Primary air system

Primary air system

The primary air is that portion of the total air, which is sent to the mill. The air-dries the
coal in the mill as the coal is getting pulverized, transports the acceptable coal particles to
the furnace, and supplies oxygen for the combustion of volatiles. Though various types of
air systems are adopted in boiler design, the cold primary air system is the one, which is
offered for our present utility boilers. As the name implies, the primary air fan handles
clean cold air. The fan is located upstream of the air preheater and a separate primary air
system is maintained through the air heater.

Primary air system is classified into two systems:

A. Cold primary air system
B. Hot primary air system

A. Cold primary air system

The primary air fan handles clean coal air either from FD fan discharge or taking suction
from the atmosphere. The former system is called Hot PA method. The primary air fan is
located before the air heater and handles primary air required for the mills.

The number of primary air fans required is 2 per boiler to supply all the air to the
pulveriser and the capacity of each need not exceed 2/3 of total requirement of
pulveriser. In case of Hot PA method the fan requirement will be equal to no of mills.

Cold primary air system consist of the following components:

1. Silencer.
2. Motor operated louver damper.
3. Primary air fan.
4. Motor operated Gate.
5. Primary Air Common Duct.
6. Cold PA Header
7. Mill.

1. Silencer

To reduce airborne noise to acceptable level. The silencer consists of baffles packed with
sound absorbing wool retained by perforated plates.

2. Motor operated louver dampers

This damper controls the airflow of the PA fan based on the demand.

Louver dampers are best suitable for balancing, opening, closing and controlling the flow.
A series of mounted blades pivoted at center rotate to give an opening or to close more
(closing) or less tightly. A louver damper is designed as a modulating or ON/OFF damper
and should be cycled periodically to insure free movement. It is to be ensured that no
foreign object obstructs the movement of the damper (or) linkage.

3. Primary air fan

(Speed- 1480rpm, Rating- 1225 kW, Volts- 6600v, unit- 7&8 - chandrapura)
In the axial reaction fans, the major part of (about 80%) energy transferred is converted
into static pressure in the impeller shaft itself. The rest of the energy is converted into
static pressure in the diffuser.

These fans are generally driven at constant speeds. By varying the angles of the incidence
of the impeller blades controls the flow. The blade pitching operation is performed by
mechanical linkage connected to a hydraulic servomotor, which is flanged to the impeller.

The type of the fan is AP2-17/12. The axial reaction fans are given normally for FD and PA
application of 500 MW/ 250 MW boilers. These fans are provided with blade pitch control
and outlet damper, gate of open close type.

The control logic recommended for starting the fan is with its blade pitch control in full
closed position and the discharge damper/ gate fully closed. As soon as the fan reaches
its rated speed, the discharge damper/ gate should be opened fully. The blades of the fan
can be operated to the required level to suit the system demand.

4. Guillotine Gate
In the power plants, the usage of guillotine gate is probably the best device for 100%
isolation and it can be relied upon to operate completely even in hot, noxious and dirty
environments and under corrosive conditions.

Generally this gate is recommended for primary air fan outlet and mill isolation from cold
and hot air. This gate is simply a free moving obstruction tolerant blade which travels in a
rigid frame is triggered by reliable operator, travels to close against a non-fouling rigid
seat and has adequate provision for clean out.

It must be used only in a fully opened, fully closed position and never left it as
intermediate position. When the gate blade is open, the gate blade must be withdrawn
completely from the seal.

5. Primary Air Common Duct.

This is common duct where primary air from both fan intersects and joins before dividing
into separate air heaters.

6. Common cold primary air header

Common cold primary air header distributes the primary air to various systems Like
terming air to Mills, Seal air to Hot Air gate,

B. Hot primary air system

The cold primary air is heated into the hot air into the regenerative air heater (Tri-sector
for 250/210 MW and Bisector for 500 MW). This forms hot primary air system.

