SlideShare a Scribd company logo
1 of 36
Download to read offline
Boiler Efficiency 
Improvement 
ANKUR GAIKWAD 
B.E (MECHANICAL), BITS-PILANI
Introduction 
 Boilers are widely used in power 
generation, chemical & process industries 
 They’re used mainly for generating steam 
at high pressures & temperatures for a 
variety of purposes 
 Its development began in the 18th century 
Industrial Revolution 
 Being fairly mature technology, today’s 
boilers have become very efficient at 
converting the thermal energy in coal, oil 
or natural gas to heat water & form steam 
at high pressure & temperature 
 This presentation seeks to explore the 
methods available to maintain & improve 
the boiler efficiency
Main Areas for Improvement 
 Combustion Management 
 Makeup, Feedwater, Condensate & Blowdown Management 
 Steam Distribution Management
Combustion Efficiency Management 
 Boiler burns fuel efficiently if following 3 conditions are met: 
 It burns fuel completely 
 It uses as little excess air as possible to do it 
 It extracts as much heat as possible from the combustion gases 
 The first 2 conditions are met by careful control of excess air in the boiler
Control of Excess Air 
 In general, boiler efficiency decreases for excess oxygen above 2-3% or excess air 
above 10-15% 
 Optimum excess air is recommended for each type of boiler on the basis of fuel 
used
Combustion Efficiency Indicators 
 Oxygen Test 
 Smoke Opacity Test 
 Carbon Monoxide Test
Combustion Control 
 Usual causes of deficient combustion: 
 Improper Draft: Remedied by Draft Control 
 Improper Air-Fuel Mixture
Draft Control 
 Pitfalls of Improper Draft: 
 Insufficient Draft: Prevents adequate air supply for combustion; Results in smoky, 
incomplete combustion 
 Excessive Draft: Larger volume of air & flue gas moves quickly through the furnace; 
Less time for heat transfer, High flue gas exit temperature; Contributes to maximum 
heat loss 
 Ideal Draft: Controlled such that boiler operates at 2-4% excess oxygen 
 Close Draft Regulation difficult due to burners’ requirement of proper air-fuel 
mixture
Air-Fuel Mix Control 
 Stoichiometric air-fuel mix depends on masses 
 Fact to be considered: Density of air & gaseous fuels changes with ambient 
temperatures 
 Control challenging due to: 
 Inadequate tolerance of burner controls 
 Faulty burners 
 Improper Fuel Delivery system
Reclaiming Boiler Heat Losses 
 Residual heat in flue gas is the main heat loss 
 Residual heat used in following ways: 
 Economisers: Feedwater preheated 
 Flue gas condensing by water: Water absorbs flue gas heat 
 Combustion Air Preheat: Combustion air preheated for better combustion 
 Flue Gas Recirculation: Recirculated with incoming air-fuel mix; decreases NOx 
emissions 
 Heat Cascading: Exhaust heat used in lower temperature applications
Makeup, Feedwater & Blowdown 
Management 
 Necessary to monitor & control scale formation in water tubes in boiler 
 Effects of Scale Formation on boiler operation: 
 Reduces heat transfer 
 Impedes proper fluid flow 
 Boiler tubes subjected to failure due to overheating 
 Fuel Wastage 
 Monitoring scale formation in boiler tubes 
 Directly during boiler maintenance shutdowns 
 Indirectly through monitoring flue gas exit temperatures for longer periods of time
Boiler Water Treatment 
 2 types of boiler water treatment methods: 
 Internal 
 External
Internal Water Treatment 
 Chemical dosage converts scale-forming compounds to free-flowing sludge 
 Sludge removed by blowdown 
 Corrosion inhibitors (e.g. amines) form protective film for corrosion protection of 
boiler internals 
 Common Internal Treatment chemicals: 
 Polyphosphates & Sodium Meta Phosphate for scale control 
 Sodium Sulphite, Hydroquinone Hydrazine, Diethylhydroxyamine (DEHA), Methyl 
ethyl ketoxime for dissolved oxygen 
 Neutralizing and filming amines for corrosion control due to CO2
External Water Treatment 
 Two Stages: 
 Remove only hardness salts; also called ‘water softening’ 
 Remove Total Dissolved Salts (TDS); also called ‘de-mineralisation’
Water Softening 
 Done when hardness alone is a limiting factor 
 Cation-exchange zeolite resin exchanges all hardness ions to reduce hardness to 
zero 
 Techniques: 
 Cold lime softening: Addition of hydrated lime at ambient temperature; can reduce 
hardness to 35-50 ppm of calcium carbonate 
 Hot lime softening: Addition of lime at 227-240 F 
 Hot lime soda: Addition of soda with ash in hot lime process; reduces hardness to 8 
ppm calcium carbonate & 2-5 ppm magnesium content
De-alkalisation 
 Done when hardness & alkalinity are limiting factors 
 Two types: 
 Split-stream de-alkalisation: 
 2 cation exchange units in parallel 
 2 sodium zeolite softener resins; one regenerated with salt, the other regenerated with acid 
 Lowers hardness to zero, reduces alkalinity, removes dissolved solids 
 Chloride de-alkalisation: 
 2 ion exchange units in series 
 1 sodium zeolite cation exchanger resin; other is anion exchange resin 
 Doesn’t remove dissolved solids,silica
De-silicisation 
 Done when silica is the limiting factor 
 Removes silica using strongly basic anion exchange resin regenerated with caustic 
soda 
 2 systems: 
 Sodium zeolite softener, followed by strongly basic anion resin unit. Reduces hardness, 
anions, silica 
 Cation exchanger regenerated with acid, followed by strong base anion exchanger 
regenerated with caustic soda. Removes all dissolved solids (including silica)
De-mineralisation 
 Done when dissolved solids (TDS) is a limiting factor 
 Consists of ion exchange resin columns-a strong cation unit & strong anion unit 
 Hydrogen cation exchange converts dissolved salts to their corresponding acid 
forms, removed in anion exchanger 
 De-mineralised water approaches distilled water in purity 
 High cost of operation makes it difficult for low to moderate pressure boilers
Feedwater Management 
 Boiler feedwater consists of: 
 Returned condensate 
 Make-up water 
 Make-up water is the main source of contaminants, making condensate recovery 
important 
 Condensate recovery important due to the following: 
 Losing hot condensate results in heat loss of fuel 
 More the condensate recovery, lesser will be the make-up water, lesser the need for 
water treatment 
 More condensate recovery implies lower blowdown & associated losses
Flash Steam Recovery 
 Flash steam formed when the condensate’s pressure is suddenly reduced 
 Flash steam used for low-pressure heating 
 Flash steam formed in a flash vessel, a vertical vessel in which there’s 
considerable pressure drop of condensate while it falls down 
 Steam leaves from the top part of the vessel
Condensate Water Treatment 
 Common chemicals in condensate: 
