Proceedings of The South African Sugar Technologists' Association - June 1987

THE EFFECT OF FUEL MOISTURE CONTENT ON THE

PERFORMANCE OF A TYPICAL BAGASSE FIRED
W ATERTUBE BOILER
By NORMAN MAGASINER
John Thompson Africa (Pty) Limited, Bellville, Cape

Abstract
Moisture content has a significant influence on the performance of a bagasse fired watertube boiler. Recent improvements in bagasse drying, baling and transporting
techniques have resulted in greater emphasis being placed
on the use of bagasse for off-crop power generation at mills

and in centralised power stations. This has resulted in the

need to evaluate boiler performance under a much wider
spectrum of fuel moistures. In the paper the performance of
a typical sugar mill boiler is analysed over the fuel moisture
range to 56%. Performance limitations are defined and

FIGURE 1 General arrangement of 70 t h-' bagasse fired boiler

86

Proceedings of The South African Sugar Technologists' Association - June 1987

preferred features, which should be incorporated in plants

designed specifically for central power station applications,
indicated.
Introduction
Moisture content has a significant influence on the performance of a bagasse fired watertube boiler. Under normal
milling conditions moisture content varies between 47% and
56%. Whilst superficially this may seem a narrow band, the
specific moisture content, i.e., the moisture content per unit
mass of dry fibre increases rapidly in this range. 46% more
water must be evaporated per unit mass of dry fibre at 56%
moisture than at 47% moisture.
Recent improvements in bagasse drying, baling and transporting techniques have resulted in greater emphasis being
placed on the use of bagasse for off-crop power generation.
This has resulted in the need to evaluate boiler performance
over a much wider spectrum of fuel moistures.
Below 47% factors other than moisture begin to dominate
performance characteristics. With drier fuels combustion and
furnace leaving temperatures increase. This can result in
grate level slagging and severe fouling of heating surfaces.
The furnace gas leaving temperature then becomes the critical parameter.
In this paper the performance of a typical sugar mill boiler
is analysed over the fuel moisture range 0 to 56%. Performance limitations are defined and preferred features which
should be incorporated in plants designed specifically for
central power station applications indicated.

and forced draught fans. The speed controlled induced

draught fan is turbine driven. The boiler. is bottom supported. Grit and ash hoppers are water sluiced,
Performance characteristics, as a function of load with
airheater only and with airheater plus future economiser on
50% moisture bagasse are illustrated in Figure 2. Installing
the economiser reduces the final gas temperature by approximately 45'C at MCR which results in an efficiency improvement of 2,6% on the GCV. This in tum translates into
a fuel saving of approximately 4%. The steam temperature
which varies by less than 10' over a 4: I turndown ratio
drops by about 7' to 8'C.

20

40

60

80

1100

LEGEND

- - - Air heater only

- - - Air heater and economiser

1000

>~

<!u

WO
....J-

W n,

900

u~

<!w

z~

cr

::::>

LL

BOO

700

Description of Plant
The boiler shown in Figure I, which is presently being
erected at Lonrho Sugar Corporation Limited's, Britannia
Mill in Mauritius was used as the basis for the exercise. Its
design characteristics are as follows:
Evaporation at MCR
70000 kg h-'
Operating pressure at mainsteam stop valve 2600 KPa (g)
Final steam temperature at mainsteam stop
valve at MCR
350'C
Feedwater temperature
lO5'C
Altitude above mean sea level
200m
Ambient Air Temperature
30'C
Relative humidity
90%
Fuel
Milled
bagasse
Moisture content
50%
Ash content
2,0%
Sucrose
2,5%
9332 kJ kg-I
Gross calorific value
Nett calorific value
7 459 kJ kg"
The plant was designed to be installed in an existing boilerhouse in which the fore/aft dimensions were very restricted.
This dictated locating the grit collector between the mainbank and heat recovery equipment and the ID fan inboard
of the airheater.

~~

<! u

Wo
~lIlll.

400

....J~

<!W
~ ~

300

LL

III ~
<!u

200

<.9~

....Jll.

<!~

Zw

u::~

100

80

o
>- 0 ....0
u

Z~>

The unit is a conventional three pass John Thompson

boiler with three roll bagasse feeders, dump grate stoker and
tangent tube watercooled combustion chamber with a refractory band in the bagasse ignition zone. A cross flow
drainable superheater is placed in a separate pass with provision for bypassing grits. The three pass convection bank
includes anti-erosion baffles'. A two pass parallel flow airheater provides hot air for combustion while the duct layout
allows for the future installation of a mild steel bare tube
economiser. Electric motors direct drive the secondary air

70

uu

U::<.9
LL
W

60

20

40

60

80

EVAPORATION (tons I hr )
FIGURE 2 Boiler performance characteristics on 50% moisture bagasse vs load.

87

Proceedings of The South African Sugar Technologists' Association - June 1987

The effect which varying steam temperature has on a typical 3 MW turbo alternator set is illustrated in Figure 1
Extra superheater heating surface must be added to maintain
power output with an economiser.

10

20

30

40

so

60

120

110

0::
U
~

Curve A : Condensing set

Curve B : Back pressure set (100 kPa )

3:

100

Boiler capacity
with alternative
furnace leaving
gas temperatures
superimposed

90

3100

.:J(

80
I-

a..

