Special Issue - 2018 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)

ISSN: 2278-0181
ICITMSEE - 2018 Conference Proceedings

Hydrogen Fired Steam Boilers

Mr. E. Elavarasan, ME., S. Sivaraj, M. Y. Tamilselvan,
V. Vijayaragavan, P. Vignesh
Kongunadu College of Engineering And Technology

Abstract- With the depleting energy sources such as fossil fuels as in case of electricity production and the supply of
there is a need to go for renewable type of fuels. More over chemicals for other industrial benefits.
the increasing concern for the environment has lead to the
revolutionary ways of clean fuel utilization. Hence this project 1.3 Background
provides the solution for the future energy demands
Currently an increasing revolutionary ideas are being
employing hydrogen as the energy carrier for the energy
requirement. discussed for the in-situ power production through the coal
Through this project with the mode of production of gas reforming technique where the hydrogen obtained after
hydrogen it offers flexibility in the actual fuel source for the the water gas-shift reaction are branched out in using it for
production of hydrogen. Currently coal being used in the fuel cell and in gas turbines where the waste heat from the
steam boilers the project also considers the coal as fuel source products from the gas turbine can be used for steam
but in future the biomass which possess carbon content in generation applications rather than going for direct
them can later be utilized as the active source of fuel for hydrogen fired steam boilers. One of the advantages that
hydrogen generation through the same gasification technique the hydrogen fired steam boilers is the product of the
being employed thus not involving much of changes in plant
combustion which is the steam (virgin water) it can in turn
design in the future (almost nil).
A Hydrogen co-production through synthesis gas be used for power production in the turbines. Thus the
formation from coal (primary steam) and high temperature actual combustion will not lead to heat loss through flue
steam electrolysis is employed (secondary steam). The product gas let into the atmosphere which is around 147ºC in our
of combustion of hydrogen in steam boilers along with the current cases.
stream from the steam drum is used to run the turbines. The 2. DESIGN APPROACH
outlet steam from the turbines instead of being condensed is
used in steam electrolysis for hydrogen production and 2.1Project Description and goals
further the outlet from the electrolysis chamber is passed over This project involves in using coal as the primary
the pulverized coal for synthesis gas production.
fuel for hydrogen production through synthesis gas
production. Thus the other pollutant contents of the coal
1.INTRODUCTION
such as sulfur,nitrogen,chlorine can be obtained as bi-
product in the form of H2S, COS (3-10%),HCN and HCL.
In the today’s scenario there is an increasing power
Trace elements associated with both organic and inorganic
demand all around the world. Thus we have both
components of the feedstock, such as mercury and arsenic
conventional and non-conventional sources of energy. With
are released during gasification and partition between the
an increasing demand and depleting fossil fuels there is a
different ash fraction (e.g., fly ash, bottom ash, slag) and
more need for the more renewable and clean energy source
gaseous emissions. The particular chemical species and
for the future.
physical forms of condensed-phase and vapor phase trace
elements are functions of gasifier design and operating
1.1 Objective
conditions. The synthesis gas is cleaned of these minor and
This project mainly aims at modifying the existing
trace components to predetermined levels consistent with
thermal
further downstream processing. To clean the synthesis gas,
power plant such that Hydrogen can be used as the
chemical and physical solvents such as methyl
fuel in the boilers for steam generation. it also
diethanolamine (MDEA), methanol, etc. operating at near
involves in using the used
ambient temperatures or lower are employed.[1]
steam for the process steam application for producing
Later the only products being CO2 and H2 after the
hydrogen as well for storing it using metal hydride
waster gas shift reaction Cellulosic membranes ( separation
compressor (through waste heat recovery)
through diffusion since hydrogen has low molecular weight
and thus higher rate of diffusion ) can be used to separate
1.2 Motivation
hydrogen from synthesis gas through continuous, low
The current thermal plant net efficiency is 32.34%
energy consumption and absence of additives. The CO2
and there is a scope for improving the efficiency by
then can be again circulated back to the coal gasification
reducing the amount of steam used for auxiliary
chamber so that the heat content from the CO2 can be put
applications in such as soot blowers, Low pressure heaters,
into effective use for the gasification process.
boiler combustion startup, etc... And also with the evolving
The hydrogen thus produced is then stored using the
technology of the use of applications of the bi-products of
metal hydrides through hydride compressor. A
the syngas gas the duel source can be put to good use both
compression cycle can use traditional fuels and can reduce
compression energy cost to less than one half of that

