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Customized Heat Recovery Steam
Generator Design for stateof-the-art
Combined cycle applications

Ing. Michal Enzl, MBA
Bilfinger Babcock CZ s.r.o.
the Czech Republic




Content:
1. Company Introduction
2. Bilfinger Babcock CZ HRSG Product Line
3. Vertical vs. Horizontal Solution
4. Performance Optimisation
5. U-Fin Design
6. System Customisation
7. Selected References




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1. Company Introduction
Bilfinger Babcock CZ is an important producer of steam generators and power plant
equipment. The company continuous the longstanding tradition of city Brno power
engineering, dating back to 1824 when produced its first steam engine. Continuous innovation
or improvement and development of new equipment enables Bilfinger Babcock CZ to satisfy
even most demanding quality requirements and to ensure optimal performance with minimum
impact to the environment.
Product portfolio consists of:
Heat Recovery Steam Generators
Biomass Fired Boilers
Coal Fired Boilers
Special Boilers firing Waste Gases
Service and Modernisations

2. Bilfinger Babcock CZ HRSG Product Line
Industrial concept gas turbine size from 15 to 170 MWe.
Utility concept gas turbine size above 170 MWe.
Special concept for utilisation of waste gases from industrial processes.
Offered solutions:
Vertical or horizontal.
Single double or triple pressure with reheat or district heating circuit.
Supplementary (fresh air) firing.
Flexible erection concepts.

Austria
Germany
Poland
Slovakia
Brno
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3. Vertical vs. Horizontal Solution





Typical design features of a Horizontal HRSG:
Horizontal direction of flue gas flow.
Heat surface designed in rows of parallel
harps.
Single, double or triple row harp design.
Top supported harp bundles.
Modularised arrangement.
The advantage of this type of design is
unambiguously defined circulation in evaporator(s),
lower overall height and easy way how to assure
draining and venting of heating surfaces before
HRSG start up. Another advantage is the position of
stack behind the boiler on the ground which fact
makes easier and cheaper its design and of course the
design of HRSG supporting structures. Structures
themselves are integrated into HRSG flue gas ducts
formed by metal sheet casing with internal thermal
insulation. The main disadvantages of this type of
HRSG are bigger food print in case of any catalysts
application (another one or two modules with empty
space before required) and very limited possibility
for repair of pressure parts in case of tube leakage
due to the limited access and small size of headers.

Typical design features of a Vertical HRSG:
Vertical direction of flue gas flow.
Heat surfaces designed as coils bundles
supported by tube sheets.
Bundles are top supported hanged on hot
beam system.
Stack is placed and supported on HRSG steel
structure.
Heating surfaces are organised in modules
comprising one or more pressure levels.





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The major advantages of this type of HRSG are smaller foot print in case of catalysts
application and easier maintenance of pressure parts. This is assured by lower number of
headers (which also means lower number of tube to header welds), their significantly bigger
size which together with better access to area where they are located make it easier to repair
cracked weld or to plug the leaking tube coil itself.

The vertical design of HRSG is more demanding on the precise calculation of the circulation
in evaporator(s). It is necessary to keep attention to the ratios between velocities in evaporator
down comers and risers to enable the smooth start of water circulation in the right direction
and proper water steam stratification inside the horizontally laid tubes. Another area in
vertical design which requires more attention is the steel structure (which is in this case not
connected to the internally insulated flue gas ducts hanged on hot beams). Due to the fact that
the stack is positioned on HRSG steel structure and forms with it one system, the proper and
economical design may be quite challenging especially in high seismic or windy areas.
4. Performance Optimisation
We alway try to maximise steam production through pinch point and approach point optimisation.

Pinch point - the difference between
saturated temperature in evaporator
and flue gas temperature at
evaporator outlet - is typically set
between 4 to 6 degrees K and
approach point - the difference
between ekonomiser outlet
temperature and saturated
temperature boiler drum - can be
even set a little bit lower in utility
sized HRSGs.
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A typical optimised surface state-of-the-art arrangement for utility sized three pressure level
HRSG.


5. U-Fin Design
Bilfinger Babcock CZ is also using the unique U-Fin design which has been developed and
patented by Bilfinger Rosink (our sister company) and which provides the most advanced
heating surface design for heat recovery steam generators.


Standard U-Fin 370 fins/m NOH welding tube to fin

This unique fin tubing production technology allows to:
Reduce the fin thickness up to 0,6 mm.
And therefore to increase fin density up to 370 fins/m as standard.
And therefore to design more compact HRSG tube bundles which results in a
significant pressure parts manufacturing cost savings.
Patented NOH fin welding technology assures extended contact between tube and fin.

