Management of Thermal PPPP

Management of Thermal Power
Plant Performance Parameters
Dr. K.C. Yadav, AVP,

Noida Technical Training Center
Learning Agenda
 Identification and analysis of input parameters as;
Uncontrollable
Semi-controllable
Controllable
 Managerial aspect of thermal power plant performance
parameters
 Estimation of energy efficiency parameters i.e. boiler
efficiency, THR, UHR and SHR
 Determination of inevitable effect on performance
parameters under design specified operating parameters
 Preparation of guidance message to the input material
managers and operation managers
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Need
Performance of Indian Thermal Power Units has
been very poor due to;
 Wide variation in input (fuel, air and water)
parameters than that of the design
 Inadequate appreciation and understanding of
suitably modifying/changing the operating
parameters to accommodate the uncontrollable
input parameters
 Lack of managerial will to prioritize performance
parameters in sequence of human safety,
equipments’ life, energy/exergy efficiency and
availability.
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Need
The need existed;
 To analyze the variation in input parameters and their
adverse effect on thermal power plant performance
parameters and to modify operating parameters of various
power plant process equipments to minimize the adverse
effect on performance parameters
 To promote performance management system to keep
vigil over cause and effect relationship of all processes at
micro level for the achievement of most optimized values
of performance control parameters even when input
parameters are significantly different from the design
prescribed values
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Problem Definition
Loss of performance due to variation in
input parameters is required to be
determined distinctly as inevitable and
avoidable so that the improvement efforts
can be focused on avoidable loss only
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Objective and Issues Involved
 Objective of the study is based on basic issues of
national growth, advancement of status of the
citizens, internal / external security, safety of men
/ material and environmental protection, which
depends upon electricity at large
 Quality power to all at competitive price
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Objective
To manage most optimized values of thermal
power plant operating parameters in accordance
with variation in uncontrollable input parameters,
which control;
 Electricity availability parameters
 Energy efficiency parameters
 Equipments’ life parameters
 Human safety (pollution) parameters
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Issues Involved
 Large population and population growth
 High National economic growth rate
 Growing electricity demand and gap
between the demand and supply
 Increasing coal and electricity tariff
 Life deterioration of the power plant
process equipments
 Safety of the power personnel
 Environmental protection
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Efforts Rely Upon
 Fundamental research, renovation, modernization,
retrofitting etc of the process equipments
 True representative sample analysis
 Accuracy of the measurements
 Process superiority of the equipments
 Proper site selection, plant layout, engineering,
procurement, construction, commissioning and
testing
 Awareness of design specified standards of
operation and maintenance practices
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Gaps
Optimization centered integrated approach of managing
operating parameters to accommodate wide variation of
uncontrollable input parameters to minimize adverse effect on
 Overall Efficiency,
 Equipments’ Life and
 Environmental Pollution
has not been adopted, which is essential for maintaining the
desired standards of performance parameters.
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Utility of Latest Advancement
Fundamental research, renovation and

modernization of the coal based thermal power
plant process equipments is required to be utilized
in integrated approach of improvement in overall
performance of the plant
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Compressed Air Flow Model
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Thermal Power Plant Flow Synthesis
Combustion Air Flow Model
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DM Make Up Water Flow Model
FEED LINE AFTER F.C.S. WATER WALL DRAIN HEADER TO FILL EVAPORATOR
TO FILL ECONOMIZER AND DRUM
Figure 3.6 - De-Mineralized Make Up Water Flow Model
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Feed Water Flow Model
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Steam Expansion Model
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Electricity Generating Model
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Dynamic Modeling of TPPPP
1. Primary Air Flow System
2. Secondary Air Flow System
3. Coal flow System
4. Coal and Primary Air Flow System
5. Fuel Air Supply System (Coal Burners, SADC and Furnace)
6. Drum Model (Coal Combustion and steam generation)
7. Flue Gas Exhaust Temperature (FGET) Regulating System
8. Condenser Flow system
9. Feed water heating system
10. Expansion of Steam through Turbine
11. Electricity Generation System
12. Integrate Grand Model of TPPPP
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Dynamic Modeling of Thermal Power Plant Process Parameters
Primary Air Flow Model
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Secondary Air Flow Parameters
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Coal Flow Model
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Coal and Primary Air Flow Systems
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Fuel Air Supply Flow Model
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Drum Level Control
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Flue Gas Exhaust Temperature Model
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Electricity Generation Systems
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Figure - 4.12 Grand Model of Performance Associated Parameters
PWB -
+ +
+
O2 % +
HI
in fG AAD -
Pm + Q + Pd +
FV + Pexci +
FDF SA FDF + +
- -
+ Ash FC APC + Z V If
+ W- 4 H4
f + LPT LPT
+ +
PmPAF + Q +
- VM FAD
-
+ W- 3 P
+ PA + + + - - bs
ta P LPT + H3 - T
+ +
grid
+ MW +
WT L PT bs
+ NO Tfg Q fg + +
W1- 2 H1- 2 -
CVC + LPT
+ LPT
-
Z P +
X
+ - +
+
+
- Q
HPAD + + + +
SO Q Q W 1- 9 W10- 11 +
H P ESL
Q
+
N C HPT HPT
+
ES1
+
+ X + - Sg
P + WP P WP W1- 3 W- 6 W7- 9 W10- 11
LPT
- bs
S +
+ MS HPT HRH IPT IPT IPT IPT IPT
- +
P m Q Mc + + Q + T +
+ - gl + + ES1 +
IDF + HPA
P t T + -
+
- - + + + + Q Q T
+ mil tgww LPT +
+ Pm
c+a
P T + H H1- 9
H10- 11 T H H1- 3
+ H4- 6 + H + H +
SC SC
+ HPT IPT 7- 9 10- 11
Mil DRUM MS MS HPT HRH HRH IPT +
+
P + + + + -
IPT - IPT
+ W t1
IDF + BT +
SPM
Q - t Ts
+ + +
- + - -
- T T -
fw - ES2
P
fweco
Ts FSH Q T Q Q P T - ES3
W
m
PSH + T MS ES7
-
ES6 ES4
-
+
P t2
- HRH
P
BFP fg PSH
- Q
ES5 -
P LPT
Q
+ ES2 cw
- ESP
+
+ +
T + T P + T
ES5
Q Q + + + +
+ HRH ES7 CRH ES4 ES3 -
V + T fg FSH -
+ + + Q P Pm
+ + + ES2 CWP
ESP
P T
fg RH +
+ Q P + T P + cw
+ +
FCS fg APH T ES7 CRH ES5 +
ES4 + P
fgeco Ts + + P T ES1
P Q
+ + LT SH + + ES3 ME
ES1 ME
-
T + +
+ +
+ +
t t +
fg LT SH
t t t t t t t t t t t
HPA FGET 6 5 DA 4 + 3 + + GC- 2 1 + GC- 1 + ME
SA 7 + + + + 2 +
t + + + +
fw + +
+ T + GC- 2
P T P +
T + P GC- 2
+
GC- 1
+ GC- 1
ESd ESd
Q Q Q T
Q AC- 2 ES1 GC- 1 ME
ESd
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Performance Parameters
Availability Parameters
Efficiency Parameters
Equipments’ Life Parameters
Human Safety Parameters
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Availability Parameters
 Availability Factor
 Plant Load Factor
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Efficiency Parameters
 Boiler Efficiency
 Turbine Heat Rate
 Unit Heat Rate
 Station Heat Rate
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Efficiency Control Parameters
 Main Steam Temperature
 Main Steam Pressure
 Hot Re-Heat Steam Temperature
 Condenser Vacuum
 Feed Water Temperature
 Flue Gas Exhaust Temperature
 O2 or CO2 % in Flue Gas
 Auxiliary Power Consumption
 Load Variation
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Equipments’ Life Parameters
 Pre Combustion Parameter
 Combustion Parameters
 Post Combustion Parameters
 Steam quality parameters
 Condenser Parameters
 Turbo Supervisory Parameters
 Generator Parameters
 Tube Erosion Parameters
Particle Trajectories
Particle-Tube Impact Frequency
Impact Velocity and Impingement Angle
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Human Safety Parameters
 Air pollution parameters

