COMBUSTION

&
FUELS
 PROCESS FLOW IN
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
CHE M ICAL E NE RG Y IN FUE L

HE AT E NE RG Y

M E CHANICAL E NE RG Y

E LE CT RICAL E NE RG Y
 PROCESS FLOW IN
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
CHEMICAL ENERGY IN FUEL
COMBUSTION PROCESS
BOILER
HEAT ENERGY HEAT TRANSFER
TO WORKING
FLUID
TURBINE
MECHANICAL ENERGY

GENERATOR
ELECTRICAL ENERGY
 COMBUSTION
• Rapid chemical combination of
oxygen with the combustible
elements of the fuel in the process
of which heat is evolved with light
combustion.
• With reference to the furnace it is
also defined as a series of
continuous, controlled explosion of
fuel particles with oxygen in the air
causing evolution of heat with light
and formation of product gases.
 COMBUSTION

Ignition Energy
REACTANT PRODUCTS HEA
S + T
 COMBUSTION

• REACTANTS
– COMBUSTIBLES IN FUEL
• Carbon,Hydrogen,Sulphur
– OXYGEN
• IGNITION ENERGY
– HEAT
 MAJOR SEGMENTS OF
COMBUSTION FOR
CONSIDERATION
– Combustion Efficiency as indicated
by flame stability and complete
carbon burn out
– Slagging and fouling properties of
Ash
– Potential for metal Corrosion and
Erosion characteristics of Fly Ash
in Gas stream
– Air Pollution control requirements
of the combustion product effluent
Gases (NOx,SOx)
 FACTORS AFFECTING
PERFORMANCE OF COMBUSTION

• SURFACE CONTACT AREA OF FUEL

WITH AIR
• AIR-FUEL RATIO
• RETENTION TIME
• COMBUSTION CHAMBER
TEMPERATURE
• TURBULANCE IN COMBUSTION
CHAMBER
• REMOVAL OF PRODUCTS OF
COMBUSTION
 SURFACE CONTACT AREA
OF FUEL WITH AIR
• Larger the particle size
lesser the molecular
contact
• Inner core of
molecules will be
blanketed by ash
• To improve molecular
contact reduce size
• Solid Fuel
– Pulverisation
• Liquid Fuel
– Atomisation
 AIR-FUEL RATIO

• The quantity of air supplied

must be sufficient enough to
provide the necessary oxygen
to the combustibles of the fuel
to get them completed
oxidized so that all the
chemical energy is completely
converted to heat energy.
 AIR-FUEL RATIO
• INSUFFICIENT AIR
– Chemical Under burning
C + 02 CO2 + Heat (33820 kJ/Kg)

2C + 02 2CO + Heat (10200

kJ/Kg)

– Mechanical Under burning

– Carbon in Ash
 RETENTION TIME
• Combustion reaction needs
sufficient time to complete,
during which ignition energy
must be available to the fuel-air
mixture. As the ignition energy
generally will be available only in
the furnace, sufficient retention
time must be provided to the
fuel-air mixture in the furnace to
complete the combustion
reaction
 RETENTION TIME
COMBUSTION
– TIME REQUIRED/AVAILABLE
DEPENDS
• FUEL TYPE
• QUALITY
• SIZE
• FURNACE SIZE
• VELOCITY
– DRAUGHT
 TEMPERATURE
• EFFECTS THERMAL DIFFUSION OF
REACTING MOLECULES DUE TO
INCREASED VELOCITY OF MOLECULES
WITH INCREASE IN TEMPERATURE
• INFLUENCE THE RATE OF REACTION
• FACTORS AFFECTING TEMPERATURE
– Heat absorbed by furnace
– Heat absorbed by reactants to
bring them to ignition temperature
– Heat absorbed by nitrogen in air
 TURBULENCE

– Mechanical agitation of reactants

to bring them into physical contact
– Requirement is more at final stage
of combustion
– Lesser the turbulence more
mechanical under burning
– Achieved By
• Tangential Firing
• Supply of tertiary air in wall fired
boilers
 TURBULENCE

• Opportunity For
Contact Between
Interacting
Molecules
– Are related to
Concentration
and
Distribution of
Reactants in a
given Volume
 PREPARATION OF THE
REACTANTS AND MECHANICAL
TURBULANCE
• Influence the reaction rate
• Agitation permits greater opportunity
for molecular contact
• Agitation improves both the relative
distribution and energy imparted.
• Agitation assumes greater significance
if the relative concentration of the
reactants is approaching zero.
• Preparation and mechanical turbulance
are the main factors for the reaction
rate.
 GENERATION OF FLAME
TURBULANCE

