Theory of Steam Generation

R. P. Poudel
Professor
Mechanical Engineering Department

Progressive Development of Power

Generation through Steam Generation
 The Theory of Producing Steam
Water boils and evaporates at 100C under atmospheric pressure.
By higher pressure, water evaporates at higher temperature - e.g. a
pressure of 10 bar equals an evaporation temperature of 184C.
During the evaporation process, pressure and temperature are
constant, and a substantial amount of thermal energy is used for
bringing the water from liquid to vapour phase.
When all the water is evaporated, the steam is called dry saturated.
In this condition the steam contains a large amount of latent heat.
Further heating of dry saturated steam will lead to increase in
temperature of the steam.
Superheated steam.
 Steam generator versus steam boiler
Opposite the principle of the steam boilers, the water in the
steam generators evaporates inside the tube winded up into
serial connected tube coils.
The feed water is heated up to the evaporation temperature and
then evaporated.
The intensity of the heat, the feed water flow and the
size/length of the tube are adapted, so that the water is exactly
fully evaporated at the exit of the tube.
This ensures a very small water and steam volume (content of
the pressure vessel).
Thus there are no buffer in a steam generator, and is it
temporary overloaded.
The advantages using a steam generator compare to
conventional steam boilers.
 Easy to operate - normally no requirement for boiler
authorisation
Rapid start-up and establishing full steam pressure Compact
and easy to adapt in the existing machinery arrangement
Price attractive - especially at low steam rates.
The advantages using a steam generator compare to
conventional steam boilers:
Easy to operate - normally no requirement for boiler
authorisation
Rapid start-up and establishing full steam pressure Compact
and easy to adapt in the existing machinery arrangement
Price attractive - especially at low steam rates.
 Steam Generation Theory
Within the boiler, fuel and air are
force into the furnace by the
burner.
There, it burns to produce heat.
From there, the heat (flue
gases) travel throughout the
boiler.
The water absorbs the heat, and
eventually absorb enough to
change into a gaseous state -
steam.
To the left is the basic theoretical
design of a modern boiler.
Boiler makers have developed
various designs to squeeze the
most energy out of fuel and to
maximized its transfer to the
water.
 Water enters the boiler, preheated, at the top.
The hot water naturally circulates through the tubes down to the lower
area where it is hot.
The water heats up and flows back to the steam drum where the steam
collects.
Not all the water gets turn to steam, so the process starts again.
Water keeps on circulating until it becomes steam.
Meanwhile, the control system is taking the temperature of the steam
drum, along with numerous other readings, to determine if it should
keep the burner burning, or shut it down.
As well, sensors control the amount of water entering the boiler, this
water is know as feedwater.
Feedwater is not your regular drinking water.
It is treated with chemicals to neutralize various minerals in the water,
which untreated, would cling to the tubes clogging or worst, rusting
them.
This would make the boiler expensive to operate because it would not
be very efficient.
 On the fire side of the boiler, carbon deposit resulting from
improper combustion or impurities in the fuel can accumulate on
the outer surface of the water tube.
This creates an insulation which quickly decrease the energy
transfer from the heat to the water.
To remedy this problem the engineer will carry out soot blowing.
At a specified time the engineer uses a long tool and insert it into
the fire side of the boiler.
This device, which looks like a lance, has a tip at the end which
"blows" steam.
This blowing action of the steam "scrubs" the outside of the water
tubes, cleaning the carbon build up.
Water tube boilers can have pressures from 7 bar to as high as
250 bar.
The steam temperature's can vary between saturated steam, 100
degrees Celsius steam with particle of water, or be as high as
600 - 650 degrees Celsius, know as superheated steam or dry
steam
The performance of boiler is generally referred to as tons of
steam produced in one hour.
In water tube boilers that could be as low as 1.5 t/hr to as high
as 2500 t/hr.