ASH HANDLING SYSTEM AT BAKRESWAR THERMAL POWER STATION

- Sri Subrata Goswami, Sr. Manager (M).

Ash Handling system comprises into three parts namely :-

(a) Ash collection in the different hoppers
(b) Ash evacuation
(c) Ash utilization
Normally, Ash Handling Plant in a Power Plant deals with the Ash Evacuation from the
different hoppers collected by gravity or by creating high voltage in the ESP area. ESP area is
looking after by Electrical Department .

Normally, Ash is a mixture of Silica , Alumina, Calcium, Sodium and Salt. Fly Ash with
Clonker & Gypsum acquired cementation properties and this Cement is called Protland
Pozollana Cement.

01. Ash collection : 20% (approx) of the total ash generated is deposited in the bottom
ash hoppers by gravity in the form of lumps. This ash is removed hydraulically in
slurry state. 4.5% (approx.) ash is collected in the Economizer hoppers by gravity in
coarse form and is removed in slurry state with the bottom ash. 4.5% (approx) ash is
deposited in Air Heater Hopper by gravity in ESP hoppers by creating high voltage
zone. Ash from Air Heater and ESP Hoppers is evacuated by means of pneumatic
vacuum conveying process and removed to Station Silos (for Dry Disposal) or to
wetting units (for wet disposal), both are accomplished in two independent but inter-
co-ordinated operating system.
02. Ash evacuation : The Ash Handling System is developed for removal of ash
generated in boiler furnace on combustion of coal.
A. Bottom Ash handling System : Bottom Ash formed in limps falls down into a water
impounded furnace hopper , namely “Bottom Ash Hopper” located directly beneath the
furnace. The bottom ash hopper belongs to a W-type configuration with a common
rectangular section at upper part and two integral V-section at the lower part of the
hopper. The Ash is cooled and stored in the hoppers. Each V-section is furnished with
two (2) sets of ash discharge equipment consisting of Feed-gate , Electric crusher ,
Feed –sump and Jet Pulsion Pump installed in one after another in above sequence. The
Jet Pulsion Pump discharge lines from each V-section are joined together by means of
remote solenoid operated interconnection valves to make a common bottom ash
conveying line. Two bottom ash conveying lines therefore ultimately emerge from each
bottom as hopper leading to ash slurry trough and then so ash slurry sump for selection
of slurry discharge pump set and slurry discharge line. Out of the 2 sets of ash
discharge equipment for each V-section, one is normally utilized for removal of ash and
the other remains stand –by.
B. Coarse Ash handling System: Coarse ash generated is separated from flue gas and is
collected in four nos. economizer hoppers. Each hopper outlet is connected to
economizer surge hopper through manually operated knife gate valve. The coarse ash
from each economizer hopper is discharged to the above economizer surge hopper by
gravity with water from the low-pressure water pump discharge line. The economizer
surge hopper is provided with an outlet at the bottom. This outlet is connected to the
bottom ash hopper via a manually operated knife gate valve (kept open) and a cylinder
operated knife gate valve . After complete removal of bottom ash the said cylinder
operated valve is actuated and the coarse ash slurry is discharged to the bottom ash
hopper by gravity and further disposed like bottom ash disposal.

C. Fly Ash Handling System : The Fly Ash handling System provided with inbuilt
arrangements for removal of fly ash collected in forty-eight nos. ESP hoppers and
divided into six rows, each row consisting of eight hoppers and twelve nos. Air
Heater Hoppers are divided into two rows with six hoppers in a row . All the
hoppers in a row are connected to a branch header running below corresponding row
of hoppers. The starting terminal of each branch header is provided with an Air –
intake valve and the header at the other end is connected to a “Totally enclosed rotary
slide gate” (TERSG) used as branch isolation valve. There are three ash conveying
streams emerge from total sixty nos. hoppers . Four hoppers from first row and four
hoppers from second row at the left flue gas pass from Boiler towards Chimney are in
the A-stream. Remaining eight hoppers of first row and second row at the right flue
gas pass are in the B stream. The rest forty four ESP and Air Heaters hoppers are in
the C-stream. From this distribution of hoppers in the three streams, it prevails that
maximum quantity (80%) of fly ash is collected in the first and second rows of ESP
hoppers . The 16 nos. ESP hoppers of first and second rows are connected to the
branch header through remote pneumatic operation corresponding to the vacuum
generated . The rest hoppers are connected through ash intake valve. This type of ash
evacuation are common to wet and dry ash disposal.

(a) Ash disposal in wet mode : In each stream of fly ash line in vacuum system
under the wet mode discharges the ash mixed with air into wetting head. In
wetting head water is provided from high pressure discharge pump and slurry
gets discharged into seal box and overflow of slurry from seal box is
discharged into common slurry discharge line of three steams. Air from the
top of the collector tank . From the collector tank slurry gets discharged into
seal box and overflow of slurry from seal box is discharged into common
slurry discharge line of three steams. Air from the top of the collector tank is
discharged into air washer of wet mode. Water from clear water pump washes
the air and forms slurry and gets discharged into seal box mentioned above.
The cleaner air from the air washer flows to Mechanical Exhauster dedicated
for each stream. Three nos. mechanical exhausters are used for generating
vacuum in three streams.
(b) Ash disposal in dry mode : In dry mode , each ash conveying stream
discharges ash first into combination filter separator, which is an enclosed
vessel provided with a series of filter bags. Ash particles get accumulated on
the wall of filter bags and comparatively clean air passes through bag to the
clean air plenum of combination filter separator vessel. This cleans air owing
to the existing vacuum in the conveying line, created by the corresponding
mechanical exhausters, passes through air washer and ultimately cleaner air
through mechanical exhauster and water separator cum silencer goes to
atmosphere. The accumulated ash particles get dislodged by instrument air
pulse jetting mechanism to the bottom of combination filter separator vessels.
The accumulated ash gets discharged into transfer hopper through the cylinder
operated swing disc. Valve. The ash from the transfer hopper gets discharged
into intermediate surge hopper. The intermediate surge hopper (ISH) is
connected with a number of air lock vessel ( Nuvafeeder) which effects
further conveying of ash in pressure mode. The ash particle mixed with from
the air washer is discharged into seal box and then to fly ash drain sump. The
Nuva Feeders out of which six are connected to P-conveying path and rest
with Q-conveying path. Conveying Blower ( one running and one stand-by for
each unit) generates pressurized air, which pushes the ash through P/Q
conveying path to any Silo (Three Silo each capacity 300MT).
(c) Ash slurry disposal system: Bottom ash slurry and Fly ash slurry are
discharged into ash slurry trough and then to Ash Slurry sump as selected
depending on the slurry pump to be operated . The two slurry pumps in series
discharge ash slurry to ash pond located six KM away from the plant. There
 are six sets of ash slurry pumps connected to four Ash Slurry disposal lines
discharging ash slurry at the three points at the ash pond.
(d) Fly Ash Removal System from Station Silos: Fly ash stored in station silo
is normally unloaded on road trucks in semi dry form through rotary drum
type unloader for further onward transportation. A suppression device is
incorporated in the rotary unloader to moist the ash by spray by running
unloader water pump.
However, one telescopic chute with vent fan and vent filter is also provided to
discharge ash into covered tanker for carrying dry ash to L&T cement factory.
(e) Water Recovery System : At the Ash Pond, Ash settles and water accumulated
at the recovery sump is recovered by running two pumps and one stand-by.
The recovered water after clarification is reused for ashing.