1

Welcome To
Presentation
on
Boiler Performance Optimization


Kanchan Nath Date: 18.02.08
DGM(OS-NCR) Venue: PMI

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Emerging Market Requirements
High Reliability & Availability
Economic Generation
Suitable for Differing Modes Of Operation
Suitable for Different Quality Of Fuel
Ability to Operate Under Adverse Grid
Conditions / Fluctuations
Minimum Emission Of Pollutants
Lowest Life Cycle Cost

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Threats
Increasing no. of Power Majors in the
country
Tariff-Market Driven
Possibilities of losing out to competitors in
the changing business scenario causing
hurdles for further capacity addition
Strategic changes in Government Policy for
Power Sector
Stringent environmental norms

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5

DPNL

SH
P
l
a
t
e
n

S
H
T
R

R
H
T
R
LTSH
Economiser
APH ESP ID Fan
drum
Furnace
BCW
pump
Bottom ash
stack
screen
tubes
Thermal Structure of A SG
6
Boiler Performance
Boiler Performance consists of:
Combustion Performance
Air Heater Performance
Milling System Performance
Burner Performance
Draft System Performance
ESP Performance


7
Boiler Performance
Contd
Boiler Losses
Boiler Efficiency and Heat Rate
Slagging / Clinkering
Tube Leakage
Performance Optimization


8
9
Types of Combustion
Complete Combustion: In complete combustion,
the reactant will burn in oxygen, producing a limited
number of products. When a hydrocarbon burns in
oxygen, the reaction will only yield carbon dioxide
and water. When a hydrocarbon or any fuel burns in
air, the combustion products will also include
nitrogen.
Incomplete Combustion: Incomplete combustion
occurs when there isn't enough oxygen to allow the
fuel to react completely with the oxygen to produce
carbon dioxide and water
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Combustion Efficiency
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Combustion Efficiency
Combustion efficiency is a calculated
measurement (in percent) of how well
the heating equipment is converting a
specific fuel into useable heat energy at
a specific period of time in the
operation of a heating system.
12
Combustion Efficiency
Complete combustion efficiency (100%)
would extract all the energy available in
the fuel. However, 100% combustion
efficiency is not realistically achievable
due to stack loss and boiler shell losses.
13
Combustion Efficiency Improvement
Combustion Efficiency relates to the part of the
reactants that combine chemically. Combustion
efficiency increases
with increasing temperature of the reactants
increasing time that the reactants are in contact
increasing surface areas and
increasing stored chemical energy
14
Combustion Efficiency
Three Ts of Combustion:

Time: All combustion requires certain time which
depends on types of reaction
Temperature: Temperature must be more than
ignition temperature
Turbulence: Proper turbulence helps in bringing
the fuel and air in intimate contact and gives
them enough time to complete reaction
15
Combustion Factors
16
Factors Affecting PF Combustion
Coal Fineness
Mill Outlet Temperature
Excess Oxygen and CO
Air Flow
SA and PA Temperature
Burner Tilt
Residence time in the Furnace
Air Distribution
17
Coal Fineness
It is a major factor which determines the
combustion efficiency of the Boiler
Thumb Rule for coal fineness: 70% thro - 200
mesh, less than 1% for +50 Mesh
Lower the coal fineness-losses in terms of
unburnt carbon in BA, slagging and
subsequent deposits on the heating surface
Higher the coal fineness-losses in terms of
energy consumption in the Milling system.
High wear rate of Milling components
18
Mill Outlet Temperature
Mill outlet temperature is an important factor
for combustion and efficiency of milling system
Lower the mill outlet temperature-delay in
combustion, improper air-fuel mixture, choking
of mill/mill discharge pipes resulting in high
rejects, reduction in mill throughput etc.
Very high mill outlet temperature-possibility of
fire in the mill
19
Air Flow
Air for combustion is divided into three types
depending upon its role which are primary,
secondary and excess air.