 Thermal movement of molecules as a

consequence of high temperature
flame.
 Turbulence produced artificially.
 Turbulence require much energy as
the viscosity of hot gases have
attenuating effect
 Generally achieved by injecting
combustion air into the flame with
high velocity.
REMOVAL OF PRODUCTS
OF COMBUSTION
– Gases produced during the
combustion reaction should be
removed to accommodate the
fresh fuel-air mixture.
– As the product gases are inert, if
they are not removed from the
combustion chamber at the rate
of which they are formed, they
infringe in the molecular
contact between the fresh
fuel and air particles.
 FUELS
• Combustibles
– Carbon
– Hydrogen
– Sulphur
• Non-combustibles
– Moisture
– Ash
 FUELS
• SOLID
– COAL
• Anthracite
• Bituminous
• Sub bituminous
• Lignite
 FUELS
• SOLID
– BIOMASS
– Bagasse
– Peanut shell
– Paddy husk
– Coffee bean
– Wood chips
– Barks
– Wood
– Pet coke
– Municipal refuse
– Fused tires
 FUELS
• Liquid
– Light Diesel Oil (LDO)
– Furnace Oil (HFO)
– Low Sulphur Heavy Stock(LSHS)
– Refinary Process wastes
– Black liquor
 FUELS
• Gas
– Producer gas
– Blast Furnace gas
– Corex gas
– Natural gas
– LPG
– Coal gas
 COAL
High Ranking Coal
– Classification based on Carbon content
in Coal
Meta Anthracite - 98% Carbon
Anthracite - 92% Carbon
Semi Anthracite - 86% Carbon
Low Volatile Bituminous - 78% Carbon
Medium volatile Bituminous -69% Carbon
 COAL
Low Ranking Coal
– Classification based on the heat
content

High Volatile Bituminous

Sub Bituminous
Lignite
 FUEL OIL
Distillate
Light Diesel oil
Residual Oil
Heavy Fuel Oil (Furnace oil)
Low Sulphur Heavy stock (LSHS)
 FUEL ANALYSIS
• PROXIMATE ANALYSIS
– Moisture
• Surface
• Inherent
– Volatile matter
– Ash
– Fixed Carbon
 FUEL ANALYSIS
• ULTIMATE ANALYSIS
– Carbon
– Hydrogen
– Sulphur
– Nitrogen
– Ash
– Oxygen
 FUEL ANALYSIS
PROXIMATE
MOI V.M ASH F.C.

SI NGRAULI 16.0 21.6 30.0 32.4

RAMAGUNDAM 10.0 21.4 32.0 36.54

6
NEYVELI 53.3 24.3 3.3 19.1

SURAT 24.0 32.5 19.0 24.46

2
I MPORTED 8.3 24.7 13.6 53.3
 Elemental analysis, moisture content, and
grades of typical Indian coals

Coal Grade C% H% S% N2% O2% A% M% NCV (Kcal/Kg) UHV (cal/gm)

D 33.1 2.46 0.44 0.83 NA 25.9 7.2 4999.0 4332.0

D 30 2.48 0.57 0.69 NA 27.1 2.9 5555.0 4760.0

D 32.31 2.12 0.4 0.78 NA 25 7.3 5068.0 4442.0

E 37.9 2.4 0.53 0.8 6% 30.4 7.5 4529.0 3670.0

F1 41.87 3.33 0.56 0.94 6% 34.07 7.8 4137.0 3122.0

F2 44.47 3.37 0.35 0.99 6% 36.3 8.4 3833.0 2731.0

Average of E
41.19 2.89 0.44 0.9 0.06 33.35 7.95 4182.0 -
and F2
 Elemental analysis and moisture content of
the coal used at the seven power plants in
India

Coal C% H% S% N 2% O 2% A% M% NCV

Dadri 40.3 4.16 0.5 0.9 15.92 38.22 NA NA

Rihand 37.74 3.26 0.39 0.73 14.65 43.23 NA NA

Singrauli 50.22 4.78 0.33 1.09 17.25 26.33 NA NA

Chandrapur 37.69 2.66 0.8 1.07 5.78 47.0 5 3649.9

Dahanu 42.39.0 3.73 0.39 0.82 14.21 38.46 5.93 3986.37

Nevyeli
26.09 2.33 1.5 0.24 16.33 7.0 47 2229.
Lignite
2900
Kutch Lignite 28.33 3.03 2.25 0.88 13.94 15.0 36
 FUEL ANALYSIS
• TYPICAL ULTIMATE ANALYSIS
Carbon 43.2%
Hydrogen 2.5
Sulphur 0.27
Nitrogen 0.8
Oxygen 7.23
Moisture 16.0
Ash 30.0
 HEATING VALUE
• Number of heat
units liberated
when an unit
mass of fuel is
burnt at constant
volume in oxygen
saturated with
water vapour, the
original and final
products being
kept at constant
temperature
 HEATING VALUE
Sl.No ELEMENT HEAT
CONTENT
KJ / Kg
1) Carbon 33820

