Generation and Control of Vacuum in Furnace

P M V Subbarao
Professor
Mechanical Engineering Department

Safe and Efficient Combustion Needs Appropriate Furnace

Pressure

Development of Air & Flow Circuits

Total gas side pressure drop

p sy

g o 101325
p1 (1 ) p 2

1
.
293
P
av

Pa

where p1 = total pressure drop from the furnace outlet to the

dust collector, Pa
p2 = pressure drop after the dust collector, Pa
= ash content in the glue gas, kg/kg
pa v = average pressure of the gas, Pa
pg o = flue gas density at standard conditions, kg/Nm3

The ash fraction of the flue gas

as,
Acalculated
f h

100 g oVg

where f h = ratio of fly ash in flue gas to total ash in the fuel
A = ash content of working mass, %
Vg = average volume of gas from furnace to dust collector
calculated from the average excess air ratio, Nm3/kg of fuel

The pressure drop from the balance point of the furnace to the chimney
base is
prest = pexit + pgas pnd
where pexit = pressure drop up to the boiler outlet

Draught Losses

Total losses

p
Furnace, SH & RH Losses
Economizer Losses
Ducts & dampers losses
Percent Boiler Rating

ID fan power calculation

ID fan power is calculated as:

Air Pressure Losses

Total losses

p
Burner Losses
APH Losses
Ducts & dampers losses
Percent Boiler Rating

Modeling of 210 MW Draught System

Duct APH

Duct

Furnace

Back
pass

Duct

APH

ESP

Duct

FD
Fan

Duct

Pressure drop calculation in air & gas path and its

comparison with design value.
Assessment of ID and FD fan power as a function of
furnace pressure.

ID
Fan

Chimney

Important variables along air and gas path

Pressure Variation

FD Fan Duct SCAPH Duct APH

Duct Wind Boiler APH ESP ID Fan

Box

Off Design Pressure Variation

Pressure Variation in Air & Gas Path at Part Load
2500
2000

Pressure (Pa)

1500
1000
500
0
-500

FD Fan Duct
1

SCAPH
3

Boiler

Duct Wind
Box

Duct APH
6

APH
9

ESP ID Fan
10

-1000
-1500
-2000

Path Element
Calculated (168 MW)

Design (168 MW)

11

12

Operational Data of 210 MW plant

Effect of Furnace Vacuum on Boiler Efficiency

The net effect is saving in energy of 117.32

kW due to increase in furnace vacuum from
58.9 Pa to 230.6 Pa.

Duct APH

Duct

Furnace

Back
pass

Duct

APH

ESP

Duct

FD
Fan

Duct

New Ideas for Future Research

ID
Fan

Chimney

Analysis of Flue Gas at the ID Fan Inlet

Partial pressure of each constituent in flue gas,

pCO2 = 16.366209 kPa

pO2 = 1.138404 kPa

PN2 = 68.142138 kPa

pSO2 = 0.036081 kPa

pH2O = 13.363218 kPa

Mass flow rate of each constituent in tons/hour is:
Mass flow rate of O2 in the flue gas =13.2867 tph

Mass flow rate of CO2 in the flue gas = 262.646 tph

Mass flow rate of N2 in the flue gas = 695.893 tph

Mass flow rate of SO2 in the flue gas = 0.84219 tph

Mass flow rate of H20 in the flue gas = 118.33 tph

Energy Audit of Flue Gas

Temperature of flue gas = 136 C 150oC

Dew point of water is (obtained based on partial pressure
of 0.1336 bar) 51.59 C
Cooling of the exhaust gas below the dew point will lead
to continuous condensation of water vapour and reduction
of flue gas volume and mass.
The temperature of the flue gas in order to remove x% of
the available moisture can be obtained using partial
pressures of water.