 Dissolved CO2 
 Suspended Iron 
 Carbonic Acid 
 Elaborate condensate treatment not needed 
 Soft measures like condensate polishing or conditioning are required to ensure 
reliability of equipment 
 2 types of condensate water treatment: 
 Amines for neutralising carbonic acid (e.g. Cyclohexylamine) 
 Amines for filming a protective barrier against carbonic acid & oxygen (e.g. 
Octyldecylamine)
De-aeration of Boiler Feedwater 
 Oxidative corrosion, due to dissolved oxygen in feedwater, accelerates at high 
temperatures in boiler 
 De-aeration necessary to remove dissolved oxygen from feedwater 
 De-aeration: 
 Live steam heats feedwater upto 105 C 
 Feedwater is mechanically agitated simultaneously to drive off dissolved oxygen 
 Dissolved oxygen, along with tiny amount of live steam, is vented to atmosphere 
 Higher the proportion of make-up water in circulation, greater the need for de-aeration
Blowdown Water 
 Dissolved solids are left behind in the boiler water when water is converted into steam 
 As makeup water is circulated & converted to steam, the amount of solids in the boiler increases 
till the water can’t dissolve all of the solids 
 This ‘saturated’ water is then discharged as ‘bottom blowdown’ 
 Amount of solids in water 
 Double when, Amount of make-up water = Amount of water originally used in boiler. Also called 
‘2 cycles of condensation’ 
 Triple when, Amount of make-up water = 2*(Amount of water originally used in boiler). Also called 
‘3 cycles of condensation’ 
 Effects of Blowdown: 
 Insufficient Blowdown: Formation of deposits 
 Excessive Blowdown: Wastage of energy, water & chemicals
Blowdown Water Regulation Tests 
 2 Tests: 
 Chloride Test 
 Specific Conductance Test 
 Chloride Test: 
 Chloride is chosen since it’s inert to chemicals, heat; and is always present in make-up 
water 
 If chloride doubles, it implies that amount of solids in water has also doubled 
 Specific Conductance Test: 
 Conductivity of make-up water is measured against that of boiler water. 
 Cycles of concentration = Conductivity of (make-up water)/(boiler water)
Blowdown Control 
 Manual Control: 
 Mostly used for mud/bottom blowdown for a few seconds after periodic intervals of 
several hours 
 Designed to remove suspended solids that settle out of boiler water & form a heavy 
sludge 
 Automatic Control: 
 Electronic sensors & controllers sense boiler water TDS 
 Open & close surface blowdown lines to maintain boiler water TDS at a minimum 
 Surface Blowdown: Removes dissolved solids concentrated near liquid surface
Blowdown Heat Recovery 
 2 Methods: 
 Flash Steam Recovery 
 Blowdown Heat Recovery 
 Flash Steam Recovery: 
 Blowdown water sent to a flash tank to give flash steam at low pressure 
 Flash steam at low pressure used in de-aerator, etc. 
 Blowdown Heat Recovery: 
 Hot blowdown heats boiler make-up water to recover blowdown heat
Steam Distribution Management 
 Steam distribution equipment must supply high quality steam at required pressure 
& flow rate with minimum heat loss 
 Key Components of Steam Distribution System: 
 Steam distribution piping 
 Valves & Flanges 
 Insulation 
 Steam Traps 
 Air Vents 
 Drip Legs 
 Strainers
Steam Distribution Management 
 Important Concerns of Steam Distribution Management 
 Optimum Pipe Sizing 
 Proper Insulation 
 Plugging Leaks 
 Steam Traps & Associated Pipelines 
 Steam Use in Heating
Optimum Pipe Sizing 
 Affected by Steam Velocities: 
 Superheated: 50-70 m/s 
 Saturated: 30-40 m/s 
 Wet/Exhaust: 20-30 m/s 
 Velocities lesser than 15 m/s at shorter pipe bends 
 Standard data tables available to help selection of appropriate pipe sizes 
 Steam piping size based on ‘permissible velocity’ & ‘available pressure drop’ 
considerations 
 Condensate piping size designed based on the assumption of only water flow at 
starting conditions, despite mostly carrying two-phase flow in practice
Proper Piping Design & Maintenance 
 Ensure right sizing of pipes 
 Oversized Pipes: Increase capital, maintenance & insulation costs; Increase surface 
heat losses 
 Undersized Pipes: Require higher pressure & pumping energy; Have higher rates of 
leakage 
 Get rid of redundant & obsolete pipework 
 Fix Steam Leaks 
 Keep track of facility-wide & individual process-unit steam balances 
 Piping at equipment connections should accommodate thermal responses during 
system start-ups & shutdowns 
 Steam separators should be installed to ensure dry steam throughout the process 
equipment & branch lines
Proper Insulation of Steam Piping 
 Done to avoid excessive heat loss to atmosphere 
 Important Insulation Properties: Thermal conductivity, Strength, Abrasion 
resistance, Workability, and Resistance to water absorption 
 Common Insulating Materials: 
 Steam Piping: Calcium Silicate, Fiberglass, Perlite, Cellular Glass 
 Steam Distribution Components/Attachments: Fiberglass, Fabric Insulation Blankets 
 Smaller the pipe diameter, thinner the insulation 
 Higher the temperature of the insulated pipe, higher the return on investment 
 Running pipes in groups reduces heat losses 
 Air movement & Draft increase heat losses of un-insulated pipes
Plugging Leaks 
 Steam leaks commonly develop around valve stems, pressure regulators & pipe 
joints 
 Leaks are easy to detect 
 Even a small leak amounts to significant costs over the year, as shown
Steam Traps & Associated Pipelines 
 Steam traps distinguish condensate from steam & remove the condensate 
 Types of steam traps, classified based on: 
 Density difference: Known as mechanical traps; Include float traps & bucket traps 
 Temperature difference: Known as thermostatic traps; Include Balanced-pressure traps, 
Bimetal traps & Liquid expansion traps 
 Flow characteristics: Known as thermodynamic traps 
 Steam Traps Maintenance: 
 Periodic Cleaning & Checking for wear 
 Fixing strainers ahead of the steam traps to avoid damage by scale & dirt 
 Steam traps handling more air require more frequent inspection & proper venting
Steam Use in Heating 
 Steam can be used in various ways as follows: 
 Providing Dry steam for Process 
 Using steam at lowest pressures required by end-user 
 Heating by Direct Injection 
 Proper Air Venting: Done to avoid reduced heat transfer performance due to air 
films
Summary 
 The three important phases of operation to be managed for high boiler efficiency 
are: 
 Combustion 
 Feedwater, Make-up & Blowdown 
 Steam Piping 
 Good draft control, air-fuel mixture control results in high boiler efficiency 
 Maintaining low amount of dissolved solids & acids helps in maintaining high 
efficiency & prolonging equipment life 
 Proper piping design & maintenance helps in increasing boiler efficiency
THANK YOU!

