Rotary Air Preheater and Draft Fan

Performance effect on Unit Heat Rate,

Availability and Emissions Control Plant

Jim Cooper - Howden Global ( [email protected] )

Dougal Hogg - Howden Global ( [email protected] )
Livio Salvestro - Howden Australia ( [email protected] )

Paper presented at :

POWER-GEN ASIA
KLCC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
10 - 12 September 2014
 ROTARY AIR PREHEATER AND DRAFT FAN PERFORMANCE EFFECT ON
UNIT HEAT RATE, AVAILABILITY AND EMISSIONS CONTROL PLANT
Abstract
In all coal fired plant, the combined performance of both the air preheaters and the boiler draft
fans can have a dramatic effect on both the boiler heat rate and unit availability. Excessive
leakage can occur through many rotary air preheaters as their condition deteriorates during long
term operation, thereby increasing the required draft fan flow and associated power
requirements potentially limiting the exported power capacity. To minimise the associated
availability loss, most boiler draft fans have typically been sized to suit the most onerous
operating conditions that may be experienced over the lifetime of the generating plant,
including margins to encompass maximum associated flow rates and fouling conditions
through the boiler, air preheater and downstream gas cleaning equipment (such as SCR, FGD,
ESP or bag filters and future Carbon Capture plant).
In most cases, the resultant fans are too large for the operating conditions experienced over
90% of their lifetime. Different types of fans have been used, axial, centrifugal and mixed flow
with different performance characteristics that can be used to partially offset the divergent
needs of the plant. However, each has limitations that may cause significant additional parasitic
power consumption in the draft plant that can amount to a large cost imposition over the life of
the boiler plant.
This paper addresses the most critical factors and design alternatives that should be considered
to improve availability and reduce the unit heat rate when specifying or reviewing the
performance of both the air preheaters and associated draft equipment.

1. Background
The typical installation arrangement of rotary regenerative air preheaters (APHs) and associated
boiler draft fans in a modern coal fired power plant is shown in Figure 1. As shown, most large
fossil fuel fired utility boilers throughout the world adopt rotary regenerative air preheaters as a
means of both increasing boiler efficiency by reducing the final exit gas temperature and
providing the preheated air temperatures required for flame stabilisation in the furnace or
drying in the coal mills. Unfortunately, however, one of the most serious problems with such
air preheaters is leakage drift, which is the increase of the air to gas leakage rate over time.
The typical levels of leakage drift on many rotary air preheaters are as illustrated in Figure 2.
Most new air preheaters can achieve leakage levels that are close to their design values after
initial commissioning or when set up correctly after an outage. However, after a period of
operation of up to 2 or 3 years, the leakage can increase dramatically, typically from 5% - 12%
on secondary preheaters and to between 12% - 25% (and frequently higher) on high pressure
mill preheaters. Similar increases in leakage are experienced on tri-sector preheaters, which are
the most common type of air preheater adopted on pulverised coal fired boilers.
The forced draft (FD), induced draft (ID) and primary air (PA) fans have to provide both the
additional flows due to the air preheater leakage and also have to be capable of handling
combustion air leaks from the positive pressure ductwork and air ingress to the negative
pressure flue gas ductwork (tramp air). The fans also have to cope with the increasing pressure
drop as the air preheater becomes fouled.
Consequently, many power plant fans have historically been selected with excessive margins to
allow for excessive preheater leakage drift, ductwork leakage and severe fouling. The fans are
therefore larger and more expensive in both capital and running costs than if they were selected
for operation closer to the design condition.
Equally, there is a relentless push for both efficiency improvements and cost reduction within
new and existing power plants. Fan margins are being reduced in technical specifications and
there is the addition of further flue gas treatment plant such as flue gas desulphurisation (FGD)
or selective catalytic NOx reduction (SCR). Hence, the need to sustain low air preheater