NOx, SOx and SPM
 Water pollution
 Noise pollution
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Estimation of Energy Efficiency Parameters
 Boiler Efficiency (Direct and Indirect method)

 Turbo Alternator Heat Rate
 Turbo Alternator Efficiency
 Unit Heat Rate
 Station Heat Rate
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Energy Efficiency of the Boiler
Boiler Efficiency by Direct Method
Qms*(Hms-hfw)+Qrh*(Hhrh-Hcrh)
ηb =
(Qc*CV+Hcredit)
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Energy efficiency of the Boiler
Boiler Efficiency by Indirect Method
i.e. by the assessment of losses
Ηb = 100 – Total % Losses
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Boiler Efficiency by Assessment of Losses
DFL =W * Cpg * (T – t)
W = (C/100+S/267-CinAsh)*100/12(CO2+CO) KgMol/Kg Coal
WFGL=[1.88*(T-25)+2442+4.2*(25–t)]*(Mc+9H)/100 KJ/Kg coal
CinAshL=C in A * 33,820 KJ/kg Coal
UGL=23,717*(C/100+S/267-inAsh)*CO/12(CO2+CO)KJ/kgCoal
MainAirL= Ma * Hu * Cp * (T-t) KJ/Kg Coasl
SHinAshL= FlyAsh*Cpfa*(T–t)+BottomAsh*Cpba*(Tf-t) KJ/KgC
ShinRejectL= Qmr*Cpr*(Tc+a-t)
R&UA/CL (B in KJ/Kg Coal) Log10 B = 0.8167 - 0.4238 log10 C
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Energy Efficiency of the Turbine
ηc = ∆Hise/(Qms*(Hms-hfw)+Qrh*(Hhrh-Hcrh))
ηt = WT/∆Hiset
ηg = MW/WT
ηta = MW/(Qms*(Hms-hfw)+Qrh*(Hhrh-Hcrh))
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Turbo Alternator Heat Rate

THR = (Qms*(Hms-hfw)+Qrh*(Hhrh-Hcrh))/MW
Expressed in KJ/KWHrn or in KCal/KWHr
THR = 3600/ ηta in KJ/KWHr
THR = 860/ ηta in KCal/KWHr
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 UNIT HEAT RATE
 UHR = (THR in KJ/KWHr)/ηb

 UHR = QC*CVC/MW in KJ/KWHr
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Energy efficiency of the Turbine
STATION HEAT RATE
 SHR = Qct*CV/MWt
 SHR = 100*Qct*CV/(MWt*(100-%APC))
 SHR = UHR*100/(100-%APC)
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Condenser Vacuum Management
Effects of cooling water inlet temperature
 The primary one is to alter the steam saturation
temperature by the same amount as the change.
 The secondary effect is caused by the fact that the heat
transfer of the cooling water film in contact with condenser
tubes change with temperature of the water.
The primary and secondary changes are in opposite
direction. The magnitude of the secondary effect is
approximately equal to the fourth root of the mean cooling
water temperature.
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Cooling Water Flow
The primary effect of a change of cooling water flow is to
alter it’s temperature rise. The secondary effect, which
operates in the same direction as the primary, results
from the change of heat transfer rate, due to the
changed thickness of the cooling water boundary film. It
is approximately proportional to the square root of the
flow
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Effect of CW Flow on Vacuum
49
Ts ( Saturation Temp.
48
47
46
45 Ts
44
43
42
41
Qcw ( Cooling Water Flow)
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Change in Heat Transfer
 Level in Condenser Hot Well

