A Study On 500 MW Coal Fired Boiler Unit's Bowl Mill Performance Through Coal Sampling and Characterization: CPRI's Experience

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Volume 14 Issue 01 June 2018 ISSN 0973 - 0338

Power Research www.cprijournal.in

Vol. 18(2)/165-170, December 2022


ISSN (Print) : 0973-0338
Central Power Research Institute DOI : 10.33686/pwj.v18i2.1106 Power Research

A Study on 500 MW Coal Fired Boiler Unit’s Bowl


Mill Performance through Coal Sampling and
Characterization: CPRI’s Experience
M. G. Anandakumar* and M. Venkateswara Rao
Training Division, Central Power Research Institute, Bengaluru - 560080, Karnataka, India; mgananda@cpri.in

Abstract
Coal-fired thermal power stations presently account for nearly 52 % of the total power generation in India’s power
generation sector. There is a constant need to monitor the performance of the coal-fired power plant auxiliaries/
components and ensure maintenance of these to optimum levels of operating parameters to achieve the trouble-free
generation of quality and consistent electric power output. Coal’s mineralogical content and its physical parameters decide
the performance of the coal pulverizer in terms of optimum ground coal output and the life of the grinding elements in the
coal mills/ pulverizers. The grinding media in the pulverizes are subjected to high erosion rates owing to the presence of
abrasive minerals like pyrites, alumino-silicates and hard minerals like α quartz, which are attached to the coal mass as
contaminants during mining. A study was undertaken along with the Pulverizers Division of M/s. BHEL for evaluation of
Coal Bowl Mill, for guaranteed performance at a 500 MW capacity NTPC thermal power plant. The study was conducted
to assess the effective performance of the pulverizers of this 500 MW boiler unit for its maximum capacity of 60.9 t/hr for
guaranteed coal condition and assess optimum output in terms of fineness of the crushed coal during continuous loading
under the designed operating parameters. The study was also carried out to ensure that the pulverizer grinding efficiency
and the effective output of the finely crushed coal were achieved by proper optimization of the mill mechanical auxillaries
and their operating parameters.
Keywords: Coal Abrasives, Coal Pulverizers, Grinding Elements, Hardgrove Grindability Index, Iso-Kinetic Coal Sampling,
Pyrites

1. Introduction Bowl Mills are one of the major components of a coal-


fired thermal power station. These are used for grinding
Coal is the most dominating energy source with abundant the raw coal so that the pulverized product at the desired
coal reserves available throughout the world. It is cheap fineness can be fed directly to the furnace and fired for
and transportable over large distances. Pulverised form steam generation.
of coal has made modern steam generating units highly The major function of the Pulverizer is to grind the
thermally efficient, reliable and safe. lumped coal and to the desired fineness and drying of
Pulverised form of coal has also made efficient use of coal. Transportation of the coal powder is carried out
low-grade coals. Pulverised coal provides proper coal-air by the primary air to the furnace chamber for effective
ratio fuel control, flame stability and effective utilisation combustion.
of carbon. It provides a reduction in cost and flexibility of There are four major mechanisms that happen during
operation. the coal crushing in the mills viz., size reduction in the
Indian coals used for power generation are low-grade coal, drying of the coal, transport of the crushed coal
high ash coals having a GCV of about 2600 kcal/kg with and the classification of coal in terms of its fineness1. The
ash content as high as 45 to 50% with Pyrites of about comminution or size reduction of coal depends upon
1-2% and alpha quartz to an extent of about 8 to 18%. its bond strength, breaking energy and force required

*Author for correspondence


© Power Research
A Study on 500 MW Coal Fired Boiler Unit’s Bowl Mill Performance through Coal Sampling…