Hot primary air system consist of the following components

1. Motor Operated louver damper.
2. Regenerative primary air pre-heater.
3. Motor operated damper
4. Hot Primary Air header
5. Pneumatic operated damper
 6. Hot Air Gate
7. Aerofoil.
8. Air through Mill
9. Pneumatic operated gate.
10. Bypass Air.
11. Pneumatic operated gate.
12. Mixing box.
13. Tube mill

1. Motor Operated Lover damper. (APH I/L)

This damper is used for the isolation of the APH during APH trip.

2. Regenerative primary air system (chandrapura)

The Ljungstrom regenerative air preheater absorbs heat from flue gas and transfers this
heat to incoming cold air by means of continuously rotating heat transfer elements of
specially formed metal sheets. Bi- sector air preheater preheats the combustion air. Tri-
sector air preheater preheats the secondary air for combustion and also primary air, which
is required to preheat & carry, pulverized fuel to the burners.

Thousands of these high efficiency elements are spaced and compactly arranged with in
twelve/ twenty-four sector shaped compartments for heater sizes from 24.5 to 27.5 and
twenty-four sector shaped compartments for heater sizes from 28 to 36, of a radialy
divided cylindrical shell called the rotor. The housing surrounding the rotor is provided
with duct connections at both the ends, and is adequately sealed by radial and axial
sealing members- forming an air passage through one half of the air preheater and a gas
passage through the other.

As the rotor slowly revolves the mass of the elements alternately pass through the air and
gas passages; heat is absorbed by the element surfaces passing through the hot gas
stream; then, as the same surfaces are carried through the air stream, they release the
stored up heat thus increasing the temperature of the incoming combustion or process
air.
3. Motor Operated Biplane damper damper. (APH O/L)
This damper is used for the isolation of the APH during APH trip.

4. Hot Primary Air Header

The hot primary air header is the common conduit for hot primary air to mill. The hot air
to mill is getting distributed to all running mills. Minimum Hot PA header pressure is to be
maintained during operation.

5. Pneumatic Operated Louver Damper

This damper is used for regulation of Mill outlet temperature outlet temperature.

6. Pneumatic Operated Hot Air Gate

Hot Air gate is used to isolate mill during shutdown. The hot air gates closes when the mill
outlet temperature crosses the set value (94°C)

7. Aerofoil
Airfoils are provided in the mill air as well as bypass air duct to measure the total primary
airflow. The main objective of an aerofoil placed in a fluid stream is to produce lift, but it
will also experience drag at the same time. The drag needs to be reduced, because a
considerable amount of power is required to overcome the drag force. A method called
streamlining reduces the drag. A body so shaped that either no separation takes place or
the separation is confined to a small section near the rear part of the body is called a
streamlined body. These streamlined bodies are called aero foils (or) airfoils and are used
to produce lift. A primary device of this type is also somewhat less expensive to construct
than the Venturi duct section.

Opening

Flow

Opening

Duct cross section view

8. Air through Mill

This is the air which dried the coal in pulveriser and transport coal to furnace.
9. Pneumatic Operated Mill Inlet Damper
This damper is just before the Mill inlet, which controls mill airflow.

10. Bypass Air

The bypass airflows through the mixing box where pre-drying of raw coal takes place. The
bypass air maintains the velocity of pulverized coal/ air mixture in the fuel pipes at all
loads. The bypass air quantity increases with decrease in coal and decreases as load
increases

125. Mixing box

Mixing box is kept for pre-drying the coal, coal from coal bunker enters into the
gravimetric feeder then passes through a pneumatic operated gate and it is fed into the
mixing box, where the moisture content present in the coal is being removed partially.
Rest of the moisture content will be dried up in the tube mill itself. Mixing box will be only
in tube mill only.

12. Tube mill

Tube mill is a slow speed mill. It usually rotates between 15 to 25 rpm depending upon
the mill size. The tube mill carrying the ball charge rotates on the antifriction bearings.
Raw coal is fed to the drum through the inlet elbow and gets crushed to powder inside
the mill drum. The ball charge and the coal are carried to a certain height inside the drum
and allowed to fall down. Due to the impact of the balls on coal particles and due to
attrition as the particles slide over each other and also over the liners, the coal gets
crushed. Hot flue gases are used for drying and transporting the pulverized coal from the
mill to the classifier. The coarse particles are returned by the classifier for further
grinding.