Energy Conversion Systems

(ME341)
Date: 5th April 2023

Lecture-15
Steam Power Plant: Steam Generation

IIT (BHU), Varanasi

Dr. Akhilendra Pratap Singh

Department of Mechanical Engineering
IIT (BHU), Varanasi, India
Email: [email protected]
 Steam Power Plant

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)

 Boiler Classification
 Boilers may be classified mainly on the basis of the following :
 Use
 Tube Contents
 Tube shape and position
 Furnace position
 Heat Source
 Circulation

On the basis of Use

 Boilers are either stationary (land) or mobile (marine and locomotive).
 Stationary boilers are used for power plant steam, for central station utility power
plants, for plant processes steam.
 Mobile boilers or portable boilers include locomotive type, and other small
units for temporary use, at sites just as in small coal pits.
 The characteristics will vary according to the nature of services, which they
expected to perform.
Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)
Boiler Classification
On the basis of Tube Contents
(a) Fire Tube Boilers
 Tubes content hot gases.
 Water surrounds the tube through which
hot product of combustion from the
furnace pass.
 There may be one large tube surrounded
by water: Cornish Boiler
 Two large tubes surrounded by water, in
a big tube of water: Lancashire Boiler.
(b) Water Tube Boilers
 Tubes content water or steam and heat is
supplied to the outside surface.
 Tubes are surrounded by hot
combustion products.
 In this category are Babcock & Wilcox
Boiler, Stirling Boiler.
Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)
 Classification of Boiler
On the basis of Tube Shape and Position
The tubular heating surface may be classified by;
 On the basis of tube shape –straight or bent
 On the basis of tube position – horizontal , inclined or vertical.

On the basis of Furnace Position

According to the position of the furnace;
 Boiler are classified as externally fired or internally fired.
 Boiler is said to be external combustion boiler when combustion takes place outside

the region of boiling water.

 Boiler is said to be internally combustion boiler, if the furnace region is completely

surrounded by water-cooled surface as in case of Lancashire boiler.

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)

 Classification of Boiler
On the basis of Heat Source
 Heat source may be combustion of fuel in solid, liquid or gaseous form.
 Hot waste gases as by products of other chemical processes.
 Electrical Energy.
 Nuclear Energy.

On the basis of Circulation

 The majority of the boilers operate with natural circulation.
 Natural circulation of water takes place by natural convection currents produced by
application of heat , e.g. Lancashire Boilers.
 The other type of circulation is the positive forced circulation, where the liquid is
forced “ once through” or controlled with partial recirculation e.g. Lamont Boiler.

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)

 Boiler Classification

Fire Tube Locomotive Boiler Water Tube Stationary Boiler

Cornish Boiler Lanchashire Boiler

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)

 Introduction to Fire Tube Boilers

 In fire tube boiler, hot gases pass through the tubes and water surrounds them.
Heat from the gases (produced by combustion) is transferred to water, which is then
converted to steam.
 In the boiler there may be one large tube surrounded by water (Cornish Boiler),
or two tubes with furnace arranged in front of it and both tubes are surrounded
by water (Lancashire Boiler).
 There may be many smaller tubes surrounded by water (Locomotive Boiler).

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)

 Fire Tube Boiler

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)

Lancashire Boiler

Dimension and Specification

 Land type horizontal straight tube internally fired natural circulation boiler
 Diameter of shell=2-3m
 Length of shell=7-9m
 Maximum working pressure=16bar
 Steam capacity=9000kg/hr
 Efficiency=50-70%

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)

Lancashire Boiler

Lancashire Boiler

Construction and Working:-

 Lancashire boiler is one of the most commonly used stationary boilers.
 The boiler is internally fired and flue gases have three passes – one from inside of boiler, second

from below and third from the sides of boiler shell.

 Boiler has good steaming quality as it is heated from three sides. It can burn inferior quality coal.
 The cylindrical shell is placed over the brick structure. The brick work also forms one bottom flue (BF)

and two side flues (SF) .

 The grates G are provided at the front end of the two main flue tubes (FT) inside the boiler.
 A fire brick bridge is provided at the end of the grate to prevent coal and ash particles entering into the

interior of furnace tubes.

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)
Lancashire Boiler
Flow of Gases:
 Fuel is brunt on the grate, move along the main tube and deflected by brick wall bridge.
 After reaching main flue, they are deflected downwards and travel through the bottom flue.
 These gases after travelling form the back to front bifurcate into two separate paths in the side flue.

