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Ash handling systems are designed for the removal of ash from boilers burning
coal or other solid fuels. These systems handle bottom ash and fly ash from stoker fired,
pulverized coal–fired and fluidized bed boilers. There are several methods for handling
the types of ash that result from utility and industrial boilers.
These include mechanical, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems, and the use of
each must be evaluated based on the type of ash and the location of the facility
(Woodruff, 2004).
In a co-generation power plant, bagasse is generally used as fuel and hence the
ash is produced as the by-product of combustion. Ash generated in power plant is
about 30-40% of total consumption and hence the system is required to handle ash for
its proper utilization or disposal. The figure below shows the systems of handling ash.
Fig.
6.1 shows a general layout of ash handling and dust collection system.
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6.1 Bottom Ash
Bottom ash is the coarse, granular, incombustible by-product of coal
combustion that is collected from the bottom of furnaces. This ash is dark grey in colour,
and is about the size of sand. Figure 6.2 shows the image of a bottom ash.
Source: Operationgolfcoast.com
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Source: Geoengineering and Chemtrails
6. 3Ash Quantity
Ash generated from the power plant are computed to identify the capacity of the
ash pond where it will be placed. Since the typical fly ash and bottom ash is computed,
the total ash content will be calculated below.Computation for Amount of Bottom Ash:
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𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑠 1000𝑘𝑔 365𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 24ℎ𝑟𝑠
𝐴𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝐵𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑜𝑚 𝐴𝑠ℎ = (15 × ) (25𝑦𝑟 × × ) (0.0291)(0.475)(0.90)
ℎ𝑟 1𝑡𝑜𝑛 1𝑦𝑟 1𝑑𝑎𝑦
1𝑚3
𝐴𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝐵𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑜𝑚 𝐴𝑠ℎ = 40,866,221.25 𝑘𝑔 ×
120.1𝑘𝑔
𝑨𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒐𝒇𝑩𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒐𝒎𝑨𝒔𝒉 = 340,268.29𝒎𝟑
1𝑚3
𝐴𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝐵𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑜𝑚 𝐴𝑠ℎ = 45,167,928.75 ×
120.1𝑘𝑔
𝑨𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒐𝒇𝑭𝒍𝒚𝑨𝒔𝒉 = 376,086𝒎𝟑
Fly ash collected in the electric precipitators and the air heaters is conveyed to
the fly ash storage silo. A pneumatic transport system using low-pressure air from a
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blower provides the transport mechanism for the fly ash. Fly ash is discharged through a
wet unloader, which conditions the fly ash and conveys it through a telescopic unloading
chute into a truck. The bottom ash from the boiler is fed into a clinker grinder. The
clinker grinder is provided to break up any clinkers that may form. From the clinker
grinders, the bottom ash is discharged via a hydro-ejector and ash discharge piping to
the ash pond.
Commonly used ash handling systems are as follows:
a. Hydraulic System
b. Pneumatic System
c. Mechanical System
In this system, ash from the furnace grate falls into a system of water
possessing high velocity and is carried to the sumps. It is generally used in large
power plants. Hydraulic system is of two types namely low pressure hydraulic
system used for continuous removal of ash and high pressure system which is
used for intermittent ash disposal as shown in Figure 6.4 below (Raja, 2006).
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In this method water at sufficient pressure is used to take away the ash to
sump. Where water and ash are separated. The ash is then transferred to the
dump site in wagons, rail cars or trucks. The loading of ash may be through a belt
conveyor, grab buckets. If there is an ash basement with ash hopper the ash can
fall, directly in ash car or conveying system.
In this system as shown in Figure 6.5, ash from the boiler furnace outlet
falls into a crusher where larger ash particles are crushed to small sizes. The ash
is then carried by a high velocity air or steam to the point of delivery. Air leaving
the ash separator is passed through filter to remove dust etc. so that the
exhauster handles clean air which will protect the blades of the exhauster (Raja,
2006).
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6.4.3 Mechanical Ash Handling System
Figure 6.6 shows a mechanical ash handling system. In this system ash
cooled by water seal falls on the belt conveyor and is carried out continuously to
the bunker. The ash is then removed to the dumping site from the ash bunker
with the help of trucks (Raja, 2006).
Each type of ash presents its own problems, and the type of conveying
system selected must consider the type of ash as well as the quantity of material
that must be removed. Table 6.3 identifies the more common systems used for
the handling of the various types of ash from utility and industrial boilers
(Woodruff et al., 2004).
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Table 6.3: Ash Handling System Methods
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Figure 6.7: Photo Showing Ash Pond
Consolidation of pond solids into a reduced footprint reduces cost. Because the
surface area is smaller, the cost for constructing the permanent final cover will be
reduced. Similarly, the cost for long-term maintenance of the cover system
proportionally drops (Johnson et al., 2014). Figure 6.6 below shows the three stages of
in-place consolidation and closure of ash ponds.
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6.5 Ash Pond Computation
To be able to calculate the size of the ash pond to be used, the design criteria
must be set in order to construct the proper ash pond design. As the coal is already
burned, bottom ash and fly ash to be produced. The two type of ash will be considered
in designing the ash pond. Table 6.4 shows the design parameters to be used in
designing the ash pond.
Table 6.4: Ash Pond Parameters
PARAMETERS VALUE
Depth (assumed) 12 m
Therefore, by adding the total amount of bottom and fly ash, the total amount of
ash to be stored in ash pond is 795, 949.2 m3. The computation is shown below.
𝑻𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒐𝒇𝑨𝒔𝒉 = 710,713𝒎𝟑
To get the total ash pond’s area for a 25 years plant’s life, the total amount
of ash will be divided with the proposed depth of the ash pond. Therefore, the
proposed ash pond’s area is approximately 6.63 hectares. The computation is
shown below.
143
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝐴𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝐴𝑠ℎ
𝐴𝑠ℎ 𝑃𝑜𝑛𝑑 ′ 𝑠𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 = ( )
𝐷𝑒𝑝𝑡ℎ
′
710,713 𝑚3
𝐴𝑠ℎ 𝑃𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 = ( )
12𝑚
1 ℎ𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑠
𝐴𝑠ℎ 𝑃𝑜𝑛𝑑′ 𝑠𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 = (59226.08m2 ) ( )
10,000𝑚2
𝑨𝒔𝒉𝑷𝒐𝒏𝒅′𝒔𝑨𝒓𝒆𝒂 = ≈ 5.92𝒉𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒔
Assuming a rectangular ash pond area, the dimension can be solved using
the following equation. Also total length of the ash pond is assumed to be twice of
its actual width.
710,713 m3 = L x W x 12
𝐋 = 𝐖 = 𝟐𝟒𝟑. 𝟑𝟔 𝐦 ≈ 𝟐𝟒𝟒 𝐦
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Figure 6.7: Proposed Ash Pond’s Dimensions
6.6 Summary
Shown in Figure 6.8 is the proposed ash handling system together with summary
of the computations and selected systems that for ash handling system.
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Figure 6.8: Ash Handling System Diagram
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