PULVERIZED FUEL FIRING COMPONENTS

Windbox Assembly
In this system at each comer of the furnace a wind box assembly is installed. The wind box is vertically divided into number of compartments. Each compartment receives hot secondary air from the secondary air duct through a damper called secondary air damper. Alternative compartments of wind box are provided with coal nozzles through which the pulverized coal from the mill is delivered to the furnace. Four corner nozzles of one elevation are generally connected to one mill. In these compartments secondary air is admitted to the furnace surrounding the coal nozzles. These compartments are called fuel compartments and the secondary air dampers of these compartments are termed fuel air dampers.

Some of the (auxiliary) intermediate air compartments between coal nozzles contains oil gun.Retractable High energy Arc (HEA) ignitors are located adjacent to the retractable oil guns. These ignitors directly light up the oil guns.

Optical flame scanners are installed in flame scanner guide pipe assemblies in the auxiliary air compartments. The scanners sense the ultraviolet (UV) radiation given off by the flame and thereby prove the flame.

Components Of Fuel Firing System

The essential components for a pulverized coal fired boiler-firing system are Ignition system Oil guns and atomizers Flame scanner

Ignition System
Any boiler firing system needs a suitable ignition system to provide ignition energy to the flammable mixture of fuel and air introduced to the furnace. Combustion reaction starts only when the flammable mixture is heated to its ignition temperature. To initiate combustion of any fuel and to keep the flame stable, continuous supply of ignition energy is required which is supplied in the form of heat. This ignition energy can be called as the total

ignition energy. This total ignition energy can be derived from the fuel itself when it is burning in stable condition called as inherent ignition energy, supplied by external sources as auxiliary ignition energy or combination of both. Hence,

Total ignition Energy = Inherent Ignition Energy + Auxiliary Ignition Energy

When a fuel is to be lighted up, the inherent ignition energy available from it is at zero level so the entire amount of ignition energy required has to be obtained from auxiliary ignition energy sources only. Also, immediately after light up of the fuel the heat available from combustion may not be equivalent to the Total ignition energy. Hence under low firing rates still the auxiliary ignition energy will be required. When the firing becomes stable and heat available from the combustion of main fuel is greater than total ignition energy no more auxiliary ignition energy will be required. This condition will be stated as self-sustaination. The ignition energy required at any given instant depend on many factors such as Location Fuel quality Fuel parameters Combustion air parameter Fuel air distribution Total fuel air ratio Mass burner flow rate

In a coal-fired boiler, the auxiliary ignition energy for coal firing is provided by suitably located oil burners. For igniting the oil while starting the oil burners, ignitors are used in the firing-system.

Requirements Of An Auxiliary Ignition System

An auxiliary ignition system provided for igniting the oil burner of a boiler should meet the following criteria. It should be one capable of measuring the ignition energy required and supplied. Ignition energy should be located very close relative to main fuel admission so as to readily ignite main fuel as it enters the furnace. Ignition energy equipment should contain a fuel quantity control arrangement, with a self-resetting or zero run back of the scanning or proving loop. Interlocking with main fuel admission should be used.

Ignitor Types
The ignitors that are available now can use any of the load carrying fuels available to the boiler. Such fuels include natural gas, all grades of fuel oil etc; however the application of the various ignitor types is largely a function of user preference, ignitor fuel availability and ignitor fuel economics. Some of the oil ignitors used in Indian Thermal Power Stations especially with corner firing system are:

Eddy plate ignitor Ion Flame Monitoring Ignitor (IFM) High Energy Arc Ignitor (HEA)

The first of the above two use an ignition fuel normally light diesel oil and produce a pilot flame for igniting the main oil burner. The third one uses only a high intensity electric arc for ignition.

Eddy Plate Ignitor

This igniter consists of an oil atomiser and a spark rod mounted through an eddy plate in the ignitor horn. The oil atomiser receives light oil and compressed air for atomisation through a shut off valve located in the control cabinet. The spark rod is connected by cables to a transformer in the control cabinet.

The eddy plate ignitor utilizes a metered, controlled flow of combustion air directed through the ignition chamber or horn to create eddy currents about the down-stream face of the eddy plate. Static pressure measurements are monitored at the face of the eddy plate and at the nozzle discharge. The flow of combustion air through the nozzle with no fire gives a static pressure differential in which the furnace tap is higher than the eddy plate tap. When the ignitor is Tired the energy conversion and combustion reaction (with the considerable gaseous expansion due to both the temperature rise and energy release) creates a backpressure on the eddy plate pressure tap. This results in a positive reversal of differential measurement between the two taps. The eddy plate ignitor has been proven to be an exceptionally stable and reliable device.

