu.eg & gis@qec.edu.sa
www.energyefficiencyasia.org
gy y g
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© UNEP 2006
 Training Agenda: Boiler

Assessment of a boiler
Power Plants

Energy efficiency opportunities

MEE 470
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Therm
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 Economizer

b
Convective
Super heater

Radient Super
heater
d

Xc = 1
Steam to c
turbine e
a

FWP
Qadd

3
 Exhaust gases

Air Heater to Air Blower Cold Air

boiler house Preheater in

Water from Economizer

Hot Well

Convective
C i
Evaporator

Superheater
Super heated
Steam

Radiant
Evaporator

Benson Boiler 4
H t added
Heat dd d tto evaporation
ti
sections. 5
 Super
heater

FWH
Economizer

riser

H
mer
owncom
Addedd

do
Heat 

Drum type water tube boiler 6

 Assessment of a boiler

1. Boiler
Power Plants

2. Boiler blow down

3 Boiler feed water treatment
3.
MEE 470
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Therm
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 Assessment of a Boiler

1 Boiler
1. B il performance
f
Power Plants

• Causes of poor boiler performance

-Poor combustion
-Heat transfer surface fouling
E 470

-Poor operation and maintenance

-Deteriorating fuel and water quality
ME
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• Heat balance: identify heat losses

Therm

• Boiler efficiency: determine deviation

from best efficiency
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 Assessment of a Boiler

Heat Balance
Power Plants

An energy flow diagram describes geographically

how energy is transformed from fuel into useful
energy, heat and losses
E 470

Stochiometric
Excess Air
Un burnt
ME
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Stack Gas
FUEL INPUT STEAM
OUTPUT
Therm
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Convection Blow Ash and Un-burnt

9
& Radiation Down parts of Fuel in Ash
 Assessment of a Boiler

Heat Balance
Power Plants

Balancing total energy entering a boiler against

th energy that
the th t leaves
l the
th boiler
b il in
i different
diff t forms
f
12.7 %
Heat loss due to dry flue gas
E 470

8.1 % Heat loss due to steam in fuel gas

100..0 %
100
1.7 %
BOILER
ME
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H
Heat lloss d
due to moisture
i in
i fuel
f l
Fuel
0.3 % Heat loss due to moisture in air
Therm

2.4 % Heat loss due to unburnts in residue

1.0 % Heat loss due to radiation & other

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unaccounted loss
10
73.8
Heat in Steam
%
 Assessment of a Boiler

Heat Balance
Power Plants

G l improve
Goal: i energy efficiency
ffi i by
b reducing
d i
avoidable losses
E 470

Avoidable losses include:

- Stack gas losses (excess air
air, stack gas
ME
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temperature)
- Losses by unburnt fuel
Therm

- Blow down losses

- Condensate
C d t llosses
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- Convection and radiation 11

 Assessment of a Boiler
ants Boiler Efficiency
y
Thermal efficiency: % of (heat) energy input that is
effectively useful in the generated steam
P er Pla
E 470
0
Therrmal Powe

BOILER EFFICENCY
CALCULATION
ME

1) DIRECT METHOD: 2) INDIRECT METHOD:

The energy gain of the
T

working fluid
f ((water and steam)) The efficiency is the
is compared with the energy different between losses
content of the boiler fuel. and energy input 12
 Assessment of a Boiler
ants Boiler Efficiency:
y Direct Method
Heat Input x 100 Q x (hg – hf) x 100
Boiler efficiency (η) = =
P er Pla

Heat Output Q x GCV

ME 470
0
Therrmal Powe

hg -the enthalpy of saturated steam in kcal/kg of steam

hf -the enthalpy of feed water in kcal/kg of water

Parameters to be monitored:
- Quantity of steam generated per hour (Q) in kg/hr
- Quantity of fuel used per hour (q) in kg/hr
- The working pressure (in kg/cm2(g)) and superheat
temperature (oC), if any
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- The temperature of feed water (oC)

- Type of fuel and gross calorific value of the fuel (GCV) in
13
kcal/kg of fuel
 Assessment of a Boiler

Boiler Efficiency: Direct Method

Power Plants

Advantages
• Quick evaluation
Few parameters for computation
E 470

•
• Few monitoring instruments
• Easy to compare evaporation ratios with
ME
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benchmark figures
Therm

Disadvantages
• No explanation of low efficiency
• Various losses not calculated
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 Assessment of a Boiler

B il Efficiency:
Boiler Effi i Indirect
I di t Method
M th d
Power Plants

Effi i
Efficiency off boiler
b il (η)
( ) = 100 – (i+ii+iii+iv+v+vi+vii)
(i ii iii i i ii)

Principle losses:
losses
E 470

i) Dry flue gas

ME
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ii) Evaporation of water formed due to H2 in fuel

iii) Evaporation of moisture in fuel
Therm

iv) Moisture present in combustion air

v) Unburnt fuel in fly ash
vi) Unburnt fuel in bottom ash
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vii) Radiation and other unaccounted losses 15

