© Howden 2007

Howden Heater Background

and Main Design Features

Jim Cooper
Technical Manager, Heaters
Howden Global
© Howden 2007

Rotary regenerative heat transfer principle

Air 300C

Gas 350C

30C

130C
© Howden 2007

Heat transfer elements

Electrostatic Spray
Enamel Coating
© Howden 2007
Elements
© Howden 2007
Howden SurePackTM elements
© Howden 2007
Main gas path
Enstedværket Power Station

SPLIT
ECONOMISER

ECO
Ammonia
Injection
SCR
2 off
ECO East and
West

1 off
© Howden 2007

Alternative air preheater arrangements

Bisector heater

Tri-sector heater Quad-sector heater

© Howden 2007

Tri-sector (VNT) air preheater

G-S-P rotation G-P-S rotation

Centre drive unit Gas duct

Secondary Rotor
air duct

Shaft

Top
structure

End pillar
Rotor housing

Client’s
supporting
steelwork
Side pillar
Bottom support
Primary air duct girders
© Howden 2007

Quad-sector Air Preheater

© Howden 2007

Factors Considered in Airheater Selection

• Comparison Performance
• Thermal performance
• Pressure Drop
• Leakage

• Fouling and cleanability

• High Pressure and Pressure Differential

• Design for Low Maintenance

• Minimum First Cost and Through Life Costs

© Howden 2007

Alternative Heater Arrangements for Coal Firing

• Single Stream Heaters

• Bisector (with hot PA fans)
• Tri-sector
• Quad-sector
• Twin Stream Heaters
• Twin stream tri-sectors
• Bisector main heater + tubular mill heater
© Howden 2007

Alternative Heater Arrangements for Coal Firing

• Single Stream Heaters

• Bisector (with hot PA fans)
• Tri-sector
• Quad-sector
• Twin Stream Heaters
• Twin stream tri-sectors
• Bisector main heater + tubular mill heater
© Howden 2007

Quad-sector versus Main + Tubular Mill

• Will the additional PA to SA fan leakage in a quad-

sector heater have a higher levellised cost than the
increased first cost of a separate main + tubular mill
heater?

• Can the supposed advantages of each option be

maintained over time?
© Howden 2007

Quad-sector versus Main + Tubular Mill

Advantages of Main + Tubular Mill Heater
• Inlet gas flow rate can be adjusted between heaters to modulate PA outlet
temperature
• This can compensate for wet coal
• The tubular heaters are theoretically zero leakage heaters
Disadvantages of Main + Tubular Mill Heater
• Starving main heater of gas flow reduces gas outlet and CE element temperatures
and increasing fouling risk in main heater
• Tubular heaters are generally much larger and more expensive than rotary
regenerative heaters performing the same duty
• They are typically twice the price on an F.O.B. basis
• Ductwork and other installation costs will be much higher
• Tubular heaters generally have a higher pressure drop for the same thermal
performance and ground area
• Tubular heaters tend to have a permanent cold corner that promotes fouling
• Corrosion can occur under the cold corner deposit perforating the tubes
• When tubular heaters foul, their thermal performance falls off needing more gas
flow
© Howden 2007

Quad-sector versus Main + Tubular Mill

Advantages of Quad-sector Heater

• The F.O.B. cost and installed cost of a single quad-sector heater will inevitably be
much cheaper than
• Unlike tubular heaters, when rotary regenerative heaters foul, their thermal
performance remains constant
• There is a natural balance between gas and air flows across the heater that
makes it easier to avoid fouling problems

Disadvantages of Quad-sector Heater

• They inevitably suffer from leakage flows
• Due to the high pressure differential, the leakage flow rate between primary and
secondary streams can still be high – especially as a %age pf PA flow
• Can these leakage flows be maintained with time?
• There is no facility of modulating gas flow rate between streams or direction of
rotation (as in tri-sectors) to alter PA outlet temperature
© Howden 2007

