UNIT 7 STEAM POWER PLANTS

Structure
7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 Introduction
Objectives

Steam Power Plants

Layout of a Steam Power Plant Water and Steam Circuit Coolant-cooling Tower Circuit Air and Flue Gas Circuit Fuel Handling Processing Circuit Ash Handing Disposal Circuit Summary Key Words

7.10 Answers to SAQs

7.1 INTRODUCTION
The steam power plant operating on the Rankine cycle or the regenerative Rankine cycle is the most common thermal power plant operating with coal or lignite as fuel. The same steam power cycle is used in nuclear power plant with the reactor replacing the furnace of the boiler as the heat source. Even in combined cycle power plants where natural gas or other gaseous fuels are used as fuel the top cycle is gas turbine cycle. Invariably the bottom cycle is a steam power cycle involving a steam generator which utilises the heat associated with the exhaust gas to produce steam. In addition many processes reject heat at high temperature and as an energy conservation measure heat recovery steam generators or used to capture the heat and produce the steam. This steam in turn is used in Rankine cycle to produce power. Thus, the components present in most of the thermal power cycles are common. In this unit we consider a general steam power plant and study the various fluid flow paths and fuels and ash flow directions to get a feel of the matter and energy movement in the same. The observations made for the typical steam power plant are universal and can be suitably modified for plants having special features incorporated in them.

Objectives
After studying this unit, you should be able to understand about the layout of steam power plant, and explain about the various circuits used in steam power plants, such as water steam circuit, etc.

7.2 LAYOUT OF A STEAM POWER PLANT

Figure 7.1 shows the layout of a thermal power plant (with two pass type Utility boiler). A careful study of the layout reveal the flow of matter in well specified paths known as circuits. These could be labeled as follows : (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) Water and steam circuit Coolant-cooling tower circuit Air and flue gas circuit Fuel handling processing circuit Ash handling processing circuit 125

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Figure 7.1 : Layout of Thermal Power Plant (with Two Pass Type Utility Boiler)

Steam Power Plants

In the following sections we will study these circuits in detail.

7.3 WATER AND STEAM CIRCUIT

The layout sketch shows a two pass type utility boiler generating steam for the cycle. We observe that the condensate (liquid water) received from the condenser at a low pressure (below atmospheric) is pumped to increase the pressure. The increased pressure water enters the economiser and picks up the heat from the flue gases. The hot water thus obtained enters the boiler drum. From the boiler drum water enters the down corner tubes to the header of the water walls which surround the furnace flame zone. The water walls almost completely absorb the radiant heat from the flames and cause rapid vaporisation of the water. The vapour-liquid water mixture rapidly rise up through the water walls due to lower density and is collected and feedback to the drum. The saturated steam present above the water free surface is taken first to low temperature super heater where the slightly low temperature hot gases glide past the tubes carrying the saturated steam. Thus, the temperature of the steam is increased above the saturation temperature and this steam now enters the platen super heaters. In the platen super heaters heat transfer from hot gases takes place to cause maximum rise in temperature of super heated steam. This steam is now directed to pass through the finish super heater where the steam attains the required turbine inlet temperature. The steam from the boiler enters the high pressure stages of the turbine and undergoes expansion to produce power. However, the expansion causes not only the pressure to fall but also the temperature. Hence, to avoid the problem of excess moisture (wetness) in the low pressure turbine stages, the steam is taken back to the boiler furnace and gets heated to the turbine inlet temperature using the re-heater. The re-heated steam now enters the low pressure turbine stages, undergo expansion till the condenser pressure is reached. The exhaust steam from the low pressure turbine stages enters the condenser and due to removal heat from it by the coolant it condenses and is sent to the feed pump at low (condensing) pressure. From this circuit we observe that economiser is utilised to pick up the heat which would otherwise have gone waste through the flue gases to atmosphere. Thus, it is a boiler auxiliary and not a part of it. The different types of super heaters namely, low temperature super heater, finish super heater and platen super heater are part of the boiler itself and incorporated as demanded by the steam inlet conditions for the turbine. Re-heaters are provided only in re-heat cycles requiring re-heat of steam. In addition feed heaters and feed pumps are used in regenerative cycles to improve the efficiency of the cycle. The layout shown in Figure 7.1 does not have regenerative principle employed in it.