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6. System Customisation
The whole system is customised for the best fit of each specific plant. Such taylor made
solution can comprise following features.
Special supplementary firing systems

Narrow steel plate is bent along its
longitudal axis to the U-shape...
...and welded on bare tube
Implementation of duct burner increases
power output of the plant if required. It
makes HRSG operation more flexible
without necessity to lower gas turbine
output. Location of burner requires proper
consideration and in most cases CFD
analyse is necessary for different GT
application and burner location in the duct.
Results received by CFD study lead usually
to an application of a distribution grid,
honeycombs and other modification of
HRSG inlet duct.


Example of a CFD
study of an horizontal
HRSG inlet duct
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Supplementary firing is widely used in various industrial applications and in case that system
heat water for district heating. Utility size applications and big combined cycles are usually
design without supplementary firing.

NOx emission reduction using S(N)CR - selective (non)catalyst removal method
In case of using low quality fuel with high nitrogen content or stringent emission level
requirements it is possible to install into the HRSG an additional equipment for the removal of
NOx produced during the firing process in gas turbine or/and in supplementary firing if used.
While standard SNCR method requires only installing into the HRSG flue gas path a
distribution grid (into the right temperature window) and securing enough free space between
pressure part modules (usually one empty module), the SCR method is more demanding.



HRSG design of casing, platforms and structures is modify to allow regular cleaning,
maintenance and exchange of catalyst and units.
Both type of system require also an external facility for ammonia downloading, storage and
mixing, depending type of the solution used. Distribution net is located as other small bore
piping on HRSG structures and platforms.

Dry-run concept
It is also possible to modify standard HRSG concept to allow operating the unit in open
cycle mode without having installed the by-pass stack, so called dry run operation mode.
This means HRSG operation in dry condition without steam generation. The design has to be
modified with the respect to much higher operating temperatures - compared to standard ones

Types of catalysts used are honeycomb or
corrugated plate type. Carrier material is TiO2 and
active elements are V
2
O
5
and WO
3
. The catalysts
elements are packed into modules and transported to
job site.
They are designed to reach low NOx emission
target, temperature reaction window is between 270
and 400 degrees C.
Distribution unit consists of ammonia distribution
and evaporation system located outside. Distribution
grid, measurement grid and catalyst s units are
located inside the HRSG.
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- especially in the area of hot beams (upper part of the boiler). Proper selection of the
material used both for pressure parts and non-pressure parts is the critical point. Significantly
bigger thermal expansions (both vertical and horizontal) and deflection of supporting
elements (and tubes in case of vertical concept) must be considered. Supporting and hanging
systems (hangers and tube sheets) stress analyses must consider non-standard operating
parameters. Start up and shut down procedures including set up of control system must be
modified for this operation mode and operators must be properly trained before start of
operation.
This concept was successfully used and proven operation able in one recent project in Turkey.

HRSG Erection Concepts
Transport and erection concept depends firstly on the HRSG basic design (horizontal vs.
vertical) but mainly on the transport and/or site restrictions. Delivery is basically possible in:
O modules (industrial size HRSG)
C modules
Pressure part bundles
Loose harps concept
O Modules means delivery of completely assembled module including casing and internal
insulation. Truck brings module under the structure and it is erected by the means of hydro
jacks into the position.










C Modules means to deliver to site half of the module completely assembled with casing
and insulation. Truck delivers modules to site and one connecting weld on upper and one on
bottom header is necessary after lifting to complete the module assembly.
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Pressure part bundles are concept used for utility size HRSG. Modules are split in
manufacturing into two to five transportable bundles, trucked to site and lifted to position.
Connecting welds on upper and bottom headers are needed to complete the assembly of
modules pressure parts. Casing with internal insulation is transported to site separately as pre-
insulated walls and erected after finishing of modules site assembly.











Loose harps concept is used in case of very difficult transport or site condition. Manufacturing
of pressure parts in shop is limited only to one harp header to header assembly and rest of the
work is done on site. Casing is supplied like in previous case in pre-insulated walls.
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7. Selected References
Location: Ambarly, Turkey
Client: EP International BV
Year of start-up: 2012
Scope of supply: 2x HRSG (vertical, triple pressure, dry-run concept)
Output: 278 / 332 / 52 t/h
Pressure: 112/ 31 / 4 bar(a)
Temperature: 530 / 524 / 194 C
Gas turbine: SGT5 400F

Location: Mellach, Austria
Client: Siemens Power Generation Anlagentechnik GmbH
Year of start-up: 2011
Scope of supply: 2x HRSG (horizontal, triple pressure with reheat)
Output: 266,6 / 300,6 / 40,5 t/h
Pressure: 129,5 / 29,9 / 4,3 bar(a)
Temperature: 559,6 / 560 / 226 C
Gas turbine: SGT5 400F

Prepared by: Michal Enzl
October 25
th
, 2013, Brno, Czech Republic