D R AU G H T

S Y S TE M
 IN TR O D U C TIO N

The draught is one of the most essential systems of

thermal power plant which supplies required quantity of
air for combustion and removes the burnt products from
the system.

To move the air through the fuel bed and to

produce a flow of hot gases through the boiler,
economizer, preheater and chimney require a difference
of pressure.
This difference of pressure for to maintaining
the constant flow of air and discharging the gases
through the chimney to atmosphere is known as
draught.

Draught can be obtained by use of chimney,

fan, steam or air jet or combination of these. When the
draught is produced with the help of chimney only, it is
known as Natural Draught and when the draught is
produced by any other means except chimney it is
known as artificial draught.
 A dvantages and L imitations of C himney / N atural D raught

ADVANTAGES :
(1)It does not require any external power for producing the
draught.
(2)The capital investment is less. The maintenance cost
is nil as there is no mechanical part.
(3)Chimney keeps the flue gases at a high place in the
atmosphere which prevents the contamination of
atmosphere.
(4)It has long life.

LIMITATIONS :
(5)The maximum pressure available for producing
natural draught by chimney is hardly 10 to 20 mm of
water under the normal atmospheric and flue gas
temperatures.
(6)The available draught decreases with increase in
outside air temperature and for producing sufficient
draught, the flue gases have to be discharged at
comparatively high temperatures resulting in the loss of
overall plant efficiency. And thus maximum utilization of
Heat is not possible.
(3) As t h e re is n o t h r ough m ixin g of a ir a n d fu el in t h e combu st ion ch a m ber
du e t o low velocit y of a ir t h erefore com bu st ion is very poor.
Th is in cr eases t h e specific fu el consu m pt ion.

(4) Th e ch im n ey h a s n o flexibilit y t o cr eat e m ore dr a u gh t u n der peak

load condit ions beca u se t h e dr a u gh t a va ila ble is const a n t for a
pa r t icu la r h eigh t of ch im n ey a n d t h e dr a u gh t ca n be in cr eased by
a llowin g t h e flu e ga ses t o leave t h e combu st ion ch a m ber a t h igh er
t em pera t u r es. Th is r edu ces t h e overa ll efficiency of t h e pla n t .

Near ly 20% h eat r eleased by t h e fu el is lost t o t h e flu e ga ses.

Th e ch im n ey dr a ugh t is only u sed for ve ry sm a ll boile rs. Nowa da ys
t h e ch im n ey is n ever u sed for cr eat in g dr a u gh t in t h e rm a l power pla n t s
a s it h a s n o flexibilit y, t h e t ota l dr a u gh t pr odu ced is in su fficient for
h igh genera t in g ca pa cit y.
Th e ch im n ey is u sed in a ll power pla n t s on ly t o disch a r ge t h e
flue ga ses h igh in t h e a t m osph ere t o m a in t a in t h e clea n lin ess of
t h e su r r oun din g a t m osph eric a ir .

14:47:
07
Why artificial draught ? ? ?

Beca u se of in su fficien t h ea d a n d la ck of
flexibilit y, Th e u se of n a t u r a l dr a u gh t is lim it ed to
sm a ll ca pa cit y boiler s on ly. Th e dr a u gh t r equ ir ed in
a ct u a l power pla n t is su fficien t ly h igh (300 m m of wa t er )
a n d t o m eet h igh dr a u gh t r equ ir em en ts, som e ot h er syst em
m u st be u sed [kn own a s a r t ificia l dr a u gh t ].

Th e a r t ificia l dr a u gh t is m or e econ om ica l wh en

t h e r equ ir ed dr a u gh t is a bove 40 m m of wa t er .

www.joshikandarp.webs.co
14:47:
07

m
 F orce D raught

In a forced dr a u gh t syst em , a blower is in st a lled n ear t h e ba se of

t h e boiler. Th is dr a u gh t syst em is kn own a s posit ive dr a u gh t
syst em or forced dr a u gh t syst em beca u se t h e pr essu r e of a ir
t h r ough out t h e syst em is a bove a t m osph e ric pr essu r e a n d a ir is forced
t o flow t h r ough t h e syst em . Th e a r r a n gem ent of t h e syst em is sh own in
figu r e.

www.joshikandarp.webs.co
14:47:
07

m
A st a ck or ch im n ey is a lso u sed in t h is syst em a s sh own in figu r e bu t it is
n ot m u ch sign ifica n t for pr odu cin g dr a u gh t .

Induced D raught

In t h is syst em , t h e blower is loca t ed n ear t h e ba se of t h e

ch im n ey in st ead of n ear t h e gr a t e. Th e a ir is su cked in t h e syst em
by r edu cin g t h e pr essu r e t h r ough t h e syst em below a t m osph ere.

Th e a ct ion of t h e in du ced dr a u gh t is sim ila r t o t h e a ct ion of t h e

ch im n ey. Th e dr a u gh t pr odu ced is in dependent of t h e t em pera t u r e
of t h e h ot ga ses t h erefore t h e ga ses m a y be disch a r ged a s cold a s

www.joshikandarp.webs.co
possible a ft er r ecove rin g a s m u ch h eat a s possible in a ir -
pr eheat er a n d economiser.

14:47:
07

m
Th is dr a u gh t is u sed gen er a lly wh en econ om iser a n d a ir -
pr eh ea t er a r e in cor por a t ed in t h e syst em . Th e fa n sh ou ld be
loca t ed a t su ch a pla ce t h a t t h e t em per a t u r e of t h e ga s h a n dled by
t h e fa n is lowest .

