Boiler Efficiency

Assessment

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 Outline
I t
•Importance
•Input parameters
•Computation Methodology
F t
•Factors influencing
i fl i llosses
•Controllable loses

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 •Loss due to moisture in air.
Heat gained by boiling water
38% •Loss due to moisture in fuel.
•Loss due to comb. gen. moisture.
Fuel Energy •Dry Exhaust Gas Losses~ 4.6%
100%
Hot gas

Flue gas

•Heat loss from furnace surface. Heat gained

•Unburned
U b d carbon
b losses.
l b SH & RH
by
•Incomplete combustion losses. 38%

•Loss due to hot ash.

Heat gained by
economizer & air preheater
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11%
 Impact
p of Boiler losses

Effect on Heat
Parameter Deviation
R t
Rate
Excess Air per % O2 7.4 kcal/kWh
Exit Gas Temp per oC 1.2 kcal/kWh

Unburnt Carbon per % 10-15 kcal/kWh

Coal Moisture
Coal Moisture per %
per % 2 3 kcal/kWh
2-3
Boiler Efficiency per % 25 kcal/kWh

1 kcal reduction ~ 4 T/day saving in coal in 500

MWe unit & 3000 GCV; ~ Rs 5600/day (at Rs
1400/T), CO2 reduction ~ almost 1.1 times coal
(30% C) saved.

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Steam Generator
•Subcritical, once through type or drum type, Natural/forced circulation
with single/two pass gas path, direct pulverised coal fired, top
supported, single reheat, radiant, dry bottom, with balanced draft
furnace.

•Typical Rated parameters Flow Temp. Pressure – 500 MW

Limiting parameters at TMCR with 'design coal' & 27 C and 60 % RH
(i) Excess air at economiser outlet - 20% (minimum) (ii) Flue gas temp
at AH outlet – 125 C (minimum)
(iii) Loss due to unburnt carbon in ash - 1.5%
(i) At SH outlet 1555 T/Hr 540°C 179 Kg/cm²(a)
:
(ii) At RH outlet 1353 T/Hr 540°C 43 Kg/cm²(a)
:

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Control Region of Boiler

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Boiler Efficiency

The % of heat input

p to the boiler absorbed by
y the
working fluid (Typically 85-88%)

Steam Enthalpy
Efficiency of Boiler =
Fuel Energy + Energy Credits

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Boiler Efficiency…
Boiler Efficiency can be determined by

a) Direct method or Input / Output method

b)) Indirect method or Loss method

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Input:
p
Chemical heat in fuel +
Heat credits added to the working fluid, Air and other
flows

Output:
Heat absorbed
b b d byb the
h working
k fluid
fl d

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 Direct Method

• Energy balance:
Fuel Energy = Steam Enthalpy + Losses.
Losses

• Measurements:
– Steam Flow Rate
– Steam properties
– Fuel flow rate
rate.
• Difficulties:
• Measurement of steam flow rate.
• M
Measurement t off fuel
f l flow
fl rate.
t
• Errors in measurements.

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ƒ Direct method is based on fuel flow, GCV and
steam flow
• It is difficult to accurately measure coal flow
and heating value on real time basis.

ƒ The extent and nature of the individual

components losses is not quantified.

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 Indirect or loss method

• In Loss method the unit of heat input is the higher

h ti value
heating l per kgk off fuel.
f l
• Heat losses from various sources are summed &
expressed per kg of fuel fired.
• This method also requires accurate determination of
heating value
• But since the total losses make a relatively small
portion of the total heat input (~ 13 %)
• an error in measurement does not appreciably affect
th efficiency
the ffi i value.
l

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 Various Energy Losses in Boiler

• Heat loss from furnace surface.

• Unburned carbon losses.
• Incomplete combustion losses.
• Loss due to hot ash.
• Loss due to moisture in air.
• Loss due to moisture in fuel.
f
• Loss due to combustion generated moisture.
• Dry Exhaust Gas Losses
Losses.

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 Boiler Efficiency…
Efficiency

For utility boilers efficiency is generally calculated by heat loss method

wherein the component losses are calculated and subtracted from 100.
(Boiler Efficiency = 100 - Losses in %)

Commonly used standards are

• ASME PTC 4.1 (1998) Boilers
• ASME PTC 4.2 (Coal Pulverizers)
• ASME PTC 4.3 (Air Heaters)
• BS – 2885 (1974)
• IS: 8753: 1977
• DIN standards