 Steam Flow
 Internal/External Tube Deposits
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Effect of Load on Condenser Vacuum)
48
Ts (Saturation Temp)
47.5
47
46.5
46
45.5
Series2
45
44.5
44
43.5
43
42.5
48102
41842
43568
44439
45328
46234
47159
43568
42696
41005
40185
39382
Qs (Steam Flow)
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Steam Ejectors / Vacuum Pumps
Mal operation of vacuum pump and steam ejectors
reduce vacuum. Starting ejector creates vacuum up to
540 mmHgCl, 10 to 30 minutes after, the main ejector
should be cut into service followed by immediate
withdrawal of starting ejector. Parallel operation of
both the ejector shall not only develop the lesser
vacuum but also damage the main ejector. Vacuum
pump has auto change over from starting to main and
normally run satisfactory
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Performance Parameters
De superheating = T-Ts
Sub cooling = Ts-td
LMTD = (t2-t1)/ln((Ts-t1)/(Ts-t2))
Temperature rise = t2-t1
TTD =Ts-t2 is high because of;
Higher gaseous impurities
Air ingress
External tube deposits
Internal tube deposits
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Feed Water Temperature Management
 Feed water heating system is consisted of two main
ejectors, two gland coolers, four low pressure
heaters, one direct contact deaerator and three high
pressure heaters
 Feed water temperature at the outlet of the last high
pressure heater is a very important efficiency control
parameter, which should be optimally half of the
main steam temperature
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Feed water heaters problems and solutions
 Gaseous impurities in the steam can be managed by better
management of boiler and pre-boiler system
 Vapour line of each heater plays vital role in maintaining the
design prescribed value of saturation temperature and also
keep terminal temperature difference in acceptable operating
range.
 External tube deposits can gradually increase terminal
temperature difference which needs better de mineralized
water quality management
 Internal tube deposits can be effectively minimized by on-line
condensate polishing/treatment to maintain terminal
temperature difference and condensate/feed water
differential pressure across the heater
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 Deaerator is the only direct contact heat exchanger and
remaining ten heaters of regenerative feed heating system
are indirect contact type, major portion of which function like
a condenser and hence required to be managed in similar
manner discussed for condenser.
 Both end portions of the each heater perform separate
functions, one at the high temperature end works as de
super heater and the other at low temperature end works like
a sub cooler. De super heating and sub cooling in the
heaters are exergetically undesirable and hence attempts
should be made to minimize the both
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Excess Air Management
Oxygen in flue gas represents the excess air over
and above the theoretical air, which is
proportionate to coal combustibles but Excess Air
requirement increases with increasing coal
impurities
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Management of Oxygen in Flue Gas
Theoretical Air
=4.31*[8*C/3 + 8*(H-O/8) +S] Kg/Kg Coal --- (1)
Excess Air
=[(TheoreticalCO2%/ActualCO2%)-1]*100%-(2)
Excess Air
=(O2%*100)/(21-O2%)-----------------------------
(3)
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Shortcomings of the Existing Practice
- Unlike theoretical air, no coal parameter is
incorporated and hence it does not give any
guidance message to operator for suitable change
in excess air supply on the basis of coal quality
parameters.
- Accurately estimated O2% in flue gas for a
particular coal may not be valid for a coal
different in rank, petrology and composition.
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Shortcomings of the Existing Practice
- Excess air calculated by using both the above
referred equations, is the information of excess air
that had been supplied rather than would be
supplied for a particular coal.
- Information of O2 % at the outlet of boiler does not
provide reliable guidance message to forced
draught fan operator to supply accurate quantity of
air due to time lag and slow combustion response.
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Existing method of maintaining a fixed or an
arbitrary percentage of oxygen % in flue gas leads
to either
 Over supply
or
 Under supply
of excess air particularly in case of wide variation in
coal quality than that of the design.
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Alternative Method of Excess Air Estimation
 Excess Air
=K1*FC-K2*VM+K3*M+K4*A**2+K5--------(4)
 Excess Air
=K1*C-K2*(5H+3*O/8+S+N)+K3*M+K4*A**2+K5--(5)
 Excess Air
=k1*I-k2*V-k3*E+k4*M+k5*A**2+k6---------(6)
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Assumptions for Applying New Method
 Impact of Hard Grove Index (HGI), Moisture and Ash
on pulverizer capacity and fineness is taken care
suitably as per the pulverizer condition curves.
 Pulverizer discharge valve orifices are healthy
enough to ensure equal flow to all the four burners at
the same elevation.
 Burner tips and tilting mechanism is not out of
synchronism
 All the fuel air dampers and auxiliary dampers are
healthy enough to follow the operating signals as
specified
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Assumptions for Applying New Method
 No leakage of air anywhere in the air and flue gas
path.
 Proper functioning of the furnace safeguard
supervisory system (FSSS)
 ID, FD & PA Fans are healthy enough to maintain
Furnace vacuum, Furnace differential pressure, Wind
box pressure, Hot P.A. header pressure
 ID, FD & PA Fans have sufficient extra capacity
(above MCR)
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Equations (4) and (5) are Solved as (7) and (8)
Excess Air=0.15*[(F.C.–V.M.)+(M+A**2/10)] ------------(7)
Excess Air=0.15*[C-(5H+3*0/8+S+N)+(M+A**2/10] ---(8)
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Test of Equations
 Have been carried out for large numbers of the
coal samples, a good numbers of which were
collected from different thermal power stations for
the purpose of calculating the excess air. The coal
parameters of actual samples vary randomly and
hence leading to the same kind of variation in
calculated excess air.
 Large numbers of coal samples were simulated
by gradually varying the coal parameters so that
the results can be presented into an user friendly
simple graphics.
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 Estimated excess air is converted into to equivalent amount of
O2 % in flue gas, because there is no practice of maintaining
excess air as operating parameters. Graphs are plotted for
guidance of forced draught fan operator to maintain required
oxygen percentage in flue gas on the basis of variation in coal
parameters.
 Coal samples from leading Indian thermal power stations are
placed in ascending order of calorific value along with other
proximate/ultimate parameters and estimated excess air (O2
% in flue gas) graphically represented for estimating the
excess air (O2 % in flue gas) by the forced draught fan
operator. A large numbers of simulated coal samples are
also considered in similar manner
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Fig. 4 - Effect of Coal Parameter (Proximate Analysis) on Excess Air (O2% in Flue gas)
0.6
0.5 Ash Kg/Kg coal

Moisture Kg/Kg coal
0.4 Oxygen % in FG / 5 (E.7)
CV in KJ/Kg coal / 40000
0.3 Volatile Matter Kg/Kg coal
Fixed Carbon Kg/Kg coal
0.2
0.1
0
13
16
19
25
10
22
28
31
1
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Fig. 3 - Effect of Coal Parameter (Ultimate

Analysis) on Excess Air (O2% in Flue gas)
0.6
0.5
Carbon Kg/Kg of coal
Hydrogen Kg/Kg coal
0.4
Oxygen Kg/Kg coal
Nitrogen Kg/Kg coal
0.3
Sulfur Kg/Kg coal
Ash Kg/Kg coal
0.2
Moisture Kg/Kg coal
0.1 Oxygen % in FG / 5 (E.8)
0
28
10
13
16
19
22
25
31
1
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Fig. 5 - Effect of Coal Parameter (Proximate Analysis) on Excess Air (O2% in Flue
gas)
0.6
0.5
Ash Kg/Kg coal
Moisture Kg/Kg coal
0.4
Oxygen % in FG / 5 (E.7)
0.3 CV in K.J./Kg coal / 40000
Volatile Matter Kg/Kg coal
0.2 Fixed Carbon Kg/Kg coal
0.1
0
10
13
16
19
22
25
28
1
4
7
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0.6
0.5 Carbon Kg/Kg of coal

Hydrogen Kg/Kg coal
0.4 Oxygen Kg/Kg coal
Nitrogen Kg/Kg coal
0.3 Sulfur Kg/Kg coal
Ash Kg/Kg coal
0.2 Moisture Kg/Kg coal

CV in K.J./Kg coal / 40000
0.1
0
1
25
10
13
16
19
22
28
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0.6
0.5
Ash Kg/Kg coal
0.4
Moisture Kg/Kg coal
0.3
0.2
0.1
0 31
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
17
19
21
23
25
27
29
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Fig, 8 - Effect of Coal Parameter (Ultimate

0.6
0.5
Hydrogen Kg/Kg coal
Nitrogen Kg/Kg coal
Ash Kg/Kg coal
0.2 Moisture Kg/Kg coal
0.1 CV in K.J./Kg coal / 40000
0
1
4
7
16
19
22
28
10
13
25
31
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Operational Feasibility Analysis of the Proposals

1.4
1.2
1
Ash Kg/Kg coal
Moisture Kg/Kg coal
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
19
25
10
13
16
22
28
31
1
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1.4
1.2
1
Hydrogen Kg/Kg coal
Nitrogen Kg/Kg coal
Sulfur Kg/Kg coal
0.6 Ash Kg/Kg coal
M oisture Kg/Kg coal
Oxygen %in FG / 5 (E.8)
0.4 CV in KJ /Kg coal / 40000
0.2
0
13
15
17
19
21
23
25
27
31
11
29
1
3
5
7
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1.4
1.2
1 Ash Kg/Kg coal
Moisture Kg/Kg coal
0.8 Oxygen % in FG / 5 (E.7)
0.6
0.4 Fixed Carbon Kg/Kg coal
0.2
0
1
3
5
7
9
13
17
19
21
23
25
29
31
11
15
27
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1.4
1.2
Hydrogen Kg/Kg coal
1
Oxygen Kg/Kg coal
0.8 Nitrogen Kg/Kg coal
Sulfur Kg/Kg coal
0.6 Ash Kg/Kg coal
Moisture Kg/Kg coal
0.4 Oxygen % in FG / 5 (E.8)
0.2
0
13
22
25
10
16
19
28
31
1
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Fig. 13 - Effect of Coal Parameter (Proximate Analysis) on Excess Air
(O2% in Flue gas)
1.2
1
ash kg/kg Coal
0.8 Most kg/kg Coal
Oxygn % in FG/5 (E.7)
0.6
CVcoal KJ/Kg/ 40000
0.4 VM kg/kg Coal
FC kg/kg Coal
0.2
0
1
22
28
31
10
13
16
19
25
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Effect of Ultimate Parameter on Excess Air (O2% in Flue gas)
Crbn kg/kg Coal

