BURNING IN BOILER FURNACES

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

FURNACES

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Boiler furnace tasks

The most important task of the boiler furnace is to provide conditions for proper combustion of fuel which is achived by: 1. Fuel supply of the boiler furnace at the required rate and keeping it in the furnace by the time sufficient for burnt out. 2. Air supply of the boiler furnace at the required rate and proper mixing with the fuel.

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Types of boiler furnaces

Coal-fired boilers can be classified regarding the type of a furnace: grate boilers (stoker), pulverized fuel-fired boilers (PF), fluidized-bed boilers.

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

TRAVELLING GRATE FURNACES

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Cross-section of grate boiler

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Burning on the travelling grate

Zones of combustion 1 2 3 4
required air

drying, devolatilization, burning, ash

Boilers of capacity up to 60AND t/h FUELS usually are stokers. COMBUSTION

Zones of combustion on grate

secondary air gas

drying

burning

cooling

primary air
moisture removal vaporization drying zone combustion zone agglomeration zone

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Example of coal-fired stoker

WR 25
RAFAKO SA

Distribution of air under grate

Ignition vault of the grate furnace

Ignition vault Flame

Moving grate
Mechanism of coal layer ignition by the furnace vault COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Coal-burning on grate
OR 32
RAFAKO SA Flame

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

RETORT FURNACES

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Principle of retort furnace operation

Air box

Worm-gear feeder

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Burning in retort furnace

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Boiler with retort furnace

flue fuel reservoir

heat exchanger

retort

air box

screw feeder

ash pan

air fan

Retort furnace

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

PULVERIZED COAL FURNACES

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Steam pulverized coal-fired boiler

Pulverized coal-fired boiler of capacity 650 t/h with tangential furnace

Modern pulverized coal-fired boilers

In modern power plants pulverized coal-fired boilers have mainly furnaces with membrane walls and major heat transfer is due to radiation.

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Some technical data related to pulverized coal burning

Fuel burned in a furnace: Delivery of pc to a furnace: Transport of pc to a burner: pulverized coal (pc) by pulverized coal burners pneumatic, in flowing gas (hot air, flue gas)

Pulverized coal concentration on gas: - hard coal: - lignite: 0.5 kg/m3 0.2-0.3 kg/m3

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Phases of pulverized coal burning

The time of pulverized coal-air mixture in a furnace can be divided into three periods: 1. drying, devolatilization requires 0.20.3 s, and ignition of coal particles, which

2. Intensive mixing and burning of pulverized coal-air jet during 0.51.5 s on a distance of 15 m with formation of flame kernel of the temperature 15001600 C, 3. Burnout of larger coal particles and cooling of flue gas during 13 s on a distance 2/3 of the furnace.

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Types of pulverized coal-fired furnaces

The main criteria is location of burners:
wall-fired furnaces, roof-fired furnaces, corner-fired furnaces (tangentially fired).

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Geometry of boiler furnaces

Pulverized coal-fired furnaces: a) wall-fired, b) roof-fired, c) corner-fired

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Combustion systems of pulverized coal-fired boilers

wall-fired furnaces with swirl burners (located at the front, back or side wall of the furnace) corner-fired furnaces with jet-burners (located mostly at corners, sometimes at walls of the furnace) corner-fired furnaces are often called tangential firing system.
COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Matching a burner type to the type of furnace

Pulverized coal-fired furnaces
Wall-fired furnaces: Roof-fired furnaces: Corner-fired furnaces: swirl burners jet burners jet burners

Pulverized coal burners:

swirl burners (located on the boiler walls); jet burners (located in the boiler corners or on the walls tangentially).