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 Boiler Efficiency determination
The % of heat input to the boiler absorbed by the working fluid

i. Input / output method

η= ∑ (m& h e e − m& i hi )
*100
Hf +B

ii. Heat Loss method

L
η = 100 − *100
Hf +B

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 Parameters required for computing Boiler
Efficiency
• AH flue ggas outlet O2 / CO2 /CO
• AH flue gas inlet and outlet temp C
• Primary / Secondary air temp at AH inlet / outlet C
• Total Airflow / Secondary Air Flow t/hr
• Dry/Wet bulb temperatures C
• Ambient pressure bar a
• P i
Proximate A
Analysis
l i & GCV off CCoall kkcall / kkg
• Combustibles in Bottom Ash and Fly ash

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Boiler Losses Typical values
Dry Gas Loss 4.56
Unburnt Loss 1.50
Hydrogen Loss 3.29
Moisture in Fuel Loss 2 53
2.53
Moisture in Air Loss 0.12
Carbon Monoxide Loss 0.04
Radiation/Unaccounted Loss 0.89
Total Heat Loss 12.93
0.44
H t credit
Heat dit
Boiler Efficiency 87.51

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D G
Dry Gas L
Loss (Controllable)
(C t ll bl )
• This is the heat carried away by flue gas at AH outlet
• It’s a function of flue gas quantity and the temperature
difference between air heater exit g gas temperature
p and
fan inlet air temperature
• Typically 20 C increase in exit gas temperature ~ 1%
reduction in boiler efficiency.
• In 500 MW units
units, dry gas loss computation should be
based on flue gas temperature in AH outlet common
ducts leading to ESP.

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Dry
y Gas Loss…
oss
Sensible Heat of flue gas (Sh)
Sh = Mass of dry
y flue gas
g X Sp.
p Heat X ((Tfg – Tair)
Dry Flue Gas Loss % = (Sh / GCV of Fuel) * 100

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 DFG Loss (kJ/kg of fuel) =

100 C S
[ ( + − C in _ A )] * 30 . 6 (T fg − T air )
12 ( CO 2 + CO ) 100 267

K (T fg − Tair )
Seigert formula DFG Loss (%) =
%CO2
AL * C ppa * (T fgfgt − Tair )
T fg = + T fgt
C pg *100

90 * CO2 _ in
CO2 _ out =
AL + 90

O2 in / CO2 in measured, A L known

K~0.63 for bituminous coal

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This leakage is assumed to occur entirely between
air inlet and gas outlet (ASME PTC 4.1). Empirical
relationship using the change in concentration of
O2 or CO2 in the flue gas:

CO2 _ in − CO2 _ out

AL = * 90
CO2 _ out

Method of determination of O2 or CO2 should be

the same at inlet and outlet - wet or dry (Orsat)
O2 dry = O2 wet / (1- FG Moisture).

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Factors affecting furnace Heat Transfer
include
• Furnace wall condition,, Combustion
• Heat release rate, Emissivity, absorptivity and
thermal conductivityy of deposits,
p Ash
• dust loading, Pulverized fuel fineness, Mill
Combination (Top, Middle, Bottom), Air
• regime for combustion etc.

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Dry
y Gas loss reduction requires
q
• Boiler operation at optimum excess air
– Hi O2 ~ Hi DFG
• Cleanliness of boiler surfaces
– Dirty tubes ~ Hi EGT
• Good combustion of fuel
• Reduction of tempering air to mill.
• Reduction in air ingress
• Cleaning of air heater surfaces and proper
heating elements / surface area
• Representative
p Measurements

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Unburnt Carbon Loss (Controllable)
• The amount of unburnt is a measure of effectiveness of
combustion process in general and mills / burners in
particular.
• Unburnt carbon includes the unburned constituents in fly ash
as well as bottom ash.
• Ratio of Flyy ash to Bottom ash is around 80:20
• Focus to be on fly ash due to uncertainty in repeatability and
representativeness of unburnt carbon in bottom ash
• +50 PF fineness fractions to be < 1-1.5%
Focus should be more on fly ash unburnts as its over 80% of total ash and there’s uncertainty in
repeatability and representativeness of unburnt carbon in bottom ash; For low BA unburnts, +50
PF fineness fractions should be < 1%.
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Combustible in ash loss (kJ/kg of fuel) =

cA
* 33820
100
c= % of carbon in dry ash

A= Mass of ash kg/kg of fuel

CV of carbon burnt to CO2 = 33820 kJ/kg

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Influencing Factors - Unburnt Carbon Loss
• Type of mills and firing system
• Furnace size
• PF fineness (Pulveriser problems)
• Coal FC/VM ratio, coal reactivity
• Insufficient excess air in combustion zone
• Air damper / register settings
• Burners design / condition
• Burner balance / worn orifices
• Primary Air FlowPMI/ Revision
Pressure 01 26
CO Loss (Controllable)
• Ideally, average CO at gooseneck after combustion
completion should be below 100 ppm and no single
value over 200 ppm
• CO monitors
it att ID fan
f discharge
di h in
i allll b
boilers
il tto
supplement O2 feedback

