ABOUT NTPC

NTPC Limited is the largest thermal power generating company of India, Public Sector
Company. It was incorporated in the year 1975 to accelerate power development in the country
as a wholly owned company of the Government of India. At present, Government of India holds
89.5% of the total equity shares of the company and the balance 10.5% is held by FIIs, Domestic
Banks, Public and others. Within a span of 31 years, NTPC has emerged as a truly national
power company, with power generating facilities in all the major regions of the country.
NTPC's core business is engineering, construction and operation of power generating plants and
providing consultancy to power utilities in India and abroad.
The total installed capacity of the company is 31134 MW (including JVs) with 15 coal based and
7 gas based stations, located across the country. In addition under JVs, 3 stations are coal based
& another station uses naphtha/LNG as fuel. By 2017, the power generation portfolio is expected
to have a diversified fuel mix with coal based capacity of around 53000 MW, 10000 MW
through gas, 9000 MW through Hydro generation, about 2000 MW from nuclear sources and
around 1000 MW from Renewable Energy Sources (RES). NTPC has adopted a multi-pronged
growth strategy which includes capacity addition through green field projects, expansion of
existing stations, joint ventures, subsidiaries and takeover of stations.

NTPC has been operating its plants at high efficiency levels. Although the company has 18.79%
of the total national capacity it contributes 28.60% of total power generation due to its focus on
high efficiency. NTPCs share at 31 Mar 2001 of the total installed capacity of the country was
24.51% and it generated 29.68% of the power of the country in 2008-09. Every fourth home in
India is lit by NTPC. 170.88BU of electricity was produced by its stations in the financial year
2005-2006. The Net Profit after Tax on March 31, 2006 was INR 58,202 million. Net Profit after
Tax for the quarter ended June 30, 2006 was INR 15528 million, which is 18.65% more than for
the same quarter in the previous financial year. 2005).
NTPC has set new benchmarks for the power industry both in the area of power plant
constructionandoperations.Itisprovidingpoweratthecheapestaveragetariffinthecountry.
NTPCiscommittedtothe environment,generatingpoweratminimalenvironmentalcostand
preservingtheecologyinthevicinityoftheplants.NTPChasundertakenmassiveaforestation
inthevicinityofitsplants.Plantationshaveincreasedforestareaandreducedbarrenland.The
massiveaforestationbyNTPCinandarounditsRamagundamPowerstation(2600MW)have
contributedreducingthetemperatureintheareasbyabout3c.NTPChasalsotakenproactive
steps for

ash utilization. In 1991, it set up Ash Utilization Division

A graphical overview

Technological Initiatives

Introduction of steam generators (boilers) of the size of 800 MW.

Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) Technology.

Launch of Energy Technology Centre -A new initiative for development of technologies

with focus on fundamental R&D.

The company sets aside up to 0.5% of the profits for R&D.

Roadmap developed for adopting Clean Development.

Mechanism to help get / earn Certified Emission Reduction.

Corporate Social Responsibility

As a responsible corporate citizen NTPC has taken up number of CSR initiatives.

NTPC Foundation formed to address Social issues at national level

NTPC has framed Corporate Social Responsibility Guidelines committing up to 0.5% of

net profit annually for Community Welfare.

The welfare of project affected persons and the local population around NTPC projects
are taken care of through well drawn Rehabilitation and Resettlement policies.

The company has also taken up distributed generation for remote rural areas.

Partnering government in various initiatives

Consultant role to modernize and improvise several plants across the country.

Disseminate technologies to other players in the sector.

Consultant role Partnership in Excellence Programme for improvement of PLF of 15

Power Stations of SEBs.

Rural Electrification work under Rajiv Gandhi Garmin Vidyutikaran.

Environment Management

All stations of NTPC are ISO 14001 certified.

Various groups to care of environmental issues.

The Environment Management Group.

Ash Utilization Division.

Afforestation Group.

Centre for Power Efficiency & Environment Protection.

Group on Clean Development Mechanism.

NTPC is the second largest owner of trees in the country after the Forest department.

JOURNEY OF NTPC
NTPC was set up in 1975 with 100% ownership by the Government of
India. In the last 30 years, NTPC has grown into the largest power utility

1975

in India.
In 1997, Government of India granted NTPC status of Navratna being
one of the nine jewels of India, enhancing the powers to the Board of

1997

Directors.
NTPC became a listed company with majority Government ownership
of 89.5%.

2004

NTPC becomes third largest by Market Capitalization of listed

companies
The company rechristened as NTPC Limited in line with its changing
business portfolio and transforms itself from a thermal power utility to
an integrated power utility.
National Thermal Power Corporation is the largest power generation
company in India. Forbes Global 2000 for 2008 ranked it 411th in the
world.

2005
2008

National Thermal Power Corporation is the largest power generation

company in India. Forbes Global 2000 for 2008 ranked it 317th in the

2009

world.
NTPC has also set up a plan to achieve a target of 50,000 MW
generation capacity.
NTPC has embarked on plans to become a 75,000 MW company by
2017.

2012
2017
ABOUT BTPS

Badarpur thermal power station started working in 1973 with a single 95 mw unit. There were 2
more units (95 MW each) installed in next 2 consecutive years. Now it has total five units with
total capacity of 720 MW. Ownership of BTPS was transferred to NTPC with effect from
01.06.2006 through GOIs Gazette Notification .Given below are the details of unit with the year
they are installed.