1.2
Hdgn kg/kg Coal
1
Oxgn kg/kg Coal
0.8
Ntgn kg/kg Coal
0.6 Slf r kg/kg Coal
0.4 ash kg/kg Coal
Most kg/kg Coal

0.2
Oxygn % in FG/5 (E.8)

0
13
25
31
10
16
19
22
28
1
CVcoal KJ/Kg/ 40000
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 Variation in CV due to combustibles lead to the proportionate changes in
theoretical air but excess air requirement changes indifferently depending
upon quantities of impurities (oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, moisture and ash)
in coal and their combustion behavior .
 Proposed excess air is leading to a value of oxygen in flue gas near to the
conventional value (i.e. 4%) in many cases, which are operating at or near
to the design coal parameters.
 Excess air (O2 % in flue gas) requirement is increasing tremendously for
poor coals with higher ash content.
 Excess air (O2 % in flue gas) is too low for superior coals specifically with
high volatile matter and low ash content.
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Limitations of New Method of Excess Air Estimation

 Proposal of increasing excess air leads complete combustion of poor coal but may
increase dry flue gas loss than the reduction in combustible loss. In such cases,
minimum total of combustible loss and dry flue gas loss shall decide the optimized
quantity of excess air rather than formula under reference.
 Even this may leads to total flue gas volume, which may be higher enough to
cross limits of critical velocity and exponentially increases the flue gas erosion. In
this situation load has to be reduced in place of reducing the optimized air. Load
reduction cannot be more than 65% for very poor coal and supplementary fuel oil
or gas has to be used to minimize loss of boiler life and efficiency.
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Management of Flue Gas Exhaust Temperature
Flue gas exhaust temperature rise from 18 deg C to 20 deg

C causes 1% loss of boiler efficiency for higher ash coal to
the moderate ash coal respectively
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20
Losses in %
15
10 Dry Gas
Loss %
Wet Flue
5 Gas Loss %
M oisture In
Combustion
0 Loss %
100
130
150
160
170
180
190
110
120
140
80
90
Boiler
Losses %
Flue Gas Temperature in deg. C
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90
Blr. Efficiency
88
86
84
82
80
78
0
0
0
0
80
90
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Flu Gas Temperature in deg. C
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Flue Gas Exhaust Temperature Management
 Boiler Input System

Combustion air flow system
Coal & fuel oil flow system
 Flue gas flow system
 Water/steam flow system
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Combustion Air Flow System
Accurate assessment and correct distribution of

combustion air solve many of the steam generator’s
problems
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Coal Flow System

Unit coal flow system
 Bunkers
 Feeders
 Coal burners
 Pulverizes
 Primary air fans,
 Hot and cold primary air ducts
 Air pre heaters
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Coal Flow System

Coal input parameter
 Fixed Carbon
 Volatile Matter
 Ash
 Moisture
 Hard groove index
 Coal flow
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Coal Flow System

Operating parameters
 Hot primary air flow
 Hot primary air pressure
 Hot primary air temperature
 Pulverized coal fineness
 Temperature of the coal air mixture
 Coal flow
 Raw coal feeder speed
 Mill differential pressure
 Coal/air mixture pressure drop from mill outlet to burner
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Coal Flow System

Coal supply limits
 Fan power limit
 Pulverized coal fall out limit
 Pulverized coal pipe erosion limit
 Mill outlet temperature limit
 Mill power limit
 Maximum coal flow limit
 Grinding, drying & pulverized coal fineness stability limit
 Air/coal ratio explosion limit
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Coal Flow System

Notable Features of the Coal Flow System
 Design specified quantity of the hot primary air is decided to be
adequate to dry maximum possible moisture in the coal. Relatively
lesser percentage of actual moisture in coal than that of the design
is accommodated by mixing cold primary air also known to be
tempering air
 Mill constraints drawn on airflow versus coal flow graph left very
small space for mill operation, known as “mill operating window”
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Flue Gas Flow System

System Equipments
 SADC & Burners
 Mills, Boiler Fans and APH
 Flame Scanners and Soot Blowers
 Evaporator, SH, RH and Economizer
 Boiler Drum
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System Parameters
 Parameters of input Fuel and Air
 Wind box to furnace differential pressure
 Mill to furnace differential pressure
 Furnace vacuum
 Burner tilt
 (n-2) coal elevations out of ‘n’
 Differential pressure and temperature of the flue gas across WW,
PSH, RH, FSH, LTSH Eco, APH & ESP
 Fire Ball Position
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Control of Soot Deposits
 Frequent soot blowing with designed steam pressure and temperature
can keep the tubes clean to improve the heat transfer.
 Long retractable soot blowers do not function satisfactorily and causing
lot of soot deposition on platen super heater, re-heater, final super
heater, low temperature super heater and economizer.
 Air pre heater soot blowing also should be managed well because its
choking results in reduced heat transfer and higher flue gas exhaust
temperature. Air pre heater seals are also very important and must be
maintained.
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Control of Acid Deposition
Flue gas exhaust temperature can be optimally reduced
to avoid occurrence of flue gas dew point temperature.
Reduction of flue gas exhaust temper shall be lower for
lower flue gas dew point temperature and high ambient
temperature. High ash content of the coal neutralizes the
acidic effect due to its alkalinity and lead to a lower flue
gas dew point temperature.
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SPM Control in Flue Gas
Electro static precipitator reduces the suspended
particulate matter up to the extent of 150 mg/NM3,
higher fly ash erode the induced draught fan impeller
very severely and makes it quite difficult to maintain the
differential pressure across the various heat exchangers
of the steam generators.
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Water / Steam Flow System

Heat released in coal combustion is utilized in converting pressurized water into
superheated steam. Heat is absorbed as
 Sensible heat of water in economizer,
 Latent heat of steam in water walls and
 Sensible heat of steam in SH/RH.
Design specified parameters of flue gas and water / steam across various heat
exchangers lead to a constant ratio of heat absorption in them. Variation in
airflow, coal flow and flue gas flow parameters vary the water / steam flow
parameters which lead to change in heat absorption ratio
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Heat Balance Equation for the Boiler
Heat given by flue gas = heat taken by water/steam
Qc*CVc - Losses = Qms (Hms-hw) + Qrh (Hhrh – Hcrm)
Qfg*Cpfg*(Tf -Teco) = Qms*(Hms–hw) + Qrh (Hhrh – Hcrh)
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Detailed Heat Balance
Qfg*Cpfg*[ (Tf-Tpsh) + (Tpsh-Trh) + (Trh-Tfsh)

+ (Tfsh-Tltsh) + (Tltsh-Teco) + (Teco-Taph) ]
= Qw*S*(tfwo–tfwi) + Qw*S*(Ts –tfwo) + Qms*L
+ Qms*Cps*(Tms–Ts) + Qcrh* Cps* (Thrh–Tcrh)
I1+I2+I3+I4+ I5+I6 = F1+F2+F3+F4
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Management of Equipments’ Life Parameters
Wear/tear mechanism
 Erosion
 Corrosion
 Creep
 Fatigue
 Overheating
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Erosion
High velocity fluid streams with suspended solid impurities erode heat exchanger in
thermal plants ranging from condenser to boiler. On average, the erosion wear is
proportional to the impact velocity of the particles to the power 2.5. In general the
extent of surface erosion by impingement of abrasive particles depends upon the
following factors.
 System operation conditions (such as particle impinging velocity, impact angle,
particle number density at impact, properties of the carrier fluid).
 Nature of target tube material (such as material properties, tube orientation and
curvature, and surface condition)
 The properties of impinging particles (such as particle type and grade, mechanical
properties, size and sphericity)
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Erosion
Erosion Control Parameters
 Free stream velocity of the fluid (Uo)