 They travel form front to back again and heat the side of water shell.
 Both streams meet again in the main flue and discharge to the chimney.
 Chimney produce draught to enable gas to flow and the dampers in the passage of flow control the flow

of flue gases by restricting the passage.

 Dampers ensure required rate of flow and required rate of burning of fuel

The outstanding features of this boiler are listed below:

1. Its heating surface area per unit volume at the boiler is considerably large.
2. Its maintenance is easy.
3. It is suitable where a large reserve of hot water is needed. This boiler due to the large reserve capacity
can easily meet load fluctuations.
4. Super-heater and economizer can be easily incorporated into the system, therefore; overall efficiency of
the boiler can be considerably increased (80-85%).

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)

Cornish Boiler

 Similar in appearance and construction to Lancashire Boiler but its

capacity and working pressure range is low.

 With 4-8m in length and 1.25 -1.75m in diameter, it has only one symmetrically

placed furnace tube while Lancashire boiler has two shell tubes.
Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)
Locomotive Boiler

Construction and Working:

 It is horizontal, fire tube, mobile boiler.
 It is required to produce steam at a very high rate. So grate size is bigger and located outside the boiler

shell.
 The heat transfer area is increased by providing a number of fire tubes.
 Shell diameter is 1.5 m and length is 4 m. The shell is fitted to a rectangular fire box at one end and

smoke box at the other. The fire box and the smoke box are connected by a large number of fire tubes.

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)
Locomotive Boiler
 Some of the fire tubes are located in the upper side are larger in diameter to accommodate super heater

tubes. The fire box is also surrounded by narrow water spaces.

 The hot gases produced in the fire box are deflected with the help of brick arch F and prevents the flow

of ash and coal particles with gases to fire tubes.

 The hot gases pass through the fire tube and rejects heat to the water in the shell and the wet steam in

the super heater.

 The steam generated in the shell is collected in a dome shaped chamber away from water surface.

 The steam is taken to steam header from the dome form where The saturated wet steam is passed

through the super heater tubes to produce superheated steam which is fed to the steam engine.
 Working pressure 21bar and steaming rate 55-70 kg/sq m of heating surface/hr.

The outstanding features of this boiler are listed below:

1. Large rate of steam generation per square meter of heating surface. To some extent this is due to the
vibration caused by the motion.
2. It is free from brickwork, special foundation and chimney. This reduces the cost of installation.
3. It is very compact

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)

Cochran Boiler

Construction and Working:-

 The boiler consists of a cylindrical shall with hemispherical shaped crown.
 The fire-box is also hemispherical in shape.
 The hemispherical crown of boiler gives good strength to withstand pressure of steam inside the boiler.
 The hemispherical shape of furnace can withstand intense heat and is also advantageous for
absorption of radiant heat from the furnace.

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)

Cochran Boiler

 The grate is placed at the bottom of furnace and ash-pit is located below the grate.
 The coal is fed to the grate through the fire door and ash formed is collected in ash-pit.

 The furnace and the combustion chamber are connected by short flue pipe.
 The back of the combustion chamber is lined with fire bricks.

 The coal, on burning, produces hot flue gases and these hot products of combustion from the fire box

enter through the small flue pipe into the combustion chamber which is lined with fire bricks on the
outer wall of the boiler.
 The dome shaped furnace and the combustion chamber prevent the loss which could otherwise occur

because of combustion being retarded and much unburnt and combustible matter leaving the furnace.
 The unburnt fuel is deflected back to the grate and complete combustion is achieved in combustion

chamber where high temperatures are maintained.

 The hot gases passing through the horizontal smoke tubes give their heat to the water and in doing so

convert water into steam which gets accumulated in the upper portion of the shell from where it can be
supplied to the user.
 Finally the flue gases are discharged to the atmosphere through the smoke box and the chimney.

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)

Water Tube Boilers

Tubes contain water, while hot gases pass around them.

Used for pressure above 10 bar and capacity in excess of 7000 kg/hr.
Water circulation is natural due to convection currents.
Since drums do not contain any tubular heating surfaces, therefore drums can be
made of smaller diameter and can sustain high pressure.