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

TANGENTIALLY FIRED FURNACES

1 corner fired, 2 corner and wall-fired, 3 all-walls
1) 2)

3)

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Aerodynamics of tangentially-fired furnaces

Corner furnace COMBUSTION AND FUELS Flow in the furnace

Scheme of tangentially fired furnace with corner location of burners

rear wall burner

left wall

right wall

adjustment range of OFA

front wall

Burner box/corner fired furnace

Pulverized coal corner burner

Pulverized coal supply of corner-fired boilers

Corners with jet burners

Coal-mills

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Advantages of tangentially-fired furnaces

self-stabilization of pulverized coal flames, delayed ignition of pulverized-coal/air mixture, staged mixing of pulverized coal/primary air mixture and secondary air, efficient heat transfer to the boiler walls, tolerance of the fuel variation.

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

WALL-FIRED FURNACES

1)

2)

3)

4)

Wall fired furnaces with swirl burners: 1 front-fired, 2 opposite walls-fired, 3 front- and back wall-fired, 4 all walls-fired

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Wall-fired PF boiler

Pulverized coal-fired boiler with front furnace

Wall-fired furnace with swirl burners

burn-out zone

burner with low NOX emission

level of burners and OFA NOX reduction zone

working burner with low NOX emission configuration of furnace

Pulverized coal swirl burner

Swirl burners on the wall of a furnace

Pulverized coal supply of wall-fired boilers

Swirl burners Coal-mills COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Advantages of wall-fired furnaces

stable flame in a single swirl burner, easy ignition of pulverized-coal/air mixture, fast mixing of pulverized coal/primary air mixture and secondary air, considerable burn-out of coal near the burner possibility of boiler operation with low load.

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

ROOF-FIRED FURNACES

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Roof-fired furnaces - idea of operation

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Roof-fired furnaces

Primary zone of combustion

early ignition and control of NOX

Secondary zone of combustion

Extended time of combustion

Position of burners in the furnace

Burners

Roof

Furnace

CYCLONE FURNACES

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Idea of operation of cyclone furnace

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Cyclone furnaces in pulverized coal-fired boilers

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

A cyclone furnace boiler

Cyclone boiler furnace in Moszczenica

Boiler is fired with high-caloric hard coal and mine gas (50% methane + 50% air)

Comparison of selected parameters of PF and FB boilers

Type of boiler Parameter Heat load: qA, MW/m2 qv, MW/m3 Medium size of coal particle FB with circulating bed PB with bubble bed PF boilers

1,8-2,5 0,2-0,4 3-30 mm

1,2-1,5 0,1-0,2 < 25 mm

3,-5,5 0,08-0,2 < 300 m

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

HIGH-TEMPERATURE COROSSION IN PULVERIZED COAL-FIRED BOILERS

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

High-temperature corrosion hazard

The high-temperature corrosion in the coal-fired furnace is always present, however in recent decades hazard of corrosion increased considerably due to: application of low-NOx combustion systems, intensive co-firing of biomass and coal, and waste fuels and coal, increase of steam parameters to supercritical values (600 C, 26 MPa), and planned rise of the parameters to the ultrasupercritical values (700 C, 30 MPa).

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Corrosion hazard in PF boilers

1. The high-temperature corrosion is different in different parts of the boiler. 2. The greatest hazard of corrosion is in: in the boiler furnace: evaporator (tubes) over the furnace: superheater COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Corrosion hazard due to application of low-NOx combustion systems

1. In the major part of the low-NOx boiler furnace there is reduction atmosphere, also near the furnace walls (tubes), which enhances corrosion of tubes. 2. Due to the reduction atmosphere in the boundary layer of the furnace walls the corrosion rate considerably increases: from 10 nm/h in normal boiler operation, to 600 nm/h in reduction atmosphere.