More Related Content

What's hot

Feedwater heaters in thermal power plants
Feedwater heaters in thermal power plantsFeedwater heaters in thermal power plants
Feedwater heaters in thermal power plantsSHIVAJI CHOUDHURY
 
Boiler Efficiency Improvement through Analysis of Losses
Boiler Efficiency Improvement through Analysis of LossesBoiler Efficiency Improvement through Analysis of Losses
Boiler Efficiency Improvement through Analysis of Lossesijsrd.com
 
Types of air preheaters and its advantages
Types of air preheaters and its advantagesTypes of air preheaters and its advantages
Types of air preheaters and its advantagesPreeti Agarwal
 
Steam Turbine Performance in TPS
Steam Turbine Performance in TPSSteam Turbine Performance in TPS
Steam Turbine Performance in TPSManohar Tatwawadi
 
Air Heater and PF Boiler Performance Indices
Air Heater and PF Boiler Performance IndicesAir Heater and PF Boiler Performance Indices
Air Heater and PF Boiler Performance IndicesManohar Tatwawadi
 
Gas Air Heater (Air Pre Heater)
Gas Air Heater (Air Pre Heater)Gas Air Heater (Air Pre Heater)
Gas Air Heater (Air Pre Heater)Hammad Akber
 
Turbine cycle heat rate calculation
Turbine  cycle heat rate calculationTurbine  cycle heat rate calculation
Turbine cycle heat rate calculationSHIVAJI CHOUDHURY
 
Condenser in Thermal Power Plant
Condenser in Thermal Power PlantCondenser in Thermal Power Plant
Condenser in Thermal Power PlantMihir Patel
 
Construction of 500 MW Steam Boiler
Construction of 500 MW Steam BoilerConstruction of 500 MW Steam Boiler
Construction of 500 MW Steam BoilerVaibhav Paydelwar
 
Thermal power plant efficiency
Thermal power plant efficiencyThermal power plant efficiency
Thermal power plant efficiencyManohar Tatwawadi
 
210 MW BHEL Turbine Cycle Heat Balance
210 MW BHEL Turbine Cycle Heat Balance210 MW BHEL Turbine Cycle Heat Balance
210 MW BHEL Turbine Cycle Heat BalanceManohar Tatwawadi
 
Cooling towers in thermal power plants
Cooling towers in thermal power plantsCooling towers in thermal power plants
Cooling towers in thermal power plantsManohar Tatwawadi
 
Turbine governing system an overview
Turbine governing system an overviewTurbine governing system an overview
Turbine governing system an overviewGaurav Kaushik
 
660 mw supercritical boiler
660 mw supercritical boiler660 mw supercritical boiler
660 mw supercritical boilerAshvani Shukla
 

What's hot (20)

Feedwater heaters in thermal power plants
Feedwater heaters in thermal power plantsFeedwater heaters in thermal power plants
Feedwater heaters in thermal power plants
 
Boiler Efficiency Improvement through Analysis of Losses
Boiler Efficiency Improvement through Analysis of LossesBoiler Efficiency Improvement through Analysis of Losses
Boiler Efficiency Improvement through Analysis of Losses
 
Boiler light up & loading
Boiler light up & loadingBoiler light up & loading
Boiler light up & loading
 
Types of air preheaters and its advantages
Types of air preheaters and its advantagesTypes of air preheaters and its advantages
Types of air preheaters and its advantages
 
Steam Turbine Performance in TPS
Steam Turbine Performance in TPSSteam Turbine Performance in TPS
Steam Turbine Performance in TPS
 
Air Heater and PF Boiler Performance Indices
Air Heater and PF Boiler Performance IndicesAir Heater and PF Boiler Performance Indices
Air Heater and PF Boiler Performance Indices
 
Gas Air Heater (Air Pre Heater)
Gas Air Heater (Air Pre Heater)Gas Air Heater (Air Pre Heater)
Gas Air Heater (Air Pre Heater)
 
Turbine cycle heat rate calculation
Turbine  cycle heat rate calculationTurbine  cycle heat rate calculation
Turbine cycle heat rate calculation
 
Presentation on CFBC Boilers
Presentation on CFBC BoilersPresentation on CFBC Boilers
Presentation on CFBC Boilers
 
Condenser in Thermal Power Plant
Condenser in Thermal Power PlantCondenser in Thermal Power Plant
Condenser in Thermal Power Plant
 
Boiler Performance Monitoring
Boiler Performance MonitoringBoiler Performance Monitoring
Boiler Performance Monitoring
 
Construction of 500 MW Steam Boiler
Construction of 500 MW Steam BoilerConstruction of 500 MW Steam Boiler
Construction of 500 MW Steam Boiler
 
Thermal power plant efficiency
Thermal power plant efficiencyThermal power plant efficiency
Thermal power plant efficiency
 
210 MW BHEL Turbine Cycle Heat Balance
210 MW BHEL Turbine Cycle Heat Balance210 MW BHEL Turbine Cycle Heat Balance
210 MW BHEL Turbine Cycle Heat Balance
 
Cooling towers in thermal power plants
Cooling towers in thermal power plantsCooling towers in thermal power plants
Cooling towers in thermal power plants
 
Steam turbine losses
Steam turbine  lossesSteam turbine  losses
Steam turbine losses
 
Turbine governing system an overview
Turbine governing system an overviewTurbine governing system an overview
Turbine governing system an overview
 
Dry heat losses in boiler
Dry heat losses in boilerDry heat losses in boiler
Dry heat losses in boiler
 
660 mw supercritical boiler
660 mw supercritical boiler660 mw supercritical boiler
660 mw supercritical boiler
 
Super critical boiler
Super critical boilerSuper critical boiler
Super critical boiler
 

Viewers also liked

Energy performance assessment of boilers
Energy performance assessment of boilersEnergy performance assessment of boilers
Energy performance assessment of boilersUtsav Jain
 