7.4 COOLANT-COOLING TOWER CIRCUIT

As seen in the layout heat is removed from the exhaust steam by coolant (cold water) taken from the cooling pond of the cooling water. A cooling water pump is used to circulate the cooling water through the tubes of the surface condenser. The cold water becomes warm by picking up heat from the exhaust steam and is sent to a cooling tower for evaporative cooling. Natural draft assisted hyperbolic cooling towers of huge sizes are generally used in steam power plans to efficiently provide cooling water. As seen in the example problem on condenser cooling water needs in Unit 6 the quantity of coolant to be circulated through the condenser is very large (about 50-60 times the mass flow rate of steam). Hence, natural draft assisted evaporative cooling towers are the best

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choice for power plants. However, these cooling towers could be as tall as 100 metres and expensive.

7.5 AIR AND FLUE GAS CIRCUIT

To burn the fuel in the boiler furnace air is needed. This air is supplied by the air supply system. The air supply system comprise of an induced draft and which sucks the hot flue gases generated in the furnace through the different steam super heaters, re-heater, economiser, air pre-heater and electrostatic precipitator. The induced draft (I.D.) fan induces flow of air into the furnace by creating a draft (vacuum) and delivers the waste flue gases to the atmosphere through a chimney. The tall chimney also creates a draft and facilitates the movement of flue gases to atmosphere. However, in steam power plants flue gas systems have large pressure drops and the induced draft fan and chimney together can not provide necessary driving potential for the large quantity of air to flow into the air pre-heater. In addition, to supply the pulverized fuel, significant quantities of air is needed and the same is provide by a separate primary air fan. The primary air fan supplies air to the pulverising mill and it picks up the pulverised coal particles and enters the burners of the furnace. The quantity of air carrying the pulverized coal particles is referred to as primary air and it is not sufficient for complete combustion of fuel. Additional quantities of air is needed to completely burn the fuel (secondary air) and also to dilute the temperature from the adiabatic flame temperature to the furnace operating temperature. This is very large compared to the primary air and is supplied by the forced draft (F.D.) fan. In order to recover the heat associated with the waste flue gases and transfer the same to rise the temperature air entering the furnace, an air preheater is used. Normally, regenerative type air pre-heaters are used in power plants and though they are massive in size they are very effective in transferring the heat from the flue gases to air entering the furnace as secondary and dilution air. Even though, the furnace temperature is maintained above the ash fusion temperature to enable the ash to melt and get collected by gravity in the ash pit, still large amounts of ash generated is carried over by the hot gases produced through the different components as fly ash. Fly ash is very harmful to environment if let to the atmosphere directly. Hence, the flue gases are sent through an electrostatic precipitator and almost 99% of all the fly ash is trapped in it and only clean flue gases are let out to the atmosphere. To reduce the NOx (Oxides of Nitrogen) which is a harmful pollutant, produced during fuel burning, exhaust gas recirculation is carried out as shown in Figure 7.1. Fraction of the relatively low temperature (350oC) flue gas is taken back and injected in to the furnace, which reduces the adiabatic flame temperature and hence suppresses the thermal NO formation.

7.6 FUEL HANDLING PROCESSING CIRCUIT

In general, the thermal power plants use coal as the fuel and the quantity of fuel burnt is very large and hence adequate stock of coal is to be maintained to run the power plant without interruption. This demands large coal storage and normally the coal received from mines in wagons is kept in coal yards as heaps, which are open to atmosphere. The coal contains volatiles and these volatile matter get released in large quantities when ambient temperature is high particularly in summer months as in our country. This volatile matter mixes with atmospheric air and forms a combustible mixture. A small spark can cause fire hazards and hence in summer months over the coal heaps using sprinkler system water is sprayed to suppress the release of the volatiles. Form the open yard the coal is transported by in house handling arrangement like endless belt conveyors and bucket elevators which transport the coal from coal yard to the crushers. The crushers are needed to reduce the size of the coal to (about 50 mm lump size) feed to pulverisers. Normally, hammer mills, jaw crushers and cone crushers are used 128