 Assessment of a Boiler

B il Efficiency:
Boiler Effi i Indirect
I di t Method
M th d
Power Plants

Required calculation data

‰Ultimate analysis of fuel (H2, O2, S, C, moisture
content, ash content))
E 470

‰% oxygen or CO2 in the flue gas

‰Fuel ggas temperature
p in ◦C ((Tf))
ME
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‰Ambient temperature in ◦C (Ta) and humidity

of air in kg/kg of dry air
Therm

‰GCV of fuel in kcal/kg

‰% combustible in ash ((in case of solid fuels))
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‰GCV of ash in kcal/kg (in case of solid fuels)

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 Assessment of a Boiler

Boiler Efficiency: Indirect Method

Power Plants

Advantages
• Complete
p mass and energy
gy balance for each
E 470

individual stream
• Makes it easier to identify options to improve
boiler efficiency
ME
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Disadvantages
Therm

• Time consuming
• Requires lab facilities for analysis
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 Assessment of a Boiler

2 Boiler
2. B il Blow
Bl Down
D
Power Plants

• Controls
C t l ‘t‘total
t l dissolved
di l d solids’
lid ’ (TDS) in
i the
th
water that is boiled
• Blows off water and replaces it with feed water
E 470

• Conductivity measured as indication of TDS

levels
ME
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• Calculation of quantity blow down required:

Therm

Feed water TDS x % Make up water

Blow down (%) =
Maximum Permissible TDS in Boiler water
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 Assessment of a Boiler

Boiler Blow Down

Power Plants

Two types of blow down

• Intermittent
E 470

• Manually operated valve reduces TDS

• Large short-term increases in feed water
• Substantial heat loss
ME
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• Continuous
Therm

• Ensures constant TDS and steam purity

• Heat lost can be recovered
• Common in high
high-pressure
pressure boilers
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 Assessment of a Boiler

Boiler Blow Down

Power Plants

Benefits
‰Lower p
pretreatment costs
E 470

‰Less make-up water consumption

ME
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‰Reduced maintenance downtime

Therm

‰Increased boiler life

‰Lower consumption
p of treatment
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chemicals
20
 Assessment of a Boiler

3. Boiler Feed Water Treatment

Power Plants

• Quality of steam depend on water

treatment to control
E 470

• Steam purity
• Deposits
ME
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• Corrosion

• Efficient heat transfer only

y if boiler
Therm

water is free from deposit-forming

solids
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 Assessment of a Boiler

B il Feed
Boiler F d Water
W t Treatment
T t t
Power Plants

Deposit
p control
• To avoid efficiency losses and
reduced heat transfer
E 470

• Hardness salts of calcium and

ME
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magnesium
• Alkaline hardness: removed by
y boiling
g
Therm

• Non-alkaline: difficult to remove

• Silica
Sili forms
f hard
h d silica
ili scales
l
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 Assessment of a Boiler

Boiler Feed Water Treatment

Power Plants

Internal water treatment

‰ Chemicals added to boiler to prevent scale
E 470

‰ Different chemicals for different water types

‰ Conditions:
ME
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• Feed water is low in hardness salts

Therm

• Low pressure,
pressure high TDS content is tolerated
• Small water quantities treated
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‰ Internal treatment alone not recommended

23
 Assessment of a Boiler

Boiler Feed Water Treatment

Power Plants

External water treatment:

‰ Removal of suspended/dissolved solids and
dissolved gases
E 470

‰ Pre-treatment: sedimentation and settling

‰ First
Fi t treatment
t t t stage:
t removall off salts
lt
ME
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‰ Processes
Therm

a) Ion exchange
b) Demineralization
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c) De-aeration
24
d) Reverse osmoses
 Assessment of a Boiler

E ternal Water Treatment

External
Power Plants

a) Ion-exchange
Ion exchange process (softener plant)
‰Water passes through bed of natural zeolite of
synthetic resin to remove hardness
E 470

‰Base exchange: calcium (Ca) and magnesium

(Mg) replaced with sodium (Na) ions
ME

‰Does not reduce TDS,

‰ S blow down quantity and
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alkalinity
Therm

b) Demineralization
D i li ti
‰Complete removal of salts
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‰Cations in raw water replaced with hydrogen

ions 25
 Assessment of a Boiler

External Water Treatment

Power Plants

c) De
De-aeration
aeration
• Dissolved corrosive g
gases (O2,
( , CO2))
E 470

expelled by preheating the feed water

• Two types:
ME
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• Mechanical de-aeration: used prior to addition

Therm

off chemical
h i l oxygen scavangers
• Chemical de-aeration: removes trace oxygen
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 Assessment of a Boiler

E t
External
l Water
W t Treatment
T t t
Power Plants

Vent
Spray Nozzles
Boiler Feed Water

Steam
E 470

Scrubber Section
(Trays)
ME
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Storage
S g
Therm

Section
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De-aerated Boiler
Feed Water 27
Mechanical de-aeration
• O2 and CO2 removed by heating feed water
• Economical treatment process
• Vacuum type can reduce O2 to 0.02 mg/l
• Pressure type can reduce O2 to 0.005 mg/l