for size reduction effectively. The broken size and shape coal passing through 200 mesh (75 µm) is weighed and
of the coal particle are related to the material’s response the HGI is derived from the empirical equation:
to applied breakage strength and force. There exists a HGI = 6.93W +13
relationship between the fineness of the crushed coal to
that of the bowl mill’s capacity. The overall circulation rate where W is the weight of crushed coal passing through
of the coal in the mill, its retention time in the mill and 200 mesh (75 µm). Indian bituminous types of coal have
the resistance to flow depending on the fineness of the an HGI ranging between 45 to 70. Moisture content and
crushed coal. volatile matter in the coal also affect the HGI values.
The mineralogical content and the physical parameters
of coal decide the performance of the coal pulverisers in 1.3 Moisture Content
terms of their output and the life of the grinding elements. Raw coal produces agglomerates from the pulverized
The grinding media in the pulverisers are subjected to high coal and reduces the capacity of the bowl mills. Drying
erosion rates due to the presence of abrasive minerals like is carried out by injecting hot air into the mills while
pyrites, alumina-silicates and quartz which are attached grinding. The temperature of the air is dependent on the
to the mined coal mass as contaminants during mining2. moisture content in the coal and usually varies between
The physical processes occurring inside the mill such 65 to 80°C.
as grinding, pneumatic transport, drying, heat transfer,
and classification of pulverized coal have a bearing on the 1.4 Pulverized Coal Fineness
life of the pulverizers. The following factors that affect the
mill’s performance and they are: The degree of fineness to which the coal needs to be
pulverized depends upon many factors. Coals behave
differently in the boiler depending upon factors like their
1.1 Size of the Coal
swelling nature, and volatile and fixed carbon content.
Matters since the work done per unit mass of coal High volatile coals with less fixed carbon require less fine
increases if the size increases. Too big lumps of coal affect pulverization. High volatile coals require a fineness of
the mill capacity which varies inversely with the size of about 60% passing through 200 mesh.
the coal. Smaller size coal chokes the coal bunkers and For low volatile coals, the fineness passing between
feeder pipes which aggravates the increase in moisture 80-85% through 200 mesh is suitable to avoid carbon loss
content. Storing, transportation, dust hazards, and fire due to improper combustion. Excessive fineness will lead
also need to be considered when choosing the size of coal. to wastage of mill power since mill output varies inversely
An optimum size of 25 to 50 mm of coal is preferred for with mill fineness. Hence it is recommended that periodic
the efficient performance of the pulverizer. analyses of coal samples and the proper adjustments of
the classifiers at the coal mill inlet thereof need to be
1.2 Coal Grindability Index (GI)
Indicates the degree of ease given coal can be pulverized.
Softer coals have a higher index of coals. Coal Grindability
Index is itself not an inherent property of coal but only
represents the relative grindability of a given test coal
with that of a standard coal having a known Grindability
Index. The HGI or Hardgrove Grindability Index method
is employed to determine the grindability of coal. The
HGI method involves placing a 50 g of air-dried sample
of -16+30 mesh (+1.18 mm - 600µm) size coal in a
miniature vertical spindle ball mill’s mortar along with
1-inch steel balls. A weighted upper race is placed on the
coal sample and the steel balls and the ball mill is made
to rotate for 50 revolutions. The crushed coal samples are
then removed and sieved. The quantity of the crushed Figure 1. 1003 XRP coal bowl mill.

166 Vol 18(2) | December 2022 www.cprijournal.in


M. G. Anandakumar and M. Venkateswara Rao

adversely affects the Gross Calorific Value of the coal


(heat content) and therefore indirectly the mill output.

2. Field Work
A study was undertaken by CPRI along with the
Pulverizers Division of M/s. BHEL for evaluation of coal
pulverizer 1003 XRP Bowl Mills shown at Figure 1, for
guaranteed performance at a 500 MW capacity NTPC
thermal power plant. The cross section of the coal bowl
mill is shown in Figure 2.
The study was conducted to assess the effective
performance of the pulverizers of this 500 MW boiler
unit for its optimum output in terms of the fineness of
the crushed coal during continuous loading under the
designed operating parameters. The study was also carried
out to ensure that the pulverizer grinding efficiency
and the effective output of the finely crushed coal were
achieved by proper optimization of the mill mechanical
auxiliaries and their operating parameters. Guaranteed
coal conditions for mill performance parameters are as
follows3:
Table 1. Guaranteed coal conditions for mill
performance evaluation
Coal Moisture % 20
Coal HGI 55
Figure 2. Section of coal bowl mill. Mill Outlet Temperarure 80
°C
carried out as this will lead to effective mill operation.
Mill Air Flow T/hr. 102
Standard ASTM Sieves of 200, 100 and 50 mesh size were
used for the study. Coal Fineness (% passing 70% passing through 200 mesh
trough 200 mesh) and 90% passing through
50 mesh
1.5 Mill Wear and Ash Content in Raw Differental Pressure 300 mmwc
Coal Coal Output from Mill 60.9 t/hr
The coal is abrasive in nature due to the presence of hard
materials like pyrites, α quartz etc., Due to the grinding 2.1 Preparation of the Bowl Mill and
nature and abrasiveness of coal, the mill parts tend to wear Accessories
depending on the hours of service and wearing property
of the metallic parts. Before the performance study of the bowl mills is
High wear-resistant materials are used in the mill parts undertaken, an initial survey about the condition of the
to mitigate wear problems and consequent maintenance mill and its assembly is ascertained. The mill running
work thereafter. It is considered that wear increases due to hour data pulverized coal fineness report, coal data,
an increase in ash content in the coal. Ash contains Silica grinding roll wear depth, preventive maintenance data
(SiO2) as α quartz and Alumina (Al2O3) as Corundum etc., from the plant, are collected.
which is an abrasive material. The presence of ash also The service checks, overhaul and necessary checks of
the operating conditions of certain important components
of the mill listed below are undertaken, to ensure the