 Impact velocity (W1)
 Frequency of impaction (η)
 Impingement angle (β1)
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Erosion
Boiler Erosion Control
Indian boilers have already suffered an irreparable loss of
life and capacity utilization. Large deviation in coal
parameters from the design specified values, leads to
significant variation in impacting particles’ properties (grade,
size and shape), which erodes external tube surface and
cause the failure much before the expiry of design life time.
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Erosion
Flue Gas Volume
Vfg
=Vair+Vm*(H/4+CO/24+M/18+N/28+O/32)*Qc
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Erosion
16 C% IN C/10
H%
14
O%
12 N%
S%
10
%hike Total vol
8 HHV KCal/kg/4000
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31
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Erosion
0.3
Hydrogn Kg/Kg coal

Oxygen Kg/Kg coal
0.2
Nitrogn Kg/Kg coal
Sulfur Kg/Kg coal
%total volum Chang/45
0.1 Carbon Kg/Kg coal/5
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31
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Erosion
0.5
0.4
Hydrogn Kg/Kg coal
Oxygen Kg/Kg coal
0.3
Nitrogn Kg/Kg coal
Sulfur Kg/Kg coal
0.2 %total volum Chang/20

Carbon Kg/Kg coal/5
0.1
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29
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Erosion
0.5
0.4
Hydrogn Kg/Kg coal

Nitrogn Kg/Kg coal
%total volum
Chang/10
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31
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Erosion
0.5
0.4
Hydrogn Kg/Kg coal

0.3
Oxygen Kg/Kg coal
Nitrogn Kg/Kg coal

%total volum Chang/10
Carbon Kg/Kg coal/5
0.1
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31
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Erosion
0.5
0.4
Hydrogn Kg/Kg coal

Nitrogn Kg/Kg coal
%total volum
Chang/30
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31
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Erosion
Hydrogn Kg/Kg coal

0.5
Oxygen Kg/Kg coal
Nitrogn Kg/Kg coal

0.4
Sulfur Kg/Kg coal
%total volum
0.3
Chang/20
Carbon Kg/Kg coal/5
0.2
0.1
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31
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Erosion
Free Stream Velocity Control
 Air flow
 Coal flow
 Coal fineness
 Burner tilt
 Mill outlet temperature
 Secondary air temperature
 Combustion temperature
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Erosion
Free Stream Velocity Control – Cont.
 Secondary air damper position
 Heat absorption
 Air pressure at outlet of forced draught fan
 Flue gas pressure drop across the platen super heater, re-heater, final
super heater, low temp super heater, economizer
 Flue gas temperature drop across platen super heater, re-heater, final
super heater, low temp super heater, economizer
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Flue Gas Erosion Abatement Techniques
Some of the tube erosion parameters such as shape, size grade,

frequency & velocity of the impacting particle, free stream velocity of
the carrier fluid and surface condition of the tube itself depend upon
various boiler operating and input parameters which can be
improved by;
- Use of beneficiated coal reduces the frequency of impacting
particles. In case of poor coal quality, coal blending and oil
support also reduce the boiler tube erosion.
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- Flue gas volume is proportional to the volume of the combustion air.
Accurate excess air management is quite essential to keep free stream
velocity well within the erosion limits
- Frequent use of soot blowing keeps the tube surface clean which do not
allow the cross section area to reduce to a value at which free stream
velocity can cross the erosion limits.
- Baffle plates can be used in high speed zone of boiler to keep the flue gas
velocity within the specified ranges.
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- Furnace Vacuum and differential pressures across the wind box,

platen super heater, re heater, final super heater and economizer
also influence the impacting particle velocity. Well maintained boiler
fans are essential to keep various deferential pressures within the
specified ranges.
- Particle size can be controlled by maintaining pulverizers healthy.
Reduced pulverizer capacity operation is essential in case of lower
hard groove index, high ash content, high moisture content of the
coal, and larger particle size or poor fineness at its outlet.
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Management of Human Safety Parameters
 Global warming
 Acid rain
 Desertification
 Ozone layer depletion
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Management of Human Safety Parameters
Air pollution
 SOx
 NOx
 Suspended particulate matter
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Conclusions
Some of the improvement potential parameters have been analyzed and

examined for implementation to reduce the avoidable loss component of
various processes and equipments
Many other parameters, which also influence the thermal power plant
performance, are not included either because of the satisfactory
practices in the power plants or because of the academic limitations of
the work
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- Sufficient clearance must be incorporated at the design stage itself

on the basis of erosion severity.
- Tubes of higher erosion resistance should be used.
- Boiler should not be allowed to run at higher loads with very poor
coal
- Tower type boilers are reported to be less susceptible for flue gas
erosion.
- Air ingress through men holes, peep holes/inspection doors and
cracks should be minimized.
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Conclusions
Main contribution of the work is related to the assessment of

performance loss of various processes and process equipments due to
variation in input parameters and its distinction, partly as inevitable and
partly as avoidable, which help the power plant performance manager to
focus their full attention to reduce the latter of the two.
Some of the contributions are briefly concluded in next slides;
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Conclusions
Ambient Air Parameters
 Temperature
 Humidity
 Purity
Influence
 Air conditioning systems
 Air cooled devices
 Air handling devices
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Conclusions
Performance loss for A/C systems
Change in air conditioning load on account of ambient air

temperature/ relative humidity up to the acceptable optimum
values for the men and material inside control volume is
inevitable. Difference between inevitably optimized values
and pre- decided standard values is avoidable.
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Conclusions
Performance loss of air cooled devices
Huge amount of heat is rejected to the ambient air from cooling water,
air cooled electrical/electronic equipments and electromechanical
losses. Temperature, Humidity and Purity influence the functional
performance of various air cooled devices either because of alteration in
sensible heat addition to the air or because of reduction in latent heat
addition to the air on account of different values of ambient air
temperature and humidity respectively.
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Conclusions

Performance loss of air cooled devices
Difference between the dry bulb temperature and wet bulb temperature,
is proportional to the evaporation of the cooling water through wet
cooling tower, which in turn proportionately reduces the temperature of
the cooling water and finally it leads to better condenser vacuum, failing
which the difference between hot cooling water temperature and ambient
air temperature must be high enough to absorb the total heat of cooling
water as the sensible heat of air flowing through the cooling tower and
failing both, loss of vacuum becomes inevitable.
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Conclusions

Performance loss for air handling devices
Driving motors of blowers, fans and compressors consume significant
power in thermal power stations, which increases with increasing air
temperature.
Fans and blowers in the plant handle huge quantity of air at low and
moderate discharge pressure, none of which is provided to regulate the
temperature of air at its inlet. High humidity and suspended solid impurities
increase little power consumption but deteriorate the components of air
handling device quite significantly.
More power consumption in high flow, low pressure air handling devices is
inevitable
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Conclusions

Few other effects of high ambient air temperature
 High air temperature helps in reducing down the flue gas exhaust
temperature by increasing average air pre heater metal temperatures
and delaying the sulfuric acid formation.
 High air temperature also helps in maintaining relatively higher values of
hot primary air and secondary air, which leads to better pulverization and
combustion.
 Combustion air play vital role at the fire side of the boiler input and
output, positive aspects of the changes increase the prescribed
standards of the performance and reduce the avoidable component of
inefficiency and vice-versa.
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Conclusions
Raw Water Parameters
 Deterioration in raw water quality increase the cost of chemical treatment

for drinking, bearing cooling and main working media (de-mineralized
water).
 No such treatment is done for the condenser cooling water and
deteriorates the condenser life by tube erosion and corrosion, which
adversely influence electricity availability and thermal efficiency.
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Conclusions
Loss of Condenser Vacuum