Primary air provides a percentage of the combustion
air, but more importantly, controls the amount of fuel
that can be burned.
Secondary air improves combustion efficiency by
promoting the fuel to burn completely.
Excess air is supplied to the combustion process to
ensure each fuel molecule is completely surrounded by
sufficient combustion air. As a burner tune-up
improves the rate at which mixing occurs, the amount
of excess air required can be reduced.
20
Air Flow
Too much, or too little fuel with the available
combustion air may potentially result in unburnt
fuel and carbon monoxide generation. A very
specific amount of O2 is needed for perfect
combustion and additional (excess) air is
required for good combustion. Too much
additional air can contribute to CO generation,
lower efficiencies and perhaps unsafe conditions
with heating equipment not out living its full
service life.
21
Air Flow
22
Excess Air
Typically 20 % excess air is recommended for boiler
operation; Actual optimal value would vary from boiler to
boiler depending on coal quality, fineness and other
operating practices.
O
2
instruments are installed at the economizer exit, where
they can be influenced by air infiltration. The O
2
reading
in control room may not be necessarily representative of
the actual O
2
in furnace.

The most important variable in boiler operation is
operating O
2
/ excess air and its availability /
reliability is critical to efficient operation
23

Excess Air

Low excess air operation can lead to
Unstable combustion (furnace puffs)
Increased slagging of waterwalls and SH sections
Loss in boiler efficiency due to increased CO /
unburnt combustibles

High excess air operation can lead to
Increased boiler losses
High SH / RH temperatures
Higher component erosion
High DFG losses
24
Effect of Excess O
2
Level on Boiler Efficiency
High excess air reduces
efficiency and increases ash
erosion; Lower excess air can
result in incomplete combustion
25
Air Distribution
Role of Excess air is important to achieve efficient
combustion.
Equally important is achieve improvement in air
distribution to reduce NOx emissions.
SADC help mitigate minor deficiencies in equal
distribution of combustion air.
Typical upgrade in this area cover use of baffles,
perforated plate or compartmentalization of wind box.
Computer assisted CFD modeling is used at design stage
to improve air distribution .
26
Oxygen and CO
CO in the flue gas is an indicator of incomplete
combustion
Excess oxygen is a measure for confirmation of
complete combustion
Lower the excess oxygen-incomplete combustion
resulting in losses in terms of high unburnt
Higher the excess oxygen-improper air-fuel
mixture resulting in deterioration of combustion
efficiency, high energy consumption in draft
system, higher dry flue gas loss etc.

27
28
SA and PA Temperature
SA and PA Temperatures are important
parameters to be monitored for Boiler combustion
Air temperatures mainly depend upon APH
performance, mass flow of Gas/Air, Gas/Air inlet
temperatures etc.


29
Burner Tilt
Burner Tilt is operated to maintain RH steam
temperature at no/minimum RH spray
Lower the Burner Tilt associated with poor coal
fineness-chances of high unburnt in BA
Higher or upward the tilt-possibility of coal
particles from upper Mills escaping to 2
nd
pass
without being burnt completely


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Residence Time
Coal particles require certain time inside the
furnace to burn completely
Less the residence time-possibility of
escaping of coal particles going to the 2
nd

pass without being burnt completely
Higher the residence time-possibility of High
Furnace temperature and heat loss
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13 Essentials of Optimum Combustion
Fuel Preparation
1. Fuel feed quality and size shall be consistent.
2. Fuel feed shall be measured and controlled as accurately
as possible. Gravimetric feeders are preferred.
3. Fuel line fineness >75% passing a 200-mesh screen, and
50 mesh particles <0.1%.
Distribution to Burners
4. Primary airflow shall be accurately measured and
controlled to 3% accuracy.
5. Primary air to fuel ratio shall be accurately controlled when
above minimum.
6. Fuel line minimum velocities shall be 16.5 m/s.
7. Fuel lines shall be balanced by Clean Air test to within 2%
of average.
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8. Fuel lines shall be balanced by Dirty Air test to
within 5% of average.
9. Fuel lines shall be balanced in fuel flow to within
10% of average.
10. Over-fire air shall be accurately measured and
controlled to 3% accuracy.
11. Furnace exit shall be oxidizing; 3% oxygen is
preferable.
12. Mechanical tolerances of burners and dampers
shall be 6.5mm.
13. Secondary air distribution to burners shall be
within 5-10% of average.