Address:
Telephone:
Fax:
Installed Capacity
Derated Capacity
Location
Coal Source
Water Source
Beneficiary States
Unit Sizes

Badarpur, New Delhi 110 044

(STD-011) 26949523
26949532
720 MW
705 MW
New Delhi
Jharia Coal Fields
Agra Canal
Delhi
3X95 MW

Units Commissioned

2X210 MW
Unit I- 95 MW - July 1973
Unit II- 95 MW August 1974
Unit III- 95 MW March 1975
Unit IV - 210 MW December 1978

Transfer of BTPS to NTPC

Unit V - 210 MW - December 1981

Ownership of BTPS was transferred to NTPC with
effect from 01.06.2006 through GOIs Gazette

Notification
BASIC STEPS OF ELECTRICITY GENERATION
The basic steps in the generation of electricity from coal involves following steps:

Coal to steam

Steam to mechanical power

Mechanical power to electrical power

COAL TO ELECTRICITY: BASICS

The basic steps in the generation of coal to electricity are shown below:

Coal to Steam
Coal from the coal wagons is unloaded in the coal handling plant. This Coal is transported up to
the raw coal bunkers with the help of belt conveyors. Coal is transported to Bowl mills by Coal
Feeders. The coal is pulverized in the Bowl Mill, where it is ground to powder form. The mill
consists of a round metallic table on which coal particles fall. This table is rotated with the help
of a motor. There are three large steel rollers, which are spaced 120 ( apart. When there is no coal,
these rollers do not rotate but when the coal is fed to the table it packs up between roller and the
table and ths forces the rollers to rotate. Coal is crushed by the crushing action between the
rollers and the rotating table. This crushed coal is taken away to the furnace through coal pipes
with the help of hot and cold air mixture from P.A. Fan.
P.A. Fan takes atmospheric air, a part of which is sent to Air-Preheaters for heating while a part
goes directly to the mill for temperature control. Atmospheric air from F.D. Fan is heated in the
air heaters and sent to the furnace as combustion air.
Water from the boiler feed pump passes through economizer and reaches the boiler drum. Water
from the drum passes through down comers and goes to the bottom ring header. Water from the
bottom ring header is divided to all the four sides of the furnace. Due to heat and density
difference, the water rises up in the water wall tubes. Water is partly converted to steam as it rises
up in the furnace. This steam and water mixture is again taken to thee boiler drum where the
steam is separated from water.

Water follows the same path while the steam is sent to superheaters for superheating. The
superheaters are located inside the furnace and the steam is superheated (540 (C) and finally it
goes to the turbine.

Flue gases from the furnace are extracted by induced draft fan, which maintains balance draft in
the furnace (-5 to 10 mm of wcl) with forced draft fan. These flue gases emit their heat energy
to various super heaters in the pent house and finally pass through air-preheaters and goes to
electrostatic precipitators where the ash particles are extracted. Electrostatic Precipitator consists
of metal plates, which are electrically charged. Ash particles are attracted on to these plates, so
that they do not pass through the chimney to pollute the atmosphere. Regular mechanical
hammer blows cause the accumulation of ash to fall to the bottom of the precipitator where they
are collected in a hopper for disposal.
Steam to Mechanical Power
From the boiler, a steam pipe conveys steam to the turbine through a stop valve (which can be
used to shut-off the steam in case of emergency) and through control valves that automatically
regulate the supply of steam to the turbine. Stop valve and control valves are located in a steam
chest and a governor, driven from the main turbine shaft, operates the control valves to regulate
the amount of steam used. (This depends upon the speed of the turbine and the amount of
electricity required from the generator).
Steam from the control valves enters the high pressure cylinder of the turbine, where it passes
through a ring of stationary blades fixed to the cylinder wall. These act as nozzles and direct the
steam into a second ring of moving blades mounted on a disc secured to the turbine shaft. The
second ring turns the shafts as a result of the force of steam. The stationary and moving blades
together constitute a stage of turbine and in practice many stages are necessary, so that the
cylinder contains a number of rings of stationary blades with rings of moving blades arranged
between them. The steam passes through each stage in turn until it reaches the end of the highpressure cylinder and in its passage some of its heat energy is changed into mechanical energy.
The steam leaving the high pressure cylinder goes back to the boiler for reheating and returns by
a further pipe to the intermediate pressure cylinder. Here it passes through another series of
stationary and moving blades.
Finally, the steam is taken to the low-pressure cylinders, each of which enters at the centre
flowing outwards in opposite directions through the rows of turbine blades through an
arrangement called the double flow- to the extremities of the cylinder. As the steam gives up its

heat energy to drive the turbine, its temperature and pressure fall and it expands. Because of this
expansion the blades are much larger and longer towards the low pressure ends of the turbine.
Mechanical Power to Electrical Power
As the blades of turbine rotate, the shaft of the generator, which is coupled to tha of the turbine,
also rotates. It results in rotation of the coil of the generator, which causes induced electricity to
be produced.

BASIC POWER PLANT CYCLE

A simplified diagram of a thermal power plant

The thermal (steam) power plant uses a dual (vapour+ liquid) phase cycle. It is a close cycle to
enable the working fluid (water) to be used again and again. The cycle used is Rankine Cycle
modified to include superheating of steam, regenerative feed water heating and reheating of
steam.

On large turbines, it becomes economical to increase the cycle efficiency by using reheat, which
is a way of partially overcoming temperature limitations. By returning partially expanded steam,
to a reheat, the average temperature at which the heat is added, is increased and, by expanding
this reheated steam to the remaining stages of the turbine, the exhaust wetness is considerably
less than it would otherwise be conversely, if the maximum tolerable wetness is allowed, the
initial pressure of the steam can be appreciably increased.
Bleed Steam Extraction: For regenerative system, nos. of non-regulated extractions is taken from
HP, IP turbine.
Regenerative heating of the boiler feed water is widely used in modern power plants; the effect
being to increase the average temperature at which heat is added to the cycle, thus improving the
cycle efficiency.
FACTORS AFFECTING THERMAL CYCLE EFFICIENCY
Thermal cycle efficiency is affected by following:

Initial Steam Pressure.

Initial Steam Temperature.

Whether reheat is used or not, and if used reheat pressure and temperature.

Condenser pressure.

Regenerative feed water heating.