IFM Ignitor
The Ionic flame monitoring side ignitor (IFM) can spark ignite high calorific value gases or distillate oils. The system incorporates the principle of flame ionization, which is present in all turbulent hydrocarbon flames, to deduct the presence of combustion. In the burning process energy is liberated by the combination of two or more reactants to form a product with lower energy level.

During this burning process many ions (charged particles) are liberated taking the form of electrons and charged nuclei. When a D.C. potential is placed across the flame a varying current is generated due to the variable resistance the flame presents to the rod. The system operates by imposing a DC potential on the rod that is in contact with the flame. The DC voltage is modulated plus or minus around the imposed level by the flame and the imposed signal is then filtered out. The variance is then amplified, changed to a pulse shape and used to drive a flame indication relay.

High Energy Electric Arc (HEAA) Ignitors

The High Energy Electric Arc Ignitor is developed to offset the decreasing availability and rising cost of ignition fuels such an natural gas, HSD and LDO. The HEA ignitor effectively eliminates dependence on these fuels by igniting Heavy Oil and L.S.H.S directly. The HEA ignitor is used with a discriminating scanner, which proves the operation, of the main burner. The HEA ignition system consists of A high energy arc ignitor An oil compartment capable of producing a stable flame at all loads. A flame detecting system sensitive only to its associated oil guns. A control system to co-ordinate all the components and provide for unit safety.

The HEA ignitor can ignite fuel oils ranging from distillate to Heavy oils and crude oils. The ignitor is a self-contained electrical discharge device for producing a high intensity spark. Use of high resistance transformer to produce a full wave charging circuit and to control spark rate enables the sealed

power supply unit to store maximum energy and to deliver a greater percentage of this energy through insulated cables to the ignitor tip on a very short time, in terms of micro seconds. A key to the successful application of spark ignition is the presence of a strong re circulation pattern in the primary combustion zone by proper selection of stabilizer and location of HEA. The recirculation provides the source of energy required to vaporize the oil and to heat the vapour to its ignition point, thus maintaining stable ignition after the spark has been deactivated.

Oil Guns And Atomizers

Fuel oils like light diesel oil, (LDO), heavy fuel oil (HFO) or low sulphur heavy stock (LSHS) are used in boilers either as main fuel or supplement fuel. In coal fired boilers fuel oils are used to ignite the coal as well as to supplement the coal firing under various exigencies. These fuel oils are burnt by spray combustion method wherein the oil is split into fine droplets (atomised) and distributed into the furnace in a spray form in a controlled manner. Oil guns either concentric tubes or parallel tubes installed through the furnace walls or windbox with atomiser mounted at their tips provide this oil spray to the furnace. The oil guns at their rear end are connected through flexible hoses to the fuel oil pipe and atomising agent (either steam or compressed air) pipelines. For each oil gun, in the fuel oil and atomising medium pipelines slow opening and quick shut off valves are provided.

The oil guns may be provided with a pneumatic gun advance and retract mechanism. With this the oil gun can be retracted in its housing when it is not in service. By this the atomiser will be kept at a safe distance from the furnace heat radiation thereby ensuring long life and reliability of the atomiser.

Atomisation
The exact mechanism of atomisation (splitting the liquid into fine droplets) depends on the type of atomiser used and the nature of liquid being atomised but the basic mechanism involves the formation of unstable columns of liquid which breakdown into rows of droplets The process of atomisation can be accomplished in a number of ways in practice, which are usually grouped according to the source of energy used. In boilers fuel oils are atomised mainly by adopting any one of the following two methods. a) By forcing the oil at high pressure through an orifice. This is .called mechanical atomisation or pressure atomisation.

b)

In twin fluid atomisation (Steam or Air atomisation) a stream of gas at high velocity is passed over the liquid surface so that waves are generated which become extended into thin films.

Mechanical/Pressure Atomisation
In a typical pressure atomiser oil at a high pressure flows in the centre tube and is discharged through tangential slots in the sprayer plate swirling chamber where the oil rotate at high speed. The swirling oil then passes with undiminished energy through the sprayer plate orifice and escapes as a spray. In this case the hollow conical sheet that is produced emerges from the orifice with a tangential velocity which is sufficiently high to cause an air core throughout the nozzle so produce a hollow cone spray. The advantage of pressure atomisation is it does not require any atomising medium. Hence it may be suitable for lighting up cold boilers. However these atomisers need oil pressure at a range of 40 to 70 kg/cm2 and so need suitable oil pumps. The turn down ratio (the ratio of maximum to minimum fuel flow rate required to produce a stable self sustained flame) of these atomisers is less compared to other type of atomiser. In power plants these atomisers are used for light oil start up burners only.

Twin Fluid Atomiser

In this type of atomizers the atomization consists of the following stages: Formation of thin liquid sheets along the inner walls of an internal mixed atomiser or of free sheets. Disintegration of these sheets by aerodynamic forces to form ligaments and large droplets to form spray.