Leakage Flows and Fan Powers in a Quad-sector

Element Type HS8 HS8e Element Type HS8 HS8e
Element Thickness mm 0.75 0.75 Element Thickness mm 0.75 0.75
Enamel Thickness mm 0 0.3 Enamel Thickness mm 0 0.3
Tier Depth mm 1220 1110 Tier Depth mm 1220 1110
Duty Number 1 2 Duty Number 1 2
Boiler Load Design Coal Worst Coal
Boiler Load Design Coal Worst Coal
No. Heaters in Service 1 1
No. Heaters in Service 1 1
Flow Quantities per Boiler kg/s Pressure & Differentials mbar
Gas In 650.5 673.5 Gas In 986.73 987.34
Gas Out 681.47 704 Air In Primary 1139 1139
Air In (before attemperation) Primary 132.99 137.6 Air In Secondary 1039 1039
Gas Out 977.25 977.25
Air In (after attemperation) Primary N/A N/A
Air Out Primary 1132.99 1132.56
Tempering Air Primary N/A N/A
Air Out Secondary 1028.35 1027.72
Air Out Heater Primary 107 112 Gas Side Pressure Drop 9.48 10.09
Air to Mills Primary N/A N/A Air Side Pressure Drop Primary 6.01 6.44
Air In Secondary 481.98 497.9 Air Side Pressure Drop Secondary 10.65 11.28
Air Out Heater Secondary 477 493 SA to Gas HEPD 41.67 40.43
Ash N/A N/A SA to PA HEPD 104.64 104.84
Temperatures °C SA to Gas CEPD 61.75 61.75
Gas In 386 390 SA to PA CEPD 100 100
Gas Out Undiluted 118.7 120.3 Barometric Pressure N/A N/A
Gas Out Diluted 115.2 116.8
Leakage Flows per Boiler kg/s
Air In Primary 47 47
SA to Gas Direct 16.74 16.32
Tempering Air Primary N/A N/A
PA to Gas Direct 0.72 0.72
Air Out of Heater Primary 354.7 358 PA to SA Direct 24.1 23.71
Air to Mills Primary N/A N/A Gas to SA Entrained 11.88 11.81
Air In Secondary 39 39 PA to SA Entrained 14.68 14.62
Air Out Secondary 352 355.3 SA to Gas, SA to PA Entrained 13.51 13.46
Calculated Operating CCET (A) 159.2 160.8 Hot End Velocity m/s
Recommended Minimum CCET (B) 162.4 138 Gas 10.05 10.47
Margin to Minimum CCET (A - B) -3.2 22.8 Mean Specific Heat J/kg K
Min Gas Exit (undil) for Specified Air Inlet 122 97.5 Gas 1096.06 1098.6
Acid Dewpoint 139 139.4 Gas plus Flyash N/A N/A
Water Dewpoint 41.5 42.2 Air Primary 1046.5 1046.83
Air Secondary 1045.7 1046.03
Mean Cold End Metal 83.3 84.2
X Ratio 0.8566 0.8554
© Howden 2007

Leakage Flows and Fan Powers in a Quad-sector

Duty Number 1 2
Boiler Load Design Coal Worst Coal
No. Heaters in Service 1 1
Sealing Details
Sealing Arrangement per Sector Plate Gas-SA PA-SA
Double Double
Hot End Sector Plates Actuated (S
Hinge Radius mm 2700
Baffle Radius mm 1700
Radial Plate Radius mm 10390
Radial Plate Depth mm 2760
Duty Number 1 2
Leakage per Boiler kg/s Boiler Load Design Coal Worst Coal
Hot End Radial SA->Gas 6.2 6.11
Cold End Radial SA->Gas 7.01 6.74 Total PA Leakage PA->SA 25.27 24.86
Axial SA->Gas 1.22 1.19 PA->Gas 0.72 0.72
Hot End Post SA->Gas 0.42 0.41 25.99 25.58
PA->Gas 0.29 0.29 Total PA Leakage (as % PA in) 19.5% 18.6%
Cold End Post SA->Gas 0.72 0.72 Total PA Leakage (as % PA out) 24.3% 22.8%
PA->Gas 0.43 0.43
Primary Seal SA->Gas 1.18 1.15
Entrainment SA->Gas 13.51 13.46
Totals kg/s
Air Leakage Flow Rate 30.97 30.5
% of Gas in flow rate 4.77 4.54
Others kg/s
Hot End Radial PA->SA 10.76 10.77
Cold End Radial PA->SA 9.64 9.27
Axial PA->SA 1.87 1.84
Hot End Post PA->SA 0 0
Cold End Post PA->SA 0 0
Primary Seal PA->SA 1.83 1.82
Entrainment SA->PA 13.51 13.46
Entrainment PA->SA 14.68 14.62
Entrainment Gas->SA 11.88 11.81
Max Rotor Turndown mm 67.45 68.1
© Howden 2007