Combustion
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34
AH Baskets
Condition of AH Seals
Amount of air flow, Primary and Secondary Air
Condition of Sector Plates, Axial and Radial
Air Ingress in the Boiler




35
AH Leakage %
Gas Side Efficiency
X-Ratio
Flue Gas/Air dp across AH
Gas/Air Temperature




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The leakage of the high pressure air to the low pressure
flue gas is due to the Differential Pressure between fluids,
increased seal clearances in hot condition, seal erosion /
improper seal settings.

Increased AH leakage leads to
Reduced AH efficiency
Increased fan power consumption
Higher gas velocities that affect ESP performance
Loss of fan margins leading to inefficient operation
and at times restricting unit loading

Performance-Factors
37
Air Heater Leakage
Air heater leakage levels affect exit temperature
and APC of fans.
Accurate measurement of AH leakage important to
assess degradation of performance level
High leakage can even adversely affect unit
capability.
Five mill operation results in higher level of leakage
in 210/200 mw units.

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Gas Side Efficiency
Ratio of the temperature drop to the
temperature Head expressed as a
percentage.
Temperature drop is Gas O/L temp.
minus Gas I/L temp.
Temp Head is Gas I/L temp minus Air
I/L temp
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X-Ratio
Ratio of Heat capacity of air passing
through the AH to the Heat capacity of
Flue Gas passing through the AH
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Flue Gas Exit Temp At A.H. Outlet
Flue Gas Temp. at AH Outlet is an indication of
amount of heat lost from the Boiler
Lower the flue gas exit temperature, lower will be
losses
DP across AH is an important indication of AH
performance
Very low temperature at AH outlet can also cause
Cold End Corrosion

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Oxygen in Flue Gas at AH A Inlet / Outlet
0
2
4
6
8
10
A B C D E F
Probe
I
n
l
e
t

O
2

%
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
O
u
t
l
e
t

O
2

%
Inlet O2 Outlet O2
Oxygen in Flue Gas at AH B Inlet / Outlet
0
2
4
6
8
10
A B C D E F
Probe
I
n
l
e
t

O
2
0
2
4
6
8
10
O
u
t
l
e
t

O
2
Inlet O2 Outlet O2
Typical Oxygen Levels at AH Inlet / Outlet
42
43
MILL PERFORMANCE
0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100
FINENESS - % THRU 200 MESH
C
A
P
A
C
I
T
Y


F
A
C
T
O
R

0.85
0.9
0.95
1
1.05
0 4 8 12 16 20
% MOISTURE
C
A
P
A
C
I
T
Y


F
A
C
T
O
R

0
0.5
1
1.5
2
40 50 60 70 80 90 100
HARDGROOVE INDEX (HGI)
M
I
L
L


O
U
T
P
U
T

X

1
0
0
%

GRINDABILITY (HGI)
FINENESS
MOISTURE
SIZE OF RAW COAL
MILL WEAR (YGP)
MTC PRACTICES
44
PF fineness
Typical recommended value of pulverised fuel
fineness through 200 mesh Sieve is more than 70%
and less than 1% retention on 50 mesh sieve.

Fineness is expressed as the percentage pass
through a 200-mesh screen (74m).
Coarseness is expressed as the percentage
retained on a 50-mesh screen (297m).

Screen mesh indicates the number of openings per
linear inch.
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Excess PF fineness
Reduction in mill capacity
Increased mill component wear
Increased mill and fan power combustion

Excessive PF fineness may not necessarily result
in improved combustion


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Effect Of Fineness On Boiler Operation
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48
Control Room
Boiler
1
2
3
4
A
B C
D E F
Burner Imbalance
Mill discharge pipes offer different resistance to the
flows due to unequal lengths and different layouts.
Fixed orifices are put in shorter pipes to balance
velocities / dirty air flow / coal flows. The sizes of the
orifices are Specified by equipment supplier.
49

Burner Imbalance


Dirty air flow distribution should
be with in +/- 5.0% of the
average of fuel pipes
Coal distribution should be with
in +/-10% of the average of fuel
pipes
Balanced Clean air flows do not
necessarily result in balanced
Dirty air flows.
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51
Boiler Losses
Dry Flue Gas Loss
Wet Flue Gas Loss
Unburnt Carbon Losses
Radiation Losses
52
Boiler Losses
Stack Losses (Dry Flue Gas & Wet Flue Gas Loss)