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leakage levels is becoming even greater with fans operating with insufficient margins to allow
them to cope with large leakage drift.
The deterioration in preheater leakage performance can have a number of serious consequences
on the performance of the unit, including:
Increased FD and ID fan power consumption - both in terms of the additional flow rate and
pressure rise plus the requirement for the fans to operate away from the peak efficiency for
which they were originally selected.
In severe leakage cases or higher leakages, where the fan margins are insufficient, the
limitation in ID, FD and/or PA fan capacity can cause a reduction in boiler unit output
Reduced downstream temperatures, because of the increased dilution effects, causing a
potential for increased acidic corrosion of the ductwork and downstream plant.
Higher gas velocities through the electrostatic precipitators reducing the residence time and
lowering their performance.
Increase in the required SCR or FGD plant size and associated booster fan power.
2. Solution to leakage drift
Over twenty years ago, Howden developed a sealing system which overcame the leakage drift
problems and have further improved that sealing system over the intervening years.Ref.1 This
sealing system has subsequently been retrofitted with considerable success to many
international air preheaters on both coal and oil fired boilers. The sealing system developed
offers unique advantages not only in its simplicity of construction but, more importantly, in its
ability to maintain sustainable performance over the period between major overhaul outages of
3 to 4 years and beyond.
In the development of the sealing system, the direct causes of leakage drift were fully
investigated on a number of different operational preheater designs at various power plants
throughout the UK. One common design feature of many international air preheaters is their
use of adjustable sector plates to minimise the seal gaps especially at the hot end of the
heater. Whilst the concept of using adjustable sealing surfaces was intended to minimise the
seal gaps and their associated leakage, such designs suffer from a number of factors that
produces leakage drift.
These were found to be:
Leakage past primary seals between adjustable sector plates (and adjustable axial seal
plates) and the casing due to corrosion and erosion attack.
With sensor controlled systems, any malfunction in the measuring device leads to lack of
confidence in the system and operation with the sector plates in the retract position.
Many preheaters had a rotor arrangement that produced only one radial seal in the sealing
zone at any one time. Damage or corrosion and erosion of these seals dramatically
increased the leakage.
In the event of heavy seal rubs, operators often altered external adjusters and linkages to
withdraw the sealing plates increasing running tolerances and leakage levels.
Figure 3 illustrates the Howden VN sealing concept comprising the following main features.
2.1 Sector and axial sealing plates
On adjustable sector plate heaters, the top and bottom sector plate primary seals were a sliding
arrangement to allow movement of the sealing surfaces and were prone to wear as well as
erosion by particles in the gas streams. These seals showed good characteristics initially but
after years of operation contributed to the leakage drift by allowing an additional passage of
air around the sector plates. Consequently, the deposition of ash particles behind the sector
plates caused the sector plates to have reduced travel and finally jam in position.

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As similar problems were found on actuated axial seal plates, the optimum solution was found
to be the complete removal of the adjustment to the sealing surfaces. During a preheater
retrofit at site, the sector and axial sealing plates are set to accommodate all clearance gaps for
all operational duties and welded in position, thereafter requiring no further adjustment or
maintenance.
2.2 Double sealing
Older, traditional rotor designs have only one radial sealing strip passing under the sector
plate at any one time. As the leakage across these seals is directly proportional to the square
root of the driving pressure differential, if the number of seals under the sector plate is
doubled, effectively halving the pressure differential acting across each seal, the direct radial
leakage will decrease by approximately 30%.
To reduce this leakage even further, Howden fit many modern air preheaters with triple
sealing, thereby further reducing the direct leakage level while accommodating higher seal
gaps. Moreover, as shown in Fig 3, Howden traditionally fit single leaf sealing strips to the
radial division plates and axial seal holding bars to provide a sharp edge to flow and allow
fine adjustment for consistent seal setting. Experience and laboratory testing has shown that
such seals provide better sealing than multi-leaf seals especially in a worn condition.
The developments described in sub-sections 2.1 and 2.2 above have been successfully
retrofitted to over 370 heaters throughout the world and integrated into over 400 new air
preheaters and gas reheaters adopting these principles. Tests carried out on these heaters
immediately after retrofit and again after an operation period of 3 years or more demonstrate
considerable reductions in leakage levels and elimination of the leakage drift previously
experienced.
Almeria Power Station in Spain provides a prime example of low leakage levels sustained
over a long period of operation after a VN sealing retrofit. Following the earlier successful
operation of the new Howden VN preheaters tested on Almeria Unit 2, in 2004 the station
took the decision to retrofit the older VI-type trisector air preheaters on Unit 1 to follow the
same concept. As is clearly shown on Figure 4, after the retrofit of VN sealing, the leakage
was immediately reduced from a very high level of 26% to 5% and has subsequently
maintained an average leakage of around 5.7% over the last 8 years. These large leakage
reductions made dramatic savings on fan power and correspondingly reduced the unit heat
rate.
A direct result of all the retrofits has been to reduce breakdown and overhaul maintenance,
particularly of those items associated with adjustable sealing systems such as actuators and
control systems and primary seals between moving and adjustable sealing plates.
In addition to these maintenance savings, the reduced leakage realised the following benefits
from reduced gas volumes.
Reduced FD, ID and PA fan power leading to reduced heat rate
Increased fan margins, which allowed the installation of higher performance, higher
pressure drop elements
Improved thermal efficiency where higher performance elements were installed.
When applied to other units with different fans margins and operational requirements,
such retrofits can also produce
Increased generation due to the removal of the ID fan limitation
Increased electrostatic precipitator efficiency due to increased residence times
In cases where down stream FGD plant is being considered, the reduced flue gas
volume has a beneficial effect on sizing of FGD plant, absorbers and booster fans