Condenser vacuum is a semi controllable parameter which is limited by
cooling water inlet temperature. Such loss in condenser vacuum is
inevitable and hence its impact has been quantitatively determined so
that managerial efforts of vacuum improvement can be concentrated on
avoidable loss which is equal to actual loss minus the estimated
inevitable
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Conclusions
Loss of Condenser Vacuum

Condenser vacuum is a semi controllable parameter which is limited by
cooling water inlet temperature. Such loss in condenser vacuum is
inevitable and hence its impact has been quantitatively determined so
that managerial efforts of vacuum improvement can be concentrated on
avoidable loss which is equal to actual loss minus the estimated
inevitable
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Conclusions
De Mineralized Water Parameters
Initial Filling
It is observed that the de mineralized make up water separately filled in
condenser hot well, deaerator and boiler drum by using make up water
pump, emergency lift pumps and boiler fill pumps respectively. This by
passes starting facilities of supplying auxiliary steam to last low pressure
heater, hydrazine dozing after deaerator. This do not save starting time
and energy as it is claimed but likely to reduce boiler and turbine life due
to improper quality of the boiler feed water.
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Conclusions
DM Water/Steam Parameters
Causes of abnormal water level in the condenser
 Failure of the auto control valve
 High steam flow
 Malfunctioning of the condensate pump
 Tube failure
Consequences
 Sub cooling of the condensate increase heat loading
 High level reduce the heat transfer area for condensation, which results in poor
condenser vacuum
 low level may lead to the damage of the pump and heaters.
 Raw water damages the entire DM water and steam circuit in a catastrophic manner
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Conclusions
Condensate System
Extraction steam flow/pressure/temperature and condensate/feed water
flow/temperature are the uncontrollable parameters and in turn these
make the feed water outlet temperature as the uncontrollable parameter.
A very little control on auxiliary steam flow to the last low pressure
heater for initial heating before the deaerator is rarely utilized, which
leads to loss of life and efficiency
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Conclusions
Proper Deaeration
Deaerator is meant for physical deaeration of the feed water and raising
its temperature and pressure to the suction requirement of boiler feed
pump.
Hydrazine is injected after the deaerator to reduce the oxygen less than
the minimum displayable value of the instrument provided for.
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Conclusions
Feed Water System
Loss of boiler/turbine life and thermal efficiency due to non
availability of the high pressure heaters have been
reported to be quite significant in many Indian thermal
power station, which demands better standards of
operation and maintenance practices.
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Conclusions
Feed Water Flow to the Boiler
Controlling device of the boiler feed pumps quickly ensure the sufficient
differential pressure across the feed control station from where actual flow to
the boiler is regulated to maintain the design prescribed water level in the
boiler drum.
Normal drum level represents the thermodynamic stability of the boiler,
which is controlled by rate of steam generation and steam flowing out of the
boiler. Steam generation depends upon firing rate and feed water supply.
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Conclusions
Sensible heat addition in economizer

Feed water temperature at the inlet of the economizer must
be more than the flue gas dew point temperature.
And at the outlet of economizer must be sufficiently lower
than the corresponding flue gas temperature
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Conclusions
Evaporation
Steam generation rate in the water walls (evaporator) is controlled by
heat absorption at external surface of the tubes and fire ball position.
Evaporation abnormalities reflects on drum level, un-stability of which
indicates poor boiler health.
Provision of restricting orifices at the evaporator tubes inlet to ensure
equal flow through the tubes help in reducing localized starvation and
subsequent overheating.
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Conclusions
Steam Super Heating and Re Heating
Steam temperature at the outlet of the super heater and re heater should
be maintained without injecting any attemperation by properly controlling
the other parameters, such as burner tilt and selecting the lower
elevation for fuel firing
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Conclusions
Expansion of steam in turbine
Expansion of steam through steam turbine must be
monitored in terms of design specified reductions in
temperatures and pressures
Variation in turbo supervisory parameters must be
analyzed for the improvement of running parameters
beginning with steam temperature, pressure and purity.
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Conclusions
Steam Flow Control
 Flow of steam to the turbine is controlled by turbine governing system in
line with turbo supervisory parameters, generator parameters,
condenser vacuum, grid frequency and boiler parameters inclusive of
steam temperature and pressure.
 Normal governing equipments, test equipments, pre emergency
equipments and emergency equipments must be maintained well and
kept on auto functioning until there is a dire need to bypass any one of
them
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Conclusions
Coal Flow System Parameters

Mill Capacity Modulation
Ash
Moisture
Hard Groove Index
Fixed carbon
Fineness
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Conclusions
Hot primary air flow regulation
 Moisture content in the coal

 Hot primary air temperature
 Cold primary air temperature
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Conclusions
Combustion air flow regulation
 Stoichiometric air flow

 Excess air flow estmation
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Conclusions
Secondary air flow regulation
= Stoichiometric air + Excess air – Primary air
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Conclusions

Essentials of Combustion
Combustibles from Coal
Oxygen Combustion air
Turbulence Combustion air pr. & dir.
Temperature Supplementary fuel/arc
Time Blr. dim. & combustion air
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Conclusions
Primary air is meant for dry and transport the coal from mill
to the furnace.
Secondary air is supplied to ensure proper flow of products
of combustion and to ensure complete combustion.
Tertiary air is supplied to suppress the heat flux to minimize
pollutants production
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Conclusions

Secondary air damper control system play vital role in successful
combustion, some of which modulate in proportion to the fuel quantity
and known as fuel air dampers where as the others are meant for
maintaining prescribed differential pressure in between the secondary
air wind box and furnace. Place and direction of secondary air supply
is as valuable as the estimation of correct quantity.
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Conclusions
Role of supplementary fuel firing equipments, monitoring

devices, soot blowers etc play equally important role
combustion management as that of secondary air
dampers, burners, burner tilting mechanism etc.
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Conclusions

Heat transfer from flue gas to the water/steam is influenced by input,
output and differential temperatures of both the hot and cold fluid.
External and internal tube deposits or any input/ output variation
destabilize the proportionate heat transfer and cause abnormalities
leading to the loss of boiler life and efficiency.
Air pre heater is the last heat exchanger in the coal combustion flow
path, which extract heat from the minimum temperature and send it back
to the boiler through combustion air
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Recommendations
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Recommendations
Recommendations for air conditioning systems

- 18 deg C, 50-60% RH in winter
- 28 deg C, 50-60% RH in summer
In place of alignment point of 25 deg C, 50% RH or lower value
Woolen cloths in the winter as usual and internal air circulation in the
summer to reduce APC.
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Recommendations

Recommendations for air cooled devices
Amount of air supply has to be increased to increase the total
evaporation up to the most optimized limits and rest of the
performance loss has to be treated as inevitable. Recirculation
flow will also help in avoiding the avoidable component of loss.
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Recommendations

Recommendations for Wet Cooling Towers
It is recommended to install air flow variation system with
cooling tower fan to partially curtail the loss of condenser
vacuum in the situations of high heat and humidity so that the
avoidable component of loss of efficiency due to poor
condenser vacuum can be set aside.
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Recommendations

