ASH HANDLING SYSTEM Indian coal contains >30% of ash.

The hourly consumption of coal of a 200 MW unit is about 110 tons. With this, the hourly production of ash will be 33 tons. Ash which was a major environmental concern is fast becoming a useful resource, promoting technological advancements in ash collection and storage systems with in built facilities for bulk utilization applications as well as meeting stricter environmental norms.

Method of Collection Conveying Pneumatic Mechanical Interim storage Disposal of various types of ash residue Bottom ash Crushed in clinker grinder Bed ash Fly ash Dust Collectors (Baghouse) ESP Ash Clinkers Two types of AHP Dry ash system From ESP hopper, etc to silos Ash slurry system Ash from furnace bottom Water impoundment at bottom Scaper & Chain Conveyor Clinker Grinder produces ash slurry System Components 1.Air Intake 2. Fully Enclosed, Quick Acting, Swing Disc valve 3. Pipe Fittings with Replaceable, Reversible, Interchangeable Wearbacks (550 BHN) 4. Paddle Type Ash Conditioning Unit 5.Abrasion Resistant centrifugally Cast Conveyor Pipe 6. Silo Vent Filter

7.Centrifugal Receiver/Separator 8. Pulse Jet Bag Type Dust Collector 9.Continuous Ash Collecting Double Dump Gates 10. Silo Relief Valve 11. Ash Storage Silo 12. Air Pipe 13. Fugitive Dust Filter 14. Telescopic Dry Unloader 15. Vacuum Breaker 16. Guard Filter 17. Mechanical Exhausters Pressure Pneumatic Ash Handling Systems For long distance conveyance Upstream mechanical blower Rotarty airlock feeders or double dump gate airlock valves Abrasion resistant silo mounted target box Advantages of Silo System i) Commercial utilisation of ash in : Cement additives. Brick plants. Road making, etc. ii) Saving of water a precious commodity. iii) Energy Efficient iv) High reliability v) Long Plant Life vi) Least maintenance vii) Environment concern: When environmental protection and awareness is a major industrial and social concern, Dense Phase pneumatic conveying, by totally enclosed handling system, is particularly preferable All conventional problems of spillage, dust, contamination and storage are efficiently and successfully eradicated. Plant housekeeping is greatly improved.

Case Study Dadri

STATION CAPACITY : 840 MW COAL CONSUMPTION : 3.66 Million T / Year ASH GENERATION : 1.5 Million T / Year ASH DISPOSAL : Dry Ash System DRY ASH SYSTEM : Vac. Extraction & Pr. Transportation WATER REQMT. FOR ASH CONDITIONING : 20 % by Weight ASH MOUND AREA : 375 acre

DRY ASH HANDLING SYSTEM AND ITS ADVANTAGES 1. LESS REQUIREMENT OF LAND 2. LESS WATER REQUIREMENT 3. ELIMINATES UNDERGROUND WATER AND SURROUNDING WATER WAYS POLLUTION 4. FACILITATE LARGE SCALE UTILIZATION OF ASH 5. PROGRESSIVE RESTORATION OF ASH DISPOSAL SITE AS USEFUL LAND SALIENT FEATURES OF INSTALLED SYSTEM: Extraction & transportation of fly ash in complete dry form. System having provision to store selected grade of ash in separate Silo (Silo-3). Complete re-circulation of water for Bottom Ash Handling System. Unloading & Transportation of conditioned ash from Silos & decanted bottom ash from Hydrobins on to belt conveyors. Construction of Ash Mound in a systematic manner. Two types of AHS 1 Dry Ash System - From ESP/APH hoppers to Silos through Dry Ash Handling System 2 Bottom Ash Hoppers/Economizer Hoppers to Hydrobins through Wet Ash Handling System Finally sent to Ash Mound THE ASH MOUND: Out of 500 acres of land for the dry ash disposal system, ash mound will spread over an area of 375 acres which will go up to a height of 55 meters with top most flat area of 140 acres. The maximum side slope

of ash mound will be 1:4 it will hold 53 million cubic meters of ash. Ash mound system is designed for 25 years ash output of four 210 MW units & one 500 MW unit. The mound design covers stability, erosion and environmental considerations of noise dust and waterborne pollution.