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As is shown in Figure 1 many FGD plant throughout the world are fitted with rotary
regenerative heat exchangers called alternatively Gas Gas Heaters (GGHs) or Gas Reheaters.
The purpose of these GGHs is to provide an efficient means of reheating the saturated treated
gas exiting the FGD absorber and provide stack buoyancy required to promote plume
dispersion. To demonstrate the benefits of main boiler air preheater modifications on the
required downstream FGD plant sizes, Table 1 shows the GGH size reduction comparison
between a plant with unmodified leakage levels of typically 25% against a plant with 7%
main boiler leakage. As can be seen from this table, the GGH required for a 500MW unit
operating with an APH leakage of 7% would be noticeably smaller and hence cheaper than
that required on a smaller 400MW unit fitted with an APH suffering from 25% leakage.
Moreover, comparable and even greater savings can be made in the size and installed cost of
the FGD absorber system as a whole. Indeed, one FGD supplier has estimated that the total
installed cost of a retrofitted APH plus an appropriately sized FGD system would be lower
than the installed cost of an FGD system designed to match the unmodified APH system with
higher leakage levels.
3. Fouling effects and solutions
3.1 Background
Unlike recuperative heat exchangers where the heat must flow from outside to inside the tubes
or plates, fouling does not cause deterioration in heat transfer in a rotary regenerative heat
exchanger. This is because efficient heat transfer in rotary regenerative heaters does not
depend on heat flow through the insulating deposit and the heat transfer surface. Indeed the
deposit itself acts as a further medium to transfer heat from one side of the heater to the other
by thermal inertia in the rotor. Apart from a much reduced APH size and cost, this
insensitivity to fouling of the thermal performance of rotary regenerative air preheaters
provides one of their significant advantages over tubular or plate type air preheaters.
The main effect of fouling in such rotary regenerative heaters is simply to increase the
pressure drop and associated fan power. When the fouling becomes too severe, the fans
become unable to provide the necessary pressure rise at the required volume flow rate,
thereby restricting the maximum gas flow rate and associated firing rate and boiler output.
Consequently, the unit is forced to reduce output and lose generating capability, which
produces a fractional loss in availability. This enforced load reduction often forces the end
user to clean the elements by a means other than conventional sootblowing such as
commercial water washing. If such cleaning is carried out off-load, this is at the expense of a
total loss in availability during the enforced outage.
A secondary effect of the resultant increased differential pressures between the air and gas
sides of the air preheater is to slightly increase the direct heater leakage and bypassing.
However, this generally causes little noticeable difference in the heater performance.
3.2 Element selection (HC ElementsTM)
The best solution to excessive fouling in APHs is by careful selection of elements that suit the
fuel type, minimise the fouling potential and maximise the effectiveness of the cleaning
devices. In that respect, Howdens established CU (corrugated undulated) element range, with
flow channels parallel to the axis of the heater, has been proven to be effective elements in
widespread use over the past 40 years.
Nevertheless, there was certainly room for further development of this profile to better
optimise its performance and cleanability. Hence, Howdens patented HC ElementsTM
profiles, as shown in Figure 5, utilise a similar corrugated pattern and introduce a
revolutionary transverse herringbone sheet which eliminates cold corner problems and skew
flow within each individual channel, optimising performance across the entire surface. Unlike
any other element profiles, HC ElementsTM also eliminate the low velocity areas which

