By:

Pankaj Choudhary
1. Introduction
2. APH Sealing System
3. Troubleshooting
4. APH performance indicators
5. Performance enhancement techniques
 INDRODUCTION

1. Air preheater is a heat exchanger utilizing the

heat of flue gas to heat the combustion air
(Primary and secondary air).
2. For every 20°C drop in flue Gas exit temperature
the boiler efficiency increases by about 1%.
3. 20% of Total heat transfer in the boiler by APH .
4. 1% improvement in boiler efficiency for each 22
o
C rise in the combustion air temperature.
5. The total fuel saving due to pre heating

combustion air may be 5 to 10 %.

APH Specification

Type-32.5 VIMT 2000 (72” PA& 108”SA)

Main Motor Capacity-30KW
Gear Box-Type 8APB, (M/s shanti Gears ltd)
Oil Used-SP680(Qty. 135 litres.)Ratio-98.36:1, Gear
Box Output Speed-14.7RPM
Fluid coupling-14.5 FCU – Pembril / Fluiodomat
Service Water Consumption-300m3/hrs.
Soot Blower:
 TYPES

RECUPERATIVE RE-GENERATIVE

STATIC CONSTRUCTION ROTARY BY CONSTRUCTION

TRI-SECTOR
BI-SECTOR
TUBULAR TYPE
ROTHEMUHF
PLATE TYPE
MATRIX ELEMENT STATIONARY
SCAPH
LJUNGSTROM TYPE

MATRIX ELEMENT ROTARY

 DRIVE ARRANGEMENT
The drive mechanism consists of:
• One electric motor connected to a gear reduction
unit through fluid coupling driving a pinion gear.
• The pinion gear meshes with a pin rack on the
rotor which allows the rotor to rotate at a low
speed.
• Provision of Air Motor is also given for any failure
of electric drive units.

Rotor Drive Assembly

1. Fluid
coupling
2. Drive
Motor
3. Pin Rack
4. Rotor
Housing.
5. Support
 HEATING ELEMENTS
The heating elements are packed in reversible
containers called baskets and are placed in the rotor
in three tiers: hot, intermediate and cold. The heating
elements in the hot and intermediate layers have a
profile called Double Undulated (DU). They are made
of carbon steel.
The cold end heating elements are made of
corten steel, which is resistant to corrosion. The
undulations in heating elements cause turbulence to
the gas and air ensuring efficient heat transfer. The
BASKET HEIGHT LAYER
SEALING SYSTEM

Usually air leaks into the gas stream due to static pressure differential.
This leakage air decrease the air leaving temperature. Various
arrangements to reduce the leakage are as follows.

THE RADIAL SEALS are located along the edges of the diaphragm
plates and bear against the sector plates, housed under centre
sections.
THE AXIAL SEALS are located axially in line with the outer edge of
diaphragm plates and bear against the axial seal plates, mounted in
the housing pedestals.
THE BYPASS SEALS are located on the housing around the periphery of
the rotor and bear against the T-bar attached to the periphery of the
rotor.
THE STATIC SEALS are fixed under the centre sections and housing
pedestals and bear against sector plates and axial seal plates
respectively.
The Rotor Post Seals
AIRHEATER (SCHEMATIC)
BYPASS SEAL RADIAL SEAL

HOT END
AXIAL
SEAL

COLD END HOT INTERMEDIATE

SEALING SYSTEM: -
Leakage distribution:

Hot End Radial = 63.08%

Cold End Radial = 11.98%

Axial = 8.78%

Post = 3.17%

Direct Leakage = 87.01%

Entrained Leakage = 12.99%
TOTAL = 100.00%
TROUBLESHOOTING
1. AIR PRE-HEATER SEAL LEAKAGE
Higher air leakage in rotary Air pre heaters can be due to the
following reasons:
a. Higher pressure differential between the air and gas streams
than the design value.
b. Improper installation of APH components.
c. Improper seal setting.
d. Wear / Erosion

2. EROSION: -
The leakage of ash laden air causes severe when the air to gas
pressure differential is high, resulting in excessive velocities
through the leakage orifices. High ash coals that is high in
alumina and silica content causes high erosion rates.
The erosion can be reduced by modifying the static seals, static
spool, ceramic wool packing, selection of seal material etc.
3. CORROSION: -

Cold End Heating elements were seriously affected by

corrosion mainly in oil fired boilers. Corrosion causes due to
formation of sulphuric acid.

To avoid corrosion:

a. Complete combustion of fuel oil to be ensured.

b. Soot blowing at regular intervals to be done.

c. Maintaining minimum cold end average temperature.

d. Heating elements to be dried properly after water washing.

e. Oil quality to be ensured.

4. HIGHER PRESSURE DROP ACROSS APH: -
Pressure drop across APH causes in increases auxiliary power
consumption (ID Fan, PA Fan & FD Fan Currents). The main reason
for higher pressure drop are plugging / chocking of heating elements
excess flows etc.
To avoid higher pressure drop.
a. Frequent cleaning of heating elements with soot blowers.
b. Proper evacuation of ash from economizer hoppers.
c. Proper drying of heating elements after water washing.
5.AIR PREHEATER FIRE: -
Air Pre-heater fire may occur during cold start-up on oil firing start up
following hot standby, because of poor combustion of the fuel oil. The
improper combustion results in unburnt oil condensing and depositing
on the air pre-heater heating surfaces. These deposits can ignite as
temperature increase to 315 to 370°C.
6. Water Leakages & Passing at APH area
7. Fluid Coupling Failure
8. Not Getting PA or SA outlet temp
9 Increasing ESP inlet temp.
10 Rotor Stoppage Alarm
Indication of APH Fire:

1. Flue gas outlet temp will suddenly start rising at a very higher rate.
2. Report of smoke/ fire in the APH from field.
3. APH fire sensing element gives signal to DCS.

