Air & Draft

system

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 Presentation Plan
• Various auxiliary equipments in a boiler
• Need for Draft System
• Primary and secondary air system in Boiler and their fans
• Other fans in a boiler
• Basic of fans: Fan Types and selection
• Fan laws and factors affecting fan performance
• Performance curves

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 Arrangement of Boiler Auxiliaries

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 Need of Draft System

Combustion Air Boiler

Flue Gases

• Air needed for combustion

• Flue are needed to be evacuated
• Losses due to flow need to be overcome
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 How to select a fan
• Air or Gas flow -Kg/hr
• Density (function of temperature and pressure)
• System, resistance (losses)
Major Fans in Boiler Draft System
• PA Fans
• FD Fans
• ID Fans

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 PRIMARY AIR/MILL SEAL AIR
SYSTEM
• Ambient air is drawn into the primary air ducting
by two 50% duty, motor driven axial reaction
fans.
• Air discharging from each fan is divided into two
parts, one passes first through a air pre-heater
then through a gate into the P.A bus duct. The
second goes to the cold air duct. The mix of both
is used to carry the pulverized coal to the boiler.
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 Components of PA Fan
• Suction Bend With volume Measurement
instruments
• Fan housing with Guide Vanes
• Main Bearings (Anti Friction)
• Rotor with impeller with adjustable blade with
pitch control
• Guide vane housing with guide vanes
• Diffuser with pressure measurement
instruments
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 SECONDARY AIR SYSTEM
• Ambient air is drawn into the secondary air system by two 50%
duty, motor driven axial reaction forced draft fans with variable
pitch control.
• Air discharging from each fan passes first through a air preheated
then through a isolating damper into the secondary air bust duct.
• The cross over duct extends around to each side of the boiler furnace
to form two secondary air to burner ducts.
• At the sides of the furnace, the ducts split to supply air to two
corners. Then split again to supply air to each of nineteen burner/air
nozzle elevations in the burner box.

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 Burner Box Dampers
• Coal/Air Dampers
• Secondary Air Dampers
• Oil/Secondary Air Dampers
• Bottom Tier Secondary Air Damper
• Over Fire Damper

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 Primary and Secondary air System in
the Boiler

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 Axial Fans FD Application

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 Induced Draft System
• There are three induced draught fans per
boiler, two operating and one standby
• In 500 MW fans are single-stage, double-inlet
centrifugal fans. Principal fan elements of the
fan are:
• Housing
• Inlet dampers
• Rotor with Bearing
• Shaft Seal

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 ID Fan
• The rotor consists of shaft and assembled impeller and runs in two sleeve
bearings that are arranged outside of the housing.
• The impeller consists of a centre disc and two cover discs that are
reinforced by forged rings. The bent blades are welded into position
between the impeller discs.
• The blades are protected by screwed - on wear plates.
• The shaft is of hollow design. The fan shaft has been rated so that max.
operating speed is below the critical speed. Impeller and shaft are
connected by means of a flange. This screwing is protected by wear plates.
• The fan housing is sealed by means of two-part labyrinth seals.
• Bearings are lubricated with oil.

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 Other Fans in The System
• Ignitor Air Fan: Provide combustion air to the ignitors. Take
suction air from the atmosphere and supplies air to the ignitor
wind box.
• Scanner Air Fan: Supplies cooling air to flame scanners.
Normally there are two fans taking suction from FD Fan
discharge duct.
• Mill Seal air fan: Seal air fans provide air for the sealing of
Mill bearing. Suction is from cold Primary air and pressure is
boosted up to maintain the differential pressure

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 AIR AND FLUE GAS PATH TYPICAL 500 MW BOILER
TO MILLS

PAPH-A

PRIMARY
PA FAN -A

SCAPH-A
ECO BYPASS TO ESP

AEROFOIL

SECOND
SCAPH-A
SAPH-A
AA205 AA203 AA202

AA201
AA204
FD FAN -B

SA HDR
HORIZONTAL S.H

ECONOMISER -1

ECONOMISER -2
PANELETTE S.H

ECONOMISER-3

HOT PA HDR
PLATEN S.H

RE HEATER

COMBUSTION
DIVISION

CHAMBER

HOT
AA204 AA201

AA205 AA203 AA202

SAPH-B

SECOND
FD FAN-A

SCAPH-B
AEROFOIL

ECO BYPASS TO ESP

COLD SEC. AIR BIPLANE DAMPER
COLD PRIM AIR

PRIMARY
SCAPH-B
HOT PRIMARY AIR DIVERTER DAMPER

PAPH-B
HOT SEC. AIR
FLUE GAS

PNEUMATICALLY O/P
KNIFE EDGE GATE
TO MILLS
MOTOR O/P LOUVER
DAMPER
PA FAN -A
PNEUMATICALLY O/P
LOUVER DAMPER

MOTOR O/P GATE

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Scheme of Air and Gas Path

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 ID Fan at Location

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 Variation of Pressure in Boiler
Fu rn ace P ressu re At Vario us P o in ts in B o iler