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promote fouling. They are also available in enamelled versions with a smooth and vitreous
surface that reduces the adhesion of surface deposits.
While other modern element designs set out to address the problems of skew flow by using
individual, physically closed channels to constrain flow and promote sootblower penetration,
this is a partial solution at best. Inevitably manufacturing difficulties produce element packs
that are irregularly spaced and difficult to pack tightly. The Howden HC ElementsTM design
provides an aerodynamically closed profile that both promotes the penetration of sootblower
jets and produces a higher thermal performance. Consequently, the same duties can now be
achieved by using wider pitched or shallower elements.
In addition, this element design promotes excellent penetration and even flow of both low
pressure (LP) and high pressure (HP) water washing through the depth of the element. These
alternative cleaning mechanisms can be considered whenever the cleaning requirements
extend beyond the capabilities of conventional sootblowing.
Finally, unlike most other elements, HC ElementsTM are also dimensionally consistent and
can be safely subjected to a high packing pressure producing rigid, fatigue resistant packs.
The range of HC ElementsTM have attained international acceptance and are now the mainstay
of Howden element production globally.
3.3 EnerjetTM cleaning
Where severe fouling by wet, sticky deposits is occurring and the elements are becoming
progressively plugged, normal steam or compressed air sootblowing becomes ineffective. For
example, where the heater is downstream of an SCR, sticky ammonium bisulphate (ABS)
deposits can occur deep into the element pack resulting from excessive ammonia slip through
the SCR catalyst. In such cases, water washing is required to recover the situation. While low
pressure water washing can be used, it requires copious amounts of water to be introduced at
the hot end, away from the location of the greatest fouling and to flow through the elements
by gravity. The boiler must be off load with the resulting loss of availability. The drains
below the air preheater require to be opened to handle the large flows and the resulting
effluent has to be transferred to large settling ponds for treatment. Given all the foregoing
constraints, the most effective method of cleaning severely fouled elements is by an online,
high pressure water washing technique Howden refer to as EnerjetTM cleaning (see Figure 6).
Having been used for over 20 years for both off-line and on-line HP washing on GGHs,
Howden provided the facility for on line HP washing on APHs in 1996 when they were fitted
to an SCR-compatible, retrofit of two air preheaters at Ensted Power Station in Denmark. In
that case, however, the end user opted to use the installed isolation dampers to complete
isolated, on-line water washing at part load during periods of reduced power demand. At that
site, the isolated heater was HP washed simultaneously by dual medium cleaning at both the
hot and cold ends of the air preheater.
After that success, in the early 2000s, the VN air preheaters retrofitted by Howden on Teruel
Power Station in Spain, which fired locally mined, low-grade, high sulphur lignite in
3x350MW units, were subject to severe fouling that produced very rapid increases in pressure
drop. Initially, this was combated by regular frequency off-load HP water washing using the
installed cleaning devices but requiring a unit outage for 2 days every 6 - 6 weeks and an
equivalent overall loss in unit availability of around 4%. While this was much quicker and
more cost effective than commercial off-line HP washing, it was clearly commercially
unacceptable. Hence, with Howdens guidance, Teruel decided to progress to use on-line HP
water washing at full load.
To minimise the risk of thermal fatigue to the rotor welds at the hot end of the heater, Howden
arranged that the on-line HP washing should be completed using only the cold end HP lances.