ALTERNATIVES BOTTOM ASH SYSTEM FLY ASH SYSTEM SLURRY DISPOSAL AND ASH WATER RECOVERY SYSTEM BOTTOM ASH HANDLING SYSTEM Scrapper Chain and Belt Conveyor FLY ASH HANDLING SYSTEM Dense Phase Pressure type ASH DISPOSAL SYSTEM Lean Slurry Disposal System Typ Bottom Ash System Bottom Ash Hopper Typ 4hr storage capacity Scrapper Conveyor Clinker Grinder Single/Double roll Crush <25mm Rolls in Cast Chrome Vanadium-Molybdenum Wear resistant steel Belt Conveyor Troughing angle typ 35deg Speed 1m/sec Bottom Ash Silo (12hr capacity) Vibrating Feeder consists of vibrating frame, spring, vibrator, motor vibrating device and motor

Truck Typ Fly Ash System APH/ECO/ESP Hopper Intermediate Surge Hopper Vent Filter to discharge clean air Transmitter Vessel Pressure created Fluidisation with air blower Fly Ash Silo (~14 hr capacity) Spout/Ash Conditioner Ash feed rate from the ash storage silo is precisely controlled Water spray feed rate is adjusted by control valves. Conveying action provided by the rotating paddles provides continuous flow of uniformly mixed ash with no excess water or dusting. Closed/Open Truck Telescope into inlet of container trucks thus reducing dust nuisance Fitted with level probe Slurry Disposal & Ash Water Recovery Silo Slurry Pump Settling Pond Stilling Pond HDPE Lining 70% water recovery Slurry settles Partial clear water to stilling pond Stilling Pond Remaining ash settles Vertical Turbine Pump Clariflocculator Suspended particle limited to 20 ppm Clear water to Ash Water Tank Ash Water Tank

Ash Handling System

What is Ash?

Ash is the residue remaining after the coal is incinerated.

Composition of ash handling system?

SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, CaO , MgO.

Why Ash Handling System is required?

In Thermal Power Plants coal is generally used as fuel and hence the ash is produced as the byproduct of Combustion. Ash generated in power plant is about 30-40% of total coal consumption and hence the system is required to handle Ash for its proper utilization or disposal.

Ash terminology in power plants?

Fly Ash ( Around 80% is the value of fly ash generated) Bottom ash (Bottom ash is 20% of the ash generated in coal based power stations.

What is fly ash?

Ash generated in the ESP which got carried out with the flue gas is generally called Fly ash. It also consists of Air pre heater ash & Economiser ash (it is about 2 % of the total ash content).

What is bottom ash?

Ash generated below furnace of the steam generator is called the bottom ash.

Volume of ash and properties

System Description The ash handling system handles the ash by bottom ash handling system, coarse ash handling system, fly ash handling system, ash disposal system up to the ash disposal area and water recovery system from ash pond and Bottom ash overflow. Description is as follows:

1. A.

Bottom Ash Handling System

Bottom ash resulting from the combustion of coal in the boiler shall fall into the over ground, refractory lined, water impounded, maintained level, double V-Section type/ W type steel- fabricated bottom ash hopper having a hold up volume to store bottom ash and economizer ash of maximum allowable condition with the rate specified. The slurry formed shall be transported to slurry sump through pipes. 1. B. Coarse Ash (Economizer Ash) handling System

Ash generated in Economizer hoppers shall be evacuated continuously through flushing boxes. Continuous generated Economizer slurry shall be fed by gravity into respective bottom ash hopper pipes with necessary slope. 1. C. Air Pre Heater ash handling system

Ash generated from APH hoppers shall be evacuated once in a shift by vacuum conveying system connected with the ESP hopper vacuum conveying system.

1. D.

Fly Ash Handling System

Fly ash is considered to be collected in ESP Hoppers. Fly ash from ESP hoppers extracted by Vacuum Pumps up to Intermediate Surge Hopper cum Bag Filter for further Dry Conveying to fly ash silo. Under each surge hopper ash vessels shall be connected with Oil free screw compressor for conveying the fly ash from Intermediate Surge Hopper to silo. Total fly ash generated from each unit will be conveyed through streams operating simultaneously and in parallel. 1. E. Ash Slurry Disposal System

Bottom Ash slurry, Fly ash slurry and the Coarse Ash slurry shall be pumped from the common ash slurry sump up to the dyke area which is located at a distance from Slurry pump house.