Stack losses represent the heat in the flue gas that is
lost to the atmosphere upon entering the stack. Stack
losses depend on fuel composition firing conditions
and flue gas temperature.
Dry Flue Gas Losses the (sensible) heat energy in
the flue gas due to the flue gas temperature
Flue Gas Loss Due to Moisture the (latent) energy
in the steam in the flue gas stream due to the water
produced by the combustion reaction being vaporized
from the high flue gas temperature.
53
Reasons For DFG Loss
Air heater baskets corroded/eroded
Air heater baskets fouled
Air Ingress in the Furnace
Low Furnace Heat Absorption
Running of more no. of Mills/Top Mills
Bypass dampers miss-positioned
High Seal leakage
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55

Unburnt in Bottom Ash
Unburnt in Fly Ash
Unburnt Carbon Loss
56


Type of mills and firing system
Furnace size
Coal FC/VM ratio, coal reactivity
Burners design / condition
PF fineness (Pulveriser problems)
Insufficient excess air in combustion zone
Burner balance / worn orifices
Primary Air Flow / Pressure
Un-burnt Carbon Loss
57

Higher Primary air Flow
PA flow optimization / calibration
Optimum Mill Outlet Temperature
Mill Fineness problem
Increased Mill Loading (more than rated
mill capacity)

Reason for High Unburnt Carbon
58
Radiation and convection losses are independent
of the fuel being fired in a boiler and represent
heat lost to the surroundings from the warm
surfaces of a boiler or high-temperature water
generator. These losses depend mainly on the size
of the equipment and thermal insulation
Radiation and Convection Losses
59
Thermal Insulation
Difference in temp between
ambient and surface in deg C
Heat Loss
Kcal/m2hr
25 340
40 600
100 1910
150 3225
200 5330
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Loss due to Spray
HR deviation on account of variation in
spray rate should be investigated.
Zero target for spray rate - deviation
from this is dependent on type of coal,
excess air level , mill combination &
availability of burner tilt control
Furnace cleanliness levels also affect
spray rates.
61
Unaccountable Loss
It is the loss which are generally not measured
with the available system or equipments

Unaccountable heat rate loss is defined as the
deference between the actual heat rate based on
test and the sum of the expected heat rate and
all accountable heat rate deviations
62

Air Ingress

Cold air leaks into the boiler from openings in the furnace
and convective pass
Some of the boiler leakage air aids the combustion process;
some air that leaks into the boiler in the low temperature
zones causes only a dilution of the flue gas.
This portion of air appears as a difference in O
2
level
between the furnace exit and oxygen analysers at
economizer exit. Actual oxygen in the furnace could be much
less.
Also, boiler casing and ducting air ingress affects ID fans
power consumption and margins in a major way.

63
Apart from degradation of AH baskets performance,
another reason for lower heat recovery across air heaters
is boiler operation at lesser SA flows.
This is on account of air ingress from furnace bottom,
peep holes, penthouse roof and expansion joints.
The actual oxygen in the furnace is much less than what
is being read at economiser outlet by online zirconia.
Difference between oxygen at furnace outlet and AH
inlet / economizer outlet has been observed to be in the
range of 1.0 to 2.5 % in many boilers.
Air Ingress
64
Boiler operation under adverse conditions
continues as in majority of units On line CO
feedback is not available.
Air ingress across AH outlet to ID suction
observed to be generally in the range of 5 to 9%.
Flue gas ducts & expansion joints at Eco outlet
and APH inlet / outlet to be inspected thoroughly
during O/H
Air Ingress
65
Furnace
Outlet
Air-in-
leakage
Zirconia
O2 Probe
AH
Seal
Lkg
ESP
Expansion Joints
Air Ingress Points Furnace Roof , Expansion
joints, Air heaters, Ducts, ESP Hoppers, Peep
Holes, Manholes, Furnace Bottom
ID fan amperages should be trended and tracked from OH to OH
66
67
The HR of a conventional Coal fired power plant is
a measure of how efficiently it converts the
chemical energy contained in the fuel into electrical
energy.
If a power plant converted 100% of the chemical
energy in the fuel into electricity, the plant would
have a heat rate of 860 kcal/kWh.
A modern conventional power plant might have at
best a design full load heat rate of 2200 kcal/kWh,
which is about 39% efficient.
Heat Rate-Concepts
68
Heat Rate-Definition
Gross Unit Heat Rate :Includes all heat input to
the boiler and the gross electrical generation.
Net Unit Heat Rate :Based on net electrical
generation
Design Unit Heat Rate : It is the heat rate the
designer anticipates will occur at the design
condenser pressure and load, make up