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A Study on 500 MW Coal Fired Boiler Unit’s Bowl Mill Performance through Coal Sampling…

specified/optimum operating conditions are met. This • Check the condition of the seal runner, seal assembly,
would help to evaluate the actual mill performance vis a shoulder screws, flexible hoses, Air seal housing oil
vis specified operating conditions. seals, etc and replace the same if necessary.
• Ensure the required gap between the Air seal housing
2.1.1 Servicing of Journal Assembly and seal runner and no gap between Viton seals and
The following service checks/overhaul of the journal seal runner.
assembly was done:
• Changing of rolls, oil seals and lubricating oils. 2.1.7 Servicing External Lube Oil System (if
• Setting bearing clearances or replacing bearings. applicable)
• Changing trunnion bushings. The following service checks were done:
• Cleaning and greasing. • Check and change if required the following gauges/
switches
2.1.2 Servicing of Spring Assembly – Temperature gauges/switches
– Different pressure gauges/switches
The following service checks were carried out:
• Servicing of Lube oil pump, relief valves, etc.
• Dismantling and cleaning.
• Resetting springs with hydraulic compression kit.
2.1.8 Servicing Mill-Motor Coupling
2.1.3 Servicing of Mill Discharge Valve Assembly The following service checks/overhaul of the mill motor
coupling was done:
The following service checks were carried out:
• Check and ensure proper Greasing
• Servicing of air cylinders.
• Alignment of the coupling to be checked and done
• Repair/replacement of valve body, multiple port outlet
properly. Refer Erection manual for the procedure and
body, liner plate, flaps.
values.
• Assembly and testing for proper operation.
• The Journal assemblies are provided with large
diameter grinding rolls (43”) in HP 803 instead of
2.1.4 Servicing and Checking of Scraper
normal (37”) given for XRP 803 mill.
Assembly • Similarly, for higher size Mills, bigger rolls are provided.
The following repairs/ replacement were done: This improves the life of the rolls and loading on the
• Replacing/ repairing scrapper, scrapper guard, coal for pulverization.
scrapper pins, scraper assembly, cover plate, and mill • Additionally, the Classifier is provided with a Tall Top
side liner if necessary. Separator top for better classification and for removing
• Checking clearance of scrapper and scrapper guard moisture. This is specially provided when the coal is
with cover plate and mill side bottom liners. with high moisture content.
• Check for scrapper-free movement.
2.2 Procedure for Evaluating Mill
2.1.5 Overhaul of Classifier and Venturi Assembly Performance
The following overhauling was done:
The following procedures were adopted to evaluate the
• Changing all worn-out classifier blades.
mill’s performance:
• Patch repair of venturi and Ceramic lining.
• Conduct a Hot Traverse test to measure the quantum
• Repairing or replacing classifier cone and Ceramic
of hot air flow through the mill and verify the control
lining.
room air flow quantity meter with measured air flow
through the coal duct.
2.1.6. Servicing and Checking of Mechanical face • Calibrate the raw coal feeder before the test.
Seal Assembly • Check pulverized fuel fineness and adjust to get the
The following service checks were carried out: required fineness
• Check raw coal HGI and Total Moisture.

