BOILER FIRING SYSTEM

• MAJOR SEGMENTS OF
COMBUSTION FOR
CONSIDERATION
– Combustion Efficiency as indicated by
flame stability and complete carbon burn
out
– Slagging and fouling properties of Ash
– Potential for metal Corrosion and
Erosion characteristics of Fly Ash in Gas
stream
– Air Pollution control requirements of the
combustion product effluent Gases
(NOx,SOx)
 PROCESS PRECEEDING COMBUSTION
• LIQUID
First converted into gaseous state
Ready for combustion only when they have
been mixed with 02 carrier and heated to
ignition temperature.
 EVAPORATION - SLOWEST LINK
Depends on volatility and molecular
composition of oil.
Different hydrocarbons vaporise at
different temperature.
 PROCESS PRECEEDING COMBUSTION
 Due to more rapid evaporation of lighter H 2
containing fractions molecules are
generally enriched with carbon leading to
soot formation.
• TO AVOID SOOT
Droplets of atomized oil must be brought
to high temperature as quickly as possible
so that they can burn immediately.
 LIQUID FUELS
• TO ACCELERATE EVAPORATION
Needs burner which gives fine
atomization and adequate enlargement
of surface area. of fuel (30 to 200
micron)
• COMBUSTION EFFICIENCY IS GREATLY
INFLUENCED BY IGNITION AND
BURNER FLOW PATTERN.
 COAL COMBUSTION
 HETROGENEOUS SURFACE REACTION
• DEVOLATALISATION
P.F. in flame jet is heated by convection
as it entrains and mixes with hot gases
Also heated by radiation.
On heating above 500OC coal starts to
decompose and evolves a mixture of
combustible and non-combustible gases.
Surface area dictates the rate of
gasification.
At temp. above 900OC most of the
volatiles are evolved.
 COAL COMBUSTION

When given adequate air this volatile

matter mix into the jet and its
combustion sustain the ignition of flame
The remaining char residue then burns
slowly in the flame and furnace.
 COAL COMBUSTION
• THERMAL DECOMPOSITION OF COAL
Coal particles are porous contrast to
homogeneous oil droplets which are
subject to surface tension.
Gasifying medium penetrate into pores and
react with the combustible substance
Internal pore walls are also included in the
reactive surface.
These pores widen on heating and as
volatiles leave, enlarge the cavities in the
particles
Also explode under internal pressure and
disintegrate into several fragments.
 COAL COMBUSTION
• STEPS OCCURING
On introduction into furnace p.f. is
dried, devolatalised and ignited.
Volatile matter are momentarily trapped
inside.
Gases diffuse both away from coal
particle and into porous mass of coal.
 COAL COMBUSTION
• REQUIREMENTS
Flame temperature should be above
ignition temperature
To support combustion flame
temperature should not fall below the
limiting value
High temperature allow high burnout
rate of coal thereby avoid the need of
unduly large furnace
Upper limit on high temperature to
prevent volatalisation of ash
 Fuel Burning System
• ROLE
– Fuel Burning System provides
controlled, efficient conversion of the
chemical energy of fuel into heat energy
which in turn is transferred to heat
absorbing surfaces.
• ACTIVITIES
– Introduce Fuel And Air for Combustion
– Mix the Reactants
– Ignite the combustible mixture
– Distribute the flame envelope and
products of combustion
 CHARACTERISTICS OF IDEAL
FUEL BURNING SYSTEM
• No excess O2 or unburned
combustibles in the end product of
combustion
• A low rate of Auxiliary ignition
energy input to initiate combustion
reaction
• An economic reaction rate
between fuel and O2 compatible
with acceptable NOx and SOx
formation
 CHARACTERISTICS OF IDEAL
FUEL BURNING SYSTEM
• An effective method of handling and
disposing of the sold impurities
introduced with the fuel
• Uniform distribution of the product
weight and temperature in relation to
the parallel circuits of heat absorbing
surface
• A wide and stable firing range
• Fast response to change in firing rate
• High equipment availability with low
maintenance
• RATE AND DEGREE OF
COMPLETION OF COMBUSTION
REACTION IS INFLUENCED BY
– Temperature,Concentration,Preparati
on and Distribution of Reactants
– Catalysts
– Mechanical Turbulence
• EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE
– Higher Temperature increases the
velocity of molecular movement of
reactants permitting harder and more
frequent contact between
molecules.Temperature rise greatly
influence rate of reaction
• FACTORS LIMITING TEMPERATURE
– Heat absorbed by Combustion Chamber
– Heat absorbed by the reactants in
bringing them to ignitionTemperature
– Heat absorbed by Nitrogen in
Combustion Air
• Opportunity For
Contact
Between
Interacting
Molecules
– Are related to
Concentration
and
Distribution of
Reactants in a
given Volume
 PREPARATION OF THE
REACTANTS AND MECHANICAL
TURBULANCE
Influence the reaction rate
Agitation permits greater opportunity for
molecular contact
Agitation improves both the relative
distribution and energy imparted.
Agitation assumes greater significance if
the relative concentration of the
reactants is approaching zero.
Preparation and mechanical turbulance
are the main factors for the reaction rate.
 GENERATION OF FLAME
TURBULANCE