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Special Issue - 2018 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)
ISSN: 2278-0181
ICITMSEE - 2018 Conference Proceedings

required for a mechanical compressor. The hydride 2.2 Technical Specification

compressor is a form of “heat engine” based on the Carnot Table 1 . Technical specifications for the hydrogen fired steam
cycle. Its energy efficiency is about 50% of Carnot generation cum hydrogen co-production cycle.
efficiency. Carnot efficiency is based on the temperature Coal Composition
difference between the hot energy source and the cold heat C = 79.1 /CO2 =7/ H=5.0/CO =21 /O=6.4 /CH4 =2.5 /N
=1.7H2 =14/H2 O=1.7 Ashes = 9% wt of coal/N2 =53/A=6.1 (180ºC)
sink. Waste heat is usually available in the 130ºC range. H2 O=2.5
With a 30ºC cooling water temperature, Carnot efficiency Air: RH =80%
is almost 25 percent and hydride compressor efficiency is PSH2 O = 26 mm Hg (25ºC, 740 mm Hg)
from 14 to 16 percent. Thus since the waste heat is free, Steam is blown in at 30.8psig(gauge pressure) pressure with blast.
Mean specific heat of ashes = 0.21 Kcal/Kg K (25ºC - 180ºC range)
cycle economics can endure this level of efficiency. While Boiler capacity : 700 Tons
15 percent is about 1/2 that for a mechanical compressor, of Steam/Hour
so the hydride compressor will enjoy a 67% lower energy ii. Temperature of steam : 540ºC
cost. Hydride alloys traditionally used for compressors iii. Pressure of Steam : 137
kg/cm2
have been from the“ AB5 “ family. AB5 alloys have good iv. Turbine :
capacity, usually storing from 1% to 1.3% hydrogen by 3 stage turbine
weight. They can operate for over a million cycles at v. Generation Voltage : 15.75 kV
temperature from ambient up to a little over 100 ºC (130 vi. Generation Capacity : 210 MW
Overall cost consumption is = 0.729 Kg per KW hr
approx. in this case). When these alloys are cycled at
higher temperatures and elevated pressures, their
performance can deteriorate through a process termed
disproportionation while in this case it is well below the
disproportionation temperature. [4] 2.3 Design Approach
The waste heat which can be obtained from the used 2.3.1 Hydrogen Burning
steam from the LPT after losing considerable amount of The biggest problem with burning hydrogen is the
heat in the Solid Oxide Steam Electrolyser (SOSE) for combustion velocity (2.65 – 3.25 m/s for hydrogen
hydrogen generation. compared to 0.40 m/s for methane). Thos means that it is
Thus here the hydrogen later is brunt in the boiler difficult to control the flame, as high pressures are
along with oxygen (sepearated from air using oxygen required. The jetting on the boiler must be modified and the
concentrators) thus providing heat for steam generation. hydrogen/air mixing closely regulated in order to produce
Simultaneously the bi-product of the combustion being safe and efficient combustion.
steam can be utilized to run the turbines. While only 560 Thus a safer way is adopted for producing heat
TPH of the steam is admitted later into the IP turbine after directly from hydrogen by means of a catalytic burner. This
the reheating. Thus 140 TPH of the steam is being used for method has several advantages over direct hydrogen
auxiliary applications such as soot blowers, boiler startup, combustion notably that the combustion temperature can be
LP heaters, etc… thus in this case of hydrogen fired boilers closely matched to the desired temperature and that
the need of the soot blowers and boiler startup operation is flameless combustion is invariably safer than flame
not necessary thus some amount of the steam is saved. combustion. Catalytic burners consist of a porous
While the need for the first 2 stages of LP heaters is also is palladium/platinum plate attached to the hydrogen source.
out of question since the steam from the hydride The hydrogen enters the plate, diffuses in the pores and
compressors after losing considerable amount of heat and reacts catalytically to produce heat.
at 1 atm can be condensed close to30-95 ºC after passing it We concluded this brief investigation into
through a condenser. Thus this process also involves in the hydrogen burning by deciding that, should we decide
production of work output from the product flue gases of heating the dwelling using hydrogen produced from the
the coal gasification technique while is primarily composed electrolysers, a hydrogen boiler would be the most viable
of CO2 and N2 . These products are left to expand in the gas way. Thus the combustion of hydrogen being a major
turbine to atmospheric pressure to produce useful work. project in itself. (below are the two possible functional
Later the water heat from the outlet of gas turbine is again setup for catalytic combustion)
used for air preheating of the inlet air (oxygen) for the coal
gasifier.
Thus in this closed cycle of power generation the
hydrogen utilized for combustion is partially produced
from SOEC and partially from the after treatment of the
coal and steam in the coal gasifiers. Thus this project
involves in developing of the “Development of the
hydrogen co-production and hydrogen fired steam
generation working cycle for the future of thermal power
plants”