Stats Hourly consumption of ash is 33 tons. The most common types of ash include bottom ash (30-40% in FBC) and fly ash (60-70% in FBC) resulting from the combustion Less than 1% of ash produced 65% of fly ash produced is disposed of in landfills and ash ponds Area under ash in India: 160 km2 Fly Ash reuse: Bricks, Portland cement, Embankments and structural fill,Stabilization of soft soils, etc.

ASH HANDLING Method of collection, conveying, interim storage and load out of various types of ash residue Ash handling can be of two types

Dry Wet Fly ash handling can either be dry or wet Bottom ash handling is generally wet until recently because of its higher particle size (around 25 mm ) Fly ash can either be fine or course Fine fly ash has particle size form 50 200 micron whereas coarse fly ash has particle size greater than 200 micron . WATER IMPOUNDED HOPPER Old process Huge water consumption Receives, quenches, stores crushes and remove bottom ash Ash is discharged once in 6 to 8 hours Clinker grinder is situated below it

BOTTOM ASH HANDLING-SSC SSC is placed beneath the furnace Slurry is taken up to a de-watering slope before discharging Water serves as cooling medium Water also acts as airlock for ash hoppers to avoid air to enter the furnace Reduced water usage Reduced power consumption Reduced operational and maintenance cost Dry bottom ash handling Water is not used Increased boiler efficiency Reduced impurities in stack Low maintenance cost and no water required ADVANTAGES OF DRY HANDLING OVER SSC Dilute Phase Both vacuum & pressure pneumatic systems High velocity low ash - to - air ratio

Dense phase Pneumatic pressure system conveying dense ash Low velocity High ash concentration Less energy due to its smaller amount of conveying air GENERAL DESIGN ASPECTS Boiler design and configuration Disposal conditions Water availability Type of coal Design capacity

Ash Disposal S.I . NO 1. E Lean Slurry Disposal System(LSDS) ALTERNATIV S MERIT S Silo Large area quantity layout of water is required simple Civil cost Cheape is high r Requires Less water more space consum near silo ption Less disposa l area is require d DEMERIT

2. High Concentration Slurry Disposal System(HCSDS)

Advantages Ash spreads in layers enabling vertical filling, hence land requirement is reduced. Pumping at higher concentration, hence low water consumption. Slurry flow rate is drastically reduced.

 Literally no water releases out, hence no water retaining dams or recovery system is required. Reduced leaches at the ash disposal area. Lower operating power consumption. Lower velocity, hence longer life for pipe line. ADVANTAGES OF SILO SYSTEM Commercial utilization of ash in : Cement additives. Brick plants. Road making, etc. Saving of water a precious commodity. High reliability Least maintenance Environment concern: In a period, when environmental protection and awareness is a major industrial and social concern, Dense Phase pneumatic conveying, by totally enclosed handling system, is particularly amenable to the environment. All conventional problems of spillage, dust, contamination and storage are efficiently and successfully eradicated. ASH GATE & HOUSING The Ash Gate and Housing installed below the bottom ash storage hopper. It controls the discharge from the storage hoppers. The gate operation is controlled hydraulically, providing a smooth operation when opening and tight seating when closed.

CLINKER GRINDER Coarse bottom ash or other coarsely sized material Reduce size for pneumatic conveyance or other means of ash handling CYCLONES Centrifugal ash receiver Top of a silo or storage hopper

 The gases after reaching the end of the conical portion changes its direction and moves upwards towards the outlet forming an inner vertex. Control high concentration. PULSE JET DUST COLLECTORS Receives the overflow airstream from the ash receiver Collects ash particulates on the surface of multiple fiber bags Clean (filtered) air overflows the top of the dust collector, passing to the atmosphere or other processing. ASH CONDITIONERS The ash conditioner is a totally enclosed, paddle type mixer designed to condition fly ash, bottom ash, and other abrasive or dusty materials. The unit (coupled with a rotary feeder) features the ability to accurately control both the material feed rate and the water supply flow rate, as well as ensure a complete and controlled mixing prior to discharge

SLURRY PUMPS The slurry solution is pumped using it to land fill or transported to a slurry to lagoon for storage/disposal. Agitator pumps deliver kinetic energy (energy of motion) to slurry solids surrounding the pump intake, re-suspending them into a fluid state. The slurry may be subsequently used for a number of applications such as in the building industry, for Cement and Block production

High Pressure Ash Jet Pumps High pressure ash jet pumps are used to remove the clinker formed on the wall of furnace by supplying water jet. Jet pumps works on a venturi principle. High pressure water delivered through the nozzle creates vacuum.

