III.

RECOVERY BOILER
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Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. TYPE OF CHEMICAL PROCESS
3. TYPE OF RECOVERY BOILER
4. SPECIFICATION OF A RECOVERY BOILER
5. CHEMICAL CYCLE FLOW DIAGRAM
6. ARRANGEMENT OF RECOVERY BOILER
7. AIR FLOW
8. COMBUSTION OF BLACK LIQUOR
9. SOOT BLOWERS
10. ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
11. SAFETY ASPECTS
12. CONCLUSION
FIG.III-1 RECOVERY CYCLE CYCLE KRAFT PROCESS
FIG. III-2 CUT -AWAY VIEW OF RECOVERY BOILER
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III. RECOVERY BOILER
1. INTRODUCTION
The recovery boiler finds an exclusive application in pulp/paper mills and rayon pulp
plants. The basic purpose of these plants is to convert the raw materials, wood, into pulp or
paper. This involves a chemical process and the recovery boiler is used to recycle the same
chemicals, so that the money spent on chemicals is minimum. For a pulp/paper mill the steam
and electric power requirement is fairly high and hence normally these plants will have a
few process (industrial) boilers also. The steam generated in recovery and industrial boilers
will be first sent through a turbine for generating electric power, The requirement of process
steam will be met by making the turbine back pressure type or extraction type.
2. TYPE OF CHEMICAL PROCESS
Based on the chemicals (Na, NH
3
, Ca, Mg) and the pH levels, a number of chemical processes
exist in practice. The most popular process among them is called KRAFT (sulphate) process having
Na
2
S and NaOH as active chemicals. The pH value of this liquor is around 12.
3. TYPE OF RECOVERY BOILER
The present design of recovery boilers of BHEL are designated as V2R, meaning Vertical (V), bi
drum (2), Recovery boiler (R). These boilers can be used only for Kraft process.
4. SPECIFICATION OF A RECOVERY BOILER
The recovery boilers are normally specified in terms of the quantity of chemicals (dry solids) to be
handled per day (tonnes/day) unlike the conventional boilers where steam flow (T/hr) is specified.
5. CHEMICAL CYCLE FLOW DIAGRAM
The chemical flow diagram applicable for a Kraft process is shown in Fig. 111-1. The digester is the
starting point for the chemical process. The digester will be filled with the raw material (chipped
wood) and filled with a dilute chemical solution (white liquor). The White liquor contains Na
2
S and
NaOH.
The digester will be kept under pressure and temperature using process steam for about 3 hours.
This is a batch type operation. For continuity of process normally a number of digesters (4 or 5) will
be provided.
After the cooking time, the contents of the digester will be blown out and washed. The fiberous
portion will be separated and sent for pulp processing. The waste liquor containing inorganic chemicals
(Na
2
S & NaOH) in reacted condition and organic chemicals from the wood (Lignin) is called weak
black liquor (WBL). The WBL contains about 15% by weight of chemicals and the remaining is
water. The WBL concentration is said to be 15% solids.
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The role of recovery boiler is to burn the organic chemicals and using the heat, fuse the
inorganic chemicals as well as generate steam.
The WBL with 85% water content cannot be burnt as such. The WBL is concentrated to about
50% solids concentration using steam, in multiple effect evaporators (MEE). This liquor is known as
strong or concentrated black liquor (CBL).
The CBL is further concentrated to about 65 to 70% solids in cascade evaporator, using flue gas
from economiser outlet. This liquor is known as heavy black liquor (HBL). The HBL is sprayed into
the furnace as coarse particles.
From the furnace bottom fused inorganic chemicals are tapped of in molten condition (smelt).The
smelt is dissolved in a tank using water and is known as green liquor (Na
2
S & Na
2
CO
3
). The green
liquor is processed in a causticizer adding lime to convert to white liquor.
Na
2
C
3
+ Ca (OH)
2
= CaCO
3
+ 2 NaOH.