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Over a combination of controlled HP washing cycles lasting around 14 hours that could be
completed at any boiler load, the air heater pressure drops could be reduced back to their
original clean plate condition. Moreover, as each HP wash is now completed on-line and at
full load, the duration of each wash is almost irrelevant as the washing procedure now has no
impact on the boiler output and no loss in availability. By successfully adopting on-line
rather than off-line HP washing, Teruel have gained up to 4% in generation capability on
each of their three boilers at Teruel.
Since Teruel, Howden have supplied a large number of international air preheaters with
similar equipment, several of which are successfully completing on line EnerjetTM cleaning
using the supplied equipment.
This is now offered in the originally designed fully retractable lance option and also as a
compact semi-retractable variant, more easily accommodated in retro-fit applications.
3.4 Combustion control & additives
The ability to maintain proper combustion control and defined combined cold end
temperatures has a major influence on air preheater fouling.
In oil fired boilers, magnesium-based additives are commonly used to combat high
temperature vanadium attack of the high temperature furnace tubes and, in many cases,
further additives may be added to the gas stream to neutralise the formation and emission of
acid smuts from the stack. Whilst this is beneficial for the boiler operation, the quantities of
additives required for such protection are generally insufficient to mitigate the sulphuric acid
condensation and acid-enhanced fouling in the air preheater. Indeed, under such
circumstances, experience has shown that such fuel additives can significantly exacerbate the
air preheater fouling.
In air preheaters, downstream of a DeNOx SCR or SNCR installations, if the ammonia
injection rate is too high the air preheater elements become subjected to fouling by sticky
ammonium bisulphate (ABS) caused by ammonia slip from the process. In the case of an
SCR installation, both the catalyst and its degree of fouling also increase the system resistance
that the ID fans/booster fans have to accommodate.
Again, when adopting combustion control additives in heavy fuel oil firing, the inclusion of
HCTM elements and EnerjetTM cleaning devices can help to minimise the associated increase
in pressure drop and associated heat rate and minimise the loss in unit availability.
4. Mitigating the effects of tramp air and excessive PA attemperation
Tramp air ingress can be defined as the infiltration of air into the steam generator casing or
the downstream ID ductwork through badly corroded ductwork, damaged expansion joints etc.
This ingress is caused in balanced draft units by the negative pressure within the furnace and ID
ductwork. Equally, tramp air egress can occur due to the positive pressure combustion air
leaking out of the secondary and primary air ductwork. Both tramp air ingress and egress
increase as the plant ages and the additional flows caused by these leaks have to be handled by
the ID, PA & FD fans increasing their power consumption and the associated unit heat rate.
Thus, an effective maintenance regime is necessary to lessen the increase in tramp air with
time. Ductwork erection flanges not required for equipment removal should be seal welded
and effective gaskets should be fitted on all access doors and equipment removal flanges.
Expansion joints should be regularly inspected for tears/cracks and repaired or replaced as
required. It is also important to maintain effective shaft seals on rotating equipment and items
which penetrate the gas path such as sootblowers and instrumentation.
While such effects of tramp air ingress and egress through the ductwork have a noticeable
effect on the fan power consumption and margins, however, these effects are much less costly
than the effects of tramp air ingress into the boiler furnace area itself. The ASME PTC 4

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Fired Steam Generators code refers to such tramp air ingress either as either air infiltration
or setting infiltration.
Figure 7 indicates the various sources of this tramp air ingress into the furnace and high
temperature passes of the boiler due to a combination deteriorating boiler tube settings, leaking
hopper ash removal seals, open ports etc. Such tramp air ingress is inevitably much greater
than anticipated at the design stage and deteriorates with time. As this tramp air ingress into
the furnace area contributes to the combustion air requirements, the SA fan flow rate is
automatically modulated to trim the excess oxygen level measured at the economiser outlet to
the desired level. Thus, if the furnace tramp air ingress is around 1% of the design SA flow rate,
the secondary air flow passing through the air preheater will equally be reduced by 1% having a
noticeable impact on the APH performance. Indeed, for the example selected in the following
section it has been calculated that the gas outlet temperature will increase by around 1.3oC for
every 1% reduction in SA flow rate through the APH caused by such furnace tramp air ingress.
Such reductions in thermal performance of the APH caused by external effects can be further
effected by increased amounts of PA attemperation air bypass often required to control the coal
mill operating temperature when firing dry coals. Indeed, in many cases this is further
exacerbated by the APHs operating with the least suitable rotational direction producing the
highest PA outlet temperature.
As a result of the combination of the above, it is not unusual for some installations to
experience gas outlet temperatures maybe more than 10oC higher than their design value,
thereby representing a boiler efficiency loss of greater than % producing a corresponding
proportional increase in the unit heat rate.
Possible solutions to the foregoing problems include adhering to the maintenance and operating
procedures to minimise tramp air, reselecting the elements to at least partially compensate for
the resultant off design operating conditions and, in the event of excessive PA attemperation,
considering reversing the direction of rotation.
5. Draft fan requirements
5.1 Impact of air preheater performance on draft fan performance
The impact on the draft fans of varying levels of air preheater leakage and fouling severity
was simulated and assessed based on Dandong Power Station in China. Dandong has 4 x 350
MW coal fired units in a twin stream configuration, with all PA, FD & ID fans and tri-sector
air preheaters being supplied by Howden. Flow and pressure drop calculations were carried
out for four hypothetical leakage levels namely:
Design Condition (6% leakage)
High Leakage (10%)
Very High Leakage (15%)
Ultra High Leakage (25%)