ASH UNLOADERS Telescopic Unloading Chute A knife gate is fitted to the ash silo bottom Telescoping interlocking cones which are encapsulated by a fabric/elastomeric dust annulus Induced air flow generated by a suction fan Bag type pulse jet dust collector PIPELINE PRODUCTS Terminal Box : Used as a low profile conveying pipeline termination to divert the material flow tangentially into the top of a silo / hopper. Standard size range to accommodate 50mm to 400mm diameter pipelines. Dump Valves : Used as a silo / hopper feeding valve within the conveying pipeline. Located on the silo / hopper roof it diverts the material flow into the top of a storage hopper / silo or in it's by-pass position allows the material flow to pass through to a second storage hopper / silo. The sleeve design of Valves auto cleans with every cycle of operation on the gate or valve port because the sleeve will flex to allow grits and solids to pass through Valves and Bends Switch Valve To connect pipelines together either in converging or diverging configurations. The most commonly used for the Power Industry is the Dome Switch Valve Bends Size range 50mm to 400mm diameter pipelines Cast Ni-hard, Grade 250 iron or basalt-lined mild steel bends are used. For very abrasive slurries alumina ceramic-lined mild steel bends are used

PIPES Pipe : Standard Size range 50mm to 400mm diameter pipelines.

 Conveying Pipeline : Seamed mild steel pipe work (BS1387; BS3601; DIN2441/8; ANSI 836.1 standard pipe or equivalent) to construct the straight pipe sections . For long straight sections the pipeline is usually constructed by welded joints using 6-12 meter random pipe lengths depending on availability. Wet FA Handling System FA is collected from Air heater hopper, Eco hopper and ESP hopper. In Flushing apparatus system ash is allowed to fall in flushing apparatus under gravitation. Water jet in flushing apparatus carries away the ash to FA trench High pressure jets further carries it to FA sump. Series pumping carries the ash slurry to FA pond. Pneumatic Conveying Technology Pneumatic conveying systems are eminently suitable for transport of powdered and granular materials in factory, site and plant situations. Modes of conveying: a) Dilute phase: If the material is conveyed in suspension in the air through the pipeline it is referred to as dilute phase conveying. b) Dense phase: If the material is conveyed at low velocity in a non suspension mode, through all or part of the pipeline, it is referred to as dense phase conveying In dense phase conveying two modes of flow are recognized. Moving Bed Flow: Moving bed flow is only possible in a conventional conveying system if the material to be conveyed has good air retention characteristics. Plug Type Flow: Plug type flow is only in a conventional conveying system if the material has good permeability. This type of flow is typically limited to the materials that are essentially mono-sized, since these allow the air to pass readily through the interstices between the particles. Dry FA Handling System Vacuum pumps are use to convey ash from the ESP hoppers to Bag Filter and CTT In Bag Filter Dry ash is separated out from the air Through Transfer Hopper ash is transferred to Buffer Hopper.

Blower are connected to the bottom of buffer hopper for fluidized air supply From buffer hopper, it is transferred to Transporter. From Transporter, Dry ash is conveyed through Pipe lines (Pneumatic Conveying). For pass A & B the line is AB similarly for pass C & D the line is CD.