Boiler instrumentation-and-controls
Boiler instrumentation-and-controlsBoiler instrumentation-and-controls
Boiler instrumentation-and-controlsDARSHAN B S
 
Boiler Process Instrumentation and controls
Boiler Process Instrumentation and controlsBoiler Process Instrumentation and controls
Boiler Process Instrumentation and controlsADITYA AGARWAL
 
Kota super thermal power plant,kstps ppt,RTU
Kota super thermal power plant,kstps ppt,RTUKota super thermal power plant,kstps ppt,RTU
Kota super thermal power plant,kstps ppt,RTUManohar Nagar
 
Thermal Power Plants
Thermal Power PlantsThermal Power Plants
Thermal Power PlantsHarshad Desai
 
Panipat thermal power station training ppt
Panipat thermal power station training pptPanipat thermal power station training ppt
Panipat thermal power station training pptMohit Verma
 
Thermal power plant
 Thermal power plant  Thermal power plant
Thermal power plant sagar20jain
 
Control valves for thermal power plants
Control valves for thermal power plantsControl valves for thermal power plants
Control valves for thermal power plantsSHIVAJI CHOUDHURY
 
Improving steam boiler operating efficiency
Improving steam boiler operating efficiencyImproving steam boiler operating efficiency
Improving steam boiler operating efficiencyNaqqash Sajid
 
Instrumentation & Control For Thermal Power Plant
Instrumentation & Control For Thermal Power PlantInstrumentation & Control For Thermal Power Plant
Instrumentation & Control For Thermal Power PlantSHIVAJI CHOUDHURY
 
Thermal power plant ppt
Thermal power plant pptThermal power plant ppt
Thermal power plant pptVIMLESH VERMA
 
Best ppt on thermal power station working
Best ppt on thermal power station workingBest ppt on thermal power station working
Best ppt on thermal power station workingRonak Thakare
 

Viewers also liked (15)

Energy performance assessment of boilers
Energy performance assessment of boilersEnergy performance assessment of boilers
Energy performance assessment of boilers
 
Boiler instrumentation-and-controls
Boiler instrumentation-and-controlsBoiler instrumentation-and-controls
Boiler instrumentation-and-controls
 
Boiler Process Instrumentation and controls
Boiler Process Instrumentation and controlsBoiler Process Instrumentation and controls
Boiler Process Instrumentation and controls
 
Kota super thermal power plant,kstps ppt,RTU
Kota super thermal power plant,kstps ppt,RTUKota super thermal power plant,kstps ppt,RTU
Kota super thermal power plant,kstps ppt,RTU
 
Thermal Power Plants
Thermal Power PlantsThermal Power Plants
Thermal Power Plants
 
Thermal power plant
Thermal power plantThermal power plant
Thermal power plant
 
Panipat thermal power station training ppt
Panipat thermal power station training pptPanipat thermal power station training ppt
Panipat thermal power station training ppt
 
Thermal power plant
 Thermal power plant  Thermal power plant
Thermal power plant
 
Control valves for thermal power plants
Control valves for thermal power plantsControl valves for thermal power plants
Control valves for thermal power plants
 
Thermal Power Plant Safety
Thermal Power Plant SafetyThermal Power Plant Safety
Thermal Power Plant Safety
 
Improving steam boiler operating efficiency
Improving steam boiler operating efficiencyImproving steam boiler operating efficiency
Improving steam boiler operating efficiency
 
Instrumentation & Control For Thermal Power Plant
Instrumentation & Control For Thermal Power PlantInstrumentation & Control For Thermal Power Plant
Instrumentation & Control For Thermal Power Plant
 
Thermal power plant ppt
Thermal power plant pptThermal power plant ppt
Thermal power plant ppt
 
Boiler Presentation
Boiler PresentationBoiler Presentation
Boiler Presentation
 
Best ppt on thermal power station working
Best ppt on thermal power station workingBest ppt on thermal power station working
Best ppt on thermal power station working
 

Similar to Thermal Power Plant Boiler Efficiency Improvement

Boiler Efficiency & Improvements.pptx
Boiler Efficiency & Improvements.pptxBoiler Efficiency & Improvements.pptx
Boiler Efficiency & Improvements.pptxIndianTech5
 
Improving boiler availability
Improving boiler availabilityImproving boiler availability
Improving boiler availabilityNisarg Amin
 
1. The Boiler House presentation full.pptx
1. The Boiler House presentation full.pptx1. The Boiler House presentation full.pptx
1. The Boiler House presentation full.pptxMalikDaniyal11
 
Water treatment,Water Treatment & Basic Steam Distribution
Water treatment,Water Treatment&Basic Steam DistributionWater treatment,Water Treatment&Basic Steam Distribution
Water treatment,Water Treatment & Basic Steam DistributionBSMRSTU
 
Efficiency in Steam Generators & Boilers.pptx
Efficiency in Steam Generators & Boilers.pptxEfficiency in Steam Generators & Boilers.pptx
Efficiency in Steam Generators & Boilers.pptxMadan Karki
 
Ppt fw hydrogen production
Ppt fw hydrogen productionPpt fw hydrogen production
Ppt fw hydrogen productionAshok Paliwal
 
Water Quality.pptx
Water Quality.pptxWater Quality.pptx
Water Quality.pptxrozhan Raouf
 
Power Plant Chemistry FEED WATER TREATMENT
Power Plant Chemistry FEED WATER TREATMENTPower Plant Chemistry FEED WATER TREATMENT
Power Plant Chemistry FEED WATER TREATMENTDilip Kumar
 
PREPARATION FOR BOILER FEED WATER PRODUCTION
PREPARATION FOR BOILER FEED WATER PRODUCTIONPREPARATION FOR BOILER FEED WATER PRODUCTION
PREPARATION FOR BOILER FEED WATER PRODUCTIONDharmaraj Daddikar
 
Water Management in Thermal Power Plants .pdf
Water Management in Thermal Power Plants .pdfWater Management in Thermal Power Plants .pdf
Water Management in Thermal Power Plants .pdfeldoctol
 
Hydrogen Economy -H2 production.pdf
Hydrogen Economy -H2 production.pdfHydrogen Economy -H2 production.pdf
Hydrogen Economy -H2 production.pdfSanjana72680
 
Hydrogen production in refinery
Hydrogen production in refineryHydrogen production in refinery
Hydrogen production in refineryAnupam Basu
 
Question & answers on boiler, MED 06209
Question & answers on boiler, MED 06209Question & answers on boiler, MED 06209
Question & answers on boiler, MED 06209Godiva-marwa
 
