Power Plant Steam Generators : Introduction

By
P M V Subbarao
Professor
Mechanical Engineering Department
I I T Delhi

A Two in One – Combustor and Heat Exchanger……

 The Steam Power Plant

Executes a Thermodynamic Cycle using an

assembly of CVs
 Cause – Effect Analysis of A Steam Generator
• Combustion is a primary cause.
• Steam Generation is an ultimate effect.
• Heat transfer is a mediation.
• Combustion caused the generation of heat in side furnace volume.
• Heat generation caused the production of high temperature gases.
• These high temperature gases caused the Radiation and convection
heat transfer processes.
• Heat Transfer processes carried the thermal energy to furnace wall &
steam tubes.
• Conduction through the tubes and walls caused the convection inside
the tubes.
• Convection Caused the generation of steam.
• Few hundred years of ingenious trials lead to a Scientific
technologty.
Historical Development in Steam Generators
1720 Haycock : Shell-type boiler made of copper plates
 Water Tube Boilers: The Steam Generators

• As industry developed during 19th century, so the use of

boilers for raising steam became widespread.
• Disastrous explosions sometimes occurred.
• Boilers of that period consisted of heated pressure vessels
of large diameter.
• These are subject to internal pressure which is tensile
stresses in the walls of the enclosure.
• The value of stress, known as ‘hoop stress’ is given by

p D
f 
2T
Historical Development in Steam Generators
 Steam generator versus steam boiler

• Opposite the principle of the steam boilers, the water in the

steam generators evaporates inside the tube winded up into
serial connected tube coils.
• The feed water is heated up to the evaporation temperature and
then evaporated.
• The intensity of the heat, the feed water flow and the
size/length of the tube are adapted, so that the water is exactly
fully evaporated at the exit of the tube.
• This ensures a very small water and steam volume (content of
the pressure vessel).
• Thus there are no buffer in a steam generator, and is it
temporary overloaded.
 Steam generator versus steam boiler

• The advantages using a steam generator compare to

conventional steam boilers:
• Easy to operate - normally no requirement for boiler
authorization.
• Rapid start-up and establishing full steam pressure Compact
and easy to adapt in the existing machinery arrangement
• Price attractive - especially at low steam rates.
Bird View of Power Plant Steam Generator
 Thermal Structure of A Subcritical SG
drum R screen
tubes

Platen SHTR
H
SH T
DPNL
R

LTSH

Economiser stack
BCW
pump
Furnace

APH ESP ID Fan

Bottom ash
Furnace Wall
Platen Superheater
Convective Superheater (Pendant)

S1
S2
Convective Superheater (Horizontal)

S1
S2
Reheater
Economizer
 The Steam Generator : The water tube boiler

• As you can see, the Water Tube

Boiler (below) looks very
complicated.
• Thousands of tubes are placed in
strategic location to optimize the
exchange of energy from the heat to
the water in the tubes.

• These types of boilers are most common because of their ability to

deliver large quantities of steam.
• The large tube like structure at the top of the boiler is called the
steam drum.
• The hundreds of tube start and eventually end up at the steam
drum.
 Steam Generator Theory
• Within the boiler, fuel and air are force
into the furnace by the burner.
• There, it burns to produce heat.
• From there, the heat (flue gases) travel
throughout the boiler.
• The water absorbs the heat, and
eventually absorb enough to change
into a gaseous state - steam.
• To the left is the basic theoretical
design of a modern boiler.
• Boiler makers have developed various
designs to squeeze the most energy out
of fuel and to maximized its transfer to
the water.
 Steam Generator Theory
• Water enters the boiler, preheated, at the
top.
• The hot water naturally circulates
through the tubes down to the lower area
where it is hot.
• The water heats up and flows back to the
steam drum where the steam collects.
• Not all the water gets turn to steam, so
the process starts again.
• Water keeps on circulating until it
becomes steam.
• Meanwhile, the control system is taking
the temperature of the steam drum, along
with numerous other readings, to
determine if it should keep the burner
burning, or shut it down.
 Steam Generator Theory : Water Side

• As well, sensors control the amount of

water entering the boiler, this water is
know as feedwater.
• Feedwater is not your regular drinking
water.
• It is treated with chemicals to neutralize
various minerals in the water, which
untreated, would cling to the tubes
clogging or worst, rusting them.
• This would make the boiler expensive to
operate because it would not be very
efficient.
 Steam Generator Theory : Fire Side
• On the fire side of the boiler, carbon deposit
resulting from improper combustion or
impurities in the fuel can accumulate on the
outer surface of the water tube.
• This creates an insulation which quickly
decrease the energy transfer from the heat
to the water.
• To remedy this problem the engineer will
carry out soot blowing. At a specified time
the engineer uses a long tool and insert it
into the fire side of the boiler..