TECHNOLOGY : Flyash Disposal and Utilization: The Indian Scenario Thermal Power stations using pulverized coal or lignite as fuel generate large quantities of ash as a by-product. There are about 82 power plants in India, which form the major source of flyash in the country. With the commissioning of super thermal power plants and with the increasing use of low grade coal of high ash content, the current production of ash is about 85 million tonnes per year. This figure is likely to go upto 100 million tonnes per year by the year 2000 AD and pose serious ecological problems. Appreciating the overall concern for the environment and the need for the safe disposal and effective utilisation of flyash, Department of Science & Technology (DST) as the nodal agency and Technology Information and Assessment Council (TIFAC) as the implementing agency commissioned a Flyash Mission in 1994. Flyash Mission: a Technology Project in Mission Mode (TPMM) is being implemented with participation of Ministry of Environment & Forest, Ministry of Power, Thermal Power Stations, R&D institutions and Industry. The focus is on demonstration of coal ash related technologies for developing confidence and thus ensuring large scale adoption. A number of projects taken up by the industry, R&D institutions and academia have shown encouraging results. Some of these projects have been completed, multiplier effects have started and other projects are heading towards meaningful completion. A judicious mix of select thrust areas have been taken up for concerted efforts. These include Flyash Characterisation, Hydraulic Structures, Handling and Transportation, Agriculture related studies and Application, Ash Ponds and Dams, Reclamation of Ash Ponds for Human Settlement, Roads and Embankments, Underground Mine Fills and related research projects. Although the scope for use of ash in concrete, brick making, soil-stabilization treatment and other applications has been well recognized, only a small quantity of the total ash produced in India is currently utilized in such applications. Most of the ash generated from the power plants is disposed off in the vicinity of the plant as a waste material covering several hectares of valuable land. The bulk utilization of ash is possible in two areas, namely, ash dyke construction and filling of low-lying areas. Coal ash has been successfully used as structural fills in many developed countries. However, this particular bulk utilization of ash is yet to be implemented in India. Since most of the thermal power

plants in India are located in areas where natural materials are either scarce or expensive, the availability of flyash is bound to provide an economic alternative to natural soils. Flyash Characterization and Testing The properties of ash are a function of several variables such as coal source, degree of pulverization, design of boiler unit, loading and firing conditions, handling and storage methods. Thus, it is not surprising that a higher degree of variation can occur in ash, not only between power plants but within a single power plant also. A change in any of the above factors can result in detectable changes in the properties of the ash produced. The degree to which any change affects the utilization potential of ash is a function of the nature and degree of the change and the particular application for which the ash might be used. The physical, geotechnical and chemical parameters to characterize flyash are the same as those for natural soils, e.g., specific gravity, grain size, Atterberg limits, compaction characteristics, permeability coefficient, shear strength parameters and consolidation parameters. The procedures for determination of these parameters are also similar to those for soils. Flyash Disposal in Ash Ponds Primarily, the flyash is disposed off using either dry or wet disposal scheme. In dry disposal, the flyash is transported by truck, chute or conveyor at the site and disposed off by constructing a dry embankment (dyke). In wet disposal, the flyash is transported as slurry through pipe and disposed off in impoundment called "ash pond". Most of the power plants in India use wet disposal system, and when the lagoons are full, four basic options are available: (a) constructing new lagoons using conventional constructional material, (b) hauling of flyash from the existing lagoons to another disposal site, (c) raising the existing dyke using conventional constructional material, and (d) raising the dyke using flyash excavated from the lagoon ("ash dyke"). The option of raising the existing dyke is very cost effective because any fly ash used for constructing dyke would, in addition to saving the earth filling cost, enhance disposal capacity of the lagoon. The constructional methods for an ash dyke can be grouped into three broad categories: (a) Upstream method, (b) Downstream method and (c) Centerline method. Fig.1 shows typical configurations of embankments constructed using the different methods. The construction procedure of an ash dyke includes surface treatment of lagoon ash, spreading and compaction, benching and soil cover.