RANKINE CYCLE
The Rankine cycle is a thermodynamic cycle which converts heat into work. The heat is supplied
externally to a closed loop, which usually uses water as the working fluid. This cycle generates
about 80% of all electric power used throughout the world, including virtually all solar thermal,
biomass, coal and nuclear power plants. It is named after William John MacquornRankine, a
Scottish polymath..
Description

Physical layout of the four main devices used in the Rankine cycle

A Rankine cycle describes a model of the operation of steam heat engines most commonly found
in power generation plants. Common heat sources for power plants using the Rankine cycle are
coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear.
The Rankine cycle is sometimes referred to as a practical Carnot cycle as, when an efficient
turbine is used, the TS diagram will begin to resemble the Carnot cycle. The main difference is
that a pump is used to pressurize liquid instead of gas. This requires about 1/100th (1%) as much
energy as that compressing a gas in a compressor (as in the Carnot cycle).
The efficiency of a Rankine cycle is usually limited by the working fluid. Without the pressure
going super critical the temperature range the cycle can operate over is quite small, turbine entry
temperatures are typically 565C (the creep limit of stainless steel) and condenser temperatures
are around 30C. This gives a theoretical Carnot efficiency of around 63% compared with an
actual efficiency of 42% for a modern coal-fired power station. This low turbine entry
temperature (compared with a gas turbine) is why the Rankine cycle is often used as a bottoming
cycle in combined cycle gas turbine power stations.

The working fluid in a Rankine cycle follows a closed loop and is re-used constantly. The water
vapour and entrained droplets often seen billowing from power stations is generated by the
cooling systems (not from the closed loop Rankine power cycle) and represents the waste heat
that could not be converted to useful work.
Note that cooling towers operate using the latent heat of vaporization of the cooling fluid. The
white billowing clouds that form in cooling tower operation are the result of water droplets
which are entrained in the cooling tower airflow; it is not, as commonly thought, steam. While
many substances could be used in the Rankine cycle, water is usually the fluid of choice due to
its favourable properties, such as nontoxic and unreactive chemistry, abundance, and low cost, as
well as its thermodynamic properties.
One of the principal advantages it holds over other cycles is that during the compression stage
relatively little work is required to drive the pump, due to the working fluid being in its liquid
phase at this point. By condensing the fluid to liquid, the work required by the pump will only
consume approximately 1% to 3% of the turbine power and so give a much higher efficiency for
a real cycle.
The benefit of this is lost somewhat due to the lower heat addition temperature. Gas turbines, for
instance, have turbine entry temperatures approaching 1500C. Nonetheless, the efficiencies of
steam cycles and gas turbines are fairly well matched.
Processes of the Rankine cycle

T-s diagram of a typical Rankine cycle operating between pressures of 0.06bar and 50bar.

There are four processes in the Rankine cycle, each changing the state of the working fluid.
These states are identified by number in the diagram to the right
i.

Process 1-2: The working fluid is pumped from low to high pressure, as the fluid is a
liquid at this stage the pump requires little input energy.

ii.

Process 2-3: The high pressure liquid enters a boiler where it is heated at constant
pressure by an external heat source to become a dry saturated vapour.

iii.

Process 3-4: The dry saturated vapor expands through a turbine, generating power. This
decreases the temperature and pressure of the vapor, and some condensation may occur.

iv.

Process 4-1: The wet vapor then enters a condenser where it is condensed at a constant
pressure and temperature to become a saturated liquid. The pressure and temperature of
the condenser is fixed by the temperature of the cooling coils as the fluid is undergoing a
phase-change.

In an ideal Rankine cycle the pump and turbine would be isentropic, i.e., the pump and turbine
would generate no entropy and hence maximize the net work output. Processes 1-2 and 3-4
would be represented by vertical lines on the T-s diagram and more closely resemble that of the
Carnot cycle.
The Rankine cycle shown here prevents the vapour ending up in the superheat region after the
expansion in the turbine, which reduces the energy removed by the condensers.
Real Rankine cycle (non-ideal) :Rankine cycle with superheat

In a real Rankine cycle, the compression by the pumpand the expansion in the turbine are not
isentropic. In other words, these processes are non-reversible and entropy is increased during the
two processes. This somewhat increases the powerrequired by the pump and decreases the power
generated by the turbine.
In particular the efficiency of the steam turbine will be limited by water droplet formation. As the
water condenses, water droplets hit the turbine blades at high speed causing pitting and erosion,
gradually decreasing the life of turbine blades and efficiency of the turbine. The easiest way to
overcome this problem is by superheating the steam. On the T-s diagram above, state 3 is above a
two phase region of steam and water so after expansion the steam will be very wet. By
superheating, state 3 will move to the right of the diagram and hence produce a dryer steam after
expansion.
Rankine cycle with reheat
In this variation, two turbineswork in series. The first accepts vapourfrom the boilerat high
pressure. After the vapour has passed through the first turbine, it re-enters the boiler and is
reheated before passing through a second, lower pressure turbine. Among other advantages, this
prevents the vapour from condensing during its expansion which can seriously damage the
turbine blades, and improves the efficiency of the cycle.

Regenerative Rankine cycle

The regenerative Rankine cycle is so named because after emerging from the condenser
(possibly as a subcooled liquid) the working fluid is heated by steam tapped from the hot portion
of the cycle. On the diagram shown, the fluid at 2 is mixed with the fluid at 4 (both at the same

pressure) to end up with the saturated liquid at 7. The Regenerative Rankine cycle (with minor
variants) is commonly used in real power stations.
Another variation is where 'bleed steam' from between turbine stages is sent to feedwater heaters
to preheat the water on its way from the condenser to the boiler.

I.

BOILERMAINTENANCEDEPARTMENT

Boiler and Its Description

The boiler is a rectangular furnace about 50 ft (15 m) on a side and 130 ft (40 m) tall. Its walls
are made of a web of high pressure steel tubes about 2.3 inches (60 mm) in diameter. Pulverized
coal is air-blown into the furnace from fuel nozzles at the four corners and it rapidly burns,
forming a large fireball at the centre. The thermal radiation of the fireball heats the water that
circulates through the boiler tubes near the boiler perimeter. The water circulation rate in the
boiler is three to four times the throughput and is typically driven by pumps. As the water in the
boiler circulates it absorbs heat and changes into steam at 700 F (370 C) and 3,200 psi
(22.1MPa). It is separated from the water inside a drum at the top of the furnace.

