we focus on your process

Unburned Carbon
In the fly ash

UBC versus CO2 Emission

 we focus on your process

Heat Input:
•Coal
Steam Generator
Air Losses:
•Flue gas heat loss
•Gaseous LOI (CO)
•Unburned Carbon
•Radiation
Burner Primary air Air preheater •Ash Heat Loss
Secondary air

Precipitator

Flue gas

Coal bin
Pulverized fuel

Intermediate UBC
-

storage tank
Coal Fly ash
Air
Mill

Air fan
Power Station Basis Data (example): we focus on your process

Mean continuous load (Basis: steam production) 100 %

Full-load (100% MCR) operating hours per year 6 000 [hrs]
Coal mass flow (100% load) 300 [shtn/h]
Excess air ratio (100% load) 1.25 –
Gross heat input (calculated for 100 % load) 7 109 [BTU/hr · 106]
Gross electric power output (100% load) 750 [MWel ]

Net power efficiency 36 [%]

Combustion Heat Loss
Unburned carbon
in ash

CO
5.5%
Flue gas heat loss 1.11% Other
losses
Sensible ash
heat loss
Boiler radiation
heat loss
 we focus on your process
Goals of good combustion practice:
Reduction of excess air 5 [%-points]
Reduction of fly ash carbon content 1 [%-points]
Reduction of CO 80 [ppmdv]

Sources of Improvement

Carbon
in ash
Flue gas heat Other
loss improvement improvements
(0.13 % absolute)
(0.43 % absolute)
CO
 Fuel savings: 10,000 shtn/yr at 30 US$ per shtn: we focus on your process
300 000 US$ per year
Savings in CO2 emissions: 26 493 shtn/a ⇒ CO2 emission credit

Assumed market price within intern. CO2 emission trading system:

5 $ per ton ⇒ 132 000 $ per year

reduced CO2 emission

total fuel heat

Total boiler losses
6 % (absolute) savings = 0.57 %

0.43% reduction in flue gas heat loss

0.10% reduction in solid LOI (carbon in ash)

0.04% reduction in gaseous LOI (CO)
 we focus on your process

Heat Input:
•Coal mass flow & CV
Steam Generator Losses:
Air
•Flue gas temperature & O2
•CO
•Unburned Carbon in Fly Ash
Coal analysis (Ash Content)
Burner Primary air Air preheater
•Ash Temperature
Secondary air

Precipitator

Flue gas

Coal bin
Pulverized fuel

Intermediate UBC
-

storage tank
Coal Fly ash
Air
Mill

Air fan
 we focus on your process

MECONTROL
UBC Sensor

Screw Measuring Drive

Chamber Shaft
 we focus on your process
MECONTROL UBC Measurement Principle

Dielectric constant of fly ash is a function of the carbon

content. Measuring the shift of frequency in a
resonator (∆ f) the carbon content can be calculated.

UBC = A + B ⋅ ∆ f
A and B are the
calibration coefficients
 we focus on your process
Measurement Data of MECONTROL UBC

Kanal 2 Wedel
Kanal 3
1000 Temperatur Kanal 2 1000
900 Temperatur Kanal 3 900
800 800
700 700
Rest-C [0,01%]

600 600
500 500
400 400
300 300
200 200
100 100
0 0
18.07.2001 20.07.2001 22.07.2001 24.07.2001 26.07.2001 28.07.2001
00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00
 we focus on your process

Trial run at BEWAG "Reuter West" power plant

125 10
Secondary Air x 1000 (inverted) [m³/h] STP

130 9

135 8

140 7

UBC [%]
145 6

150 5

155 4

≈ 1 % O2
160 3
Secondary Air (MECONTROL Air)
165 UBC ETG 17 (MECONTROL UBC) 2
UBC ETG 18 (MECONTROL UBC)

170 1
06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00
Time
Remark: Listed values of secondary air
amount are only for one burner plane.

Result of SA Reduction Trial Run

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Boiler Optimization Program

Trial run at BEWAG "Reuter West" power plant
18 4.5

16 4
UBC Fly ash (MECONTROL UBC)
UBC Fly ash (Lab analysis)
CO x10 [mg/m³] STP

14 3.5
O2 Boiler / DeNOx outlet
CO Stack
12 3

10 2.5

[%]
O2
8 2
UBC [%];

6 1.5

4 1

2 0,5

0 0
7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00
Time

Result of SA Reduction Trial Run

 we focus on your process

Boiler Optimization Program

General calculation example with parameter variation
Basis: 5 % UBC in fly ash; 4.3 % O2 in flue gas
0.45%
O2
0.40%
Increase in efficiency* ∆ η

UBC
0.35% Excess air reduction
at 7.2 % γ A
most efficient !
0.30%

0.25%

0.20% UBC
at 3.6 % γ A
0.15%

0.10%

0.05%

0.00%
0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6%

*) Without power savings of fans

OUBC
2-content
in fly of
ashflue gas; UBC in fly ash

Parameters for Efficiency Improvement

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Efficiency Calculation Example with Parameter Variation