Upstream Method

Downstream Method

Centreline Method Fig. 1 Typical ash dyke raising configurations An important aspect of design of ash dykes is the internal drainage system. The seepage discharge from internal surfaces must be controlled with filters that permit water to escape freely and also to hold particles in place and the piezometric surface on the downstream of the dyke. The internal drainage system consists of construction of rock toe, 0.5m thick sand blanket and sand chimney. After completion of the final section including earth cover the turfing is developed from sod on the downstream slope. Flyash as Fill Material Large scale use of ash as a fill material can be applied where (a) flyash replaces another material and is therefore in direct competition with that material, (b) flyash itself is used by the power generating company producing the flyash to improve the economics of the overall disposal of surplus flyash; and (c) at some additional cost, flyash disposal is combined with the rehabilitation and reclamation of land areas desecrated by other operations. Fills can be constructed as structural fills where the flyash is placed in thin lifts and compacted. Structural flyash fills are relatively incompressible and are suitable for the support of buildings and other structures. Non-structural flyash fill can be used for the development of parks, parking lots, playgrounds and other similar lightly loaded facilities. One of the most significant characteristics of flyash in its use as a fill material is its strength. Well-compacted flyash has strength comparable to or greater than soils normally used in earth fill operations. In addition, lignite flyash possesses self-hardening properties which can result in the development of shear strengths. The addition of illite or cement can induce hardening in bituminous flyash which may not self-harden alone.

Significant increases in shear strength can be realized in relatively short periods of time and it can be very useful in the design of embankments. Environmental Considerations The environmental aspects of ash disposal aim at minimizing air and water pollution. Directly related to these concerns is the additional environmental goal of aesthetically enhancing ash disposal facilities. The ash produced in thermal power plants can cause all three environmental risks - air, surface water and groundwater pollution. The pathways of pollutant movement through all these modes are schematically represented in Fig.2.

Fig.2 Pathways of Pollutant Movement around Ash Disposal Facility Air pollution is caused by direct emissions of toxic gases from the power plants as well as wind-blown ash dust from ash mound/pond. The air-borne dust can fall in surface water system or soil and may contaminate the water/soil system. The wet system of disposal in most power plants causes discharge of particulate ash directly into the nearby surface water system. The long storage of ash in ponds under wet condition and humid climate can cause leaching of toxic metals from ash and contaminate the underlying soil and ultimately the groundwater system. However, most of these environmental problems can

be minimised by incorporating engineering measures in the design of ash ponds and continuous monitoring of surface and groundwater water systems. Flyash Expertise at IIT Kanpur IIT Kanpur has pioneered the development of the ash dyke design in India. A number of ash disposal facilities across the country have been designed at this Institute. Currently, a major technology demonstration project on Ash Dyke Design: Raising, Maintenance and Monitoring sponsored by Flyash Mission with active support from NTPC is being executed at the Department of Civil Engineering. As a part of this project, a detailed manual on ash disposal practice has been prepared to standardize the procedures for ash disposal across the country. Another Flyash Mission sponsored project involving detailed geotechnical and environmental investigation of an ashfill site near Badarpur, New Delhi, is nearing completion. Based on field and laboratory investigations, detailed guidelines have been prepared for constructing ashfills and possibility of groundwater pollution through leaching of toxic metals examined. A national conference, Flyash Disposal and Deposition: Beyond 2000 AD, organised at the Institute in February 1999, looked into areas such as design of ash disposal facility, reclamation of ash ponds, structural filling of low-lying areas by flyash and the environmental aspects of ash disposal. The problems related to flyash are complex and huge, requiring a national effort and commitment. The expertise available at different institutions has to be fully harnessed to develop technologies for large scale eco-friendly utilization of flyash. Rajiv Sinha Department of Civil Engineering IIT Kanpur e.mail: rsinha@iitk.ac.in NTPCs Pioneering Activities in Ash Utilization Ash dyke raising Dry ash disposal system at NTPC Dadri Use of only fly ash bricks in all types of building constructions. 6.7 million tonne ash of NTPC Unchahar was used in Allahabad by-pass road by NHAI (Largest ever use in single project in India). Mine reclamation.

Coal Ash is typically used in the following beneficial applications at coal mines: Application in Mines Neutralization of acid forming materials, Barriers to acid mine drainage (AMD) formation/transport, Subsidence control in underground mines, Soil reconstruction. Pit filling to reach Approximate Original Contour (AOC) in surface mines Show-Case Projects on Use of Ash in Agriculture in Farmers Fields at: Simhadri Unchahar Dadri Rihand Talcher Thermal Environmental Issues Flyash Flyash is categorised as high volume low effect waste under Hazardous Wastes ( Management, Handling & Transboundary movement ) Rules , 2008 Chemically , flyash mainly consists of oxides of silica, aluminium, Iron and calcium., besides trace of elements like arsenic, beryllium, boron, cadmium, chromium, chromium VI, cobalt, lead, manganese, mercury, molybdenum etc. Air Pollution ( Dust emission from ash pond) Water Pollution ( Contamination of ground & surface water Land degradation