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Efects of low-NOx corrosion

8 nm/h 600 nm/h

1
PP D
19000
8 8 18 28 38 48 58 68 78 88 98 1 08 1 18 1 28 1 38 14 8 15 8 168 16 8 1 48 1 58 1 68 1 08 1 18 1 28 1 38 1 48 1 58 1 68 38 48 58 68 78 88 98 1 08 1 18 1 28 1 38 1 48 1 58 1 68 28 18 8 8 18 28 38 48 58 68 78 88 98 18 28 38 48 48 58 68 78 88 98 1 08 1 18 1 28 1 38 1 48 1 58 1 68 158 148 138 13 8 128 12 8 118 11 8 108 10 8 98 98 98 88 88 88 78 78 78 68 68 68 58 58 58 48 48 48 58 68 78 88 98 1 08 1 18 1 28 1 38 1 48 1 58 1 68 38 38 38 38 28 28 28 28 18 18 18 18 8 8 8 8

2
33 800 20000 21000 22000 23000 24000 25000 26000 27000 28000 29000 30000 31000 32000 33000

18 450
8 18 28 38 48 58 68

8 18 28 38 48 58 68 78 88 98 10 8 11 8 12 8 13 8 14 8 15 8 16 8 10 8 11 8 12 8 13 8 14 8 15 8 16 8

8 18 28 38 48 58

500 1500 2500 3500

78 88

68

OFA
78 88 98 10 8 11 8 12 8 13 8 14 8 15 8 16 8

P.OL. P.OL. P.OL.

1 78 1 83 1 88 1 93 1 98 2 03 2 08 2 13 2 18 2 23 2 28 2 33 2 38 2 43 2 48 2 53 2 58 2 63 2 68 2 73 2 78 2 83 2 88 2 93 2 98 3 03 3 08 3 13 3 18 3 23 3 28 3 33 3 38 3 43 3 46 1 78 1 83 1 88 1 93 1 98 2 03 2 08 2 13 2 18 2 23 2 28 2 33 2 38 2 43 2 48 2 53 2 58 2 63 2 68 2 73 2 78 2 83 2 88 2 93 2 98 3 03 3 08 3 13 3 18 3 23 3 28 3 33 3 38 3 43 3 46 178 183 188 193 198 203 208 213 218 223 228 233 238 243 248 253 258 263 268 273 278 283 288 293 298 303 308 313 318 323 328 333 338 343 346 17 8 18 3 18 8 19 3 19 8 20 3 20 8 21 3 21 8 22 3 22 8 23 3 23 8 24 3 24 8 25 3 25 8 26 3 26 8 27 3 27 8 28 3 28 8 29 3 29 8 30 3 30 8 31 3 31 8 32 3 32 8 33 3 33 8 34 3 34 6

P.OL.

P.OL.

4500
98 10 8 11 8 12 8 13 8 14 8 15 8

5500 6500 7500

16 8

8500 9500 10500 11500 12500 13500 14500

P.OL.

OFA

17 8 18 3 18 8 19 3 19 8 20 3 20 8 21 3 21 8 22 3 22 8 23 3 23 8 24 3 24 8 25 3 25 8 26 3 26 8 27 3 27 8 28 3 28 8 29 3 29 8 30 3 30 8 31 3 31 8 32 3 32 8 33 3 33 8 34 3 34 6

1 78 1 83 1 88 1 93 1 98 2 03 2 08 2 13 2 18 2 23 2 28 2 33 2 38 2 43 2 48 2 53 2 58 2 63 2 68 2 73 2 78 2 83 2 88 2 93 2 98 3 03 3 08 3 13 3 18 3 23 3 28 3 33 3 38 3 43 3 46

1 78 1 83 1 88 1 93 1 98 2 03 2 08 2 13 2 18 2 23 2 28 2 33 2 38 2 43 2 48 2 53 2 58 2 63 2 68 2 73 2 78 2 83 2 88 2 93 2 98 3 03 3 08 3 13 3 18 3 23 3 28 3 33 3 38 3 43 3 46

1 78 1 83 1 88 1 93 1 98 2 03 2 08 2 13 2 18 2 23 2 28 2 33 2 38 2 43 2 48 2 53 2 58 2 63 2 68 2 73 2 78 2 83 2 88 2 93 2 98 3 03 3 08 3 13 3 18 3 23 3 28 3 33 3 38 3 43 3 46