Th e ch im n ey is a lso u sed in t h is syst em a n d it s fu n ct ion is sim ila r a s

m en tion ed in for ced dr a u gh t bu t tota l dr a u gh t pr odu ced in
in du ced dr a u gh t syst em is t h e su m of t h e dr a u gh t s pr odu ced by
t h e fa n a n d ch im n ey. Th e a r r a n gem en t of t h e syst em is sh own in
F igu r e.

www.joshikandarp.webs.co
14:47:
07

m
 B alanced D raught

Th e ba la n ced dr a u gh t is a combin a t ion of forced a n d in du ced dr a u gh t .

Why artificial draught ? ? ?

If t h e forced dr a u gh t is u sed a lone, t h en t h e fu r n a ce ca nn ot be opened eit h er
for fir in g or in spect ion beca u se t h e h igh pr essu r e a ir inside t h e fu r n a ce will
t r y t o blow out su ddenly a n d t h e re is ever y ch a nce of blowin g out t h e
fir e comple tely a n d fu r n a ce st ops.

If t h e in du ced dr a u gh t is u sed a lone, t h en a lso fu r n a ce ca n n ot be

opened eit h er for fir in g or in spect ion beca u se t h e cold a ir will t r y t o
r u sh in t o t h e fu r n a ce a s t h e pr essu r e in side t h e fu r n a ce is below
a t m osph e ric pr essu r e.

www.joshikandarp.webs.co
Th is r edu ces t h e effect ive dr a u gh t a n d dilu t es t h e combu st ion.

To ove rcome both t h e difficu lt ies m ent ioned a bove eit h er u sin g
forced dr a u gh t or in du ced dr a u gh t a lone, a ba la n ced dr a u gh t is a lwa ys
pr eferr ed. 14:47:
07

m
07
14:47:

www.joshikandarp.webs.co
m
A dvantages of mechanical draught over
natural draught.
1. Th e a r t ificia l m ech a n ica l dr a u gh t is be tt er in cont r ol a n d
m ore economica l t h a n n a t u r a l dr a u gh t .

2. Th e r a t e of com bu st ion is h igh a s t h e a va ila ble dr a u gh t is

m ore. Th e be tt er dist r ibu t ion a n d m ixin g of a ir wit h fu el is
possible t h e refore t h e qu a n t it y of a ir r equ ir ed per kg of fu el is
less.

3. Th e a ir flow ca n be r egu la t ed a ccordin g t o t h e r equ ir em ent

by ch a n gin g t h e dr a u gh t pr essu r e.

www.joshikandarp.webs.co
4. Th e ch im n ey dr a u gh t is pr odu ced a t t h e cost of t h erm a l efficiency
of t h e pla n t beca u se it is n ecessa r y t o exh a u st t h e ga ses a t
h igh t em pera t u r e t o pr odu ce t h e dr a u gh t . In m ech a n ica l
dr a u gh t , t h e exh a u st ga ses ca n be cooled t o lowest possible
t em pera t u r e before exh a u st a n d im pr oves t h e ove ra ll t h e rm a l
efficiency of t h e pla n t .

m
5. Th e h eigh t of t h e ch im n ey u sed in m ech a n ica l dr a u gh t ca n be
r edu ced su fficient ly a s t h e fu n ct ion of t h e ch im n ey is only t o exh a u st
t h e ga ses h igh in t h e a t m osph e re t o pr event t h e cont a m in a t ion.

6. Th e efficien cy of t h e a r t ificia l dr a u gh t is n ear ly 7% wh ereas

t h e efficiency of t h e ch im n ey dr a u gh t is h a r dly 1%.

7. Th e fu el con su m pt ion per kW du e t o a r t ificia l dr a u gh t is 15% less

t h a n t h e n a t u r a l dr a u gh t .

8. The fuel burning capacity of the grate is 200 to 300 kg/ m2 in

area of the grate per hour with mechanical draught whereas it is
hardly 50 kg/ m2-hr with natural draught.

9. It pr event s t h e form a t ion of sm oke a s comple te combu st ion is

www.joshikandarp.webs.co
possible even wit h less excess a ir .

Th e m a jor disa dva n t a ge of t h e a r t ificia l dr a u gh t is t h e h igh

ca pit a l cost r equ ir ed a n d h igh r u n n in g a n d m a in t ena n ce cost s of
t h e fa n s u sed.

m
 N A TU R A L D R A U G H T A N D D E S IG N O F C H IM N E Y

Th e n a t u r a l dr a u gh t is obt a in ed wit h t h e u se of t a ll ch im n ey wh ich m a y be

su fficient or in su fficient .

www.joshikandarp.webs.co
11114444::::44447777::::00007777

m
07
14:47:

www.joshikandarp.webs.co
m
www.joshikandarp.webs.co
m
07
14:47:

www.joshikandarp.webs.co
m
07
14:47:

www.joshikandarp.webs.co
m
www.joshikandarp.webs.co
m
07
14:47:

www.joshikandarp.webs.co
m
07
14:47:

www.joshikandarp.webs.co
m
 D etermine height and diameter of chimney to
produce static draught of 18 mm of water column if mean
flue gas temperature and flow rate are 300 C and 2100 kg/min
respectively, the atmospheric air temperature is 25 C . The gas
constant for air is
287 KJ / Kg K. and for flue gas 250 K J /K g
K . A ssume no loss of draught in chimney and barometer
reading is 760 mm of mercury.

www.joshikandarp.webs.co
m
www.joshikandarp.webs.co
m
www.joshikandarp.webs.co
m