Coal based plants contribute about 53% of total

capacity Consumed about 355 million tonnes of coal with ash content 35-45% during 2008-09 Nearly 140 million tonnes per annum coal ash is generated. Occupied nearly 40,000 hectares of land for conventional disposal of ash. Require about 1040 million M3 water annually for disposal of coal ash as in slurry form, if not utilized Directions /Notification Vide notification No.S.O.763(E), [14/9/1999] New Power Plants 30 % flyash utilisation within 3 year 100 % flyash utilisation within 9 years Existing Power Plants 20 % flyash utilisation within 3 year 100 % flyash utilisation within 15 years Background Ash disposal in thermal power plants, a highly environmentally sensitive issue. India is currently producing in excess of 100 million tonnes of Coal Ash. Currently, Fly ash and Bottom-ash are being mixed together and transported hydraulically to ash ponds. The end uses of Bottom-ash and Fly ash are different, as their properties are widely different. Bottom-ash is relatively coarse as compared to Fly ash, which is extremely fine. Mixing them during transportation would affect the end uses of both forms of ash Slurry Disposal - Current Trends: Low Concentration Slurry Disposal (LCSD) (Cw ~ 10 - 20%) Medium Concentration Slurry Disposal (MCSD) (Cw ~ 40- 50%) Major drawbacks of LCSD/MCSD The particle size distribution of Bottom Ash and Fly Ash are different, leading to a highly conservative design. The end uses of both Fly Ash and Bottom Ash are different and therefore by mixing them, their utilization is being restricted. Solid transportation at low concentration is highly uneconomical.

 Water consumption is very high and water recovery systems are needed. Excessive wear due to higher transportation velocity and skewed concentration profile, thereby affecting the life of the pipeline. Due to excessive use of water, the threat of pollution of both ground and surface water sources exists. Bottom Ash Crushed bottom ash is evacuated from the hoppers using jet pumps and disposed off in form of a slurry. Bottom ash is a very coarse material and is easy to handle. Fly Ash Fly ash is evacuated from various locations either hydraulically or pneumatically. In the pneumatic method, ash is transported to a buffer silo from where it can be given out for utilization. In the hydraulic method, ash is transported to a common sump. Centrifugal slurry pumps are used to transport the ash slurry to ash pond. In most of the thermal power plants, the concentration of ash in the slurry is very low and is of the order of 10 15% by weight. This method is known as low concentration slurry disposal. (LCSD) Typically same disposal system is used both for bottom ash as well as fly ash. In one of the thermal power plants (NCPS, DADRI) ash is handled in completely dry form and disposed in the form of ash mound. However, this requires special equipment's. High Concentration Slurry Disposal (HCSD) The Ash Concentration is in the range 60% by weight or above. Special pumps like Reciprocating/ Diaphragm/ progressive cavity etc. are needed. Experience with coal ash not available.

TRADITIONAL TECHNOLOGY

To dispose off large amount of ash efficiently (i) HYDRO-SLUICING: Water impounded bottom ash hoppers with jet pump systems followed by lean phase slurry pump system upto ash dyke. Dry type Bottom Ash Hopper with submerged scraper chain conveyor system followed by lean phase slurry pumps system upto ash dyke. Flushing Apparatus for Fly Ash (ii) PNEUMATIC HANDLING: Negative pressure (Vacuum) type Positive pressure type (by Air Compressor

Bottom ash is considered 20% of total ash

Coarse ash form Economizer is considered as 5% of total ash.

Fly ash for Air preheater is Fly ash from ESP (Electro

considered as 5% of total ash. staticprecipator) is considered as 85% of total ash.

All bottom ash is stored / dumped in

ash dyke.

All fly ash is stored in Silos.