17 8 18 3 18 8 19 3 19 8 20 3 20 8 21 3 21 8 22 3 22 8 23 3 23 8 24 3 24 8 25 3 25 8 26 3 26 8 27 3 27 8 28 3 28 8 29 3 29 8 30 3 30 8 31 3 31 8 32 3 32 8 33 3 33 8 34 3 34 6

17 8 18 3 18 8 19 3 19 8 20 3 20 8 21 3 21 8 22 3 22 8 23 3 23 8 24 3 24 8 25 3 25 8 26 3 26 8 27 3 27 8 28 3 28 8 29 3 29 8 30 3 30 8 31 3 31 8 32 3 32 8 33 3 33 8 34 3 34 6

17 8 18 3 18 8 19 3 19 8 20 3 20 8 21 3 21 8 22 3 22 8 23 3 23 8 24 3 24 8 25 3 25 8 26 3 26 8 27 3 27 8 28 3 28 8 29 3 29 8 30 3 30 8 31 3 31 8 32 3 32 8 33 3 33 8 34 3 34 6

LP

Membrane walls damage due to low-NOx corrosion

5.0

4.8

4.6

4.4

4.2

4.0

3.8

3.6

3.4

[mm]

Tube thickness

Sulphur corrosion
Sulphur corrosion is connected with the presence of alkali metals in coal: potassium K and sodium Na, which combined with sulphur form alkali sulfides Na2SO4 and K2SO4 condensing on the tubes surface. They arent directly responsible for corrosion because of their melting high-temperature (Na2 SO4 884 i K2SO4 1069 C), however in the presence of SO3 they form corrosive pirosulfides and trisulfides near the surface of the evaporator tubes.

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Reactions of sulphur corrosion

I. Pirosulfides Na2SO4 + SO3 Na2S2O7 (Tmelt = 389 C) K2SO4 + SO3 K2S2O7 (Tmelt = 404 C) II. Trisulfides: sodium- and potassium-iron: 3Na2SO4 + Fe2O3 + 3SO3 2Na3Fe(SO4)3 (Ttopn= 624 C) 3K2SO4 + Fe2O3 + 3SO3 2K3Fe(SO4)3 (Ttopn= 618 C) COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Hazard of sulphur corrosion due to application of ultra-supercritical steam parameters

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Corrosion hazard due to co-firing biomass and coal chlorine corrosion

Chlorine (Cl2) is particularly corrosive for steel at high temperature. It causes active oxidation of metal removing the protective layer of iron oxides, which are converted into porous, not protecting deposit. Sources of molecular chlorine (Cl2) near a tube surface are present in flue gas hydrogen chloride (HCl) and present in deposit alkali metals chlorides (KCl and NaCl).

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Mechanism of chlorine corrosion

Chlorine diffuses through deposit to metal and reacts with it Fe + Cl2 FeCl2(s) Metal chlorides formed on the metal surface have high pressure at the temperature of 500 C, therefore they diffuse through the protecting magnetite layer (Fe3O4) and damage it. After this iron chloride meets oxygen and undergoes oxidation: 2FeCl2(g) + 3/2O2 Fe2O3(s) + 2Cl2 3FeCl2(g) + 2O2 Fe3O4(s) + 3Cl2 As a result a new layer of iron oxides is formed, however porous and not protecting. Moreover released chlorine can return to metal.

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Mechanism of chlorine corrosion

Metal Metal Deposit Szlaka Gas phase Faza gazowa

Fe

Cl2 FeCl2 CrCl2 Fe2O3 O2 Cr2O3

Cr

Cl2

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Anti-corrosion protecting measures in pulverized coal-fired boilers

1. Maintenance of oxidizing atmosphere in the boundary layer at the furnace walls. 2. Reduction of temperature of steam approximately to 537 C. 3. Application of protecting coatings. 4. Additives to flue gas neutralizing some corrosive agents. 5. Reduction of sulphur, chlorine and alkali metals in fuels.

COMBUSTION AND FUELS

Spreading a membrane wall with INCONEL

Anti-corrosion protecting coating: INCONEL

Anti-corrosion protecting coating: ceramic-metallic coating