SUPER CRITICAL

TECHNOLOGY IN
NTPC
 PRESENTATION CONTENTS
 What is critical condition??
 Types of boilers.
 Major differences between drum type & once
through boilers.
 Advantages of once through boiler.
 Effect of advanced cycles on boiler
components.
 Conclusion.
Definition of critical Condition

CRITICAL CONDITION IS THERMODYNAMIC

EXPRESSION DESCRIBING THE STATE OF A
SUBSTANCE BEYOUND WHICH THERE IS NO
CLEAR DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE LIQUID
AND GASEOUS PHASE.
 SUPERCRITICAL PARAMETERS

Critical Point
Pr = 225.56 kg/cm2 Supercritical
T = 374.15 Deg.C
538 Deg C

Subcritical
Temperature (C)

Entropy
 Types of boilers

 Drum type

 Once-through type
 Design Types
NATURAL CONTROLLED
STEAM DRUM TO SUPERHEATER

ECON.

CIRC.
PUMP
FURNACE
WALLS

ONCE THROUGH
SEPARATOR • Natural circulation - well suited for < 175 kg/cm2

ECON.
• Controlled circulation - optimum solution for
reliable high-pressure subcritical operation
• Once-through technology
CIRC.
PUMP • Suitable for sub and supercritical cycles

DISTRIB.
HEADER
 Drum type boiler
 Natural Circulation Boiler
 Circulation thru water walls by
thermo-siphon effect
 Controlled Circulation Boiler
 At higher operating pressures
just below critical pressure levels,
thermo-siphon effect supplemented
by pumps
 Drum type boiler

 Steam generation takes place in furnace

water walls.
 Steam -water separation takes place in
the drum.
 Separated water mixed with incoming
feed water.
Supercritical Boilers in NTPC
SIPAT(3x660 BARH (3x660
MW) MW)
Supplier Doosan, Korea TPE, Russia

Type Two pass,spiral- Two pass,spiral-

walled walled

Capacity 2225T/hr. 2225T/hr.

Steam Parameters 256kg/cm2/540/568 256kg/cm2/540/568
(at boiler outlet) deg.C deg.C
Coal Firing Tangential fired Front & Rear fired
Order March, 2004 March, 2005

Commissioning 2007 2008

 Once -thru Boiler
Requirements :
 Stringent water quality
 Sophisticated control system
 Low load circulation system
 Special design to support the spiral
furnace wall weight
 Higher design pressure for components
from feed pump to separator
 Once Through Boiler

 Water flowing through water walls gets

converted into steam in one circulation.
 Feed pump provides the driving head
 Suitable for sub critical & super critical
pressures
 Once-thru Boiler

Major differences from Drum type boiler :

 Evaporator system
 Low load circulation system
 Separator
 Once -thru Boiler
Evaporator system :

 Formed by a number of parallel tubes

 Tubes spirally wound around the
furnace to reduce number of tubes and
to increase the mass flow rate thru’ the
tubes
 Small tube diameter
 Arrangement ensures high mass
velocity thru the tubes
 Once - thru Boiler
Low load circulation system :

 The excess flow over the once-

thru flow separated in separator .

 Recirculated back to the boiler

directly by the dedicated circulating
pump.
LOW LOAD SYSTEM WITH CIRCIRCULATION
PUMP
 Once -thru Boiler
Separator :
 Separates steam and water during
the circulating mode operation
 Runs dry in once through flow
mode.
 Smaller in size compared to drum in
a drum type boiler
 Once -through Boiler
Advantages :-

 Better suited for sliding pressure operation

 Steam temperature can be maintained over
wider load range under sliding pressure
 Conservation of fuel resources.
 Shorter start up time
 Improvement in Efficiency
 Advanced Cycles
Effect on Boiler Components

 Evaporator (Furnace) walls

 Superheaters
 Thickwalled boiler components
 Furnace walls
 Increased operating pressure increases
the medium temperatures.
 Increased regenerative feed heating
increases the fluid temp entering.
 Larger furnaces required for NOX
reduction, increase SH steam
temperature at furnace wall outlet.
 Superheaters

 Tube metal temperatures in final

sections increase with outlet steam
temperature.
 Susceptibility for high temperature
corrosion.
 Susceptibility to steam side oxidation
 Thick walled components
 Higher pressure & temperature lead to
increased thickness of :
 Shells of separator, start-up system
components, SHO header..
 Main steam piping.
 Higher thickness results in larger
temperature gradients across walls.
 Subcritical Vs Supercritical
(A Comparison)
500 MW Unit Size 660 MW Unit Size
(Subcritical) (Supercritical)
Steam Parameters 169/538/538 246/538/566
(ata / Deg.C/ Deg.C)
Cost of Boiler & Base 1.5%
Turbine Generator
Block
Coal Consumption Base 2.1%

Plant Efficiency Base 2.1%

CO2 Emissions Base 2.1%

SO2 Emissions Base 2.1%

 Supercritical Technology - Status
• More than 500 Units of various sizes operating
worldwide

• Material technology matured up to 600 Deg.C

temperature

• Availability of the order of 88 – 90% which is

comparable with that of subcritical units

• European union working on program “AD 700” which

aims at temperature up to 700-720 Deg.C and
efficiency target of 50%

• First supercritical unit in India has commissioned in

2007 by NTPC in sipat.
Thank
You