3.

2 BOILER THEORY

Boiler systems are classified in a variety of ways. They can be classified according to the
end use, such as foe heating, power generation or process requirements. Or they can be classified
according to pressure, materials of construction, size tube contents (for example, waterside or
fireside), firing, heat source or circulation. Boilers are also distinguished by their method of
fabrication. Accordingly, a boiler can be pack aged or field erected. Sometimes boilers are
classified by their heat source. For example, they are often referred to as oil-fired, gas-fired,
coal-fired, or solid fuel –fired boilers.

Types of boilers:

1. Fire tube boilers:

Fire tube boilers consist of a series of straight tubes that are housed inside a water-filled
outer shell. The tubes are arranged so that hot combustion gases flow through the tubes. As the
hot gases flow through the tubes, they heat the water surrounding the tubes. The water is
confined by the outer shell of boiler. To avoid the need for a thick outer shell fire tube boilers are
used for lower pressure applications. Generally, the heat input capacities for fire tube boilers are
limited to 50 mbtu per hour or less, but in recent years the size of fire tube boilers has increased.
Most modern fire tube boilers have cylindrical outer shells with a small round
combustion chamber located inside the bottom of the shell. Depending on the construction
details, these boilers have tubes configured in either one, two, three, or four pass arrangements.
Because the design of fire tube boilers is simple, they are easy to construct in a shop and can be
shipped fully assembled as a package unit.
These boilers contain long steel tubes through which the hot gases from the furnace pass

and around which the hot gases from the furnace pass and around which the water circulates.
Fire tube boilers typically have a lower initial cost, are more fuel efficient and are easier to
operate, but they are limited generally to capacities of 25 tonnes per hour and pressures of 17.5

kg per cm2.

2. Water tube boilers:

Water tube boilers are designed to circulate hot combustion gases around the outside of a
large number of water filled tubes. The tubes extend between an upper header, called a steam
drum, and one or lower headers or drums. In the older designs, the tubes were either straight or
bent into simple shapes. Newer boilers have tubes with complex and diverse bends. Because the
pressure is confined inside the tubes, water tube boilers can be fabricated in larger sizes and used
for higher-pressure applications. Small water tube boilers, which have one and sometimes two
burners, are generally fabricated and supplied as packaged units. Because of their size and
weight, large water tube boilers are often fabricated in pieces and assembled in the field.
In water tube or “water in tube” boilers, the conditions are reversed with the water
passing through the tubes and the hot gases passing outside the tubes. These boilers can be of a
single- or multiple-drum type. They can be built to any steam capacity and pressures, and have
higher efficiencies than fire tube boilers.
Almost any solid, liquid or gaseous fuel can be burnt in a water tube boiler. The common fuels
are coal, oil, natural gas, biomass and solid fuels such as municipal solid waste (MSW), tire-
derived fuel (TDF) and RDF. Designs of water tube boilers that burn these fuels can be
significantly different.
Coal-fired water tube boilers are classified into three major categories stoker fired units,
PC fired units and FBC boilers. Package water tube boilers come in three basic designs: A, D
and O type. The names are derived from the general shapes of the tube and drum arrangements.
All have steam drums for the separation of the steam from the water, and one or more mud
drums for the removal of sludge. Fuel oil-fired and natural gas-fired water tube package boilers
are subdivided into three classes based on the geometry of the tubes.
The “A” design has two small lower drums and a larger upper drum for steam-water
separation. In the “D” design, which is the most common, the unit has two drums and a large-
volume combustion chamber. The orientation of the tubes in a “D” boiler creates either a left or
right-handed configuration. For the “O” design, the boiler tube configuration exposes the least
amount of tube surface to radiant heat. Rental units are often “O” boilers because their symmetry
is a benefit in transportation

3. “D” Type boilers:

“This design has the most flexible design. They have a single steam drum and a single
mud drum, vertically aligned. The boiler tubes extend to one side of each drum. “D” type boilers
generally have more tube surface exposed to the radiant heat than do other designs. “Package
boilers” as opposed to “field- erected” units generally have significantly shorter fireboxes and
frequently have very high heat transfer rates (250,000 btu per hour per sq foot). For this reason it
is important to ensure high-quality boiler feedwater and to chemically treat the systems properly.
Maintenance of burners and diffuser plates to minimize the potential for flame
impingement is critical.

4. “A” type boilers:

This design is more susceptible to tube starvation if bottom blows are not performed
properly because “A” type boilers have two mud drums symmetrically below the steam drum.
Drums are each smaller than the single mud drums of the “D” or “O” type boilers. Bottom blows
should not be undertaken at more than 80 per cent of the rated steam load in these boilers.
Bottom blow refers to the required regular blow down from the boiler mud drums to remove
sludge and suspended solids.

CHAPTER 4: PROCESSES OF GENERATING ELECTRICITY

4.1 COAL TO ELECTRICITY

We will see how the whole process of generation of electricity from the initial stage i.e. when
coal burns. For burning the coal we require three T’s as shown in diagram below.
 Unless until these three T’s are well in proportion fire or combustion of source of chemical
energy cannot take place. For providing a suitable atmosphere for combustion we take help of
well-designed furnace for given fuel in which after combustion of fuel heat is released. And
this heat energy is transported through a medium i.e. steam.

The essential components of the plant are:

 Boiler
 Steam turbine couples with electric generator
 The condenser
 The pump to send back condensed water to boiler
Now let us have close look of the working of each equipment’s of thermal power plant.
 Feed water enters the boiler at the high pressure and low temperature and it is converted
into high pressure and high temperature. Steam in the boiler. The heat required to convert
feed water to steam is obtained from the heat released from the combustion of fuels burned
in the furnace.
 High pressure and high temperature steam from the boiler passes through the turbine
blades and expands from boiler pressure, to the condenser pressure. The work performed in
this process is transmitted through the shaft to the shaft of the electric generator, where the
mechanical energy is converted to electrical energy.
 The low pressure and low temperature exhaust steam from turbine is condensed into water
in a condenser. The heat removal for condensation is done by cooling water through
circulating water pumps.
 The condensate from the condenser is pumped, by the boiler feed pump (B.F.P) as high
pressure and low temperature water which is feed to boiler.

The following medium for thermal power plant cycle is steam and before we go into the details
of the steam power cycle, we should know about steam. The use of steam can be traced back as
far 56 AD when it provided the mysterious- motive-power of Greek temple after the sacred
fires had been lit. It may have been used even earlier for the same purpose by Egyptians but it
was not until 1712 that any development of an industrial nature took place.
In those pioneer days of boiler development the life of an operator was not without dangers
because explosions were frequent. This led to the development of steam generators and also the
establishment of the excellent codes of safety which we know today.We used coals as fuel for
the generation of heat energy. As the water in the Boiler evaporated due to the intense heat, it
becomes high-pressurized steams.
And the steams are passing through a conduit (there is a turbine at the other end of the tunnel),
it forces its way through the Turbine, thus rotating the Turbine. (As the steams are high-
pressurized, the Turbine will rotate very fast). The Turbine is connected to a Generator via a
coupler. As the Turbine is rotating (from the force of the steams), electrical energy is being
produced.
After the steams have passed through the turbine, it enters a Condenser. The Condenser has got
a cooling agent (namely seawater) and the steam will go through the cooling agent via a pipe.
The steam thus changes back to its liquid form and returns to the Boiler.

Diagram: Basic Operation of a Thermal Power Station

Diagram: Schematic View of Boiler