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)

 Water Tube Boilers

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)

Babcock And Wilcox Boiler

Dimension and Specification:

 Working pressure 11.5-17.5 bar but can be up to 40-42 bar.
 Steaming rate 20000kg/hr but can be up to 40000kg/hr.
 All the component are accessible for inspection even during operation.
 Made by blank of tubes usually staggered and inclined at 5-15 degree.
 Header (box type/sectional) provide flat surface for connection of tubes.
 Design of header and tube diameter depend upon pressure (smaller for higher pressure).
 Baffles are arranged for 2 or 3 passes of combustion gases past the tube.

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)
Babcock And Wilcox Boiler
Construction:
 Boiler shell is made of high quality steel. The inclined steel tubes of around 4 inch diameter are

connected with pressed steel headers on either side.

 A short pipe connect the front header while a longer pipe connect the back header with the drum. The

headers are provided with hand holes, which are covered with caps.
 The hand holes are used to clean the tubes. The mud box collects sediments which are blown away

frequently through blow off valve.

 The furnace is kept below the front header. Coal is fed to grate through fire hole.
 The fire brick baffles are oriented such that the hot gases from furnace are first forced to move up, then

down and again upward over the water tubes.

 The damper control the flow of air into the furnace.

Flow of Combustion Gases:

 Hot gases rises up past the first portion of water tubes as they are compelled to go up due to baffle
provided.
 Due to second baffle they course down giving second pass through tubes and again rises up to give
third pass before they pass out form below the drum to the stack.
 In some boiler this arrangements of baffle varies and gas finally pass out to stack form bottom.

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)

Babcock & Wilcox Boiler
Water Circulation:
 The steam of water rises along the inclined tubes form the rear header to the form header.
 Then through header and circulation tubes or risers steam goes to drum.
 Front portion and header are in contact of hot gases as compared to rear and thus receive more heat.
 Above mentioned arrangement become less effective at higher pressure and water then circulates
through down comers to the rear header to tubes finally.
 If the tube discharged to the drum at or above water level line then boiler is called exposed tube type
otherwise it is submerged tube type.

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)

Bent Tube Boilers
 Main component is drum, which is header connected through bent tubes.

 Most of large central power plant boiler fall in this category.

 Steaming capacity 50000kg/hr.
 Working pressure 60 bar with superheated steam at 450 °C.

Stirling Boiler (3 steam 1 mud drum/ 3 steam 2 mud drum)

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)
Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)
Stirling Boiler
Construction and Working
 Consist one two or three steam and water drums set parallel and connected to one mud drum by water
tubes so curved that there ends enters the tube sheets at right angle to the surface.
 The deposition of steam and water drums provide ample space for furnace and combustion chamber
under front portion of heating surface.
 Front and middle drum is connected by curve equalizing tube above water line and curve circulating
tube below water line while rear and middle drums are connected by curve equalizing tubes above
water line only
 The steam generated in three blanks of tubes goes to middle drum form where it goes to main steam
outlet.
 The feed water enter in rear drum and flow down through rear blank of tubes to lower drum, then
upward through front blank to forward steam and water drum.
 The steam formed is separated in front drum and flow through upper row of cross tubes to middle
drum
 The water form front drum through lower cross tubes goes to middle drum and then downward to
lower drum through middle blank of tubes.
 Steam generated in rear blank of tubes through cross tubes go to middle drum and in its way it also
heat feed water to that extent that scale forming matter is precipitated and gathers in rear blank of
tubes.

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)

High Pressure Boiler: La Mont Boiler

 This forced circulation boiler was first introduced in 1925 by La Mont.

 The feed water from hot well to storage and separating drum (boiler)- economizer.
 This water is circulated through the evaporator tubes and the part of the vapor is separated in the

separator drum.
 Centrifugal pump delivers the water to the headers at a pressure of 2.5 bar above the drum pressure.
 The distribution headers distribute the water through the nozzle into the evaporator
 The steam separated in the boiler is further passed through the super-heater.
 Generate 45 to 50 tones of superheated steam at a pressure of120 bar and temperature of 500°C.

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)
Loeffler Boiler

 Avoid deposition of salt and sediment on the inner surfaces of the water tubes.
 The pressure feed pump draws the water through the economizer and delivers it into the evaporator

(boiler) drum.
 The steam circulating pump draws the saturated steam from the evaporator drum and is passed

through the radiant super heater and then connective super heater.
 About 35% of the steam coming out from the super heater is supplied for external work.

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)
 Thanks

Energy Conversion Systems (ME341)