Leakage Flows and Fan Powers in a Quad-sector

Pressures mbar a. 986.73 1028.35 1132.99

GAS 16.74 SA 25.27 PA

Press. Drop 10.65 6.01

Pressures mbar a. 977.25 1039 1139

Fan head, h (mbar) 25.75 125.75
Fan head, h (Pa) 2575 12575
Flows kg/s 482.0 25.27 133.0 25.27
Nm3/s 377.5 19.8 104.2 19.8
m3/s 431.3 22.6 119.0 22.6
Eff 80% 80% 80% 80%
kp 0.9432 0.9432 0.9432 0.9432
Power (kW) = V.DP/Eff 1309.5 68.7 1764.6 335.3
Fan Power due to PA --> SA leakage (kW) 266.6
(£/kW) 2500 Additional F.O.B.
Evaluated cost saving if eliminating PA leakage £ 666,583 cost of tubular mill
heater greater than
Atmospheric pressure (mbar) 1013.25
levellised cost of
increased PA Æ SA
Budget FOB Price for Mill Heater for above duty £ 675,000 leakage in quad-
sector heater
Budget FOB Price for Tubular Mill Heater for above duty x2 £ 1,350,000
This does not include
Additional FOB price for tubular mill heater £ 675,000 increased civil and
installation costs of
tubular or increased
pressure drop
© Howden 2007

Rotary Air Preheaters

for CFB Boilers
© Howden 2007

Air Preheater in Alhomens CFB Circuit

Steam-cooled
Cyclones

Rotary Air
Preheater

Furnace

Combustion ID Fans
Air Fans
© Howden 2007
Operation Conditions PC versus CFB
Pressure differentials and leakage

Boiler Type PC CFB

Load 100% MCR 100% MCR
Ratio of
Fuel Design Coal Peat
CFB/PF
Heater Design VNT VSQ
Pressure Differentials at Hot End (kPa)
Secondary Air/Gas 2.9 8.1 2.8
Primary Air/Secondary Air 6.2 7.7 1.2
Primary Air/Gas 9.1 15.8 1.7
Pressure Loss Through Preheater (kPa)
Gas 1.16 0.958 0.8
Secondary Air 0.977 0.601 0.6
Primary Air 0.644 0.632 1.0
Leakage (kg/s)
Total Air to Gas Leakage
as % of Gas Inlet Flow 5.72% 4.10%
© Howden 2007

Quad-sector APHs on Kaiyuan CFB units

© Howden 2007

Adjustable sector plates

© Howden 2007

Leakage drift

VN
Fixed Seal Design
© Howden 2007

Rotor sealing (radial seals)

old single sealing

new double sealing

© Howden 2007

Adjustable versus fixed double sealing

Air Gas

Leakage

Air Gas

Leakage
© Howden 2007

Multi-position actuated system (VA & HA)

© Howden 2007
Alhomens airheater
Sealing system
© Howden 2007

Primary radial seals seals

© Howden 2007

Miscellaneous design features

© Howden 2007

Heater erection

GVN Gas Reheater

Single Lift (255 tonnes)
Poland, 27th Feb 1997

Ground Assembly of
GVN Gas Reheater
© Howden 2007

Element Arrangements for SCR

NH4HSO4 condensation H2SO4 condensation band

band

1000
650
900
Element tier depths (mm)

1200

900 1000
900

1200
300
600 500
300

Tgas out ≈150°C (302°F) Tgas out ≈130°C (266°F) Tgas out ≈130°C (266°F) Tgas out ≈130°C (266°F)
ARRANGEMENT 1 ARRANGEMENT 2 ARRANGEMENT 3 ARRANGEMENT 4
One Japanese A Japanese Typical European Typical European
Arrangement ‘SCR-compatible’ Arrangement ‘SCR-compatible’
early-SCR Arrangement pre-SCR (Ensted) Arrangement (Ensted)
© Howden 2007
Tail end SCR arrangement
without FGD (Mercer)

Additional Ammonia
heat input Injection
from in-duct SCR
gas burner
DT =
25°C
298°C 323°C

SCR GGH

115°C 148°C
© Howden 2007
Tail end SCR arrangement
Mercer SGVN erection sequence

Heater Details
Designation: Size 35.5SGVN/2400
Rotor Diameter: 20.8 m
Rotating Weight: 980 tonnes
Statics Weight: 180 tonnes
Total Weight : 1,160 tonnes

• Largest rotary regenerative heaters in

the US
• Equal largest rotary regenerative
heaters in world
• Not the heaviest in world as they use
high efficiency elements
© Howden 2007
Tail end SCR arrangement
Mercer SGVN erection sequence

Heater Details
Designation: Size 35.5SGVN/2400
Rotor Diameter: 20.8 m
Rotating Weight: 980 tonnes
Statics Weight: 180 tonnes
Total Weight : 1,160 tonnes

• Largest rotary regenerative heaters in

the US
• Equal largest rotary regenerative
heaters in world
• Not the heaviest in world as they use
high efficiency elements