168 Vol 18(2) | December 2022 www.cprijournal.in


M. G. Anandakumar and M. Venkateswara Rao

• Load the mill to the maximum possible condition with Moisture (TM). The Classifier setting was done suitably
rated mill outlet temperature and coal fineness. and the open position was kept at 7, which is done
• Run the mill at this condition for 2 hours (as per ASME normally. The Feeder Calibration was done and ensured
PTC 3.5 clause) and record every 15 minutes the Mill before conducting the PG test. Obtaining pulverized coal
outlet temperature, Mill inlet temperature, PA Header samples from a direct-fired system is difficult since the
Pressure, Mill Differential Pressure, Unit Load, Mill sample is collected online from a fuel-carrying duct. A
air flow and Coal Flow. sampling device as stipulated in ‘BHEL Testing Procedure
and Manual for PG on Bowl Mills’, which consists of a
2.3 Coal Sampling Methodology small cyclone collector, a sampling jar and a sampling
nozzle with a connecting hose is used for collecting the
Initially, raw coal sampling needs to be done once for
sample. It is essential to ensure that the sample collected
evaluating Total Moisture and Hardgrove Grindability
is representative one and that all required care is taken
Index as per ASTM/IS standards. Mill rejects samples
during sampling.
are also collected every one hour for analysis. The
The sample should be collected from the straightest
following steps were carried out to assess the Bowl Mill’s
possible line and far from bends or offsets as the piping
performance:
layout will allow, and should be obtained at one point in
• Pulverized fuel sampling was done by the Iso-Kinetic the pipe at right angles to each other, both points being
method of Sampling using Dirty Air Pitot and in the same plane perpendicular to the axis of the fuel
Multipoint Rotary Probe as per ISO: 9931. line. If possible, the samples should be taken ahead of any
• PF fineness analysis was carried out in the laboratory distributors, which might be in the system. The sample is
using standard sieve sets which were calibrated. obtained by traversing the pipe across its entire diameter,
• The average values of mill parameters were collected and the rate of movement must be uniform. Samples in
from the Unit Control Room of the thermal power both directions must be taken for the same period of
plant at 1-minute intervals during the PG test for two time, and also from all the four PF pipes emanating from
hours as per Log Sheet. the mill being tested.
• Mill rejects were collected below the mill through the
mill reject exit port, for every one hour during the test
duration and were quantified in kg.
• Raw coal samples were collected from each Raw Coal
Feeder and the sample lot was prepared using Coning
and Quartering Method as per IS: 436 ( Part I/Sec1)-
1964 (RA 2019).
• The coal samples were analyzed for HGI as per
IS:4433-1979 standard and the remaining raw coal
samples were taken up for estimating the Total
Moisture content on As Received Basis and Proximate
Analysis on air dried basis both as per ASTM D 5142-
02a Standard.
• Venturi Differential Pressure measurement at the
Feeder floor and Hot Primary Air Temperature were Figure 3. ISO kinetic coal sampling from coal duct.
measured locally at the Duct and was cross-checked
for the air flow value displayed in the Unit Control During the study coal samples from A, B, C, D and
room, before proceeding for a pulverized coal sample E mills were collected from the 500 MW unit and was
collection from the coal flow ducts. analysed for various test parameters which are tabulated
in Table 2 for determining the performance of the Bowl
Initially, the Bowl Mill was fully loaded (around Mills. The coal test results obtained are tabulated in Table 3
60.9 TPH) and was adjusted to the maximum possible and the same has been used and anlayzed for determining
tonnage to take care of the variation in HGI and Total the performance of the bowl mill3.

Vol 18(2) | December 2022 www.cprijournal.in 169


A Study on 500 MW Coal Fired Boiler Unit’s Bowl Mill Performance through Coal Sampling…

3. Coal Test Results and Performance Analysis


Table 2. Test parameters
Coal Flow Air flow Mill current Unit load PA Header Bowl DP Mill inlet temp
Mill No.
(t/h) (t/h) (A) (MW) pressure mmwc mmwc (°C)
A 62.4 114.3 126.0 454 832.4 384 275
B 63.1 115.0 97.4 489 827.5 232 314
C 62.7 113.2 111.4 451 829.8 310 311
D 62.9 116.3 106.5 412 828.7 289 304
E 68.8 119.2 118.6 473 835.2 298 317

Table 3. Test results


SIEVE ANALYSIS (%)
Mill No. TOTAL MOISTURE (%) HGI
+50 -100 -200
A 0.20 93.3 75.1 44.9 70
B 0.32 93.8 75.8 45.3 69
C 0.38 93.2 77.2 48.3 57
D 0.32 93.4 78.2 46.1 60
E 0.26 92.5 74.9 47.2 58

4. Conclusions gratefully acknowledge Pulverizer Division of M.s,


BHEL Ramachandrapuram for their kind support and
From the study, it was found that the coal mill operating association with CPRI for conducting the study.
parameters such as coal flow, airflow, mill current, bowl
mill DP, mill inlet temperature etc., were well within the
design parameters. The pulverizer coal samples collected 6. References
by the Iso-kinetic sampling method and then tested 1. L. Juniper, G. Schumacher. Advances in pulverised fuel
showed values matching the design parameters. This technology: Understanding coal comminution, combus-
indicates the satisfactory performance of the pulverizer tion and ash deposition. The Coal Handbook: Towards
mill at rated capacity even after running the same for the Cleaner Production: Coal Utilisation; 2013. https://doi.
required hours as per the PG Test conditions. Pulverizer org/10.1533/9781782421177.3.312
mill performance optimization needs to be carried out 2. Rai AK, Pandey M, Baredar P. Pulveriser mill perfor-
for its effective operation and successful combustion mance analysis and optimisation in super critical thermal
optimization in the boiler. power plant using imported coal. International Journal for
Research in Engineering Application and Management.
2018; 4(3).
5. Acknowledgement 3. M/s. BHEL Testing Procedure and Manual for PG on Bowl
Mills.
The authors thank CPRI Management for their
kind permission to publish this paper. Authors also

170 Vol 18(2) | December 2022 www.cprijournal.in

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