• This device, which looks like a lance, has a tip at the end which
"blows" steam.
• This blowing action of the steam "scrubs" the outside of the water
tubes, cleaning the carbon build up.
 Scaling of Steam Generators

• This blowing action of the steam "scrubs" the outside of the

water tubes, cleaning the carbon build up.
• Water tube boilers can have pressures from 7 bar to as high
as 350 bar.
• The steam temperature's can vary between saturated steam,
100 degrees Celsius steam with particle of water, or be as
high as 600 - 650 degrees Celsius, know as superheated
steam or dry steam
• The performance of boiler is generally referred to as tons of
steam produced in one hour.
• In water tube boilers that could be as low as 1.5 t/hr to as
high as 2500 t/hr.
Classification of Steam Generators
 Role of SG in Rankine Cycle

Perform Using Natural resources of energy …….

 Economics of Flow Steam generation

t i on
era
e n
G
a m
St e
a l
r ti ic
e r c
p
Su

Subcritical Flow Boiling

Pump Exit
 Natural Circulation Boiler

Dry Steam to Super heaters

Pump Exit

St eam
W et

Hot Water
 Forced Circulation Boiler

Dry Steam to Super heaters

Pump Exit

St eam
W et

Hot Water

Recirculation Pump
 Once Through Boiler

Dry Steam to Super heaters

Hot Water

Pump
 Once Through Subcritical Steam Generator

Once-through tangential fired

Max. continuous rating: 520 kg/s
Max.Steam temperature outlet: 540°C
Live steam pressure outlet: > 18.3 MPa
Major Components of Coal Fired Steam Generator
Crushed to small
pieces of about
20 mm diameter

~600mm

Offline
Online
 Design Steps for Steam Generators

• Thermodynamic Design
– Air/fuel ratio
– Specific Size/Output.
– Efficiency
• Thermodynamic Parameters.
• Heats Transfer based Design
– Surface area of various parts.
– Materials used for various parts.
– Geometry of various parts.
• Detailed Temperature distribution.
• Constructional details.
 Design Steps for Steam Generators

• Hydraulic Design.
– Pressure distribution/drop in various parts
– Velocity distribution.
• Hydraulic parameters.
• Design Optimization.
• Mechanical Design.
 Steam Generator Specifications

• Steam
– Flow rate , Pressure & Temperature
• Feed Water
– Economizer inlet temperature
• Fuel
– Type, Ultimate Analysis, Heating value & Physical Properties
• Sorbent
• Emissions
– SO2 , Nox & Particulate
 Steam Generator Specifications
• Pressure Drop
• Solid Waste
– Ash Deposit system
• Auxiliaries
• Site
• Personnel
• Evaluation Criteria
• Special Parameters
– Heat Recovery SG
• Flue gas amount composition
• Gas temperature at inlet
• Back pressure of Turbine Pinch point.
 Steam Generator Design Methodology

• Preliminary Design
– Useful for estimation of budget price
• Detailed proposal Design
– Essential for making a detailed competitive bid.
• Final Design
– Used in preparation of manufacturing drawings
 Preliminary Design

• Primitive First Law Analysis of various controls volumes.

• INPUT: Steam conditions and Fuel Analysis
• Database: Design data of previous plants.
• Procedure: Interpolation or Extrapolation of past data.
– Overall size
– Weight
– Cost of the plant
• Commercial Software Packages available –
CFBCAD for Fluidized Bed Boilers.
 Detailed Proposal Design

• Detailed study and Review of parameters of SG w.r.t.

– Steam
– Fuel
– Environment
• Thermodynamic Design
• Heats Transfer based Design
• Hydraulic Design.
• Design Optimization.
• Mechanical Design.
 Combustion Safeguards and Controls

• Furnace Explosion : The ignition and almost instantaneous combustion of highly

inflammable gas or vapour or dust accumulated in furnace.
• Conditions leading to Furnace Explosion:
– Accumulation of unburned fuel.
– Air and fuel in an explosive mixture.
– Source of ignition. -- hot furnace walls, improper ignition timing, faulty torch
etc.
• Types of Furnace Explosions:
– Gas explosions and coal dust explosions.
– Primary and Secondary.
• Reasons for increased number of furnace explosions:
– Large Boilers -- higher burner capacity
– Compact furnaces.
– Low fire box temperatures in water tube boilers.
– New fuels.
 Causes of Fire Explosions

• Flame failure due to liquids or inert gases entering the boiler

fuel system.
• Insufficient purge before lighting the first burner.
• Human error.
• Faulty automatic fuel regulating controls.
• Fuel shutoff valve leakage.
• Unbalanced fuel/air ratio.
• Faulty fuel supply systems.
• Loss of furnace draft.
• Faulty pilot igniters.
 Furnace Controls

• Manual Control
• Remote Manual Sequence Control
• Automatic Sequence Control System.

• Degree of Automation:
– Manual
– Supervised manual
– Automatic nonrecycling
– Automatic recycling.
 Burner Flame Safeguard System

• An arrangement of flame detector, interlocks and

relays
– to sense the presence of a proper flame
– cause fuel to be shut of to the furnace during
hazardous conditions.
• Prevent Boiler and Furnace explosions.