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Chemical Plant (Module II) - EHCAY 3C

TEST 1
Date: 2 September 2016 Marks: 100
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Question 1 (21 marks)

1.1 Explain the material and processes involved to form coal and the main categories into which coal is classified.
(10)

1.2 Which thermal properties are important when specifying liquid fuels?
(4)

1.3 What is natural gas?

(7)

Question 2 (39 marks)

2.1 Very shortly explain how a Fluidised bed combustion unit works and list the four main advantages of this
combustion process. What other combustion processes are used to burn solid fuels? Give at least 3 different
ways these processes can be operated.
(16)

2.2 Explain how a cyclone furnace works.

(6)

2.3 Liquid fuels are atomised for burning. Explain what atomisation is and compare the two broad groups used
(7)
2.4 What are the different types of gas burners used in industry? Which one of these is preferred in industry?
Shortly explain the differences between the types.

Question 3 (41 marks)

3.1 The goal of boiler design is to design the most reliable boiler for the least cost. Industrial boilers designs are
tailored to the fuels and firing systems involved. List all the variables and other criteria that need to be
considered, to achieve this goal.
(10)

3.2 Which coal characteristics have a major impact on the design, sizing and operation of coal fired boilers?
(3)

3.3 In determining the size and configuration of a boiler uniform gas flow and temperature at the entrance of the
convection zone is needed, why is this necessary?
(2)
3.4 What are the objectives and the importance of circulation in the tubes of a boiler?
(7)

3.5 Explain how a steam turbine works

(5)

3.6 Draw a labelled diagram of a steam power plant, showing all the main units (you can leave the pumps) and
discuss all the different sections that forms part of the boiler system. Name the two main boiler types available,
which of these are would you expect to find in a power generating steam plant?
(19)
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Chemical Plant (Module II) - EHCAY 3C
MEMO Unit 1 TEST 1
Date: 3 March 2009 Marks: 105
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Question 1 (21 marks)

1.1 Explain the material and processes involved to form coal and the main categories into which coal is classified.
(10)
Decayed remains of trees and other plant life forms peat 
The more the change taking place the better the coal product will be 
Coals are classified by rank – this is the degree of metamorphism (change) from peat to coal. 
Little change (lignite)  – low fixed carbon content✓, low heating values✓, high moisture✓ and
volatile matter content✓.
Sub-bituminous coal 
Bituminous coal 
Much change (anthracite)  - high fixed carbon content✓, high heating values✓, low moisture✓
and volatile matter content✓.

1.2 Which thermal properties are important when specifying liquid fuels?
(4)
Hydrogen content, 
Heat of combustion
Specific Heat
Thermal conductivity

1.3 What is natural gas?

(7)
Natural gas – combustible gas that occurs in porous rock of the earth’s crust and 
is found with or near accumulations of crude oil. 
Natural gas consists of hydrocarbons with a very low boiling point. 
Including C1 to C10, hydrocarbons - mainly methane (>85%), 
ethane (>2.5%) and 
propane(>0.5%),
the rest are all less than 0.5%.)

Question 2 (39 marks)

2.1 Very shortly explain how a Fluidised bed combustion unit works and list the four main advantages of this
combustion process. What other combustion processes are used to burn solid fuels? Give at least 3 different
ways these processes can be operated.
(16)
 In fluidised-bed combustion (FBC) fuel is burned in a bed of particles 
 supported in an agitated state
 by an upward flow of air introduced via an air distributor. 
 The bed particles may be sand or ash derived from the fuel, but usually they are sulphur
sorbent, like limestone or dolomite. 
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Advantages
 Inherently good heat transfer characteristics 
 Good gas/solids contacting 
 Better fuel flexibility (compared to PC furnaces) 
 Particulate emissions more difficult to contain (compared to PC furnaces) 

Suspension / Pulverized Coal firing

Vertical
Tangential
Horizontal 
Cyclone
Opposed inclined

Fuel-bed
Over feed
Cross feed
Under feed

2.2 Explain how a cyclone furnace works.

(6)
 Coal is not pulverized but crushed to 4-mesh size and
 admitted tangentially with primary air to a horizontal cylindrical furnace chamber, 
 In the cyclone furnace, finer coal particles burn in suspension and 
 the coarser ones are thrown centrifugally to the chamber wall, where most of them are
captured in a sticky wall coating of molten slag. 
 The secondary air, admitted tangentially along the top of the cyclone furnace, sweeps the
slag-captured particles and completes their combustion. 
 Slag drains continuously into the boiler furnace and thence into a quenching tank. 