250 1 FD Fan Inlet

FD Fan Outlet
200 2
Airheater Inlet
3
150
Airheater Outlet
4
100
Windbox Pressure
5
50
6 Furnace
Furnace Pressure

0 7 Superheater Platen Inlet

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Reheater Inlet
-50 8

9 LTSH Inlet
-100
10 Economiser Inlet

-150 Airheater Inlet

11

12 E.P. Inlet
-200

13 I.D. Fan Inlet

-250
I.D. Fan Outlet
14
-300
Points in Boiler

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 Basics on Fans

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Gyanendra Sharma, NPTI Delhi
 Difference between fans, blowers and
compressors
As per ASME the specific pressure, i.e, the ratio of the discharge
pressure over the suction pressure is used for defining the fans, blowers
and compressors as highlighted below :

Equipment Specific Ratio Pressure rise (mmWg)

Fans Up to 1.11 1136

Blowers 1.11 to 1.20 1136 – 2066

Compressors more than 1.20 -

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 Typical centrifugal fan operation

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 Fan types

Centrifugal fan Axial fan

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 Centrifugal Fan: Types

Paddle Blade Forward Curved Backward Curved

(Radial blade) (Multi vane)

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 Axial Flow Fan: Types
Tube Axial Vane Axial Propeller

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 Fan Types and Efficiencies

Peak Efficiency
Centrifugal Fans
Range
Airfoil, backwardly curved/inclined 79-83
Modified radial 72-79
Redial 69-75
Pressure blower 58-68
Forwardly curved 60-65
Axial fan
vanaxial 78-85
Tubeaxial 67-72
Propeller 45-50

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 Axial-flow Fans Centrifugal Fans

Typical Typical
Type Characteristics Type Characteristics
Applications Applications

Prope Low pressure, high Air- Radial High pressure, Various industrial
ller flow, low efficiency, circulation, medium flow, applications, suitable
peak efficiency close ventilation, efficiency close to for dust laden, moist
to point of free air exhaust tube-axial fans, power air/gases
delivery increases continuously

Tube- Medium pressure, HVAC, Forward- Medium pressure, Low pressure

axial high flow, higher drying ovens, curved high flow, dip in HVAC, packaged
efficiency than exhaust blades pressure curve, units, suitable for
propeller type, dip in systems efficiency higher than clean and dust laden
pressure-flow curve radial fans, power air / gases
before peak pressure rises continuously
point.

Vane- High pressure, High pressure Backward High pressure, high HVAC, various
axial medium flow, dip in applications curved flow, high efficiency, industrial
pressure-flow curve, including blades power reduces as flow applications, forced
use of guide vanes HVAC increases beyond draft fans, etc.
improves efficiency systems, point of highest
exhausts efficiency

Airfoil type Same as backward Same as backward

curved type, highest curved, but for clean
efficiency air applications
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 System characteristic curve

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 System curve

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 Fan Laws
Flow ? Speed Pressure ? (Speed)2 Power ? (Speed)3

Q1 N 1 SP1  N 1 
2
kW 1  N 1 
3
  
Q2 N 2  
SP 2  N 2  kW 2  N 2 
Varying the RPM by 10% Varying the RPM by 10% Varying the RPM by 10%
decreases or increases air decreases or increases the decreases or increases the
delivery by 10%. static pressure by 19%. power requirement by
27%.
Where Q – flow, SP – Static Pressure, kW – Power and N – speed (RPM)

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 Fan static pressure
Fan Static Pressure r SP = SP (Fan outlet) – SP (Fan inlet)
SP (Fan outlet) – Static pressure at fan outlet, mm WC
SP (Fan inlet) – Static pressure at fan inlet, mm WC

r SP = 0.05 – (-10)
= 10.05 mm W.C.

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 Speed vs Power

% Speed % Power

100 100

90 73

80 51

70 34

60 22

50 13

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 Flow control

Damper - Most Popular

Variable Speed Drive
Recirculation

100 Damper

VFC
Power 75

50
VFD
25
Ideal
25 50 75 100
Flow
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 Impact of speed reduction

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 Use of VSD: Boiler ID fan case study

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 Use of VSD: Boiler ID fan case study
(contd.)

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 THANK YOU

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