AIR PRE HEATERS

PURPOSE:

IT RECOVERS THE HEAT FROM THE BOILER FLUE GAS

AND INCREASE THE TEMPERATURE OF COMBUSTION AIR
(PA & SA), WHICH IN TURN INCREASES THE THERMAL
EFFICIENCY OF THE BOILER.

AIR HEATER IS A HEAT EXCHANGER IN WHICH AIR

TEMPERATURE IS RAISED BY TRANSFERRING HEAT FROM
OTHER FLUIDS SUCH AS FLUE GAS.
 LOCATION OF AIR HEATER IN BOILER:

3
LOCATION OF AIR HEATER IN FLUE PATH
FUNCTION:
 TO SAVE THE FUEL BY PRE HEATING OF AIR FOR SAME
ENERGY INPUT TO THE FURNACE.
 TO INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY OF BOILER,
APPROXIMATELY PROPORTIONAL TO THE AIR TEMP. RISE IN
APH. (FOR EVERY 20 OC DROP IN THE GAS EXIT
TEMPERATURE THE BOILER EFFICIENCY INCREASES BY AT
LEAST 1%).
AIR IS PRE HEATED FOR THE FOLLOWING ADVANTAGES:
 TO DRY THE COAL IN PULVERIZER.
 STABILITY OF COMBUSTION.
 INTENSIFIED AND IMPROVED COMBUSTION.
 LESS UNBURNED FUEL PARTICLE IN FLUE GAS.
TYPE OF APH:

1. RECUPERATIVE APH :
 TUBULAR HEATER
 PLATE TYPE HEATER
 STEAM COIL HEATER.

2. REGENERATIVE APH :

 ROTHEMUHLE HEATER
 LYUNGSTROM HEATER.
 RECUPERATIVE TYPE APH

IN RECUPERATIVE TYPE-HEATING MEDIUM IS ON ONE

SIDE AND AIR IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TUBE OR
PLATE AND THE HEAT TRANSFER IS BY CONDUCTION
THROUGH THE MATERIAL, WHICH SEPARATES THE
MEDIA. THESE ARE OF STATIC CONSTRUCTION AND
HENCE THERE IS ONLY NOMINAL LEAKAGE THROUGH
EXPANSION JOINTS, ACCESS DOORS, CASINGS ETC
TUBULAR AIR PREHEATED:

TUBULAR APH IS USED THOUGH REGENERATIVE APH

HAVING HIGHER EFFICIENCY THAN RECUPERATIVE
AIR PRE-HEADER DUE TO FOLLOWING REASON:

 LEAKAGE OF AIR INTO GAS AND GAS TO AIR DUE

TO ENTERTAINMENT OF ROTARY ACTION.
 FLOW OPENING BEING PLUGGED BY ASH.
 LARGE PRESSURE DROPS FOR BOTH GAS AND
AIR.
 PLATE TYPE AIR HEATER

THESE COMPRISE OF PARALLEL PLATES WHICH PROVIDE

ALTERNATE PASSAGE FOR GAS AND AIR

STEAM AIR PREHEATER

THIS DOES NOT UTILIZE THE HEAT FROM BOILER FLUE

GAS AND HENCE DOES NOT IMPROVE BOILER EFFICIENCY.
 REGENERATIVE APH

IN REGENERATIVE TYPE THE HEATING MEDIUM

FLOWS THROUGH A CLOSELY PACKED MATRIX TO
RAISE ITS TEMPERATURE AND THEN AIR IS PASSED
THROUGH THE MATRIX TO PICK-UP THE HEAT.
EITHER THE MATRIX OR THE HOODS ARE ROTATED
TO ACHIEVE THIS AND HENCE THERE IS SLIGHT
LEAKAGE THROUGH SEALING ARRANGEMENTS AT
THE MOVING SURFACES
 1. LJUNGSTROM TYPE

THE HEAT TRANSFER ELEMENTS ARE ROTATED AT A

CONSTANT SPEED AND THEY PASS ALTERNATELY
THROUGH GAS AND AIR PASSES.

2. DAVIDSON/ROTHEMUHLE TYPE

THIS TYPE IS THE SAME AS THE LJUNGSTROM TYPE-

EXCEPT THAT THE MATRIX ELEMENT IS STATIONARY
AND THE AIR GAS HOODS ROTATE.
ADVANTAGE: -

 HIGH EFFICIENCY AND LOW MAINTENANCE COST.

 ROTARY APH ARE COMPACT HEAT EXCHANGER WITH
A LARGE HEAT TRANSFER SURFACE BEING
ACCUMULATED IN SMALL VOLUME.
 Pit Head Station Rail Fed Station

210 MW 500 MW 210 MW 500 MW

1% Overall Heat Rate 55.18 Lacs 131.4 Lacs 147 Lacs 350 Lacs
Improvement ( from 2500
kcal / kWh)

1 Deg C change in APH 2.64 Lacs 6.30 Lacs 7.06 Lacs 16.82 Lacs
Exit Gas Temperature
ARRANGEMENT OF BASKETS
TYPES OF SEALS
APH DEFORMATION
FACTORS AFFECTING THE PERFORMANCE OF
APHS:

 CONDITION OF HEATING ELEMENTS

 CONDITION OF SEALS /SEAL SETTING
 CONDITION OF SECTOR PLATES / AXIAL SEAL
PLATES
 CONDITION OF CASING / ENCLOSURE
 CONDITION OF INSULATION
 REASONS FOR ROTOR STOPPING

 FOREIGN MATERIAL JAMMED IN BETWEEN ROTOR

AND SECTOR PLATE

 FAILURE OF MAIN DRIVE

 FAILURE OF AUXILIARY DRIVE

 FAILURE OF SERVICE BEAM DUE TO EROSION

 Air Heater Leakage (%)

WEIGHT OF AIR PASSING FROM AIR SIDE TO GAS

SIDE

THIS LEAKAGE IS ASSUMED TO OCCUR ENTIRELY

BETWEEN AIR INLET AND GAS OUTLET

• DIRECT - HOT END / COLD END

(60% THROUGH RADIAL SEALS + 30% THROUGH
CIRCUMFERENTIAL BYPASS)

• ENTRAINED LEAKAGE
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.

= TGAS IN - TGAS OUT (NO LEAKAGE)

TAIR OUT - TAIR IN

SAY AH LEAKAGE – 17.1%, GAS IN TEMP – 333.5 C, GAS OUT TEMP

– 133.8 C , AIR IN TEMP – 36.1 C, AIR OUT TEMP – 288 C

X RATIO = (333.5 – 150.5) / (288 –36.1) = 0.73

SOOT BLOWERS

 SOOT BLOWER TRAVEL TO BE SET TO ENSURE FULL

COVERAGE OF ALL THE HEATING ELEMENT

 THERMAL DRAIN AT SOOT BLOWING STEAM LINE.

 OPERATION AT RATED STEAM PRESSURE AND

TEMPERATURE
THANK YOU