28
 Assessment of a Boiler

E t
External
l Water
W t Treatment
T t t
Power Plants

Chemical de-aeration
de aeration
‰Removal of trace oxygen with scavenger
‰S di
‰Sodium sulphite:
l hit
E 470

• Reacts with oxygen: sodium sulphate

ME
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• Increases TDS: increased blow down

y
‰Hydrazine
Therm

• Reacts with oxygen: nitrogen + water

• Does not increase TDS: used in high pressure
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boilers 29
 Assessment of a Boiler

External Water Treatment

Power Plants

d) Reverse osmosis
• Osmosis
E 470

• Solutions of differing concentrations

• Separated by a semi
semi-permeable
permeable membrane
ME
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• Water moves to the higher concentration

Therm

• Reversed osmosis
• Higher concentrated liquid pressurized
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• Water moves in reversed direction 30

 Assessment of a Boiler

External water treatment

Power Plants

d) Reverse osmosis
Pressure
MEE 470
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Feed Fresh Water

Water
Therm

More
Concentrated
Solution
Concentrate Water Flow
Flow
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Semi Permeable 31
Membrane © UNEP 2006
 Energy Efficiency Opportunities

1. Stack temperature control

2. Feed water preheating using economizers
Power Plants

3. Combustion air pre-heating

4. Incomplete combustion minimization
5. Excess air control
6
6. Avoid radiation and convection heat loss
E 470

7. Automatic blow down control

8. Reduction of scaling and soot losses
ME
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9. Reduction of boiler steam pressure

10. Variable speed control
Therm

11. Controlling boiler loading

12. Proper boiler scheduling
13
13. Boiler replacement
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 Energy Efficiency Opportunities

1 Stack
1. St k T
Temperature
t Control
C t l
Power Plants

• Keep as low as possible

• If >200°C then recover waste heat

2. Feed Water Preheating

E 470

Economizers
ME
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• Potential to recover heat from 200 – 300 oC flue

gases leaving
g g a modern 3-pass
p shell boiler
Therm

3. Combustion Air Preheating

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• If combustion air raised by 20°C = 1% improve

thermal efficiency 33
 Energy Efficiency Opportunities

4. Minimize Incomplete Combustion

Power Plants

• Symptoms:
• Smoke, high CO levels in exit flue gas
• Causes:
C
E 470

• Air shortage, fuel surplus, poor fuel distribution

ME
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• Poor mixing of fuel and air

• Oil-fired boiler:
Therm

• Improper viscosity, worn tops, cabonization on

dips, deterioration of diffusers or spinner plates
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• Coal-fired boiler: non-uniform coal size

34
 Energy Efficiency Opportunities
5. Excess Air Control
• Excess air required for complete combustion
wer Pllants
• Optimum excess air levels varies
• 1% excess air reduction = 0.6%
0 6% efficiency rise
• Portable or continuous oxygen analyzers
70

F l
Fuel K air
Kg i req./kg
/k fuel
f l %CO2 in
i flue
fl gas in
i practice
ti
ME 47
Therrmal Pow

Solid Fuels
Bagasse 3.3 10-12
Coal 10 7
10.7 10 13
10-13
M

(bituminous) 8.5 9 -13

Lignite 4.5 14-15
Paddyy Husk 5.7 11.13
Wood
Liquid Fuels
Furnace Oil 13.8 9-14
LSHS 14.1 9-14
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 Energy Efficiency Opportunities

6. Radiation and Convection Heat

Power Plants

Loss Minimization
• Fixed heat loss from boiler shell, regardless of
b il output
boiler t t
E 470

• Repairing insulation can reduce loss

ME
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7 Automatic Blow Down Control

7.
Therm

• Sense and respond to boiler water conductivity

and pH
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 Energy Efficiency Opportunities

8 Scaling
8. S li and
d Soot
S t Loss
L Reduction
R d ti
Power Plants

• Every 22oC increase in stack temperature = 1%

efficiency loss
• 3 mm of soot = 2.5%
2 5% fuel increase
E 470

9. Reduced Boiler Steam Pressure

ME
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• Lower steam pressure

Therm

= lower
l saturated
t t d steam
t temperature
t t
= lower flue gas temperature
T

• Steam generation pressure dictated by process

37
 Energy Efficiency Opportunities

10. Variable Speed Control for Fans,

Power Plants

Blowers and Pumps

• Suited for fans, blowers, pumps
Should be considered if boiler loads are
E 470

•
variable
ME
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11. Control Boiler Loading

Therm

• Maximum boiler efficiency: 65-85% of rated load

• Significant efficiency loss: < 25% of rated load
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 Energy Efficiency Opportunities

12. Proper Boiler Scheduling

Power Plants

• Optimum
p efficiency:
y 65-85% of full load
• Few boilers at high loads is more efficient than
large number at low loads
E 470

13. Boiler Replacement

ME
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Financially attractive if existing boiler is

• Old and inefficient
Therm

• Not capable of firing cheaper substitution fuel

• Over or under-sized for p
present requirements
q
T

• Not designed for ideal loading conditions

39
 Power Plants

Boilers
E 470

THANK YOU
ME
mal P

FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Therm
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© UNEP GERIAP