Boiler – fundamentals and best practices
Boiler – fundamentals and best practicesBoiler – fundamentals and best practices
Boiler – fundamentals and best practicesBassem Eleaba, MEng
 
hvac and refrigeration system
hvac and refrigeration systemhvac and refrigeration system
hvac and refrigeration systemSRINIVASGILLALA
 

Similar to Thermal Power Plant Boiler Efficiency Improvement (20)

Boiler Efficiency & Improvements.pptx
Boiler Efficiency & Improvements.pptxBoiler Efficiency & Improvements.pptx
Boiler Efficiency & Improvements.pptx
 
Improving boiler availability
Improving boiler availabilityImproving boiler availability
Improving boiler availability
 
1. The Boiler House presentation full.pptx
1. The Boiler House presentation full.pptx1. The Boiler House presentation full.pptx
1. The Boiler House presentation full.pptx
 
Water treatment of steam boilers
Water treatment of steam boilersWater treatment of steam boilers
Water treatment of steam boilers
 
How to Improve Boiler Efficiency Tips by Experts
How to Improve Boiler Efficiency Tips by ExpertsHow to Improve Boiler Efficiency Tips by Experts
How to Improve Boiler Efficiency Tips by Experts
 
Water treatment,Water Treatment & Basic Steam Distribution
Water treatment,Water Treatment&Basic Steam DistributionWater treatment,Water Treatment&Basic Steam Distribution
Water treatment,Water Treatment & Basic Steam Distribution
 
Efficiency in Steam Generators & Boilers.pptx
Efficiency in Steam Generators & Boilers.pptxEfficiency in Steam Generators & Boilers.pptx
Efficiency in Steam Generators & Boilers.pptx
 
Ppt fw hydrogen production
Ppt fw hydrogen productionPpt fw hydrogen production
Ppt fw hydrogen production
 
Water Quality.pptx
Water Quality.pptxWater Quality.pptx
Water Quality.pptx
 
Power Plant Chemistry FEED WATER TREATMENT
Power Plant Chemistry FEED WATER TREATMENTPower Plant Chemistry FEED WATER TREATMENT
Power Plant Chemistry FEED WATER TREATMENT
 
Basic water ocr
Basic water ocrBasic water ocr
Basic water ocr
 
PREPARATION FOR BOILER FEED WATER PRODUCTION
PREPARATION FOR BOILER FEED WATER PRODUCTIONPREPARATION FOR BOILER FEED WATER PRODUCTION
PREPARATION FOR BOILER FEED WATER PRODUCTION
 
Article - 2012 PTQ Q1
Article - 2012 PTQ Q1Article - 2012 PTQ Q1
Article - 2012 PTQ Q1
 
Water Management in Thermal Power Plants .pdf
Water Management in Thermal Power Plants .pdfWater Management in Thermal Power Plants .pdf
Water Management in Thermal Power Plants .pdf
 
Kbr
KbrKbr
Kbr
 
Hydrogen Economy -H2 production.pdf
Hydrogen Economy -H2 production.pdfHydrogen Economy -H2 production.pdf
Hydrogen Economy -H2 production.pdf
 
Hydrogen production in refinery
Hydrogen production in refineryHydrogen production in refinery
Hydrogen production in refinery
 
Question & answers on boiler, MED 06209
Question & answers on boiler, MED 06209Question & answers on boiler, MED 06209
Question & answers on boiler, MED 06209
 
Boiler – fundamentals and best practices
Boiler – fundamentals and best practicesBoiler – fundamentals and best practices
Boiler – fundamentals and best practices
 
hvac and refrigeration system
hvac and refrigeration systemhvac and refrigeration system
hvac and refrigeration system
 

Recently uploaded

IT3401-WEB ESSENTIALS PRESENTATIONS.pptx
IT3401-WEB ESSENTIALS PRESENTATIONS.pptxIT3401-WEB ESSENTIALS PRESENTATIONS.pptx
IT3401-WEB ESSENTIALS PRESENTATIONS.pptxSAJITHABANUS
 
nvidia AI-gtc 2024 partial slide deck.pptx
nvidia AI-gtc 2024 partial slide deck.pptxnvidia AI-gtc 2024 partial slide deck.pptx
nvidia AI-gtc 2024 partial slide deck.pptxjasonsedano2
 
Guardians and Glitches: Navigating the Duality of Gen AI in AppSec
Guardians and Glitches: Navigating the Duality of Gen AI in AppSecGuardians and Glitches: Navigating the Duality of Gen AI in AppSec
Guardians and Glitches: Navigating the Duality of Gen AI in AppSecTrupti Shiralkar, CISSP
 
SATELITE COMMUNICATION UNIT 1 CEC352 REGULATION 2021 PPT BASICS OF SATELITE ....
SATELITE COMMUNICATION UNIT 1 CEC352 REGULATION 2021 PPT BASICS OF SATELITE ....SATELITE COMMUNICATION UNIT 1 CEC352 REGULATION 2021 PPT BASICS OF SATELITE ....
SATELITE COMMUNICATION UNIT 1 CEC352 REGULATION 2021 PPT BASICS OF SATELITE ....santhyamuthu1
 
Oracle_PLSQL_basic_tutorial_with_workon_Exercises.ppt
Oracle_PLSQL_basic_tutorial_with_workon_Exercises.pptOracle_PLSQL_basic_tutorial_with_workon_Exercises.ppt
Oracle_PLSQL_basic_tutorial_with_workon_Exercises.pptDheerajKashnyal
 
دليل تجارب الاسفلت المختبرية - Asphalt Experiments Guide Laboratory
دليل تجارب الاسفلت المختبرية - Asphalt Experiments Guide Laboratoryدليل تجارب الاسفلت المختبرية - Asphalt Experiments Guide Laboratory
دليل تجارب الاسفلت المختبرية - Asphalt Experiments Guide LaboratoryBahzad5
 
Vertical- Machining - Center - VMC -LMW-Machine-Tool-Division.pptx
Vertical- Machining - Center - VMC -LMW-Machine-Tool-Division.pptxVertical- Machining - Center - VMC -LMW-Machine-Tool-Division.pptx
Vertical- Machining - Center - VMC -LMW-Machine-Tool-Division.pptxLMW Machine Tool Division
 
Graphics Primitives and CG Display Devices
Graphics Primitives and CG Display DevicesGraphics Primitives and CG Display Devices
Graphics Primitives and CG Display DevicesDIPIKA83
 
Mohs Scale of Hardness, Hardness Scale.pptx
Mohs Scale of Hardness, Hardness Scale.pptxMohs Scale of Hardness, Hardness Scale.pptx
Mohs Scale of Hardness, Hardness Scale.pptxKISHAN KUMAR
 
solar wireless electric vechicle charging system
solar wireless electric vechicle charging systemsolar wireless electric vechicle charging system
solar wireless electric vechicle charging systemgokuldongala
 