Figure1. Arrangement of the catalytic combustor

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Special Issue - 2018 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)
ISSN: 2278-0181
ICITMSEE - 2018 Conference Proceedings

Rods of sintered Al2 O3 are used (1- cylindrical place just before the LPT inlet where the secondary steam
cell , 2-rod) with its pores spaces infiltrated with the is mixed along with the IPT outlet of the steam.
platinum black are inserted onto the tubes. The surface of Thus the steam combined runs the LPT turbine
each rod is coated with the fluoroplastic film, which is giving out 19,201.648 kw of power at this turbine outlet.
penetrable to gases and steam. The rod has a diameter of And also 151.3 TPH of the steam from the boiler is let to
5.8mmand length of the metal of 6.3mm. it has an axial contribute with 441.44 TPH of steam from the IPT outlet.
channel of diameter 1mm. the diameter and the length of 2.3.3 Solid Oxide Steal Elecrolyser
the metal tubes have been validated in the preliminary An equal amount of steam as from the combustion
experiments to optimize the combustor design. The re- product is extracted from the IPT turbine in between the
heater pipes are placed alternatively along with the catalyst inlet and outlet @3bar and 234.078ºC this steam is then
pipes so as to carry away the heat and prevent the pipe admitted into the steam electrolyser which operates at
material from failure. Thus the arrangement of the each 100ºC and with 41% efficiency when considering the
individual cells would lead to a larger catalytic whole necessary energy is supplied ad heat and the
combustor.[2] electricity demanded is from an heat engine. Thus 12.19
TPH of the steam is converted to H2 and O2 leaving behind
139.109 TPh of the steam to the Coal Gasification plant.
Thus 8.76% of the hydrogen required for the
combustion is got back through the electrolysis technique.
Since the SOSE is operating at elevated temperature the
over-potentials in the cells is less predominant and hence
less power loss.
The electrochemical stack is heated directly (by the
supplied steam) or indirectly (through heat transfer) such
that the electric energy needed by the process. for water-
splitting reaction in the SOSE, the total energy requires ∆H
(T) is the sumof electrical energy demand ∆G (T) and the
thermal energy demand Q (T) i.e., ∆H(T) = ∆G(T) + Q(T),
where ∆G(T) is the change in the Gibbs free energy, Q(T)
=T∆S(T), ∆S(T) is the change in the entropy, and T is the
operating temperature of the SOSE. [3]
More over as the operating temperature of the SOSE
Figure2.Functional setup increases the Gibbs energy (∆G) decreases which means
the electric power demand reduces, while the function T∆S
The principle issue is the concern of the feasibility and increases while means more energy in terms of the heat is
condition of the ignition of gas – air mixtures by a catalytic required. Hence it becomes economical since the electricity
surface, thus here we discuss the catalyst for the production costs more and while a part of the electrical
combustion of a wet donating gas, distinguished mainly by energy demand is compensated by the equivalent heat
the presence of porous, hydrophobized, fluroplastic addition.
(Teflon-type) film, which ensures the efficiency of the
catalyst operation in a wet medium. The flameless 2.3.4 Semi-Brayton Cycle from the products of the Coal
combustion of the hydrogen on the surface of a Gasifier
hydrophobized catalyst is considered in which the specific The after products (gaseous) in the cola gasifier is
rate of combustion of hydrogen and the ignitability of the mainly carbon-di-oxide and nitrogen. With the process of
catalyst surface along with the high temperature vapor the coal gasification being exothermic there is a good
medium, its temperature and the pressure. opportunity for the availability of the sensible heat for the
left over gas. Thus 4836.872KJ of heat is available for per
2.3.2 Generation and utilization of the secondary steam Kg of the coal fed. Thus the available products of the
Steam produced in the boilers as the bi-products combustion is at 850.25ºC and 21.7 bar. Hence this gas is
of the combustion of the hydrogen in the boilers also thus allowed to run a gas turbine with its outlet pressure
contribute in power generation when are allowed to run the and temperature being 1 atm and 193.091ºC respectively.
steam turbines. With the calculated value it has been found Thus the work output from the gas turbine being
out that 151.3 TPH of the secondary steam is produced. 143058.28 KW. The advantage being no work/compressor
The steam formed through the combustion of hydrogen are work is actually performed in achieveing such high
mostly in their excited state while soon later they return to pressure. The steam at the inlet of the gasifier being @3bar
ground state thus being most product of the combustion of and while the coal feed/coal bed initially thus reactant
the fuel is through radiation energy. Thus the steam formed being in solid from thus after reaction the gases formed
at 1.3 Ksc in the boiler after passing through various levels increases the total number of moles present and hence the
of the boiler elements such as superheater, reheater and partial pressure. Thus resulting in 21.7 bar from 3 bar
economizer it loses its heat and is later given out form the pressure.
boiler at 1.3 Ksc and 334ºC. hence steam mixing takes