Boiler Side of the Badarpur Thermal Power Station, New Delhi

The saturated steam is introduced into superheat pendant tubes that hang in the hottest part of the
combustion gases as they exit the furnace. Here the steam is superheated to 1,000 F (540 C) to
prepare it for the turbine. The steam generating boiler has to produce steam at the high purity,
pressure and temperature required for the steam turbine that drives the electrical generator.
The generator includes the economizer, the steam drum, the chemical dosing equipment, and the
furnace with its steam generating tubes and the superheater coils. Necessary safety valves are
located at suitable points to avoid excessive boiler pressure. The air and flue gas path equipment
include: forced draft (FD) fan, air preheater (APH), boiler furnace, induced draft (ID) fan, fly ash
collectors (electrostatic precipitator or baghouse) and the flue gas stack.
For units over about 210 MW capacity, redundancy of key components is provided by installing
duplicates of the FD fan, APH, fly ash collectors and ID fan with isolating dampers. On some
units of about 60 MW, two boilers per unit may instead be provided.

Schematic diagram of a coal-fired power plant steam generator

SPECIFICATIONS OF THE BOILER

1. Main Boiler (AT 100% LOAD):

i.
ii.
iii.

Evaporation
Feed water temperature
Feed water leaving economizer

2. Steam Temperature:
i.
Drum
ii.
Super heater outlet
iii.
Reheat inlet
iv. Reheat outlet
3. Steam Pressure:
i.
Drum design
ii.
Drum operating
iii.
Super heater outlet
iv. Reheat inlet
v. Reheat outlet
4. Fuel Specifications
A) Coal
i. Fixed Carbon
ii. Volatile Matter
iii.
Moisture
iv. Ash
v. Grindability
vi. High Heat
vii. Coal size to Mill
B) Oil
i. Low Heat value
ii. Sulphur
iii.
Moisture

341(C
540(C
332(C
540(C
158. 20 kg/cm2
149.70 kg/cm2
137.00 kg/cm2
26.35 kg/cm2
24.50 kg/cm2
38%
26%
8.0%
28%
55HGI
4860 Kcal/Kg
20 mm

iv.

Flash point

10000 kcal/kg
4.5% w/w
1% w/w
660 C.

v.

Viscosity 1500 redwood at

37.80 C.

Sp. Weight

0.98 at 380 C.

vi.

5. Heat Balance
i.
Dry gas loss
ii.
Carbon loss
iii.
Radiation loss
iv. Unaccounted loss
v. H2 in air and H2O in fuel
vi.
vii.

700 tons/hr
247(C
276(C

Total loss
Efficiency

4.63%
2%
0.26%
1.5%
4.9%
13.3%
86.7%

AUXILIARIES OF THE BOILER

1. FURNACE
Furnace is primary part of boiler where the chemical energy of the fuel is converted to
thermal energy by combustion. Furnace is designed for efficient and complete
combustion. Major factors that assist for efficient combustion are amount of fuel inside
the furnace and turbulence, which causes rapid mixing between fuel and air. In modern
boilers, water furnaces are used.
2. BOILER DRUM
Drum is of fusion-welded design with welded hemispherical dished ends. It is provided
with stubs for welding all the connecting tubes, i.e. downcomers, risers, pipes, saturated
steam outlet. The function of steam drum internals is to separate the water from the steam
generated in the furnace walls and to reduce the dissolved solid contents of the steam
below the prescribed limit of 1 ppm and also take care of the sudden change of steam

demand for boiler.

The secondary stage of two opposite banks of closely spaced thin corrugated sheets,
which direct the steam and force the remaining entertained water against the corrugated
plates. Since the velocity is relatively low this water does not get picked up again but

runs down the plates and off the second stage of the two steam outlets.
From the secondary separators the steam flows upwards to the series of screen dryers,
extending in layers across the length of the drum. These screens perform the final stage of

the separation.
Once water inside the boiler or steam generator, the process of adding the latent heat of
vaporization or enthalpy is underway. The boiler transfers energy to the water by the

chemical reaction of burning some type of fuel.

The water enters the boiler through a section in the convection pass called the
economizer. From the economizer it passes to the steam drum. Once the water enters the
steam drum it goes down the down comers to the lower inlet water wall headers. From
the inlet headers the water rises through the water walls and is eventually turned into
steam due to the heat being generated by the burners located on the front and rear water
walls (typically). As the water is turned into steam/vapour in the water walls, the
steam/vapour once again enters the steam drum.

External View of an Industrial Boiler at BTPS, New Delhi

The steam/vapour is passed through a series of steam and water separators and then
dryers inside the steam drum. The steam separators and dryers remove the water droplets
from the steam and the cycle through the water walls is repeated. This process is known

as natural circulation.
The boiler furnace auxiliary equipment includes coal feed nozzles and igniter guns, soot
blowers, water lancing and observation ports (in the furnace walls) for observation of the
furnace interior. Furnace explosions due to any accumulation of combustible gases after a
tripout are avoided by flushing out such gases from the combustion zone before igniting

the coal.
The steam drum (as well as the superheater coils and headers) have air vents and drains
needed for initial start-up. The steam drum has an internal device that removes moisture
from the wet steam entering the drum from the steam generating tubes. The dry steam
then flows into the superheater coils. Geothermal plants need no boiler since they use

naturally occurring steam sources.

Heat exchangers may be used where the geothermal steam is very corrosive or contains
excessive suspended solids. Nuclear plants also boil water to raise steam, either directly
passing the working steam through the reactor or else using an intermediate heat
exchanger.

3. WATER WALLS
Water flows to the water walls from the boiler drum by natural circulation. The front and
the two side water walls constitute the main evaporation surface, absorbing the bulk of
radiant heat of the fuel burnt in the chamber. The front and rear walls are bent at the
lower ends to form a water-cooled slag hopper. The upper part of the chamber is
narrowed to achieve perfect mixing of combustion gases. The water wall tubes are
connected to headers at the top and bottom. The rear water wall tubes at the top are
grounded in four rows at a wider pitch forming g the grid tubes.
4. REHEATER
Reheater is used to raise the temperature of steam from which a part of energy has been
extracted in highpressure turbine. This is another method of increasing the cycle
efficiency. Reheating requires additional equipment i.e. heating surface connecting boiler
and turbine pipe safety equipment like safety valve, non return valves, isolating valves,
high pressure feed pump, etc: Reheater is composed of two sections namely the front and
the rear pendant section, which is located above the furnace arc between water-cooled,
screen wall tubes and rear wall tubes.