Either compressed air or superheated steam will be used as atomizing medium to apply aerodynamic force on the oil sheet. Two types of these atomizers, a) Internal mixing: In internal mixing atomiser, the oil and atomising medium impinge within the atomiser and comes out as a spray. Atomisation is accomplished by projecting atomising medium tangentially across the jets of oil and results in the formation of conical spray of finely divided oil after the mixture has left the orifice plate.

b)

External mixing: In external mixing atomizers the oil is released into the gas stream at the outlet from the atomiser. A constant pressure of atomising medium is to be maintained for the proper operation of external mixing type atomiser.

In Indian power stations normally compressed air is used for atomising light oil and steam is used for atomising heavy oil.

Flame Scanners
In any boiler, a large quantity of fuel is being admitted to the furnace, the flammable mixture formed in the furnace must be converted into inert at the earliest available time before any appreciable quantity builds up in the furnace. This needs a sustained healthy intensified flame in the furnace. Admission of fuel without flame in furnace leads to furnace explosions. Hence detection of absence of flame is required for any control action to prevent furnace explosion. Firing systems of modem boilers incorporate flame sensing scanners to detect the flame in the furnace and in the loss of flame to initiate control actions to prevent furnace explosions.

Fundamental Requirements Of A Flame Detecting System

Any flame detection system provided in the boiler must meet the following requirements. Must be reliable Sensible to discern the minimum flame envelope Fail safe characteristic to avoid frequent trips. Reaction time must be minimum

Flame Scanner Types

The burning process exhibits many characteristics, which can be sensed as indicators of existing flame. In large furnace installations like power boiler furnace/ the most practical characteristic to sense the proof of flame is the light emitted by the burning process. The light emission covers a broad spectrum including infrared, visible and ultraviolet spectrums. Sensing any one of these spectrums can be used for flame proving. Accordingly three basic types of flame scanners are used. Ultraviolet scanners Visible light scanners Infra red scanners.

Ultra Violet Scanners

In this type, the scanner head located near the burner consists of ultraviolet tube. An ultraviolet (UV) detector responds to radiation in the spectral range of approximately 180 to 260 nm. Ultraviolet (UV) scanners work with wavelengths shorter than 300 nm. These detectors detect fires and explosions within 34 milliseconds due to the UV radiation emitted at the instant of their ignition. Almost every fire radiates UV light, and the UV sensor is a good all round flame detector. The special

glass envelope has a low attenuation for ultra violet rays. The tube is filled up with helium gas at low pressure. Pure tungsten electrodes are placed inside the tube. When ultraviolet rays emitted by the flame strike these electrodes, they emit electrons proportionate to the ultraviolet radiation. The electron flow through the helium gas is utilized by the scanner electronics to prove the flame. Each scanner tube is provided with a shutter mechanism, which close the tube at periodical intervals. When the shutter closes the ultraviolet rays are not passed to the tube and so the scanner shouldsense no flame.

Visible Light Scanners

This flame scanner is an optical scanner utilizing a fibre optic light guide. A visible light sensor (for example a camera- 0.4 to 0.7 m) is able to present an image, which can be understood by a human being. It recognizes particular characteristics of visible light radiated from the furnace flames. Visible light is directly related to the burning process. It is given oil in substantial quantities so that a stable flame cannot be masked by unburnt coal.

Infra Red Scanners

These flame scanners (0.7m 1 mm) are working on the principle of sensing infrared rays. The flame controller in conjunction with the flame detector monitors coal, oil and gas flames selectively in the near infrared spectral range. The flame monitoring circuit is sensitive only to the evaluation of the flicker frequency and not to the steady infrared radiation from the combustion chamber and glowing boiler wall refractory. It is insensitive to day light, the system consists of an infra red light receiver located near the burner and a control unit. Infra red scanners are rarely used in coal fired boilers.

Scanner Air
In any type of scanner, the scanner head is located through the wind box and is viewing the furnace, but the components of the scanner head are temperature sensitive and fail normally if this temperature increases above 150oC. Hence to keep the scanner head at a low temperature cold air supplied by scanner air fan will be continuously passed through the scanner guide pipe.

Advantages & Disadvantages Of Pulverized Fuel Firing

Advantages:
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) Combustion is complete with low percentage of excess air. Efficient utilization of cheaper low grade coals. Flexibility in firing with ability to meet fluctuating loads. Lower fan power Ability to release large amounts of heat enabling it to generate about 2000t/h of steam or more in one boiler. Better reaction to automatic control. Ability to use high combustion air temperature and increasing the overall efficiency of boiler. Ability to use fly ash for making bricks etc.

Disadvantages:
(1) Added investment in coal preparation unit. (2) Added power needed for pulverizing coal. (3) Investment needed to remove fly ash before ID fan. (4) Large volume of furnaces needed to permit desired heat release and to withstand high gas temperature.