69

Heat Rate = Sp. Coal consumption X GCV
of Coal


Definition
70

Modus-
Operandi

Accurate Gap
Assessment
PIPs
Gap analysis
Action Plans
Resource
Mobilization
Implementation
Retrofits
Evaluation &
Dissemination
Focus on Equipment degradations
Systematic Approach
71
Typical Performance Gaps
I dentification of the performance gaps is the key to improvement
Major Heat Rate Losses
18-20%
30-32%
15-17%
19-21%
6-8%
6-8%
Condenser & CTs
Turbine (HP/IP)
Dry Flue Gas Loss
Unaccountables
RH Spray
Others
72
73
DFG Loss
Unburnt Carbon Loss
Radiation Loss
Unaccounted Losses
74
75
Causes
Soot blowing not effective
IDT of ash is low
Coal fineness not proper
Poor Coal Quality-High ash content
Improper air distribution-SADC problem
Low excess air

76
Effects
Less heat transfer in furnace
High DFG loss
High spray flow-losses
Uncontrolled BAH
Load restriction
Tripping of Boiler and Unit
High metal temperature

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78
ESP Performance-Boiler Efficiency
ESPs handle very high flue gas volumes.
Particulate properties and gas stream conditions
dictate ESP Performance.
Particle Size distribution, resistivity, flue gas flow,
fuel quality and process temperature affect the
ability of ash to be collected and removed from
ESPs.
Increase in flue gas velocities and temperature in
Electric fields can all be related to degradation of
boiler and Air heater Performance.
79
80
Major Causes
Steam/Flue Gas Erosion
Corrosion
Weld Joint Failure
Overheating
Fatigue
Material Failure
81
Overheating of tube due to internal
oxide/deposition
82
Increase in metal temperature due
to internal scale




83
84
Boiler improvements
Air heater modifications to reduce flue gas exit
temperature and minimize air leakage.
Efficiency Improvement potential
Reduction in flue gas percentage oxygen
Improvement in PF Fineness for improved
efficiency.
Balancing of coal & air flows
Modification of heat transfer surfaces
Control system upgrade for improved fuel air
ratio
85
86
Improvements in Critical Measurements
In order to operate
power plants efficiently,
the operators must have
reliable and accurate
information on the unit.
Small errors in sensors
can result in inaccurate
estimation of
performance gaps and
unaccountable heat
rate deviations
increases.
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89
90
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Profit to utility
Benefit to consumer
Less pollution
Conserve natural resources
Minimize equipment life cycle cost
Minimize Cost of Generation
Customer satisfaction
Be in competition

Why Optimization?
92



Coal Quality
Mill Performance - PF Fineness
Burner-to-burner PF balance
Excess Air Level
Boiler Air Ingress
AH Performance
Furnace / Convective section Cleanliness
Quality of Overhauls
Boiler loading, insulation etc.
Boiler Efficiency-Factors
93



Major auxiliaries Consuming Power in a Boiler
are FD fans, PA fans, ID fans and mills. Reasons
for higher APC include

* Boiler air ingress
* Air heater air-in-leakage
* High PA fan outlet pressure
* Degree of Pulverisation
* Operation at higher than optimum excess air
Auxiliary Power Consumption
94
Excess oxygen percentage
CO percentage
Unburnt percentage in BA and FA
PF fineness in 50/100/200 mesh
FEGT
Gas/Air inlet/outlet temperature at APH

Critical Parameters for Optimization
95
RH/SH Spray flow
Metal temperature
Loading in the draft system
Amount of slagging
Boiler Efficiency
Heat Rate of the Unit