Within each of these leakage conditions three hypothetical levels of fouling were applied,
namely:
Clean
30% Fouled (30% increase in pressure drop through elements)
60% Fouled (60% increase in pressure drop through elements)
As fan margins are generally sufficient to allow a doubling of the APH pressure drop, before
running out of fan capacity, these levels of fouling are certainly well within normal limits.
The resultant duty requirements dictated by the predicted preheater performance were then
input to the predicted fan performances for the PA, FD & ID fans, calculating their shaft

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power and whether or not the fans were capable of supplying their required duty.
Since these were tri-sector air preheaters, the PA leaks to both the SA and the gas side
replacing the SA leakage to the gas side. In this instance, the ID fan was also fitted with a two
speed motor and these factors enabled both the ID and FD fans to be able to handle the worst
case of leakage and fouling represented.
Figure 8 shows the predicted increase in total fan power with increasing APH leakage and
degree of fouling. Studying the different curves on this graph, note that a 60% increase in the
APH pressure drop would increase the total fan power by around 21% compared to the clean
plate, low leakage level. This proportional increase is very significant and justifies the
benefits of maintaining clean air heaters. Note further that, if the APH leakage were to
increase progressively from 6% to a maximum of 25%, as witnessed in the original Almeria 1
installations described earlier, the total fan power requirements would be increased by almost
26% for a clean APH. The combination of high fouling and extremely high leakage levels will
produce an increase of almost 50% in total fan power, which is clearly very dramatic.
Figure 9 shows the predicted reductions in the maximum load generating capacity with
increasing APH leakage and degree of fouling. Note that, in this case, the PA fans would
fairly quickly limit the maximum unit output capacity. Indeed, the maximum generating
capacity would start to fall fairly dramatically for APH leakage levels of around10% and
above, with the maximum generating capacity being reduced to as low as 80% if the APH
leakage level had increased to 15%. It is also interesting to note from the closeness of the
three curves on this graph that, in this case, the degree of fouling in the APH has little
additional, load limiting effect on the unit. The PA fans had plenty of pressure raising
capacity but would be limited in volumetric capacity. Thus, in this case, minimising the APH
leakage level would have much more effect on maximising the generating capacity than
minimising the degree of fouling. In other instances, however, when the units are ID fan
limited, the effects of both leakage and degree of fouling on the maximum generating
capability can be of a similar level.
5.2 Further understanding draft fan matching
The preceding comparisons of fan performance require a basic understanding of the
performance characteristics of main draft fan types in order to explain the impact on fan
performance and power consumption.
As is shown in Figure 1, there are three main draft fan sets in a power boiler and each have
very different characteristics and functions as follows.
5.2.1 Primary Air (PA) Fans
PA fans normally occur in pairs and are typically centrifugal and medium pressure rise (12-
25 kPa), operating on clean hot or cold air that is used for the transport of pulverised fuel
from the mills to burners. These fans usually operate on a PF bus system and therefore
deliver air at a constant pressure with the flow rate varied by vane controls due to the
demands of the mills.
Due to their relatively high system pressure, these fans are typically the first to approach
their capacity limits in the event of high APH leakage mentioned above. This is illustrated
by Figure 10 which shows the predicted fan performance curves of the PA fans for the
Dandong P.S. example presented in section 5.1. Note that, for the first two examples with
the APHs achieving their design total leakage level of 6% at both clean and 60% fouled
conditions, the required PA output level could be readily achieved as the fans would be well
within their performance envelope.
Note also, however, that if the overall APH leakage had increased to 10% as illustrated by
the second higher pair of duty points shown, the required performance levels of the PA fans