C + O2 = CO2 + 8084 kcal / kg of Carbon

2C+ O2 = 2CO + 2430 kcal / kg g of Carbon
2H2+ O2 = 2H2O + 28922 kcal / kg of Hydrogen
S + O2 = SO2 + 2224 kcal / kg g of Sulphur
p
(We lose 5654 kcal forPMIeach
Revision 01
kg of CO formed) 27
Unburnt gas (CO) loss (kJ/kg fuel)=
12 7CO C S
*[ *( + − Cin _ A )]* 23717
28 3(CO2 + CO) 100 267

23717 kJ/kg = CV of burning 1 kg of carbon in CO to CO2

CO2, CO=% volume in dry gas

C, S=% in fuel

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Moisture Loss

Fuel Hydrogen Loss

This loss is due to combustion of H present in fuel. H is
b t and
burnt d converted
t d iin water,
t which
hi h gets
t evaporated.
t d

Fuel Moisture Loss

This loss is due to evaporation and heating of inherent
and surface moisture present in fuel
fuel.

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 Wet Flue Gas Loss (kJ/kg of fuel) =
M + 9H
[1.88(T fg − 25) + 2442 + 4.2( 25 − Tair )]
100

Sensible Heat of Water Vapor =

[Wet Flue Gas Loss –(GCV-NCV)] kJ/kg of fuel

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M i t
Moisture Loss
L

The moisture in flue gases (along with Sulphur in fuel) limits

the temperature to which the flue gases may be cooled due
to corrosion considerations in the cold end of air heater,, gas
g
ducts etc.

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Moisture in combustion air loss (kJ/kg fuel)=

M a * h *1.88* (T fgf − Tairi )

h =kg moisture per kg dry air

M a =Dry air for combustion kg/kg of fuel

3.034N 2 C S
Ma = [ + − Cin _ A )
CO2 + CO 100 267

N2, CO2, CO=% volume in dry gas

C,, S=% in fuel

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O h Losses
Other L
1. Sensible Heat Loss of ash
• Bottom Ash Hoppers
• Eco Hoppers
• AH Hoppers
H
• ESP hoppers

Sensible Heat Loss (%) = (X / GCV) *100 (~0.5-0.6 %)

X = [{Ash * Pflyash * C pash * (T go - T rai)}

+ {Ash * Pahash * C pash * (T go - T rai)}
+ {Ash * Peash * C pash * (T gi -T
T rai )}
+ {Ash * Pba * C pash * (T ba - T rai )}]
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O h Losses
Other L
2. Radiation Loss through Bottom Ash Hopper
• Coal Flow Rate 135 Tons/Hr
• GCV of Coal 3300 Kcal/Kg
• Eqv. Heat Flux thro’ Bottom opening 27090 Kcal/hr/m2
• Bottom opening area of S-Panel 15.85 m2

Radiation Loss through Bottom Ash Hopper =

[H BOTTOM * A S-PANEL
S PANEL *100
100 ] / [Coal Flow * GCV * 1000]
= 0.096 %

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Oth Losses
Other L
3. Coal Mill Reject Loss
• Coal Flow 135 T/hr
• Coal Mill Rejects 200 kg/hr
• GCV of Coal 3300 kcal/Kg
• CV of Rejects 900 kcal/Kg
• Mill Outlet Temp Tmillout 90 C
• Reference Temperature Trai 30 C
• Specific Heat of Rejects CpREJECT 0.16 kcal/Kg/C

Loss due to Mill Rejects = X / (Coal Flow * GCV * 1000)

X = [Rejects * (CVREJECT + CpREJECT (Tmillout – Trai))* 100 ]
= (0.0408 %)
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O h Losses
Other L
4. Radiation Loss
Actual radiation and convection losses are difficult to
assess because of particular emissivity of various
surfaces.
f

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HEAT CREDIT

Heat Credit due to Coal Mill Power

= [MP * 859.86 * 100] / [Coal Flow * GCV * 1000]

Coal Flow Rate Coal FLOW Tons/Hr

Total Coal Mill Power MP kWh
GCV of Coal Kcal/Kg

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Probable
P b bl measurement errors and d resulting
li
errors in efficiency calculations

Measurement Error in calculated SG

Parameter error, % Efficiency, %
Heat value (coal) ±0 50
±0.50 ±0 03
±0.03
Orsat analysis ±3.00 ±0.30
Exit FG temp ±0.50 ±0.02
Inlet air temp ±0.50 ±0.00
Ult. anal. of coal ±1.00 ±0.10
(Carbon)
Ult. anal. of coal ±1.00 ±0.10
(Hydrogen)
Fuel moisture ±1.00 ±0.00

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