Recommendations for air handling devices
Low flow high discharge pressure compressors should be

provided with pre cooler and inter cooler to minimize the
avoidable loss where as for high flow, low discharge
pressure the loss should accepted as inevitable
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Recommendations

In case of high ambient air temperature, we should
maintain lower flue gas exhaust temperature due to low
FGDPT, which lead to better boiler efficiency.
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Recommendations

Recommendations for Condenser Vacuum
After exhausting all the efforts of cooling water inlet temperature
optimization, associated inevitable component of the loss of condenser
vacuum has to be determined. So determined inevitable component is
deducted from the actual loss to determine the avoidable, which is
minimized by increasing cooling water flow, keeping tubes clean,
minimizing the air ingress, improving the steam quality and effectively
utilizing the vacuum creating devices
A paper to this effect was presented in a global conference in 2004 at JMI
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Recommendations

High TTD causes and remedial measures;
 Higher gaseous impurities in the steam can be managed by better
management of boiler and pre-boiler system
 Air ingress can be avoided by frequent leak detection test and effective
steam sealing of low pressure turbine.
 External tube deposits can gradually increase terminal temperature
difference which needs better de mineralized water quality management.
 Internal tube deposits causing higher terminal temperature difference with
higher cooling water pressure across the condenser can be effectively
minimized by on-line condenser tube cleaning.
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Recommendations

Recommendations for reducing the avoidable component of
condenser vacuum
SE creates vacuum up to 540 mmHgCl. It is better to sufficiently wait till the
capacity of starting ejector is exhausted and stable vacuum is maintained.
10 to 15 minutes after the establishment of stable vacuum by starting
ejector, ME should be cut into service followed by withdrawal of SE. Parallel
operation of both the ejector shall not only develop the lesser vacuum but
also damage the main ejector tips.
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Recommendations
De Mineralized Water Parameters

Recommendations for initial filling
It is recommended that after filling condenser hot well to required level,
condensate extraction pump should be started to divert the extra DM
water to the deaerator until it is half filled.
After the establishment of deaerator parameters, boiler feed pump should
be started and then feed water should be taken to economizer till water
level in the drum is adequate.
Boiler fill pumps and emergency lift pumps must not be used for normal
start up because they provided to fill boiler for the purposes other than the
start up.
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Recommendations
Recommendations for Feed Heaters
 Steam and drip control of the heaters should be improved.
 It is also recommended to have control valves on
extraction lines to have better control on feed water outlet
temperature.
 Vapour line of every heater should be kept clean to
improve the heat transfer.
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Recommendations
Recommendations for Proper Deaeration
Quantity of the hydrazine injected to the feed water, after the deaerator to reduce
the oxygen less than the minimum displayable value of the instrument should be
optimized to reduce non condensable gases in the condenser.
Attempt should be made to maximize the physical deaeration by properly
maintaining the deaerator parameters and repairing the internals to minimize the
chemical deaeration to further reduce the formation of non condensable gas in
condenser.
Auxiliary steam supply to last low pressure heater is beneficial and helps in
maintaining the deaereator parameters quickly, which improves physical
deaeration.
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Recommendations
High Pressure Heaters
Adequate drip level in the heaters and its proper diversion
save heat at high potential, which leads to the less
destruction of exergy. Practicing exergy analysis for heat
exchangers in general, help in improving the performance
and applicable to the regenerative feed heating equipments
too.
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Recommendations
Recommendations for low feed water temperature at the

outlet of economizer
Low temperature feed water should be heated introducing an
additional heater in between the last high pressure heater and
economizer to ensure heat transfer in the boiler under design
prescribed differential temperatures and proportions of heat flux.
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Recommendations
Recommendations for the evaporator
Boiler blow downs should be optimally utilized.
CBD & IBD should utilized only on the basis of chemical analysis of
feed water samples from evaporator and use of EBD should be
avoided by better co-ordination of fuel firing to the boiler and steam
supply to the turbine.
Phosphate dozing should be optimized.
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Recommendations
Steam Super Heating and Re Heating
Pressure dominated steam must not be allowed for

expansion in steam turbine.
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Recommendations
Expansion of steam in turbine
On line determination of energy and exergy parameters help
operation managers to estimate avoidable component of
performance loss and in turn to initiate the action to curtail the
same.
Axial shift, differential expansion, eccentricity and vibration are also
utilized for the improvement of running parameters beginning with
steam temperature, pressure and purity.
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Recommendations
Recommendations for Auxiliary Steam
Significant amount of steam is taken from the main steam line for
auxiliary purposes. Temperature and Pressure are reduced from 540
deg C and 137 Kg/sqcm to 200 deg C and 15 Kg/sqcm by mixing
water, which results in large loss of exergy.
It will be better to take steam of lower exergetic potential from the
different source such as lower temperature header of the super heater,
extraction from the turbine, pressure vessel etc.
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Recommendations
After exhausting all the efforts of using design specified

coal, following efforts should be made to minimize the
adverse effect of relatively inferior coal quality than that
of the design;
 Pit head coal washing should be done.
 Fuel blending is recommended
 Coal mill capacity should be reduced in accordance with mill
operating condition curves
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Recommendations

 Total air flow should be modified in accordance with equation 7 and 8
of the chapter VII and total flow through the boiler should be restricted
sufficiently lower than that of the critical velocity in any part of the
steam generators. Lot of attention is required to improve the operation
and maintenance of secondary distribution system particularly for the
Indian boilers. A reliable operator friendly secondary air damper control
system should be introduced. Paper was presented in 2005 at DCE in
international seminar and 2004 JMI)
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Recommendations

 Capacity of the individual mill should be further reduced either
because of inadequate pulverized coal fineness or because of
high current of the mill driving motor.
 It is also recommended to supply supplementary fuel oil or gas
to maintain loading conditions nearest possible to the maximum

continuous rating, particularly for the units, which are not stable
at partial loads.
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Recommendations
Long retractable soot blowers of many thermal units, do not

function satisfactorily and cause lot of soot deposition on PSH,
RH, FSH, LTSH & Economizer. APH soot blowing also should
be managed well because its choking results in reduced heat
transfer and higher flue gas exhaust temperature. Air pre heater
seals are also very important and must be maintained.
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Recommendations

FGDPT in case of high ash and low sulfur coals is relatively lower,
which must be incorporated in the design for a lower flue gas exhaust
temperature. Operational efforts also should be made to optimally
reduce the flue gas exhaust temperature to improve boiler efficiency
as there is no possibility of occurrence of acid deposition. High
ambient temperature increases the average air pre heater metal
temperature and permit for further lowered down the flue gas exhaust
temperature. (Paper was presented at national seminar in Coakata in 2006)
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Recommendations
Drum level operator should be provided with additional

instrument showing coal flow and steam flow so that he can
maintain better heat and mass balance with matching
responses.
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181
Recommendations

 Either economizer may be provided with one more standby feed water
heating system or flue gas path should be provided with additional fuel
firing system before the economizer.
 APH may be provided with more heating element to further reduce flue
gas exhaust temperature.
 Design prescribed voltage of electro static precipitator fields and proper
functioning of the wrapping mechanism must be maintained to reduces
the suspended particulate matter up to the law prescribed value of 150
mg/NM3.
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Recommendations