Tubes of a reheater

5. SUPERHEATER
Whatever type of boiler is used, steam will leave the water at its surface and pass into the
steam space. Steam formed above the water surface in a shell boiler is always saturated

and become superheated in the boiler shell, as it is constantly. If superheated steam is

required, the saturated steam must pass through a superheater. This is simply a heat

exchanger where additional heat is added to the steam.

In water-tube boilers, the superheater may be an additional pendant suspended in the
furnace area where the hot gases will provide the degree of superheat required. In other
cases, for example in CHP schemes where the gas turbine exhaust gases are relatively
cool, a separately fired superheater may be needed to provide the additional heat.

6. ECONOMIZER
The function of an economizer in a steam-generating unit is to absorb heat from the flue
gases and add as a sensible heat to the feed water before the water enters the evaporation

circuit of the boiler.

Earlier economizer were introduced mainly to recover the heat available in the flue gases
that leaves the boiler and provision of this addition heating surface increases the
efficiency of steam generators. In the modern boilers used for power generation feed
water heaters were used to increase the efficiency of turbine unit and feed water
temperature.

An economizer

Use of economizer or air heater or both is decided by the total economy that will result in
flexibility in operation, maintenance and selection of firing system and other related

equipment. Modern medium and high capacity boilers are used both as economizers and

air heaters. In low capacity, air heaters may alone be selected.

Stop valves and non-return valves may be incorporated to keep circulation in economizer
into steam drum when there is fire in the furnace but not feed flow. Tube elements
composing the unit are built up into banks and these are connected to inlet and outlet
headers.

7. AIR PREHEATER
Air preheater absorbs waste heat from the flue gases and transfers this heat to incoming
cold air, by means of continuously rotating heat transfer element of specially formed
metal plates. Thousands of these high efficiency elements are spaced and compactly
arranged within 12 sections. Sloped compartments of a radially divided cylindrical shell
called the rotor. The housing surrounding the rotor is provided with duct connecting both
the ends and is adequately scaled by radial and circumferential scaling.

An air preheater

Special sealing arrangements are provided in the provided in the air preheater to prevent
the leakage between the air and gas sides. Adjustable plates are also used to help the
sealing arrangements and prevent the leakage as expansion occurs. The air preheater
heating surface elements are provided with two types of cleaning devices, soot blowers to
clean normal devices and washing devices to clean the element when soot blowing alone
cannot keep the element clean.

8. PULVERIZER
A pulverizer is a mechanical device for the grinding of many types of materials. For
example, they are used to pulverize coal for combustion in the steam-generating furnaces
of the fossil fuel power plants.

A Pulverizer

Types of Pulverizer
i.

Ball and Tube mills

A ball mill is a pulverizer that consists of a horizontal cylinder, up to three diameters in
length, containing a charge of tumbling or cascading steel balls, pebbles or steel rods.
A tube mill is a revolving cylinder of up to five diameters in length used for finer
pulverization of ore, rock and other such materials; the materials mixed with water is fed

ii.

into the chamber from one end, and passes out the other end as slime.
Bowl mill
It uses tires to crush coal. It is of two types; a deep bowl mill and the shallow bowl mill.

An external view of a Coal Pulverizer

Advantages of Pulverized Coal

Pulverized coal is used for large capacity plants.

It is easier to adapt to fluctuating load as there are no limitations on the combustion

capacity.
Coal with higher ash percentage cannot be used without pulverizing because of the

problem of large amount ash deposition after combustion.

Increased thermal efficiency is obtained through pulverization.
The use of secondary air in the combustion chamber along with the powered coal helps in
creating turbulence and therefore uniform mixing of the coal and the air during

combustion.
Greater surface area of coal per unit mass of coal allows faster combustion as more coal

is exposed to heat and combustion.

The combustion process is almost free from clinker and slag formation.
The boiler can be easily started from cold condition in case of emergency.
Practically no ash handling problem.
The furnace volume required is less as the turbulence caused aids in complete
combustion of the coal with minimum travel of the particles.

II.

PLANT AUXILIARY MAINTENANCE

1. WATER CIRCULATION SYSTEM

Theory of Circulation
Water must flow through the heat absorption surface of the boiler in order that it be evaporated
into steam. In drum type units (natural and controlled circulation), the water is circulated from
the drum through the generating circuits and then back to the drum where the steam is separated
and directed to the super heater. The water leaves the drum through the down corners at a
temperature slightly below the saturation temperature. The flow through the furnace wall is at
saturation temperature. Heat absorbed in water wall is latent heat of vaporization creating a
mixture of steam and water. The ratio of the weight of the water to the weight of the steam in the
mixture leaving the heat absorption surface is called circulation ratio.
Types of Boiler Circulating System
i.
ii.
iii.
i.

Natural circulation system

Controlled circulation system
Combined circulation system
Natural Circulation System

Water delivered to steam generator from feed water is at a temperature well below the saturation
value corresponding to that pressure. Entering first the economizer, it is heated to about 30-40 (C
below saturation temperature. From economizer the water enters the drum and thus joins the
circulation system. Water entering the drum flows through the down corner and enters ring heater
at the bottom. In the water walls, a part of the water is converted to steam and the mixture flows
back to the drum. In the drum, the steam is separated, and sent to superheater for superheating
and then sent to the high-pressure turbine. Remaining water mixes with the incoming water from
the economizer and the cycle is repeated.
As the pressure increases, the difference in density between water and steam reduces. Thus the
hydrostatic head available will not be able to overcome the frictional resistance for a flow
corresponding to the minimum requirement of cooling of water wall tubes. Therefore natural
circulation is limited to the boiler with drum operating pressure around 175 kg/ cm2.

ii.

Controlled Circulation System

Beyond 80 kg/ cm2 of pressure, circulation is to be assisted with mechanical pumps to overcome
the frictional losses. To regulate the flow through various tubes, orifices plates are used. This
system is applicable in the high sub-critical regions (200 kg/ cm2).
2. ASH HANDLING PLANT
The widely used ash handling systems are:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.

