STEAM GENERATING PLANT AUXILIARIES AND COMPONENTS

CONDENSERS

Devices used to condense a substance from its gaseous state to its liquid state, typically by
cooling it.

TYPES OF CONDENSER

CONTACT CONDENSERS

In these condensers, exhaust steam and condensing water are actually mixed together.

Further subdivided into: Low Level Jet, High Level Jet and Ejector Condenser

SURFACE CONDENSERS

These condensers interpose a wall between steam and water, through which heat must be
convectively transferred.

FEED WATER SYSTEMS

The feed water is put into the steam drum from a feed pump.

The feed water consists of recovered condensed water and fresh water.

SUPERHEATER

A superheater is a device used to convert saturated steam or wet steam into superheated steam
or dry steam.

TYPES OF SUPERHEATERS

RADIANT SUPERHEATER

A radiant superheater is placed directly in radiant zone of the combustion chamber near the
water wall so as to absorb heat by radiation.

CONVECTIVE SUPERHEATER

A convection superheater is located in the convective zone of the furnace. These are also called
primary superheaters.

SEPARATELY FIRED SUPERHEATERS

A separately fired superheater is a superheater that is placed outside the main boiler, which has
its own separate combustion system.
ECONOMIZERS

Economizers are mechanical devices intended to reduce energy consumption, or to perform

useful function such as preheating a fluid.

TYPES OF ECONOMIZERS

DIFFERENCE

Condensing economizers are designed to accommodate the corrosive fluids generated when
condensing the moisture out of the flue gas.

Non-condensing economisers are generally of fin type which are located in the flue gas ducting
at the exit so that they can gain more heat which is being wasted anyways.

APPLICATION

Common applications of economizers in steam power plants are to capture the waste
heat from boiler stack gases (flue gas) and transfer it to the boiler feedwater.

FORCED DRAFT FAN

Forced Draft (FD) fan is a type of fan that provides a positive pressure to a system. Fans for
boilers force ambient air into the boiler, typically through a preheater to increase overall boiler
efficiency.

INDUCED DRAFT FANS

Induced draft fan or ID fan is used to create a vacuum or negative pressure in the system. It is
located at the outlet between dust collector and chimney, the ID fans will take the hot flue gases from
furnace via dust collector and will deliver to chimney. ID fans handle hot gas, hence more maintenance
is required.

SOOT BLOWERS

A device for removing the soot that is deposited on the furnace tubes of
a boiler during combustion and prevent clogging of gas passes and maintain boiler efficiency.

TYPES

1. Long retractable soot blower

This is normally used to clean the ash deposit from between the coils of super-heaters
and economizers.

2. Wall/Short retractable soot blower

Wall blowers are used to clean the furnace walls.

 3. Rotary Soot blower

Rotary soot blowers are mainly used for blowing economizer and air pre-heater in the
tail flue of the boiler.

4. Rake/Branched Soot blower

Rake soot blower is used for cleaning the economizer fin type heating surface and the
air pre-heater tube heating surface.

OPERATION

A soot blower may be operated manually or by a remotely controlled motor. The soot,
which is removed from the heating surfaces, will be blown out with the flue gases. If the boiler is
equipped with a dust collector, it will trap the soot. Otherwise, the soot will be ejected into the
outside air through the chimney stack.

OIL PURIFIER

A machine designed especially for purifying various industrial lubricating oils such as
hydraulic oil, gear oil, coolant oil, compressor oil, etc.

Due to long period usage of the systems, lube oils would be mixed and polluted with
particles, impurities, water content and other waste residues which destroy the lube oil’s
functions.

AIR COMPRESSOR

An air compressor is a device which is used to compress the air and to raise its pressure.

THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF COMPRESSOR IN A STEAM POWER PLANT

1. Rotary air compressor

It uses two Asymmetrical rotors that are also called helical screws to compress the air. It
is used for large discharge at low pressure.

2. Reciprocating air compressor

It is such type of air compressor in which the pressure of the air is increased in its
cylinder with the help of a moving piston. It is suitable for low discharge of air at very high
speed.

3. Centrifugal air compressor

USES OF AIR COMPRESSORS IN A STEAM POWER PLANT

1. Instrument air

All control valves operate by the use of instrument air.

2. Service air

It is a compressed air directly coming out of the compressor. It is used for other purposes like
transmitter, purging or cleaning.