The Na
2
S present in green liquor remains unchanged. In the chemical recycle, the loss of chemicals
to the tune of 4 to 8% is possible. In order to makeup for this loss, salt cake (Na
2
SO
4
) is added to
the heavy black liquor (in salt cake mixing tank ) before sprayed into the furnace.Another important
function of the recovery boiler is to convert this Na
2
SO
4
to Na
2
S. Normally the boiler suppliers
work is from CBL storage tank to the main dissolving tank.
CHEMICAL REACTIONS:
EQUIPMENT CHEMICALS/REACTIONS REMARKS
Digester Na
2
S + NaOH Cooking (White) liquor
Salt cake mixing tank Na
2
SO
4
Addition of make up salt cake.
Recovery Boiler Na
2
SO
4
+ 2C --> Na
2
S + 2CO
2
Formation of Na
2
S and Na
2
CO
3
Causticizer Na
2
S + Na
2
CO
3
+ Ca(OH)
2
---> Na
2
S + 2NaOH + CaCO
3
Lime Kiln CaCO
3
+ Heat ---> CaO + CO
2
Slaker CaO + H
2
O --->Ca(OH)
2
It shall be noted that the causticized lime is also obtained by recycling chemicals through lime kiln
and slaker.
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6. ARRANGEMENT OF RECOVERY BOILER
The Figure 111-2 shows a typical recovery boiler. The description of various components are given
below:
Furnace:
The furnace is of fusion welded construction with 63.5 mm OD tubes at 76.2 mm pitch. The
furnace bottom is made flat and leak tight for chemical recovery.
Boiler Bank:
The boiler bank consists of upper and lower drum with a number of 63.5 mm OD tubes at a spacing
of 140 x 115 mm. The upper drum accommodates internals (Hydraulic baffle type). The lower drum
also has a box arrangement so that, the steam-water mixture of the rear water wall will be relieved
to the upper drum by means of the first four rows of boiler bank tubes.
Down Comers
Normally 2 nos. of down comers connect the lower drum and bottom manifold header. From the
manifold header, water is distributed to all the water walls.
Furnace Screen :
The furnace screen is of tangent tube construction and each assembly is kept at a spacing of 305
mm. The furnace screen helps to reduce the direct radiation to the superheaters which in turn reduces
the fouling tendency of the ash on superheater surfaces. The topmost tube in each screen assembly
is extra thick to withstand the impact of failing ash. The furnace screens are connected to the upper
and lower drums by individual supply/relief tubes.
Superheaters:
The superheaters are also of tangent tube construction with a spacing of 305 mm. Normally 2 stages
of superheater are provided with a desuperheater in between for steam temperature control. The
tangent tube construction has a great advantage in the case of recovery boilers. The removal of
deposits is very easy.Normally steam temperature is controlled from 70% to 100% MCR. In view
of the tangent tube construction the squeezed bends may be possible locations for internal deposit
formation. Hence, the spray water used in desuperheater should be of high quality (less than 1 ppm
TDS). In case where this high purity water may not be available, a spray water condenser is provided.
This condenses saturated steam using the incoming feed water as the cooling medium. The condensate
will be used for spray in desuperheater.
Economiser:
The economiser is an unconventional design, called vertical finned economiser. Dia 44.5 mm tubes
are provided with 50 mm fins on either side. In some boilers, baffles may be provided to have
crossflow of gases for better heat transfer. A bypass damper may also be provided to bypass part
of gases flowing through economiser. This is used as a control when the inlet concentration of CBL
is varying (decreasing).
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Cascade Evaporator:
This equipment concentrates the CBL (50% solids) to heavy black liquor (65% solids). This is the
last heat recovery section in a conventional recovery boiler. The arrangement consists of a circular
bundle of tubes kept horizontally at a spacing of 150 x 150 mm. Both the tube ends are plugged.