Mechanical Handling System

Hydraulic System
Pneumatic System
Steam Jet System

Ash Handling System at Badarpur Thermal Power Station, New Delhi

The Hydraulic Ash handling system is used at the Badarpur Thermal Power Station.
Hydraulic Ash Handling System
The hydraulic system carried the ash with the flow of water with high velocity through a channel
and finally dumps into a sump. The hydraulic system is divided into a low velocity and high
velocity system. In the low velocity system the ash from the boilers falls into a stream of water
flowing into the sump. The ash is carried along with the water and they are separated at the

sump. In the high velocity system a jet of water is sprayed to quench the hot ash. Two other jets
force the ash into a trough in which they are washed away by the water into the sump, where
they are separated. The molten slag formed in the pulverized fuel system can also be quenched
and washed by using the high velocity system. The advantages of this system are that its clean,
large ash handling capacity, considerable distance can be traversed, absence of working parts in
contact with ash.
Fly Ash Collection
Fly ash is captured and removed from the flue gas by electrostatic precipitators or fabric bag
filters (or sometimes both) located at the outlet of the furnace and before the induced draft fan.
The fly ash is periodically removed from the collection hoppers below the precipitators or bag
filters. Generally, the fly ash is pneumatically transported to storage silos for subsequent
transport by trucks or railroad cars.
Bottom Ash Collection and Disposal
At the bottom of every boiler, a hopper has been provided for collection of the bottom ash from
the bottom of the furnace. This hopper is always filled with water to quench the ash and clinkers
falling down from the furnace. Some arrangement is included to crush the clinkers and for
conveying the crushed clinkers and bottom ash to a storage site.

3. WATER TREATMENT PLANT

As the types of boiler are not alike their working pressure and operating conditions vary and so
do the types and methods of water treatment. Water treatment plants used in thermal power
plants used in thermal power plants are designed to process the raw water to water with a very
low content of dissolved solids known as demineralized water. No doubt, this plant has to be
engineered very carefully keeping in view the type of raw water to the thermal plant, its
treatment costs and overall economics.

A water treatment plant

The type of demineralization process chosen for a power station depends on three main factors:
i.
ii.
iii.

The quality of the raw water.

The degree of de-ionization i.e. treated water quality.
Selectivity of resins.

Water treatment process is generally made up of two sections:

Pretreatment section.
Demineralization section

Pretreatment Section
Pretreatment plant removes the suspended solids such as clay, silt, organic and inorganic matter,
plants and other microscopic organism. The turbidity may be taken as two types of suspended
solid in water; firstly, the separable solids and secondly the non-separable solids (colloids). The
coarse components, such as sand, silt, etc: can be removed from the water by simple
sedimentation. Finer particles, however, will not settle in any reasonable time and must be
flocculated to produce the large particles, which are settle able. Long term ability to remain
suspended in water is basically a function of both size and specific gravity.

Demineralization
This filter water is now used for demineralizing purpose and is fed to cation exchanger bed, but
enroute being first dechlorinated, which is either done by passing through activated carbon filter
or injecting along the flow of water, an equivalent amount of sodium sulphite through some
stroke pumps. The residual chlorine, which is maintained in clarification plant to remove organic
matter from raw water, is now detrimental to action resin and must be eliminated before its entry
to this bed.

A demineralization tank

A DM plant generally consists of cation, anion and mixed bed exchangers. The final water from
this process consists essentially of hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions which is the chemical
composition of pure water. The DM water, being very pure, becomes highly corrosive once it
absorbs oxygen from the atmosphere because of its very high affinity for oxygen absorption. The
capacity of the DM plant is dictated by the type and quantity of salts in the raw water input.
However, some storage is essential as the DM plant may be down for maintenance. For this
purpose, a storage tank is installed from which DM water is continuously withdrawn for boiler
make-up. The storage tank for DM water is made from materials not affected by corrosive water,
such as PVC. The piping and valves are generally of stainless steel. Sometimes, a steam

blanketing arrangement or stainless steel doughnut float is provided on top of the water in the
tank to avoid contact with atmospheric air. DM water make-up is generally added at the steam
space of the surface condenser (i.e., the vacuum side). This arrangement not only sprays the
water but also DM water gets deaerated, with the dissolved gases being removed by the ejector
of the condenser itself.

4. DRAUGHT SYSTEM
There are four types of draught system:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.

Natural Draught
Induced Draught
Forced Draught
Balanced Draught

Natural Draught System

In natural draft units the pressure differentials are obtained have constructing tail chimneys so
that vacuum is created in the furnace. Due to small pressure difference, air is admitted into the
furnace.

A natural draught system

Induced Draft System

In this system, the air is admitted to natural pressure difference and the flue gases are taken out
by means of Induced Draught (I.D.) fans and the furnace is maintained under vacuum.

An induced draught system

Forced Draught System

A set of forced draught (F.D.) fans is made use of for supplying air to the furnace and so the
furnace is pressurized. The flue gases are taken out due to the pressure difference between the
furnace and the atmosphere.

A forced draught system

Balanced Draught System

Here a set of Induced and Forced Draft Fans are utilized in maintaining a vacuum in the furnace.
Normally all the power stations utilize this draft system.

5. INDUSTRIAL FANS
ID Fan
The induced Draft Fans are generally of Axial-Impulse Type. Impeller nominal diameter is of the
order of 2500 mm. The fan consists of the following sub-assemblies:

Suction Chamber
Inlet Vane Control
Impeller
Outlet Guide Vane Assembly

An ID fan

FD Fan
The fan, normally of the same type as ID Fan, consists of the following components:

Silencer
Inlet Bend
Fan Housing
Impeller with blades and setting mechanism

An FD fan

The centrifugal and setting forces of the blades are taken up by the blade bearings. The blade
shafts are placed in combined radial and axial anti-friction bearings, which are sealed off to the
outside. The angle of incidence of the blades may be adjusted during operation. The
characteristic pressure volume curves of the fan may be changed in a large range without
essentially modifying the efficiency. The fan can then be easily adapted to changing operating
conditions.
The rotor is accommodated in cylindrical roller bearings and an inclined ball bearing at the drive
side absorbs the axial thrust.
Lubrication and cooling these bearings is assured by a combined oil level and circulating
lubrication system.
Primary Air Fan
PA Fan if flange-mounted design, single stage suction, NDFV type, backward curved bladed
radial fan operating on the principle of energy transformation due to centrifugal forces. Some
amount of the velocity energy is converted to pressure energy in the spiral casing. The fan is
driven at a constant speed and varying the angle of the inlet vane control controls the flow. The
special feature of the fan is that is provided with inlet guide vane control with a positive and
precise link mechanism.
It is robust in construction for higher peripheral speed so as to have unit sizes. Fan can develop
high pressures at low and medium volumes and can handle hot-air laden with dust particles.