Energy Potential of Flue Gas with 10% water

Recovery

Flue gas
constituents

CO2

Partial
pressure at
136 C in kPa

Enthalpy* at
136 C (KJ/kg)

Mass flow
rate of each
constituent
at 136 C
( kg/s)

Mass flow
rate of each Total thermal
constituent at
power
Enthalpy*at
49.74 C
released
49.74 C KJ/kg
( kg/s)
(MW)

16.37

606.32

3.69075

527.85

3.69

0.2895

O2

1.11

374.43

72.9572

294

72.9

5.8678

N2

68.14

425

193.303

335.09

193.3

17.3797

S02

0.036

487

0.23413

430.55

0.2341

0.0132

H20

13.36

2752

32.8694

2591

30.444

11.576
35.1270

Energy Potential of Flue Gas with 100% water Recovery

Flue gas
constitue
nts

Mass flow
rate of
each
Partial
constituen
pressure at Enthalpy* at t at 136 C (
136 C in kPa 136 C (KJ/kg)
kg/s)

Enthalpy at
0 C (kJ/Kg)

Mass
flow rate
at 0 C
( kg/s)

Total thermal
power
released (MW)

CO2

16.366209

606.32

3.69075

485.83

3.69

0.444698

O2

1.138404

374.43

72.9572

248.35

72.95

9.198452

N2

68.142138

425

193.303

283.32

193.3

27.38828

S02

0.036081

487

0.23413

399.58

0.2341

0.020468

H20

13.363218

2752

32.8694

2501

90.45671
127.5086

Model Experimentation

Expected Performance of the heat exchanger

Cooling capacity of the heat exchanger = 10 kW

Cooling load available with the heat exchanger = 115.3 kJ/kg of flue gas
Available rate of condensation of the present heat exchanger =
37.85gms/kg of flue gas.

Experimental validation
Flue Gas heat exchanger measured data:

DATE

FLUE
FLUE
FLUE
WATER
WATER
GAS
GAS
GAS
I/L
O/L TO
I/L JUST I/L
O/L
TO HEAT
HEAT
OUTSID TO HEAT TO HEAT EXCHAN EXCHAN
E ID
EXCHAN EXCHAN
GER
GER
DUCT
GER
GER
Temp C

1.2.10
1.2.10
2.2.10
2.2.10

103
105
121
121

60
65
69
82

30
32
31
32

29
31
30
31

30
32
31
32

DP

WATE
R
FLOW

QTY.
OF
WATER
CONDEN
SED

cm
WC
5
5
5
4.2

LPM

lt. /Hr.

12
10
12
12

1.1
0.9
1.1
1

Calculation of Flue Gas Flow Rate

Tin 0C

p (cm)

5
5
5
4.2

Density (kg/m3)

60
65
69
82

Flow rate (kg/sec)

1.051754
1.036203
1.024089
0.986604

0.007159
0.007106
0.007065
0.006355

Calculation of Condensate Flow rate

Gas Flow rate
(kg/sec)
0.007159
0.007106
0.007065
0.006355

MESURED
CONDENSATE
KG/HR
1.1
0.9
1.1
1

MESURED
Condensate
CONDENSATE
loading (gms/kg of
G/SEC
gas)
0.305556
42.67864
0.25
35.17994
0.305556
43.25126
0.277778
43.70829

Design rate of condensate loading using present heat

exchanger = 37.85gms/kg of flue gas.

Combustion and Draught Control

The control of combustion in a steam generator is extremely
critical.
Maximization of operational efficiency requires accurate
combustion.
Fuel consumption rate should exactly match the demand for
steam.
The variation of fuel flow rate should be executed safely.
The rate of energy release should occur without any risk to the
plant, personal or environment.

Furnace Draught

The Control
Furnace (draft) pressure control is used in balanced draft
furnaces in order to regulate draft pressure.
Draft pressure is affected by both the FD and ID fans.
The FD fan is regulated by the combustion control loop,
and its sole function is to provide combustion air to satisfy
the firing rate.
The ID fan is regulated by the furnace pressure control
loop and its function is to remove combustion gases at a
controlled rate such that draft pressure remains constant.

Furnace Draught Control

Windbox Pressure Control

Combustion Prediction & Control

The Model for Combustion Control

Parallel Control of Fuel & Air Flow Rate

Flow Ratio Control : Fuel Lead

Flow Ratio Control : Fuel Lead

Cross-limited Control System

Oxygen Trimming of Fuel/air ratio Control

Combined CO & O2 Trimming of Fuel/Air Ratio Control

Resistance to Air & Gas Flow Through Steam

Generator System