Critical Parameters for Optimization
96

OFF Design/Optimum Conditions

Parameter Deviation Effect on Heat
Rate
Excess Air (O2) per % 7.4 Kcal/kWh
Exit Gas Temp per
o
C 1.2 Kcal/kWh
Unburnt Carbon per % 10-15 Kcal/kWh
Coal moisture per % 2-3 Kcal/kWh
Boiler Efficiency per % 25 Kcal/kWh

Effect of Boiler side Parameters
97


Savings Potential

Fine tuning a boilers combustion air and fuel input
has a direct impact on the amount of fuel
consumed by a boiler.
For each 1% decrease in excess air levels
introduced into the combustion process, the
boilers efficiency increases by 1/4 to 1 of a
percent. While some excess air is necessary to
ensure complete combustion, flue gas analysis will
verify that excess air is within the manufacturers
specifications and optimize efficient operation.

98
99
Air Leakage Weight of air passing from air side to gas side; This
leakage is assumed to occur entirely between air inlet and
gas outlet

Hot End / Cold End / Entrained Leakage

Calculation Empirical relationship using the change in
concentration of O
2
or CO
2
in the flue gas

= CO
2
in - CO
2
out * 0.9 * 100
CO
2
out

= O
2
out - O
2
in * 0.9 * 100 =5.7 2.8 * 90
(21- O
2
out) (21-5.7)
=17.1 %
CO
2
measurement is preferred due to high absolute
values; In case of any measurement errors, the resultant
influence on leakage calculation is small.
100
Gas Side Efficiency

Ratio of Gas Temperature drop across the air heater,
corrected for no leakage, to the temperature head.
= (Temp drop / Temperature head) * 100

where Temp drop = Tgas in -Tgas out (no leakage)
Temp head = Tgasin - T air in

Tgas out (no leakage) = The temperature at which the gas
would have left the air heater if there were no AH leakage
= AL * Cpa * (Tgas out - Tair in) + Tgas out
Cpg * 100

Say AH leakage 17.1%, Gas I n Temp 333.5 C, Gas Out Temp
133.8 C, Air I n Temp 36.1 C
Tgasnl =17.1 * (133.8 36.1) +133.8 = 150.5 C
100
Gas Side Efficiency =(333.5-150.5) / (333.5-36.1) =61.5 %
101
X Ratio


Ratio of heat capacity of air passing through the air heater to the
heat capacity of flue gas passing through the air heater.

= Wair out * Cpa
Wgas in * Cpg

= Tgas in - Tgas out (no leakage)
Tair out - Tair in

Say AH leakage 17.1%, Gas I n Temp 333.5 C, Gas Out Temp
133.8 C , Air I n Temp 36.1 C, Air Out Temp 288 C

X ratio =(333.5 150.5) / (288 36.1) =0.73

102
Boiler Efficiency - the % of heat input to the boiler
absorbed by the working fluid

a) Direct method or Input / Output method
b) Indirect method or Loss method

For coal fired boilers, its difficult to measure coal flow
and heating value accurately on real time basis. Also,
theres no clue to operator as to the extent and nature of
the losses.

For utility boilers efficiency is generally calculated by
heat loss method wherein the losses are calculated and
subtracted from 100. Commonly used standards are

ASME PTC 4
BS 2885 (1974)
IS: 8753: 1977
DIN standards
103
Indirect or Loss method

In Heat Loss method the unit of heat input is the higher
heating value per kg of fuel. Heat losses from various
sources are summed & expressed per kg of fuel fired.

Efficiency = 100 (L/H
f
) * 100 where L losses
H
f
heat input

This method also requires accurate determination of
heating value, but since the total losses make a
relatively small portion of the total heat input (~ 13 %),
an error in measurement does not appreciably affect the
efficiency calculations.

104
Effect of Operating Parameters on Boiler Losses
105
Loss method
Boiler efficiency is calculated by loss method
Individual losses are calculated as % of Heat input
lost
Dry Flue gas loss
Loss due to moisture and Hydrogen in coal
Loss due to moisture in air
Unburnt carbon in ash loss
Radiation loss
Unaccounted loss
Boiler efficiency (%) = 100 Loss%