Primary air fan

6. COMPRESSOR HOUSE
Instrument air is required for operating various dampers, burner tilting, devices, diaphragm
valves, etc: in the 210 MW units. Station air meets the general requirement of the power station
such as light oil atomizing air, for cleaning filters and for various maintenance works. The
control air compressors and station air compressors have been housed separately with separate
receivers and supply headers and their tapping.

A compressor house

Instrument Air System

Control air compressors have been installed for supplying moisture free dry air required for
instrument used. The output from the compressors is fed to air receivers via return valves. From

the receiver air passed through the dryers to the main instrument airline, which runs along with
the boiler house and turbine house of 210 MW units. Adequate numbers of tapping have been
provided all over the area.
Air-Drying Unit
Air contains moisture which tends to condense, and causes trouble in operation of various
devices by compressed air. Therefore drying of air is accepted widely in case of instrument air.
Air drying unit consists of dual absorption towers with embedded heaters for reactivation. The
absorption towers are adequately filled with specially selected silica gel and activated alumina
while one tower is drying the air.

An air drying unit

Service Air Compressor

The station air compressor is generally a slow speed horizontal double acting double stage type
and is arranged for belt drive. The cylinder heads and barrel are enclosed in a jacket, whih
extends around the valve also. The intercooler is provided between the low and high pressure
cylinder which cools the air between tag and collects the moisture that condenses.

A service air compressor

Air from L.P. cylinder enters at one end of the intercooler and goes to the opposite end
wherefrom it is discharged to the high-pressure cylinder; cooling water flows through the nest of
the tubes and cools the air. A safety valve is set at rated pressure.
Two selector switches one with positions auto load/unload and another with positions auto
start/stop, non-stop have been provided on the control panel of the compressor. In auto start-stop
position, the compressor will start.

III.

TURBINE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT

TURBINE CLASSIFICATION:
1. Impulse turbine:
In impulse turbine steam expands in fixed nozzles. The high velocity steam from nozzles
does work on moving blades, which causes the shaft to rotate. The essential features of
impulse turbine are that all pressure drops occur at nozzles and not on blades.
2. Reaction turbine:
In this type of turbine pressure is reduced at both fixed and moving blades. Both fixed
and moving blades act like nozzles. Work done by the impulse effect of steam due to
reverse the direction of high velocity steam. The expansion of steam takes place on
moving blades.

A 95 MW Generator at BTPS, New Delhi

COMPOUNDING:

Several problems occur if energy of steam is converted in single step and so compounding is
done. Following are the type of compounded turbine:
i.

Velocity Compounded Turbine:

Like simple turbine it has only one set of nozzles and entire steam pressure drop takes
place there. The kinetic energy of steam fully on the nozzles is utilized in moving
blades. The role of fixed blades is to change the direction of steam jet and too guide
it.

ii.

Pressure Compounded Turbine:

This is basically a number of single impulse turbines in series or on the same shaft.
The exhaust of first turbine enters the nozzles of next turbine. The total pressure drop
of steam does not tae on first nozzle ring but divided equally on all of them.

iii.

Pressure Velocity Compounded Turbine:

It is just the combination of the two compounding and has the advantages of allowing
bigger pressure drops in each stage and so fewer stages are necessary. Here for given
pressure drop the turbine will be shorter length but diameter will be increased.

MAIN TURBINE:
The 210MW turbine is a cylinder tandem compounded type machine comprising of H.P. and I.P
and L.P cylinders. The H.P. turbine comprises of 12 stages the I.P turbine has 11 stages and the
L.P has four stages of double flow. The H.P and I.P. turbine rotor are rigidly compounded and
the I.P. and L.P rotor by lens type semi flexible coupling. All the 3 rotors are aligned on five
bearings of which the bearing number is combined with thrust bearing.
The main superheated steam branches off into two streams from the boiler and passes through
the emergency stop valve and control valve before entering the governing wheel chamber of the
H.P. Turbine. After expanding in the 12 stages in the H.P. turbine then steam is returned in the
boiler for reheating.
The reheated steam from boiler enters I.P. turbine via the interceptor valves and control valves
and after expanding enters the L.P stage via 2 numbers of cross over pipes.
In the L.P. stage the steam expands in axially opposed direction to counteract the thrust and
enters the condenser placed directly below the L.P. turbine. The cooling water flowing through

the condenser tubes condenses the steam and the condensate the collected in the hot well of the
condenser.
The condensate collected the pumped by means of 3x50% duty condensate pumps through L.P
heaters to deaerator from where the boiler feed pump delivers the water to the boiler through H.P.
heaters thus forming a closed cycle.
STEAM TURBINE
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam and
converts it into useful mechanical work.
From a mechanical point of view, the turbine is ideal, because the propelling force is applied
directly to the rotating element of the machine and has not as in the reciprocating engine to be
transmitted through a system of connecting links, which are necessary to transform a
reciprocating motion into rotary motion. Hence since the steam turbine possesses for its moving
parts rotating elements only if the manufacture is good and the machine is correctly designed, it
ought to be free from out of balance forces.
If the load on a turbine is kept constant the torque developed at the coupling is also constant. A
generator at a steady load offers a constant torque. Therefore, a turbine is suitable for driving a
generator, particularly as they are both high-speed machines.
A further advantage of the turbine is the absence of internal lubrication. This means that the
exhaust steam is not contaminated with oil vapour and can be condensed and fed back to the
boilers without passing through the filters. It also means that turbine is considerable saving in
lubricating oil when compared with a reciprocating steam engine of equal power.
A final advantage of the steam turbine and a very important one is the fact that a turbine can
develop many time the power compared to a reciprocating engine whether steam or oil.
OPERATING PRINCIPLES
A steam turbines two main parts are the cylinder and the rotor. The cylinder (stator) is a steel or
cast iron housing usually divided at the horizontal centerline. Its halves are bolted together for
easy access. The cylinder contains fixed blades, vanes and nozzles that direct steam into the
moving blades carried by the rotor. Each fixed blade set is mounted in diaphragms located in
front of each disc on the rotor, or directly in the casing. A disc and diaphragm pair a turbine