 Recommendations for minimizing the adverse effect of the tube
erosion parameters (i.e. shape, size grade, impact frequency, impact
velocity, free stream velocity of the carrier fluid and surface condition
of the tube, depend upon various boiler operating and input
parameters); (a paper was presented in 2006 in a national seminar at JMI)
 Flue gas volume is proportional to the volume of the combustion air.
Accurate excess air management is quite essential to keep free
stream velocity well within the erosion limits
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183
Recommendations
Coal Flow Systems’ Parameters

 Soot blowing also keeps the tube surface clean which do not allow the
cross section area to reduce to a value at which free stream velocity
can cross the erosion limits. An improper management of soot blowing
itself causes the erosion of the tubes.
 Baffle plates can be used in high speed zone of boiler to keep the flue
gas velocity within the specified ranges.
 Particle size can be controlled by maintaining pulverizers healthy.
Reduced pulverizer capacity operation is essential in case of high ash &
moisture content of coal, lower hard groove index and higher particle
size (fineness) at its outlet.
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Recommendations

 Furnace Vacuum and differential pressures across the wind box,
platen super heater, re heater, final super heater and economizer also
influence the impacting particle velocity. Well maintained boiler fans
are essential to keep various deferential pressures within the specified
ranges.
 Sufficient clearance must be incorporated at the design stage itself on
the basis of erosion severity.
 Tubes of higher erosion resistance should be used.
 Boiler should not be allowed to run at higher loads with very poor coal
 Air ingress through men holes, peep holes, inspection doors and
cracks should be minimized.
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185
Recommendations
Coal Flow Systems’ Parameters

 SOx reduction has become essential for high sulfur coal based stations
by making use of fuel desulphurization unit and putting the flue gas
desulphurization units at the discharge of the electro static precipitator.
To prevent ozone layer depletion, leakage of green house gases has to
be stopped. CO2 is produced in abundance and increases quantity of
the green house gases, which can be minimized either by forestation or
by putting the decarburization plant before the chimney.
- Using low NOx Burners
- Space for flue gas de-sulfurization units
- Noise control
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Recommendations
General Recommendations
 Apart from the flow process improvement, following
recommendations improve the over all performance of plant
- Grid frequency
- Coal and ash transport
- Plume effect
- Vents and safety valve
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Recommendations
Scope of the Work
Thermal power plant operation and efficiency managers can make use
of the results and recommendation, in accordance with chapter IV to VII.
This also evolves useful suggestions to the equipment designers,
engineering, procurement and construction managers, commissioning
organizers, maintenance personnel and thermal power plant
environmentalists. This work is also quite useful for those students of
Applied Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer and Fluid Mechanics, whom so
ever wish to be the ‘Power Engineer’ and decides to develop expertise
in the field of operation and efficiency.
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Recommendations
Future Linkages
Any thermal power plant can incorporate the mathematical model with
their data acquisition system to give online guidance message to their
operator. This work also gives many specific areas (coal parameters,
cooling water flow and its inlet temperature to the condenser, flue gas
exhaust temperature, O2 % in flue gas, equipment’s life, environmental
protection etc), which attract the power plant researchers to know more
and more about less and less. Dynamic models evolves lot of scope to
researchers.
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Introduction
Future Linkages
 Integrated dynamic model of the thermal power plant processes of this work, can
be further advanced for better analysis and examination of micro level cause and
effect relationship for the optimization of the performance control, which invite
research in future, linking the present work.
 Informal validation of this work conducted on some unit of the utility sector was
not permitted to be published due the classified stringent constrained with the
power plant personnel, under the help and guidance of whom this studied was
conducted and concluded. Project on formal validation of the proposals for any
specific coal based thermal unit shall be a future linkage leading to the
commercial benefit of reference unit.
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190
Conclusions and Recommendations
Desired effect from the thermal power plant is electricity of

standardized quantity and quality at the minimum
consumption of input fuel oil and coal as the primary cause.
To facilitate the first effect as heat from the primary cause of
fuel supply, combustion supporting air and initial ignition
energy has to be supplied to the furnace as an integral part of
the primary cause. Liberated heat is the effect of combustion
system, which cause steam generation.
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191
Conclusions and Recommendations- Cont.
Similarly all intermediate effect become the cause for the next process
and hence regulation of every process and monitoring its cause and effect
in measurable parameters help in improving the performance of
associated process. Reasonable guide lines have been provided to
optimize the performance of most of the thermal power plant processes
along with system wise integration of the same. Integrated mathematical
model is capable of providing energy and exergy parameters to
incorporate the same in dynamically managing the performance
influencing parameters in accordance with causal relationships
established in the dynamic model.
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192
Thank you
*

Management of Thermal PPPP

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Management of Thermal PPPP

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Management of Thermal Power

Plant Performance Parameters

Dr. K.C. Yadav, AVP,

Fundamental research, renovation and

Combustion Air Flow Model

Figure 3.6 - De-Mineralized Make Up Water Flow Model

Primary Air Flow Model

Secondary Air Flow Parameters

Coal Flow Model

Coal and Primary Air Flow Systems

Fuel Air Supply Flow Model

Drum Level Control

Flue Gas Exhaust Temperature Model

Electricity Generation Systems

 Air pollution parameters

 Boiler Efficiency (Direct and Indirect method)

Ηb = 100 – Total % Losses

Turbo Alternator Heat Rate

 UHR = (THR in KJ/KWHr)/ηb

Effect of CW Flow on Vacuum

Qcw ( Cooling Water Flow)

 Level in Condenser Hot Well

Effect of Load on Condenser Vacuum)

Equations (4) and (5) are Solved as (7) and (8)

Excess Air=0.15*[(F.C.–V.M.)+(M+A**2/10)] ------------(7)

Excess Air=0.15*[C-(5H+3*0/8+S+N)+(M+A**2/10] ---(8)

0.5 Ash Kg/Kg coal

Fig. 3 - Effect of Coal Parameter (Ultimate

0.5 Carbon Kg/Kg of coal

0.2 Moisture Kg/Kg coal

Fig, 8 - Effect of Coal Parameter (Ultimate

0.1 CV in K.J./Kg coal / 40000

Management of Oxygen in Flue Gas

Management of Oxygen in Flue Gas

Management of Oxygen in Flue Gas

Management of Oxygen in Flue Gas

Management of Oxygen in Flue Gas

Management of Oxygen in Flue Gas

Crbn kg/kg Coal

0.6 Slf r kg/kg Coal

0.4 ash kg/kg Coal

Most kg/kg Coal

Oxygn % in FG/5 (E.8)

CVcoal KJ/Kg/ 40000

Management of Oxygen in Flue Gas

Management of Oxygen in Flue Gas

Limitations of New Method of Excess Air Estimation

Flue gas exhaust temperature rise from 18 deg C to 20 deg

Flue Gas Temperature in deg. C

Flue Gas Exhaust Temperature Management

 Boiler Input System

Combustion Air Flow System

Accurate assessment and correct distribution of

Coal Flow System

Coal Flow System

Coal Flow System

Coal Flow System

Coal Flow System

Flue Gas Flow System

Flue Gas Flow System

Flue Gas Flow System

Flue Gas Flow System

Flue Gas Flow System

Excess Air=0.15[C-(5H+30/8+S+N)+(M+A**2/10] ---(8)

QfgCpfg(Tf -Teco) = Qms*(Hms–hw) + Qrh (Hhrh – Hcrh)

QfgCpfg[ (Tf-Tpsh) + (Tpsh-Trh) + (Trh-Tfsh)