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Special Issue - 2018 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)
ISSN: 2278-0181
ICITMSEE - 2018 Conference Proceedings

2.4 Constraints, Alternatives and Tradeoffs steam from the boiler @334ºC, 1.3 ksc and 151.3 TPH
Here in this modified cycle a back pressure is before entering the LPT.
developed right after LPT turbine and thus a replacement The pipeline from the IPT has a diameter of 1m and
of the current condensate turbine is required. by considering the area of the cross section of the steam
Another constraint would be the coal fed pipe from the boiler as 1/3rd to the area of cross section of
considered in the proposed model is bituminous coal which the pipeline from the IPT (since mass flow rate is
is a higher grade of coal than used in the present boiler. approximately 1/3rd).
Thus as when we go for low grade fuels the ash/tar residue We have, d2 =0.5774m (d2 - diameter of the steam pipe
is more which would also result in the wastage of heat as from boiler)
being carried by them. Table 1. Steam Properties
Moreover though this model involves in only removal
Inlet properties of the steam from Inlet properties of the steam
of the components such as Electro Static Precipitator, IPT from the boiler
chimney, ash handling circuit ID fan (induced draft) and Density = 0.601 kg/m3 Density = 0.4562 kg/m3
FD fan (forced draft), etc… It also involves Velocity = 259.911 m/s Velocity = 352.028 m/s
addition/installation of new working parts such as SOSE, Cp = 1.986575 KJ/Kg-K Cp = 2.033049 KJ/Kg-K
Thermal Thermal
catalytic burner and metal hydride hydrogen storage system conductivity=0.032476018W/m-K conductivity=0.0471989
which has capital investment. W/m-K
Overall modifies plant is less efficient than the
existing one by 3% but the net plant output is now Thus same as in the case of the existing conventional
increased by 124231.42 KW and thus can provide more power plants and equivalent mass of the steam is extracted
electricity for future demand of Course there is also an right after the HPT and is let into for the heating in the LP
simultaneous increase in the heat input but we can avoid heaters. But in the modified cycle the heat required by the
the possibility of increasing the capacity of the steam drum, first 2 stages of the LP heaters is not necessary since the
replacement of the boiler mountings, etc.. The current used steam @1atm right after the hydride compressors is
boiler’s inside operating pressure is higher than condensed from to form water at 1 atm and 90ºC
atmospheric pressure by 0.27 atm, while the previous mode Hence 107.26 TPH of steam extracted before the
of operation has negative pressure of – 5mm of H2 O. re-heater is taken to increase the water temperature in the
stage 3 and stage 4 of the LP heater. Thus the modified
2.5REACTION ON REMOVAL OF HYDROGEN cycle gives the total work output of 338565.985 KW while
IMPURITIES AND HYDROGEN STORE the conventional power plant gives 214334.556 KW. Thus
being the modified cycle having efficiency of 30.61% yet
the modified cycle has advantages over the current plant
cycles in ways such as pollution free, flexibility in the fuel
being used, lower auxiliary consumption of power and
steam, etc..

Figure 3. Modified Plant Layout

3.2 Schedule, Tasks and Milestone

There are three major milestone as well as sever
smaller tasks that must be achieved in order to reach the
milestones. The three milestones are:
 Optimizing the amount of the fuel used and the
secondary steam generation
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION  Employing suitable methods of the co-production
3.1 Results of the hydrogen from the used steam in such as
Thus mixing of the steam happens between steam SOSE
from the IPT with 190ºC, 1.3 ksc and 441.453 TPH and the

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Special Issue - 2018 International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT)
ISSN: 2278-0181
ICITMSEE - 2018 Conference Proceedings

 Avoiding the amount of waste heat and putting it REFERENCES

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