The tube wheel is kept immersed in liquor upto a height of about 1500 mm. The flue gases scrub the
exposed surface. The wheel rotates at a very slow speed (4 rpm). During rotation the tube surfaces
expose a layer of liquor. Heat and mass transfer take place resulting in higher concentration at the
outlet. A wire plate arrangement is provided to ensure that the tanks are not completely drained.
Smelt Spouts:
Smelt spouts are of trough like construction, provided at the furnace bottom to tap off the molten
smelt. The spout is water cooled to increase the life time. The spout inner surface is made of a
special material (armco iron) having high thermal conductivity and capable of withstanding thermal
transients due to pulsating flow.
Main Dissolved Tank:
This tank is kept below the smelt spouts to enable gravity flow of smelt. The molten smelt has a
tendency to explode when it comes in contact with water. In order to minimise the effect of these
explosions, the smelt is shattered into small drops before it comes in contact with water. Steam and
recirculated green liquor are normally used for shattering. To protect the tank against erosion and
corrosion, linings are normally provided in tank bottom and sides.
Agitators are also provided to help in dissolving the smelt particles.
Starting Burners :
Two or four nos. of starting burners (using oil or gas) are provided at furnace bottom to initially start
the combustion of liquor Each burner will be provided with one ignitor (eddy plate tube type). In this
application scanners will not be useful for sensing oil burner flame. Hence the ignitors will have to be
working whenever the oil burner has to be in service. Once the black liquor fired is sufficiently high
(above 70% MCR) the starting burners shall be cut off. Black liquor will sustain stabilised combustion.
7. AIR FLOW
The air to recovery boiler is preheated to about 150
0
C using steam coil air preheater. 65% of total
air is supplied through primary air nozzles located at furnace bottom. Remaining air is admitted
tangentially into the furnace through secondary air registers. Provision exists in the secondary air
registers to install burners (oil/gas) for steam generation, when black liquor is not available. These
are normally called load carrying burners.
8. COMBUSTION OF BLACK LIQUOR
The combustion of black liquor involves 3 stages (drying, reduction and oxidation). The black
liquor is sprayed into the furnace at a pressure of 1 kg/cm
2
g and 120
0
C through guns which oscillate
(70 cs/min) in a vertical plane. The coarse particles are dried by the time they settle on the furnace
bottom. The dried particles form a bed and burn to form smelt. The volatile content which escape in
drying zone are burnt in the secondary air level to complete combustion.
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9. SOOT BLOWERS
Soot blowers play a vital role in the case of recovery boilers. The flue gas is laden with large quantity
of sticky particals. Hence, soot blowers are provided in superheater, boilers bank and economiser
areas to keep the heat transfer surfaces fairly clean.
10. ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
The electrostatic precipitators serve a very important role in the case of recovery boilers. The dust
particles precipitated are only sodium and sulphur compounds. This dust is returned to the black
liquor system. The concentrated black liquor dissolves this ash before entering cascade evaporator.
11. SAFETY ASPECTS
It has been highlighted under main dissolving tank, that the molten smelt when it comes in contact
with water explodes. A number of smelt water explosions have taken place due to water leakage
into the furnace damaging the recovery boilers to a great extent. In view of this special precaution is
required in the manufacture and erection, to ensure good workmanship and avoid chances of water
leakage. These boilers are also provided with a special draining system for emergency conditions.
The emergency drain system drains the water in the furnace walls to a level of 2400 mm from the
hearth tubes, through drain valves provided in the down comers of furnace and furnace screens.
This system shall be operated whenever water in any amount is found to leak into the furnace.
12. CONCLUSION
Only conventional type of recovery unit which uses cascade evaporators has been explained. There
are also other types of recovery boilers like large economiser unit (using economiser in the place
of cascade evaporator) and Laminaire air heater unit (using airheater) in the place of cascade
evaporator) for Kraft process.
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FIG.III-1 RECOVERY CYCLE CYCLE KRAFT PROCESS
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FIG. III-2 CUT -AWAY VIEW OF RECOVERY BOILER
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