Thermal movement of molecules as a

consequence of high temperature flame.
Turbulence produced artificially.
Turbulence require much energy as the
viscosity of hot gases have attenuating
effect
Generally achieved by injecting
combustion air into the flame with high
velocity.
• Methods of producing total flow
pattern in combustion chamber for
successful molecular contact of
reactants through mechanical
turbulence
– Divide and distribute fuel and air into
many similar streams and treating
each stream independently. Provides
MULTIPLE FLAME ENVELOPES
– Producing SINGLE FLAME ENVELOPE
by producing interaction between all
streams of air and fuel introduced into
Combustion Chamber
 BURNERS
• Burners undertake the task of delivering
coal and air in a proper proportion,
facilitate ignition energy to the coal air
stream, sustain the ignition and provide
a stable flame during the operation,
complete the task of combustion and
delivering heat to the intended purpose
• Burners are broadly classified as follows :
1 Wall Burners (Horizontally Fired Systems)
2 Tangential Burners (Corner Fired Systems)
3 Down shot or fan tail burners (Vertically
Fired Systems)
HORIZONTALLY FIRED SYSTEMS
• Fuel and
Combustion Air
are mixed in
individual Burner
Registers
• Coal and Primary
air are introduced
tangential to the
Burner nozzle
thus imparting
strong rotation
within the nozzle
HORIZONTALLY FIRED SYSTEMS
• Adjustable inlet
vanes impart
rotation to hot
Secondary Air
• Degree of Air
Swirl coupled
with flow shaping
contour of Burner
throat establishes
a re circulation
pattern for the
fuel
HORIZONTALLY FIRED SYSTEMS
• When the fuel is
ignited the hot
products of
combustion are
directed back
towards the
nozzle to provide
the ignition
energy
HORIZONTALLY FIRED SYSTEMS
• As major portion
of the combustion
process must take
place within the
re circulation
zone air/fuel ratio
to each burner is
maintained within
close tolerances
 HORIZONTALLY FIRED
SYSTEMS
• Rate of combustion drops off
rapidly as the reactants leave the
re circulation zone and interaction
between flames occur only after
that period
FRONT
WALL
FIRED
BOILER
TANGENTIALLY FIRED SYSTEMS
• Based on Single
Flame Envelope
Concept
• Both Fuel and Air are
projected from the
corners of the furnace
along a line tangent
to a circle lying in
center of furnace
• Turbulence and
mixing along the path
of the stream is much
lower compared to
Horizontal Firing
TANGENTIALLY FIRED SYSTEMS
• When the streams
meet intensive
mixing takes place
• A cyclonic rotative
motion is imparted
to flame body which
spreads out and fills
the furnace area
TANGENTIALLY FIRED SYSTEMS
• Fuel and Air are
admitted in vertical
layers
• Dampers control the Air
to each compartment
varying
– Distribution of Air over
the height of Furnace
– Velocities of Air Streams
– Mixing rate of Fuel and
Air
• Control the Distance
from the Nozzle at which
Coal ignites
 TANGENTIALLY FIRED
SYSTEMS
• ADVANTAGES
– Greater Flexibility for multiple Fuel
Firing
– Facility for Burner Tilting
– Control of NOX Formation
• MULTI FLAME • SINGLE FLAME
ENVELOPES ENVELOPE
CONCEPT CONCEPT
– Requires total – Stringent Fuel and
Fuel and Air Air Distribution
supplied to the accuracy is not
Combustion required
Chamber – Allows more time
accurately divided for contact
– Opportunity for between fuel and
sustained air molecules and
turbulence is turbulence is
limited sustained
throughout the
chamber
 VERTICALLY FIRED SYSTEMS
• Fuel,Primary air and
Secondary air are
admitted from the of
the Furnace
• Long looping flame is
produced in the lower
furnace with the hot
gases discharging up
the center
• Portion of the total
combustion air is
withheld from the fuel
stream until it projects
well down into the
furnace
 VERTICALLY FIRED SYSTEMS
• Fuel stream is heated
separately from a
significant portion of
combustion air to
provide good
combustion stability
• Tertiary Air provides
needed Turbulence at
a point in the flame
where partial dilution
from the products of
combustion has
occurred
 VERTICALLY FIRED SYSTEMS
• Furnace flow pattern
passes the hot
product gases
immediately in front
of the fuel nozzles to
provide ready source
of inherent ignition
energy
• Largest entrained
solid fuel particles
have the longest
residence time in the
combustion chamber
VERTICALLY FIRED SYSTEMS

• ADVANTAGES
– Solid fuels difficult to be ignited can
be used
– Require less supplementary fuel
• DISADVANTAGE
– More complex firing equipment and
operating characteristics
 BURNERS
• Modern Burners are equipped with :
a Separate flame envelope ports for
coal, oil, gas etc.
b Secondary air control to adjust the
flame envelops.
c Ignitors.
d Flame Scanners to detect the distinct
flames in an enclosure.
e Flame Stabilisers.
f Flame Analysers.