The relationship between iot and communication technology
The relationship between iot and communication technologyThe relationship between iot and communication technology
The relationship between iot and communication technologyabdulkadirmukarram03
 
me3493 manufacturing technology unit 1 Part A
me3493 manufacturing technology unit 1 Part Ame3493 manufacturing technology unit 1 Part A
me3493 manufacturing technology unit 1 Part Akarthi keyan
 
Engineering Mechanics Chapter 5 Equilibrium of a Rigid Body
Engineering Mechanics  Chapter 5  Equilibrium of a Rigid BodyEngineering Mechanics  Chapter 5  Equilibrium of a Rigid Body
Engineering Mechanics Chapter 5 Equilibrium of a Rigid BodyAhmadHajasad2
 
Renewable Energy & Entrepreneurship Workshop_21Feb2024.pdf
Renewable Energy & Entrepreneurship Workshop_21Feb2024.pdfRenewable Energy & Entrepreneurship Workshop_21Feb2024.pdf
Renewable Energy & Entrepreneurship Workshop_21Feb2024.pdfodunowoeminence2019
 
specification estimation and valuation of a building
specification estimation and valuation of a buildingspecification estimation and valuation of a building
specification estimation and valuation of a buildingswethasekhar5
 
SUMMER TRAINING REPORT ON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.docx
SUMMER TRAINING REPORT ON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.docxSUMMER TRAINING REPORT ON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.docx
SUMMER TRAINING REPORT ON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.docxNaveenVerma126
 
cloud computing notes for anna university syllabus
cloud computing notes for anna university syllabuscloud computing notes for anna university syllabus
cloud computing notes for anna university syllabusViolet Violet
 

Recently uploaded (20)

IT3401-WEB ESSENTIALS PRESENTATIONS.pptx
IT3401-WEB ESSENTIALS PRESENTATIONS.pptxIT3401-WEB ESSENTIALS PRESENTATIONS.pptx
IT3401-WEB ESSENTIALS PRESENTATIONS.pptx
 
nvidia AI-gtc 2024 partial slide deck.pptx
nvidia AI-gtc 2024 partial slide deck.pptxnvidia AI-gtc 2024 partial slide deck.pptx
nvidia AI-gtc 2024 partial slide deck.pptx
 
Guardians and Glitches: Navigating the Duality of Gen AI in AppSec
Guardians and Glitches: Navigating the Duality of Gen AI in AppSecGuardians and Glitches: Navigating the Duality of Gen AI in AppSec
Guardians and Glitches: Navigating the Duality of Gen AI in AppSec
 
SATELITE COMMUNICATION UNIT 1 CEC352 REGULATION 2021 PPT BASICS OF SATELITE ....
SATELITE COMMUNICATION UNIT 1 CEC352 REGULATION 2021 PPT BASICS OF SATELITE ....SATELITE COMMUNICATION UNIT 1 CEC352 REGULATION 2021 PPT BASICS OF SATELITE ....
SATELITE COMMUNICATION UNIT 1 CEC352 REGULATION 2021 PPT BASICS OF SATELITE ....
 
Oracle_PLSQL_basic_tutorial_with_workon_Exercises.ppt
Oracle_PLSQL_basic_tutorial_with_workon_Exercises.pptOracle_PLSQL_basic_tutorial_with_workon_Exercises.ppt
Oracle_PLSQL_basic_tutorial_with_workon_Exercises.ppt
 
دليل تجارب الاسفلت المختبرية - Asphalt Experiments Guide Laboratory
دليل تجارب الاسفلت المختبرية - Asphalt Experiments Guide Laboratoryدليل تجارب الاسفلت المختبرية - Asphalt Experiments Guide Laboratory
دليل تجارب الاسفلت المختبرية - Asphalt Experiments Guide Laboratory
 
Vertical- Machining - Center - VMC -LMW-Machine-Tool-Division.pptx
Vertical- Machining - Center - VMC -LMW-Machine-Tool-Division.pptxVertical- Machining - Center - VMC -LMW-Machine-Tool-Division.pptx
Vertical- Machining - Center - VMC -LMW-Machine-Tool-Division.pptx
 
Graphics Primitives and CG Display Devices
Graphics Primitives and CG Display DevicesGraphics Primitives and CG Display Devices
Graphics Primitives and CG Display Devices
 
Mohs Scale of Hardness, Hardness Scale.pptx
Mohs Scale of Hardness, Hardness Scale.pptxMohs Scale of Hardness, Hardness Scale.pptx
Mohs Scale of Hardness, Hardness Scale.pptx
 
solar wireless electric vechicle charging system
solar wireless electric vechicle charging systemsolar wireless electric vechicle charging system
solar wireless electric vechicle charging system
 
The relationship between iot and communication technology
The relationship between iot and communication technologyThe relationship between iot and communication technology
The relationship between iot and communication technology
 
me3493 manufacturing technology unit 1 Part A
me3493 manufacturing technology unit 1 Part Ame3493 manufacturing technology unit 1 Part A
me3493 manufacturing technology unit 1 Part A
 
Engineering Mechanics Chapter 5 Equilibrium of a Rigid Body
Engineering Mechanics  Chapter 5  Equilibrium of a Rigid BodyEngineering Mechanics  Chapter 5  Equilibrium of a Rigid Body
Engineering Mechanics Chapter 5 Equilibrium of a Rigid Body
 
Renewable Energy & Entrepreneurship Workshop_21Feb2024.pdf
Renewable Energy & Entrepreneurship Workshop_21Feb2024.pdfRenewable Energy & Entrepreneurship Workshop_21Feb2024.pdf
Renewable Energy & Entrepreneurship Workshop_21Feb2024.pdf
 
Présentation IIRB 2024 Marine Cordonnier.pdf
Présentation IIRB 2024 Marine Cordonnier.pdfPrésentation IIRB 2024 Marine Cordonnier.pdf
Présentation IIRB 2024 Marine Cordonnier.pdf
 
計劃趕得上變化
計劃趕得上變化計劃趕得上變化
計劃趕得上變化
 
Lecture 2 .pdf
Lecture 2                           .pdfLecture 2                           .pdf
Lecture 2 .pdf
 
specification estimation and valuation of a building
specification estimation and valuation of a buildingspecification estimation and valuation of a building
specification estimation and valuation of a building
 
