A fragma air preheater (fAPH) is a general term to describe any device

designed to heat air before another process (for example, combustion in

a boiler) with the primary objective of increasing the thermal efficiency of
the process. They may be used alone or to replace a recuperative heat
system or to replace a steam coil.

In particular, this article describes the combustion air preheaters used in

large boilers found in thermal power stations producing electric power from
e.g. fossil fuels, biomasses or waste.

The purpose of the air pre heater is to recover the heat from the boiler flue
gas which increases the thermal efficiency of the boiler by reducing the
useful heat lost in the flue gas. As a consequence, the flue gases are also
sent to the flue gas stack (or chimney) at a lower temperature, allowing
simplified design of the ducting and the flue gas stack. It also allows control
over the temperature of gases leaving the stack (to meet emissions
regulations, for example).
There are two types of air pre heaters for use in steam generators in thermal
power stations: One is a tubular type built into the boiler flue gas ducting,
and the other is a regenerative air preheater. These may be arranged so the
gas flows horizontally or vertically across the axis of rotation.

An electrostatic precipitator (ESP), or electrostatic air cleaner is

a particulate collection device that removes particles from a flowing gas
(such as air) using the force of an inducedelectrostatic charge. Electrostatic
precipitators are highly efficient filtration devices that minimally impede the
flow of gases through the device, and can easily remove fine particulate
matter such as dust and smoke from the air stream.[1]. In contrast to wet
scrubbers which apply energy directly to the flowing fluid medium, an ESP
applies energy only to the particulate matter being collected and therefore is
very efficient in its consumption of energy (in the form of electricity).
Collection efficiency (R)
Precipitator performance is very sensitive due to two particulate properties:
1) Resistivity; and 2) Particle size distribution. These properties can be
determined economically and accurately in the laboratory. A widely taught
concept to calculate the collection efficiency is the Deutsch model, which
assumes infinite remixing of the particles perpendicular to the gas stream.

Resistivity can be determined as a function of temperature in accordance

with IEEE Standard 548. This test is conducted in an air environment
containing a specified moisture concentration. The test is run as a function of
ascending or descending temperature or both. Data are acquired using an
average ash layer electric field of 4 kV/cm. Since relatively low applied
voltage is used and no sulfuric acid vapor is present in the environment, the
values obtained indicate the maximum ash resistivity.

Usually the descending temperature test is suggested when no unusual

circumstances are involved. Before the test, the ash is thermally equilibrated
in dry air at 454 °C (850°F) for about 14 hours. It is believed that this
procedure anneals the ash and restores the surface to pre-collection
condition.

If there is a concern about the effect of combustibles, the residual effect of a

conditioning agent other than sulfuric acid vapor, or the effect of some other
agent that inhibits the reaction of the ash with water vapor, the combination
of the ascending and descending test mode is recommended. The thermal
treatment that occurs between the two test modes is capable of eliminating
the foregoing effects. This results in ascending and descending temperature
resistivity curves that show a hysteresis related to the presence and removal
of some effect such as a significant level of combustibles.

With particles of high resistivity (cement dust for example) Sulfur trioxide is
sometimes injected into a flue gas stream to lower the resistivity of the
particles in order to improve the collection efficiency of the electrostatic
precipitator .

Controlling draft

Most boilers now depend on mechanical draft equipment rather than natural
draft. This is because natural draft is subject to outside air conditions and
temperature of flue gases leaving the furnace, as well as the chimney
height. All these factors make proper draft hard to attain and therefore
make mechanical draft equipment much more economical.

There are three types of mechanical draft:

 Induced draft: This is obtained one of three ways, the first being the
"stack effect" of a heated chimney, in which the flue gas is less dense
than the ambient air surrounding the boiler. The denser column of
ambient air forces combustion air into and through the boiler. The second
method is through use of a steam jet. The steam jet oriented in the
direction of flue gas flow induces flue gasses into the stack and allows for
a greater flue gas velocity increasing the overall draft in the furnace. This
method was common on steam driven locomotives which could not have
tall chimneys. The third method is by simply using an induced draft fan
(ID fan) which removes flue gases from the furnace and forces the
exhaust gas up the stack. Almost all induced draft furnaces operate with
a slightly negative pressure.

 Forced draft: Draft is obtained by forcing air into the furnace by means of
a fan (FD fan) and ductwork. Air is often passed through an air heater;
which, as the name suggests, heats the air going into the furnace in order
to increase the overall efficiency of the boiler. Dampers are used to
control the quantity of air admitted to the furnace. Forced draft furnaces
usually have a positive pressure.

 Balanced draft: Balanced draft is obtained through use of both induced

and forced draft. This is more common with larger boilers where the flue
gases have to travel a long distance through many boiler passes. The
induced draft fan works in conjunction with the forced draft fan allowing
the furnace pressure to be maintained slightly below atmospheric.