2.3 Liquid fuels are atomised for burning. Explain what atomisation is and compare the two broad groups used
(7)
Atomisation is the process of breaking up a continuous liquid phase into discrete droplets
Atomizers may be classified into two broad groups:
Pressure atomizers 
in which fuel oil is injected at high pressures 

Twin fluid atomizers 

in which fuel oil is injected at moderate pressures and a compressible fluid (steam or air) assists
in the atomisation process 

2.4 What are the different types of gas burners used in industry? Which one of these is preferred in industry?
Shortly explain the differences between the types.
(10)
Fully premixed burners – 
This type of burner includes a section for completely mixing the fuel and air upstream of the
burner. 
The burner proper consists essentially of a flame holder. 
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Partially premix burners – 
These burners have a premixing section in which a mixture which is flammable but overall fuel-rich
is generated. 
Secondary combustion air is then supplied around the flame holder. 
Nozzle-mix burners – 
The air and fuel gas are separated 
until they are rapidly mixed and reacted after leaving the ports
Nozzle mix burners

Question 3 (46 marks)

3.1 The goal of boiler design is to design the most reliable boiler for the least cost. Industrial boilers designs are
tailored to the fuels and firing systems involved. List all the variables and other criteria that needs to be
considered, to achieve this goal.
(10)
Water steam circulation
Fuel characteristics
Firing systems
Heat input
Heat transfer
Furnace enclosure
Furnace heat release rates
Heat release on the grates
Flue gas velocities through the tube banks
Tube spacing

3.2 Which coal characteristics have a major impact on the design, sizing and operation of coal fired boilers?
(3)
Volatile matter content
Moisture content
Ash content

3.3 In determining the size and configuration of a boiler uniform gas flow and temperature at the entrance of the
convection zone is needed, why is this necessary?
(2)
To minimize ash deposits and excessive super heater metal temperatures
3.4 What are the objectives and the importance of circulation in the tubes of a boiler?
(7)
objectives of circulation in the tubes of a boiler

To absorb heat from the tube metal at a rate that assures sufficient cooling of the furnace-wall
tube during all operating conditions✓, with and adequate margin of reserve for transient upsets.


importance of circulation in the tubes of a boiler

To prevent excessive metal temperatures✓ or temperature differentials✓ that would cause

failures due to overstressing✓, overheating✓ and corrosion✓.

3.5 Explain how a steam turbine works

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(5)
 A steam turbine has spinning blades that turn when steam blows past them
 The blades fit inside a sealed outer container so the steam is constrained and forced past them
at speed
 The steam expands and cools as it flows past a steam turbine's blades, giving up as much as
possible of the energy it originally contained
 The flow of the steam turns the blades continually, because steam is pushing the blades
around all the time
 Steam turbines use high-pressure steam to turn electricity generators at incredibly high
speeds. (A typical power plant steam turbine rotates at 1800–3600 rpm

3.6 Draw a labelled diagram of a steam power plant, showing all the main units (you can leave the pumps) and
discuss all the different sections that forms part of the boiler system. Name the two main boiler types available,
which of these are would you expect to find in a power generating steam plant?
(19)

Tu
rbi
Boiler

ne Generator (electricity) 


Cooling
Super-
Tower
heater

3 Condenser


Evaporator

2
Reservoir
Boiler – generates 1
steam to be used for heating, as a reagent in chemical
Economiser reactions and/or

driving turbines, compressors, pumps 4 etc.  Hot well

Economiser – improves boiler efficiency by extracting heat from the discharged flue gasses
and transferring it to the feed water, which enters the steam generator at a temperature
appreciably lower than the saturation steam temperature.
Evaporator – heat is added to the water to change it form liquid to vapour
Super-heater – raises the temperature of the steam generated above the saturation level.
(A re-heater – resolves the problem of excessive moisture from forming in the low pressure turbine
stages, by removing vapour for reheat at constant pressure to the boiler and returning it to the
turbine for continued expansion to condenser pressure. (2 or more stage turbine))
Flame tube boilers
Water tube boilers – used for large-scale power generating steam plants