SUMMER TRAINING REPORT ON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.docx
SUMMER TRAINING REPORT ON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.docxSUMMER TRAINING REPORT ON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.docx
SUMMER TRAINING REPORT ON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.docx
 
cloud computing notes for anna university syllabus
cloud computing notes for anna university syllabuscloud computing notes for anna university syllabus
cloud computing notes for anna university syllabus
 

Thermal Power Plant Boiler Efficiency Improvement

  • 1. Boiler Efficiency Improvement ANKUR GAIKWAD B.E (MECHANICAL), BITS-PILANI
  • 2. Introduction  Boilers are widely used in power generation, chemical & process industries  They’re used mainly for generating steam at high pressures & temperatures for a variety of purposes  Its development began in the 18th century Industrial Revolution  Being fairly mature technology, today’s boilers have become very efficient at converting the thermal energy in coal, oil or natural gas to heat water & form steam at high pressure & temperature  This presentation seeks to explore the methods available to maintain & improve the boiler efficiency
  • 3. Main Areas for Improvement  Combustion Management  Makeup, Feedwater, Condensate & Blowdown Management  Steam Distribution Management
  • 4. Combustion Efficiency Management  Boiler burns fuel efficiently if following 3 conditions are met:  It burns fuel completely  It uses as little excess air as possible to do it  It extracts as much heat as possible from the combustion gases  The first 2 conditions are met by careful control of excess air in the boiler
  • 5. Control of Excess Air  In general, boiler efficiency decreases for excess oxygen above 2-3% or excess air above 10-15%  Optimum excess air is recommended for each type of boiler on the basis of fuel used
  • 6. Combustion Efficiency Indicators  Oxygen Test  Smoke Opacity Test  Carbon Monoxide Test
  • 7. Combustion Control  Usual causes of deficient combustion:  Improper Draft: Remedied by Draft Control  Improper Air-Fuel Mixture
  • 8. Draft Control  Pitfalls of Improper Draft:  Insufficient Draft: Prevents adequate air supply for combustion; Results in smoky, incomplete combustion  Excessive Draft: Larger volume of air & flue gas moves quickly through the furnace; Less time for heat transfer, High flue gas exit temperature; Contributes to maximum heat loss  Ideal Draft: Controlled such that boiler operates at 2-4% excess oxygen  Close Draft Regulation difficult due to burners’ requirement of proper air-fuel mixture
  • 9. Air-Fuel Mix Control  Stoichiometric air-fuel mix depends on masses  Fact to be considered: Density of air & gaseous fuels changes with ambient temperatures  Control challenging due to:  Inadequate tolerance of burner controls  Faulty burners  Improper Fuel Delivery system
  • 10. Reclaiming Boiler Heat Losses  Residual heat in flue gas is the main heat loss  Residual heat used in following ways:  Economisers: Feedwater preheated  Flue gas condensing by water: Water absorbs flue gas heat  Combustion Air Preheat: Combustion air preheated for better combustion  Flue Gas Recirculation: Recirculated with incoming air-fuel mix; decreases NOx emissions  Heat Cascading: Exhaust heat used in lower temperature applications
  • 11. Makeup, Feedwater & Blowdown Management  Necessary to monitor & control scale formation in water tubes in boiler  Effects of Scale Formation on boiler operation:  Reduces heat transfer  Impedes proper fluid flow  Boiler tubes subjected to failure due to overheating  Fuel Wastage  Monitoring scale formation in boiler tubes  Directly during boiler maintenance shutdowns  Indirectly through monitoring flue gas exit temperatures for longer periods of time
  • 12. Boiler Water Treatment  2 types of boiler water treatment methods:  Internal  External
  • 13. Internal Water Treatment  Chemical dosage converts scale-forming compounds to free-flowing sludge  Sludge removed by blowdown  Corrosion inhibitors (e.g. amines) form protective film for corrosion protection of boiler internals  Common Internal Treatment chemicals:  Polyphosphates & Sodium Meta Phosphate for scale control  Sodium Sulphite, Hydroquinone Hydrazine, Diethylhydroxyamine (DEHA), Methyl ethyl ketoxime for dissolved oxygen  Neutralizing and filming amines for corrosion control due to CO2
  • 14. External Water Treatment  Two Stages:  Remove only hardness salts; also called ‘water softening’  Remove Total Dissolved Salts (TDS); also called ‘de-mineralisation’
  • 15. Water Softening  Done when hardness alone is a limiting factor  Cation-exchange zeolite resin exchanges all hardness ions to reduce hardness to zero  Techniques:  Cold lime softening: Addition of hydrated lime at ambient temperature; can reduce hardness to 35-50 ppm of calcium carbonate  Hot lime softening: Addition of lime at 227-240 F  Hot lime soda: Addition of soda with ash in hot lime process; reduces hardness to 8 ppm calcium carbonate & 2-5 ppm magnesium content
  • 16. De-alkalisation  Done when hardness & alkalinity are limiting factors  Two types:  Split-stream de-alkalisation:  2 cation exchange units in parallel  2 sodium zeolite softener resins; one regenerated with salt, the other regenerated with acid  Lowers hardness to zero, reduces alkalinity, removes dissolved solids  Chloride de-alkalisation:  2 ion exchange units in series  1 sodium zeolite cation exchanger resin; other is anion exchange resin  Doesn’t remove dissolved solids,silica
  • 17. De-silicisation  Done when silica is the limiting factor  Removes silica using strongly basic anion exchange resin regenerated with caustic soda  2 systems:  Sodium zeolite softener, followed by strongly basic anion resin unit. Reduces hardness, anions, silica  Cation exchanger regenerated with acid, followed by strong base anion exchanger regenerated with caustic soda. Removes all dissolved solids (including silica)
  • 18. De-mineralisation  Done when dissolved solids (TDS) is a limiting factor  Consists of ion exchange resin columns-a strong cation unit & strong anion unit  Hydrogen cation exchange converts dissolved salts to their corresponding acid forms, removed in anion exchanger  De-mineralised water approaches distilled water in purity  High cost of operation makes it difficult for low to moderate pressure boilers
  • 19. Feedwater Management  Boiler feedwater consists of:  Returned condensate  Make-up water  Make-up water is the main source of contaminants, making condensate recovery important  Condensate recovery important due to the following:  Losing hot condensate results in heat loss of fuel  More the condensate recovery, lesser will be the make-up water, lesser the need for water treatment  More condensate recovery implies lower blowdown & associated losses