Bottom Ash :The standard wet systems for bottom ash conveying can generally be divided into two categories: water impounded bottom ash hopper hopper systems with Jet pumps : submerged chain conveyor (SCC) systems. All the plants where these systems are installed complain about huge water consumption, high maintenance costs due to corrosion and clogging, environmental issues due to leakages of contaminated water and loss of boiler efficiency, and negative effects on boiler operation due to the low reliability and poor maintainability of wet systems. Dry, MAC, system, has particularly high dependability relative to standard wet systems. To achieve this, the wet system design in this case is in fact a hybrid of water impounded hopper system (which traditionally uses a sluice system) and an SCC system, serving both bottom ash and pyrites handling. In this

installation the high reliability of the wet system has been achieved by incurring a higher capital cost than that for a standard wet system, necessary to provide the redundancy required for much of the equipment.

Advantage of Dry bottom Ash handling System :Adoption of the dry system results in a water saving of about 258000 [m.sup.3] per year, a significant quantity, not least in terms of costs. In the plant under consideration, each unit employing wet handling has a dedicated system for water circulation and treatment. Then the waste water from these units is sluiced into a centralized sludge treatment system. So the elimination of the wet systems also eliminates the need for the associated water circulation and treatment systems. Reduces demands on the centralized sludge treatment system, lowers maintenance costs arising from corrosion and jamming along the sluicing lines, creates a cleaner and safer working environment due to

the reduction in the number of places that need to be cleaned up. Less power demand due to the elimination of water circulation pumps, and reduces the environmental impact of the power station thanks to the water savings and lower releases of contaminants.

Dense Phase Pneumatic conveying system

Using positive pressure they generally utilise a blow tank to collect the material before being transferred into the pipeline in batches. With dense phase systems, a controlled use of both air pressure and volume pushes the batch of material from the blow tank and into the pipeline in a plug flow form. The Dense Phase Pressurized Pneumatic Conveying Systems uses low volume, medium pressure air stream and relies on a continuously expanding

volume of air pushing cohesive slugs of material along the pipe. This system uses a transfer vessel/pump tank to feed the material into the conveying line. It is a batch system with plugs of material separated by cushions of air. Average conveying velocities are low between 2 to 5 m/sec. The material air ratio is in the range of 20 - 100 to 1. The Dense Phase Pneumatic Conveying system is flexible enough and compatible with all size and type of boilers. Whether Boiler is from 3 MW to 600 MW, Water tube or Fire tube, CFB, PFB, Stoker fired, Coal, Coke, Lignite, Rice Husk, Bagasse, Multi fuel or Co-generation type
Fly Ash Conveying System

Vacuum systems offer a low-cost alternative for low-capacity fly ash transport over short conveying distances. Operating at vacuums up to 20 inches HG, the system features simplified controls, low headroom and a single swing-disc type ash intake valve at each collection hopper.

Pressure Conveying System

Pressure systems offer high-capacity fly ash transport over long conveying distances. Pressure vessels required at each collection hopper are furnished with rugged valving with hardened seats and discs, internal aeration to provide positive ash flow, and air flow control from the clean side of the vessel to provide uniform, controlled ash flow to the conveying line. Operating at pressures up to 35 PSIG, pressure systems can satisfy conveying capacities over 100 TPH.

HCSD (High Concentration slurry disposal)

No ash retaining dams or bunds need to be built. Ash spreads in layers hence, ash mounds requires minimum land. Higher concentration hence, low water consumption. Lower line sizes. Very little release of water at the disposal area through rapid drying. No appreciable leachate from the disposal site.

Disposal System (HCSD). The advantages of HCSD Systems are: In Lean phase slurry system, the concentration is around 18-25%, increase concentration to approx. 65 69% depending on rheological studies. Pumping is energy efficient since less amount of water is involved. The specific energy consumption (Energy per tonne of ash transported) is substantially reduced. Substantial Saving of Water, etc. Since the slurry is in paste form, it slowly dissipates in the ash pond as a pasty solution which dries within hours. There is no seepage of water to sub soil hence no contamination. Much less area of ash pond is needed. HCSD plants running in India at Khaperkheda Thermal Power Project of MSEB. CESC Budge Budge Balco Korba 5X135 MW

Ash Utilization
Used as replacement of Silica in cement industries. Its share in cement is about 30% only.

Only few cement companies in this region, carry fly ash from silo at present. Farming on cultivable lands. Tiles, Blocks and other similar construction materials. Land filling i.e. levelling land pitfalls for urbanization, colony development and increasing cultivation hectares. Road construction.