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would have been moved just beyond the output capability of the fans and just into the stall
regime. Indeed, at these conditions, the fans would already be unstable and starting to
throttle back in output capacity as shown on Figure 9.
For the two higher APH leakage levels of 15% and 25% considered in Section 5.1, the fans
would be well beyond their output capacity and deep within the stall zone were it not for the
fact that the increasing primary air seal gaps and associated leakages levels open a further
bypass flow channel past the high pressure mill system that reduces the net system
resistance as witnessed by the PA fan. While this may move the fan operating conditions to
the right hand of the stall point, the maximum generating head capacity of the fan will start
to fall off dramatically, resulting in a rapid reduction in flow delivered to the mills and
corresponding reduction in load. Indeed, this rate of load reduction with increasing leakage
would probably be more dramatic than shown in Figure 9.
The critical nature of this potential dramatic reduction in boiler output with increasing APH
leakage if the PA fan margins are quite tight, demonstrated how critical it can be to limit
APH leakage drift. In other cases, with larger capacity PA fans, these leakage limits might
be slightly less critical for achieving full load output. However, that would only be achieved
at the expense of greater fan margins, reduced efficiency and increased fan power.
5.2.2 Forced Draft (FD) fans
Although the latest trend in boiler design is towards single stream systems, FD fans are also
normally in pairs. These are typically axial fans due to their low pressure rise (3.0 to 7.0
kPa) and high flow requirement. The FD fans provide the combustion air requirements for
the boiler and control flow by variable pitch in motion blades (see Figure 11). The FD fans
can operate over a reasonable range around the efficiency bullseye (see Figure 12).
However, they may be susceptible to stall in the case of severe fouling in the APHs.
5.2.3 Induced Draft (ID) fans
ID fans are also normally in pairs and can be centrifugal, axial or mixed flow fans,
depending on the preference of boiler maker or end user. These fans operate in a pressure
range between the FD and PA Fans with a much higher volume flow due to the temperature
of the flue gas. The fans exhaust the flue gas from the boiler to the stack via the APH and
gas cleaning system. Necessarily as the result of being at the end of the line in the air and
gas systems, these fans would bear the additional burden of boiler convective pass fouling,
APH fouling and leakage, gas cleaning system fouling and tramp air ingress.
There are a number of control options for the ID fans such as vane controls (pre-swirl
devices), variable pitch in motion and variable frequency drives or fluid couplings. Each
control has benefits and costs in terms of reliability and operating costs. Due to the large size
of the ID fans in a power boiler (up to 20 MW ), matching of the ID fans to the specific
boiler operating conditions in conjunction with APH leakage control can provide the
greatest power reduction and improvement in heat rate by making more power available for
export.

6. External review of potential coal fired plant heat rate reductions

In 2009, Sargent & Lundy produced a report providing estimates of the potential heat rate
reductions Ref.2 from specific plant systems and equipment where efficiency improvements can
be realized either through new installations or modifications. It concluded that 24% of possible
heat rate reductions in coal fired power plant are attributable to preheaters and fans as shown in
the Table 2a and pictorially in the pie chart of Figure 12.
The average annual operating heat rate of U.S. coal-fired power plants is approximately 10,400
Btu/kWh (10,972 kJ/kWh), which is equivalent to a nett cycle efficiency of 32.8%. S&L

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 ROTARY AIR PREHEATER AND DRAFT FAN PERFORMANCE EFFECT ON
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therefore estimate the potential heat rate saving from improvements to fans and air preheaters
as being 2% of the overall heat rate (Figure 13). Quantifying this in financial terms, in a
500MW Unit operating at 80% load factor, this would realise an annual saving of $2.3M and
$4.0M in a 900MW Unit as shown in Table 2b.
The above OPEX cost benefits resulting from reduced unit heat rate will be further amplified
by the increased revenue achieved by increased availability and reduced operating and
maintenance costs as described earlier in this paper.
7. Conclusions
This paper has described how there are very significant Unit Heat Rate, Availability and
Operating and Maintenance benefits to made to both coal and oil fired plant by applying
suitable upgrades to both the air preheaters and boiler draft fans.
The paper has also described Howdens unique and proven approach to help achieve these
benefits. In so doing, specific reference has been made to a number of different, successful
operating plants using such upgrades. Naturally, the benefits that might be accrued by
individual plants must be reviewed on a case by case basis.

Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the assistance of Bruce Russell (the now retired Chief
Engineer of Howden Australia) for his assistance in preparing the boiler draft fan sections of
this paper. They would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the owners and staff of both
Teruel and Almeria power stations in Spain in the air preheater demonstration work referred to
in this paper.