to bring down the size of huge lumps of coal. The crushed coal is transported by elevators and conveyors and fed to the pulverising mill. In the pulverising mill find dust of coal (about 40 micron) is produced and the same is carried by the continuous steam of primary air supplied by the primary air fan. The air-coal dust mixture in turn is conveyed through pipes to the tilting type tangential fire burners kept at the four corners of the furnace. The forced draft (F.D.) fan supplies the additional quantity of air needed for completing the combustion of fuel and the air before entering the burners get pre-heated in the regenerative type air pre-heater and assists rapid combustion of the fuel practices. For startup or auxiliary purposes, the boiler plant may use fuel oil as well. Fuel oil can be delivered to plants by pipeline, tanker, tank car or truck. Oil is stored in vertical cylindrical steel tanks with capacities as high as 90,000 barrels (14,000 m3) or about 5 million US gallons. The heavier no. 5 bunker and no. 6 fuels are typically steam-heated before pumping in cold climates. Plants fuelled by natural gas are usually built adjacent to gas transport pipelines or have dedicated gas pipeline extended to them.

Steam Power Plants

7.7 ASH HANDLING DISPOSAL CIRCUIT

Ash is the undesirable mineral matter which is released during combustion of coal. Particularly in Indian coals the mass fraction of ash is very significant of the order of 0.3 to 0.45. Thus, for every kg of coal fired 0.3-0.45 kg of ash is to be continuously removed, otherwise, it will fill the ash pit in no time and prevent the feeding of the fresh fuel. In addition, the ash deposited on the walls of the water tubes reduce the coefficient of heat transfer and hence affect the rate of heat transfer. To prevent the deposition of thick fused ash on the heat transfer surfaces soot blowers are to be incorporated in boilers. In the furnace the temperature of the hot gases is maintained above the ash fusion temperature to enable the melting of the ash particles, to coagulate and form lumps of fused ash. These fused lumps fall by gravity in the ash pit and thus upto 70% of the ash present in the coal gets physically separated as boiler slag, fall assisted by gravity. The remaining ash particles are known as fly ash and is carried by the hot flue gas. Boiler Slag Boiler slag is a byproduct from the combustion of coal in power plants. It is melted and fused particles of ash that collect on the bottom of the boiler. Slag forms when operating temperatures exceed ash fusion temperature. Bottom Ash Bottom ash (also called power plant bottom ash) is the coarse, solid mineral residue that result from the burning of coal in utility boilers. Bottom ash does not melt and therefore remains in the form of unconsolidated ash that settles on the bottom of a boiler. Fly Ash Capture Fly ash can be captured by mechanical devices like cyclone separators, bag house filters or using electrostatic precipitators (ESP). Among them the ESP is the most effective device to remove large quantities of fly ash efficiently and economically. Therefore, they are used for fly ash separation in all modern boilers.

Exercise 1
(a) (b) (c) Draw the layout of a modern power station and label the parts. What are the functions of air pre-heater, economiser and re-heater in a power plant? State the different circuits observed in power plants. 129

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(d)

Explain in detail the feed water-steam circuit.

Exercise 2
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) Describe the functions of all components present in the air and flue gas circuit. Explain the functioning of cooling water circuit. Briefly explain the fuel handling steps observed in a power station. What is the function of an electrostatic precipitator? Briefly explain the ash handling disposal circuit.

7.8 SUMMARY
In this unit, we considered a general steam power plant and study the various fluid flow paths and fuels and ash flow directions to get a feel of the matter and energy movement in the same. This unit gives the full length knowledge about circuits or paths of fluid flows lies in the power plant system.

7.9 KEY WORDS

Circuits or Path Flows : Fluid path flows in the steam power plant. It is also known as circuits of various flows, such as water and steam circuit, air and flue gas circuit, etc.

7.10 ANSWERS TO SAQs

Refer the preceding text for all the Answers to SAQs.

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