  • 20. Flash Steam Recovery  Flash steam formed when the condensate’s pressure is suddenly reduced  Flash steam used for low-pressure heating  Flash steam formed in a flash vessel, a vertical vessel in which there’s considerable pressure drop of condensate while it falls down  Steam leaves from the top part of the vessel
  • 21. Condensate Water Treatment  Common chemicals in condensate:  Dissolved CO2  Suspended Iron  Carbonic Acid  Elaborate condensate treatment not needed  Soft measures like condensate polishing or conditioning are required to ensure reliability of equipment  2 types of condensate water treatment:  Amines for neutralising carbonic acid (e.g. Cyclohexylamine)  Amines for filming a protective barrier against carbonic acid & oxygen (e.g. Octyldecylamine)
  • 22. De-aeration of Boiler Feedwater  Oxidative corrosion, due to dissolved oxygen in feedwater, accelerates at high temperatures in boiler  De-aeration necessary to remove dissolved oxygen from feedwater  De-aeration:  Live steam heats feedwater upto 105 C  Feedwater is mechanically agitated simultaneously to drive off dissolved oxygen  Dissolved oxygen, along with tiny amount of live steam, is vented to atmosphere  Higher the proportion of make-up water in circulation, greater the need for de-aeration
  • 23. Blowdown Water  Dissolved solids are left behind in the boiler water when water is converted into steam  As makeup water is circulated & converted to steam, the amount of solids in the boiler increases till the water can’t dissolve all of the solids  This ‘saturated’ water is then discharged as ‘bottom blowdown’  Amount of solids in water  Double when, Amount of make-up water = Amount of water originally used in boiler. Also called ‘2 cycles of condensation’  Triple when, Amount of make-up water = 2*(Amount of water originally used in boiler). Also called ‘3 cycles of condensation’  Effects of Blowdown:  Insufficient Blowdown: Formation of deposits  Excessive Blowdown: Wastage of energy, water & chemicals
  • 24. Blowdown Water Regulation Tests  2 Tests:  Chloride Test  Specific Conductance Test  Chloride Test:  Chloride is chosen since it’s inert to chemicals, heat; and is always present in make-up water  If chloride doubles, it implies that amount of solids in water has also doubled  Specific Conductance Test:  Conductivity of make-up water is measured against that of boiler water.  Cycles of concentration = Conductivity of (make-up water)/(boiler water)
  • 25. Blowdown Control  Manual Control:  Mostly used for mud/bottom blowdown for a few seconds after periodic intervals of several hours  Designed to remove suspended solids that settle out of boiler water & form a heavy sludge  Automatic Control:  Electronic sensors & controllers sense boiler water TDS  Open & close surface blowdown lines to maintain boiler water TDS at a minimum  Surface Blowdown: Removes dissolved solids concentrated near liquid surface
  • 26. Blowdown Heat Recovery  2 Methods:  Flash Steam Recovery  Blowdown Heat Recovery  Flash Steam Recovery:  Blowdown water sent to a flash tank to give flash steam at low pressure  Flash steam at low pressure used in de-aerator, etc.  Blowdown Heat Recovery:  Hot blowdown heats boiler make-up water to recover blowdown heat
  • 27. Steam Distribution Management  Steam distribution equipment must supply high quality steam at required pressure & flow rate with minimum heat loss  Key Components of Steam Distribution System:  Steam distribution piping  Valves & Flanges  Insulation  Steam Traps  Air Vents  Drip Legs  Strainers
  • 28. Steam Distribution Management  Important Concerns of Steam Distribution Management  Optimum Pipe Sizing  Proper Insulation  Plugging Leaks  Steam Traps & Associated Pipelines  Steam Use in Heating
  • 29. Optimum Pipe Sizing  Affected by Steam Velocities:  Superheated: 50-70 m/s  Saturated: 30-40 m/s  Wet/Exhaust: 20-30 m/s  Velocities lesser than 15 m/s at shorter pipe bends  Standard data tables available to help selection of appropriate pipe sizes  Steam piping size based on ‘permissible velocity’ & ‘available pressure drop’ considerations  Condensate piping size designed based on the assumption of only water flow at starting conditions, despite mostly carrying two-phase flow in practice
  • 30. Proper Piping Design & Maintenance  Ensure right sizing of pipes  Oversized Pipes: Increase capital, maintenance & insulation costs; Increase surface heat losses  Undersized Pipes: Require higher pressure & pumping energy; Have higher rates of leakage  Get rid of redundant & obsolete pipework  Fix Steam Leaks  Keep track of facility-wide & individual process-unit steam balances  Piping at equipment connections should accommodate thermal responses during system start-ups & shutdowns  Steam separators should be installed to ensure dry steam throughout the process equipment & branch lines
  • 31. Proper Insulation of Steam Piping  Done to avoid excessive heat loss to atmosphere  Important Insulation Properties: Thermal conductivity, Strength, Abrasion resistance, Workability, and Resistance to water absorption  Common Insulating Materials:  Steam Piping: Calcium Silicate, Fiberglass, Perlite, Cellular Glass  Steam Distribution Components/Attachments: Fiberglass, Fabric Insulation Blankets  Smaller the pipe diameter, thinner the insulation  Higher the temperature of the insulated pipe, higher the return on investment  Running pipes in groups reduces heat losses  Air movement & Draft increase heat losses of un-insulated pipes
  • 32. Plugging Leaks  Steam leaks commonly develop around valve stems, pressure regulators & pipe joints  Leaks are easy to detect  Even a small leak amounts to significant costs over the year, as shown
  • 33. Steam Traps & Associated Pipelines  Steam traps distinguish condensate from steam & remove the condensate  Types of steam traps, classified based on:  Density difference: Known as mechanical traps; Include float traps & bucket traps  Temperature difference: Known as thermostatic traps; Include Balanced-pressure traps, Bimetal traps & Liquid expansion traps  Flow characteristics: Known as thermodynamic traps  Steam Traps Maintenance:  Periodic Cleaning & Checking for wear  Fixing strainers ahead of the steam traps to avoid damage by scale & dirt  Steam traps handling more air require more frequent inspection & proper venting
  • 34. Steam Use in Heating  Steam can be used in various ways as follows:  Providing Dry steam for Process  Using steam at lowest pressures required by end-user  Heating by Direct Injection  Proper Air Venting: Done to avoid reduced heat transfer performance due to air films
  • 35. Summary  The three important phases of operation to be managed for high boiler efficiency are:  Combustion  Feedwater, Make-up & Blowdown  Steam Piping  Good draft control, air-fuel mixture control results in high boiler efficiency  Maintaining low amount of dissolved solids & acids helps in maintaining high efficiency & prolonging equipment life  Proper piping design & maintenance helps in increasing boiler efficiency