References
Ref. 1 : Cooper, J., Modernisation of Rotating Matrix Regenerative Air Preheaters, POWER-GEN India, Pragati
Maiden, New Delhi, India, 2 - 4 April 2009
Ref. 2 : Hasler, D., Coal-Fired Power Plant Heat Rate Reductions, EPA Contract No. EP-W-07-064, Final
Report No.SL-009597, 22 January 2009

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Table 1: Effects of High Air Preheater Leakage on FGD Gas Reheater Size

Station Boiler Fuel Type Air Gas Reheater Reheater

Size Preheater Reheater Diameter Depth
(MW) Leakage Size (m) (mm)
A 500 Coal 7.0% 33 16.31 690
B 400 Coal 25.0% 34 18.01 900
Based on similar reheat requirements and pressure drop through gas gas heater.

Table 2: Heat Rate Reduction for a 500-900MW Coal Fired Power Plant
(Source: Sargent & Lundy Report No.009597 - Coal Fired Power Plant Heat Rate Reductions, 2009)
Table 2 (a): - Potential Heat Rate Reductions
Btu/kWh Btu/kWh kJ/kWh
Plant Equipment
(Range) (Average) (Average)
Economiser 50-100 75 79
Neural Network 30-100 65 69
Intelligent Sootblowers 30-90 60 63
Airheaters (Leakage Control) 10-40 25 26
Airheaters (ADP Reduction) 50-120 85 90
Fans 10-150 80 84
Turbine Overhaul 100-300 200 211
Condenser 30-70 50 53
Boiler Feed Pumps 25-50 38 40
FGD 0-50 25 26
ESP 0-5 3 3
SCR 0-10 5 5
Cooling Tower 0-70 35 37
Mills 5 5
Coal & Ash Handling 2 2
Condensate Pumps 2 2
CW Pumps 6.5 7
Cooling Tower Fans 3.5 4
Total Heat Rate reduction possible 807
Air Heaters & Fans - Possible Heat Rate Reduction 200
Average Heat Rate of Coal Fired Plant 10,972

Table 2 (b): Potential Cost Savings from Heater & Fan Upgrades reducing Heat Rate by 2%
Heat Rate (kJ/kWh)= Mass flow of fuel (kg/h)* HHV(kJ/kg)/Net Unit Output(kW)
Unit Rating (MW) 500 900
Net Unit Output (MW) 450 810
Bituminous coal HHV (12,000 Btu/lb) - (kJ/kg) 27912 27912
Heat Rate Saved by Heater & Fan Upgrades (kJ/kWh) 200 200
Fuel Saved (kg/h) 3232 5817
Cost of Coal in 2014 - from DECC (US$/Tonne) 100 100
Fuel Cost Saving ($/h) 323 582
Assumed Load Factor (%) 80 80
Fuel Cost Saving Per Annum $2,264,758 $4,076,564

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Figure 1: Typical arrangement of rotary regenerative heat exchangers and boiler draft plant in
a modern coal fired power station

Figure 2: Leakage drift

Figure 3: Single sealed adjustable sealing plate v
double sealed fixed sealing plate

Hot end radial

seals replaced in
both air heaters
after 5 years

Figure 4: Historical leakage in Unit 1 air heaters of Almera thermal power station before and after VN
modifications (readings from site instrumentation)

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 ROTARY AIR PREHEATER AND DRAFT FAN PERFORMANCE EFFECT ON
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HCTM Elements

Figure 5: HC ElementsTM Figure 6: - EnerjetTM HP water washing

transverse herringbone-corrugated element

Figure 7: Sources of boiler tramp air ingress in a balanced draft boiler

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 ROTARY AIR PREHEATER AND DRAFT FAN PERFORMANCE EFFECT ON
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Figure 8: Draft fan power increase with increasing preheater leakage and fouling

Figure 9: Unit output reduction from increasing preheater leakage and fouling

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Figure 10: Performance curves of PA fans for Dandong P.S. when running at duties
corresponding to different APH design conditions as defined in Section 5.1

Figure 11: Hub and actuator arrangement of a typical variable pitch axial fan

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Figure 12: Operating characteristics of a typical variable pitch axial fan

Figure 13: Possible heat rate reductions in coal fired power plant

Figure 14: Airheater and fan heat rate reduction as a percentage

of the overall coal fired plant heat rate

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