2) Hydrogen 1,44,000

3) Sulphur 9304
 HEATING VALUE
HIGHER HEATING VALUE
= 33820C + 144000(H-O/8) +
9304S kJ/Kg

LOWER HEATING VALUE

= HHV - 2442 (M+9H) kJ/Kg
 STOCHIOMETRIC AIR
• Air required to burn a fuel as
per the Stochiometric
equations.
• Oxygen required
= 8/3C + 8(H-O/8) + S
• Stochiometric Air required
= 100/23 [8/3C + 8(H-O/8) + S]
Kg/Kg fuel
 STOCHIOMETRIC AIR
Substance St.Reqt./gm Product gms/gms
O2 Air CO2 H2O N2
CO
Carbon 2.67 11.49 3.67 8.82
Carbon 1.33 5.75 4.42
2.3
Hydrogen 8.0 34.48 9.0 26.48
• Air Requirement Per One Million Kcal. Heat
Input
– Coal 1360 Kg
– Oil 1325 Kg
– Gas 1300 Kg
 EXCESS AIR
• AIR SUPPLIED IN ADDITION TO
STOCHIOMETRIC AIR FOR
COMPLETE COMBUSTION OF
FUEL
• OPTIMUM EXCESS AIR
DEPENDS ON
– FUEL QUALITY
– FIRING SYSTEM DESIGN
 EXCESS AIR
– MORE THAN OPTIMUM
INCREASES WD AND
SO DRY GAS LOSS
– LESS THAN OPTIMUM
INCREASES CARBON
LOSS
– OPTIMUM EXCESS AIR
IS DETERMINED
THROUGH FIELD
TESTS
– OPTIMUM EXCESS AIR
CAN BE MAINTAINED
THROUGH F.G.
ANALYSIS
PROCESS PRECEEDING COMBUSTION
• LIQUID
• First converted into gaseous state
• Ready for combustion only when they
have been mixed with 02 carrier and
heated to ignition temperature.
• EVAPORATION - SLOWEST LINK
• Depends on volatility and molecular
composition of oil.
• Different hydrocarbons vaporise at
different temperature.
 PROCESS PRECEEDING COMBUSTION

 Due to more rapid evaporation of

lighter H2 containing fractions
molecules are generally enriched with
carbon leading to soot formation.
• TO AVOID SOOT
 Droplets of atomised oil must be
brought to high temperature as
quickly as possible so that they can
burn immediately.
 LIQUID FUELS
• TO ACCELERATE EVAPORATION
Needs burner which gives fine
atomisation and adequate
enlargement of surface area. of
fuel (30 to 200 micron)
• COMBUSTION EFFICIENCY IS
GREATLY INFLUENCED BY IGNITION
AND BURNER FLOW PATTERN.
 COAL COMBUSTION
 HETROGENEOUS SURFACE REACTION
• DEVOLATALISATION
 P.F. in flame jet is heated by convection
as it entrains and mixes with hot gases
 Also heated by radiation.
 On heating above 500OC coal starts to
decompose and evolves a mixture of
combustible and non-combustible gases.
 Surface area dictates the rate of
gasification.
 At temp. above 900OC most of the
volatiles are evolved.
 COAL COMBUSTION

 When given adequate air this

volatile matter mix into the jet and
its combution sustain the ignition
of flame
 The remaining char residue then
burns slowly in the flame and
furnace.
 COAL COMBUSTION
• THERMAL DECOMPOSITION OF COAL
 Coal particles are porous contrast to
homogeneous oil droplets which are
subject to surface tension.
 Gasifying medium penetrate into pores
and react with the combustible substance
 Internal pore walls are also included in
the reactive surface.
 These pores widen on heating and as
volatiles leave, enlarge the cavities in the
particles
 Also explode under internal pressure and
disintegrate into several fragments.
 COAL COMBUSTION
• STEPS OCCURING
 On introduction into furnace p.f. is
dried, devolatalised and ignited.
 Volatile matter are momentarily
trapped inside.
 Gases diffuse both away from coal
particle and into porous mass of
coal.
 COAL COMBUSTION
• REQUIREMENTS
 Flame temperature should be
above ignition temperature
 To support combustion flame
temperature should not fall below
the limiting value
 High temperature allow high
burnout rate of coal thereby avoid
the need of unduly large furnace
 Upper limit on high temperature to
prevent volatalisation of ash