Basisline: 5 % UBC in fly ash; 4.3 % O2 in flue gas
0.45%
O2
∆ η

0.40%
Increase in fuel efficiency*

UBC
0.35% Excess air reduction
at 7.2 % ash in fuel
most efficient !
0.30%

0.25%

0.20%
UBC at 3.6 % ash in fuel
0.15%

0.10%

0.05%

0.00%
0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6%

*) Without power savings of fans

OUBC
2-content
in fly of
ashflue gas; UBC in fly ash

Parameters for Efficiency Improvement

 we focus on your process
Boiler / Mill Optimization by UBC Monitoring

Trial run at “Wedel” power plant

8 400
Secondary airBasis: n = 1.259
380

Secondary air x 1000 [m³/hr] STP

7 Excess air: ∆ nabs = 7.6 %-pts 360
O2 [vol.-%]

∆ η = 0.5 %-pts

340
6 Resulting efficiency increase:
0.42 %-pts ! 320

5 O2 right duct 300

UBC [wt.-%];

UBC: ∆ Cabs = -2 %-pts

∆ η = -0.08 %-pts 280
O2 left duct
4
260

240
3
UBC Basis: γ ash = 3.6 220
%
2 200
Time
Excess Air Reduction
 we focus on your process
Boiler / Mill Optimization by UBC Monitoring

Datteln
20 Kanal 0 geglättet
18
Mittelwert Kanal 0
16
14
Rest-C [%]

12
10
8
6
4
2
0
09.08. 11.08. 13.08. 15.08. 17.08. 19.08. 21.08. 23.08. 25.08. 27.08. 29.08.
00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00

Coal type change

 Boiler Optimization Program
we focus on your process

5 280

275
4,5

SA1+PA ↓ SA2 ↓ TA ↓ 270

Air flow rate [kg/s]

265
O2 [Vol.-%]

3,5 260
TL

255
3

PA 6 Burners x 4 levels 250

2,5 SA1
O2 downstream Eco 245
SA2
Sum SA-flow rate
TA
2 240
10:00 11:12 12:24 13:36 14:48 16:00 17:12

Parameter Test at an E.ON Power Plant

 we focus on your process

5 10

4.5 9
SA1+PA ↓ SA2 ↓ TA ↓
-0.8 %
∆ O2 =

4 8

∆ η = +0.51 %
3.5 7
O2 [Vol.-%]

UBC [%]
∆ total = +0.33 % efficiency increase !
3 η 6

2.5 5
∆ η = -0.18 %

2 4
∆ UBC =
+1.5 %

1.5 3

O2 Eco UBC Channel 0 UBC Channel 1 UBC Lab

1 2
10:00 11:12 12:24 13:36 14:48 16:00 17:12

Parameter Test at an E.ON Power Plant

 we focus on your process
Power Station Farge, Power Utility E-on

5 620

4,5 600

SA1+CA SA2 TA
4 580

NOx [mg/m³]
[Vol.-%]

3,5 560
2

3 540
O

2,5 520

O2 boiler out NOx before Kat.

2 500
10:00 11:12 12:24 13:36 14:48 16:00 17:12
 we focus on your process

Boiler Optimization Program

UBC reduction at an E.ON boiler (for constant O2 in flue gas)
4,25
UBC in the fly ash without SA control [%]

4,00

3,75

3,50

3,25
Results with O2 leveling
3,00

2,75
better

2,50

2,25 Coal type change during test phase

2,00

1,75
worse stack fan failure
1,50
1,50 1,75 2,00 2,25 2,50 2,75 3,00 3,25 3,50 3,75 4,00 4,25

UBC in the fly ash with secondary air control [%]

Results of Boiler Optimization

 we focus on your process

Boiler Optimization Program

750 M W units Germany

Ash
benefication ? Amonia savings
22% 15%

Fuel Savings
CO2 sales
36%
27%

savings potential
 we focus on your process

Boiler Optimization Program

750 MW units USA

Fuel Savings
22%
CO2 sales
17%

Ash
NOx credits benefication ?
55% 6%

savings potential
 we focus on your process

Boiler Optimization Program

Savings pa 750 MW unit

$500,000
$450,000
$400,000
$350,000
$300,000
$250,000 US
$200,000 Germany
$150,000
$100,000
$50,000
$0,000
Nox credits/Amonia Fuel Savings CO2 sales Ash benefication ?

savings potential
 we focus on your process

Boiler Optimization Program

 Determine the ∆ O2/∆ UBC, ∆ O2/∆ CO and

∆ O2/∆ NOx impact due to different air admission
(Secondary air, Tertiary air, Overfire air, etc.)

 Change overall O2-level on the back pass with

favorable excess air supply

 Run boiler with optimized O2-settings

Action Items for UBC Control