::::>

~
o

3000

a::
3:

UJ

400

0..

350

Superheater
outlet temperature

UJ

.....

2900

300

400

320

330

340

350

300

360

STEAM TEMPERATURE 1C)

0..

200

FIGURE 3 Net power output of nominal 3 MW turbo alternator set

as function of steam temperature for constant stream
flow.

UJ

.....

100

o
Expected Performance on Varying Fuels
The expected performance of the unit on fuels with moisture contents ranging from 0 to 56% is illustrated in Figure
4. Experience in Mauritius shows that when the furnace leaving temperature exceeds I 050'C, furnace slagging and superheater fouling become a problem. The critical temperature
is a function of the ash chemistry. The ratio of alkali metal
oxides to silica in the ash provides a first approximation of
what this temperature is likely to be. In certain areas ofNatal
and Queensland where this ratio is an order of magnitude
higher than it is in Mauritius, higher furnace leaving temperatures can be tolerated.

80

t>~
zUJ>
-u

70

~~

LL
LL
UJ

60

10

20

30

40

so

60

FUEL MOISTURE (Ofo)

FIGURE 4 Boiler performance as function of fuel moisture.

Figure 5 shows how the dry ash free fibre consumption

per ton steam varies with moisture when the limiting factors
referred to above are imposed on the unit. The effect which
installing an economiser has, is superimposed. Figure 5 also
illustrates how fan power consumption varies with and without an economiser. These curves have been generated on
the assumption that all fans are damper controlled. Power
savings of up to 25% are possible with variable speed drives.

To avoid exceeding the critical temperature, the airheater

must be bypassed when burning low moisture fuels. The
performance curves shown in Figure 4 have been generated
on the assumption that the airheater is completely bypassed
in the moisture range 0% to 34%, is progressively brought
into operation in the 34% to 47% moisture range and is fully
utilised in the range 47% to 56%.
In the 47% to 56% moisture range grate rating as well as
ID. fan capacity become limiting factors. For a given grate
ratmg unburnt carbon loss increases rapidly as moisture content increases; hence the need to derate. The unit is designed
to e~sure that maximum gas velocities are compatible with
maximum grate heat release rates. The ID fan speed must
be increased by 24% to permit operating at 57 t h-Ion 56%
moisture fuel.

Desirable Features for Power Generation

The expected moisture content of the fuel plays an important role in the design of the plant. If a supply of low
moisture bagasse can be guaranteed, the unit should be designed specifically for this fuel. The alternative is a unit designed for a greater degree of flexibility in fuel quality. The

88

Proceedings of The South African Sugar Technologists' Association - June 1987

10

20

30

40

50

fuels some form of airheatingis required. This can be either

a steam heated airheater or a tubular airheater placed upstream of the economiser. These units can be brought into
service to improve combustion stability when fuel moisture
content dictates their use.
A 2 to 3 m high refractory band in the ignition zone promotescombustion stability when burning high moisture fuels.
Heavy slagging can occur when moisture levels drop below
45%. In a unit designed predominantly for drier fuels the
refractory band should be omitted. Refractory backed open
pitched tubing in the ignition zone can be used as a compromise solution.
Furnace heating surface should be proportioned to ensure
minimum slagging and boiler fouling when burning the
.lowest moisture fuel contemplated. This will resultin a larger
furnace than would be required to burn high moisturefuels.
For superheat temperatures of up to 420C uncontrolled
superheaters are acceptable provided the turbine to which
the boiler is to be coupled can accept the expected temperature deviations. The fall offin turbine efficiency with steam
temperaturemust be evaluatedagainst the extracostofsome
form of steam temperature control. Control becomes more
important at higher temperatures. Variable speed control of
the ID and possibly eventhe FD fanis desirable to maximise
powersent out. Someform of closed loop fuel/airratio control is also desirable.

60

240
0:

LEGEND:

LU
11.

I- C

Z 0
0:-

---Without economiser
- - - W i t h economiser

220

=>-

lD~
200

LU
o:~

lD

LLLU
ILU(/)
LUlJ..

180

ff:o

IZ

(/)0
I-

>0:
o

160

140

480

440
0:
LU

11.

400

Conclusions

u,
o

Fuel moisturecontent plays a significant rolein the design

and performance of bagasse fired boilers. For plant to op. erate successfully the factors which limit performance must
be clearly understood and cognizance taken of them.

360

LU

lD
0:

(/)

320

lD

Acknowledgements
280

10

20

30

40

50

I wouldliketo thank John Thompson Africa (Pty) Limited

for allowing me to publish this paper and my colleague Bernard Nicholls for his assistance in its preparation.

60

FUEL MOISTURE (%)

FIGURE 5 Boiler fuel and fan power consumption as function of
fuel moisture content.

REFERENCES

dividing line is about 40% moisture. Below this figure economiser heat recovery surface is preferred to minimise the
possibility of gratelevel slagging and furnace and convection
surface fouling while to make provision for higher moisture

I. Magasiner, N; Naude, DP and McIntyre, P (1984). Operating experience on single and three pass boilers in the cane sugar industry with
particular reference to erosion and drum water level stability. Proc.
S.A/r. Sug. Technol. Ass. 58 123-128.

89