Possible cause for APH fire

1. Foreign material such as paper, bags, wood, etc. in the APH left during maintenance.
2. Excessive accumulation of oil during of oil firing at initial stage of boiler light up.
 Poor atomization of oil being fired
 Unburnt Oil / soot deposits in air pre-heater due to
 Worn-out oil burner tips leading to coarser particles of oil
 Low air flow through the burner leading to unburnt particles.
 Improper air distribution between primary, secondary etc.
 Wrong tip position with respect to diffuser or spinner
3. Inadequate frequency of operation of APH Soot blowers
4. Plugged Nozzles of APH Soot blowers
5. Low blowing steam pressure in APH Soot blowers.
6. Ineffective or No soot blowing done during oil firing.
7. Incomplete burning of coal which causes deposition of coal particle in APH.
8. Cleanliness factor of APH baskets which increases possibility of deposition of oil and coal
particles.
Procedure for encountering APH fire:

1. Trip the Boiler (Fire-off the boiler).

2. Do not Stop APH rotation to avoid buckling of the air pre-heater rotor.
3. Start APH soot blowing.
4. Stop FD fans and ID fans.
5. Close all flue gas inlet dampers and all air dampers for the corresponding APH which has caught fire.
6. Inform Fire fighting control room
7. (JPL Fire control numbers: 2222, 1111, 2200, 9329444774) Stop lube oil pumps for support and
guide bearing if running.
8. Open fire fighting water line manual isolation valve.
9. In case of Station Black-out at that time, Open APH manhole and ask fire-man to spray water from
nozzle
10. Check flue gas temp start reducing in APH outlet (In DCS).
11. If flue gas temp reduced up to 70’c ask local engineer to ensure fire is quenched from local view
glass.
12. Issue PTW for opening manhole and to check the cause of fire and degree of damage caused by that
fire and further maintenance.

Conti…
Practices Of Boiler Can Prevent Air Pre-heater Fire Totally During The
Life Of The Boiler

1. It is a good practice to check oil viscosity characteristics on a periodic

basis and whenever there is a change in supplier.
2. Clean oil gun tips and lap the internals to satisfy the design
requirements.
3. Never restart the oil burners without purging during start-up.
6. Boiler start-up operation must be avoided when air pre-heater soot
blowers are not available.
7. During start-ups, low load operation, and shutting down, make it a
practice to watch the trend of air and gas temperature leaving the air
pre-heaters.
8. Operate air pre-heater soot blowers regularly.
9. Any fire detecting device provided by supplier has to be kept active and
tested as and when possible.
10.Water washing of APH should be done during each overhauling or long
shutdown.
HOT END TRACKING MECHANISM

ROTOR EXPANDS TOWARDS THE HOT END DURING

RUNNING CONDITION.

INBOARD OF THE HOT END SECTOR PLATES ARE

LOADED INTO TRACKING SPOOL AND THE SPOOL
IS CONNECTED BY MEANS OF ADJUSTERS TO THE
GUIDE BEARING HOUSING SLEEVE. SO THAT WHEN
THE ROTOR POST EXPANDS,THE SPOOL ALONG
WITH THE SECTOR PLATES ARE TRACKED WITH IT,
COMPENSATING ITS EXPANSION AT ALL LOADS.
APH PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
1. Air Heater Seal leakage :
 This leakage is assumed to occur entirely between air inlet
and gas outlet.
 Empirical relationship using the change in concentration of
O2 or CO2 in the flue gas.
 Calculation:
 Air Seal leakage = (O2out-O2in)*0.9*100/(21-O2out)
 (6-4)x.9x100/(21-6)=12%
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
2. 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
Gas Side Efficiency = (336-126) / (336-26) = 67.7 %

3. 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 calculated)/(Tair out - Tair in)
350-135/285-30=.84
 X-Ratio depends on
• moisture in coal, air infiltration, air & gas mass flow rates
• leakage from the seal setting
• specific heats of air & flue gas

 X-ratio does not provide a measure of thermal performance of

the air heater, but is a measure of the operating conditions.

 A low X-ratio indicates either excessive gas weight through the

air heater or that air flow is bypassing the air heater.

 A lower than design X-ratio leads to a higher than design gas

outlet temperature & can be used as an indication of excessive
tempering air to the mills or excessive boiler setting infiltration.

Air Heater Gas Exit Temperature Correction

It is measured temp. and includes the temp reducing effect of air heater leakage. uncorrected
gas exit temp is the same temp., but corrected is no leakage condition.

AH leakage%/100 x Specific Heat of Air/Specific Heat of Gas x(Gas out Temp-Air in Temp)
+Gas out Temp
PARAMETERS AFFECTING APH PERFORMANCE

 Inlet temperature of flue gas

 CAD opening(Tempering Air)
 High PA header pressure
 Operating excess air levels(O2)
 PA/SA ratio
 Ingress levels
 Upstream ash evacuation
 Soot blowing
 No. of mills in service
 Coal moisture
Thank You