stage. Steam turbines can have many stages. A rotor is a rotating shaft that carries the moving
blades on the outer edges of either discs or drums. The blades rotate as the rotor revolves. The
rotor of a large steam turbine consists of large, intermediate and low-pressure sections.
In a multiple-stage turbine, steam at a high pressure and high temperature enters the first row of
fixed blades or nozzles through an inlet valve/valves. As the steam passes through the fixed
blades or nozzles, it expands and its velocity increases. The high velocity jet of stream strikes the
first set of moving blades. The kinetic energy of the steam changes into mechanical energy,
causing the shaft to rotate. The steam that enters the next set of fixed blades strikes the next row
of moving blades.

As the steam flows through the turbine, its pressure and temperature decreases while its volume
increases. The decrease in pressure and temperature occurs as the steam transmits energy to the
shaft and performs work. After passing through the last turbine stage, the steam exhausts into the
condenser or process steam system.
The kinetic energy of the steam changes into mechanical energy through the impact (impulse) or
reaction of the steam against the blades. An impulse turbine uses the impact force of the steam jet
on the blades to turn the shaft. Steam expands as it passes through thee nozzles, where its

pressure drops and its velocity increases. As the steam flows through the moving blades, its
pressure remains the same, but its velocity decreases. The steam does not expand as it flows
through the moving blades.
STEAM CYCLE
The thermal (steam) power plant uses a dual (vapor+liquid) phase cycle. It is a closed cycle to
enable the working fluid (water) to be used again and again. The cycle used is Rankine cycle
modified to include superheating of steam, regenerative feed water heating and reheating of
steam.

MAIN TURBINE
The 210 MW turbine is a tandem compounded type machine comprising of H.P. and I.P.
cylinders. The H.P. turbines comprise of 12 stages, I.P. turbine has 11 stages and the L.P. turbine
has 4 stages of double flow.
The H.P. and I.P. turbine rotors are rigidly compounded and the L.P. motor by the lens type semi
flexible coupling. All the three rotors are aligned on five bearings of which the bearing no. 2 is
combined with the thrust bearing
The main superheated steam branches off into two streams from the boiler and passes through
the emergency stop valve and control valve before entering the governing wheel chamber of the

H.P. turbine. After expanding in the 12 stages in the H.P. turbine the steam is returned in boiler
for reheating.
The reheated steam for the boiler enters the I.P> turbine via the interceptor valves and control
valves and after expanding enters the L.P. turbine stage via 2 nos of cross-over pipes.
In the L.P. stage the steam expands in axially opposite direction to counteract the trust and enters
the condensers placed below the L.P. turbine. The cooling water flowing throughout the
condenser tubes condenses the steam and the condensate collected in the hot well of the
condenser.
The condensate collected is pumped by means of 3*50% duty condensate pumps through L.P.
heaters to deaerator from where the boiler feed pump delivers the water to boiler through H.P.
heaters thus forming a close cycle.

The Main Turbine

TURBINE CYCLE
Fresh steam from the boiler is supplied to the turbine through the emergency stop valve. From
the stop valves steam is supplied to control valves situated in H.P. cylinders on the front bearing

end. After expansion through 12 stages at the H.P. cylinder, steam flows back to the boiler for
reheating steam and reheated steam from the boiler cover to the intermediate pressure turbine
through two interceptor valves and four control valves mounted on I.P. turbine.
After flowing through I.P. turbine steam enters the middle part of the L.P. turbine through crossover pipes. In L.P. turbine the exhaust steam condenses in the surface condensers welded directly
to the exhaust part of L.P. turbine.

The Turbine Cycle

The selection of extraction points and cold reheat pressure has been done with a view to achieve
a high efficiency. These are two extractors from H.P. turbine, four from I.P. turbine and one from
L.P. turbine. Steam at 1.10 and 1.03 g/sq. cm. Abs is supplied for the gland sealing. Steam for
this purpose is obtained from deaerator through a collection where pressure of steam is regulated.
From the condenser, condensate is pumped with the help of 3*50% capacity condensate pumps
to deaerator through the low-pressure regenerative equipments.
Feed water is pumped from deaerator to the boiler through the H.P. heaters by means of 3*50%
capacity feed pumps connected before the H.P. heaters.

SPECIFICATIONS OF THE TURBINE

Type: Tandem compound 3 cylinder reheated type.

Rated power: 210 MW.

Number of stages: 12 in H.P., 11 in I.P. and 4*2 in L.P. cylinder.

Rated steam pressure: 130 kg /sq. cm before entering the stop valve.

Rated steam temperature: 535(C after reheating at inlet.

Steam flow: 670T / hr.

H.P. turbine exhaust pressure: 27 kg /sq. cm., 327(C

Condenser back pressure: 0.09 kg /sq. cm.

Type of governing: nozzle governing.

Number of bearing; 5 excluding generator and exciter.

Lubrication Oil: turbine oil 14 of IOC.

Gland steam pressure: 1.03 to 1.05 kg /sq. cm (Abs)

Critical speed: 1585, 1881, 2017.

Ejector steam parameter: 4.5 kg /sq. cm.

Condenser cooling water pressure: 1.0 to 1.1 kg /sq. cm.

Condenser cooling water temperature: 27000 cu. M /hr.

Number of extraction lines for regenerative heating of feed water; seven.

TURBINE COMPONENTS

Casing.

Rotor.

Blades.

Sealing system.

Stop & control valves.

Couplings and bearings.

Barring gear.

TURBINE CASINGS
HP Turbine Casings:

Outer casing: a barrel-type without axial or radial flange.

Barrel-type casing suitable for quick startup and loading.

The inner casing- cylindrically, axially split.

The inner casing is attached in the horizontal and vertical planes in the barrel casing so
that it can freely expand radially in all the directions and axially from a fixed point (HPinlet side).

IP Turbine Casing:

The casing of the IP turbine is split horizontally and is of double-shell construction.

Both are axially split and a double flow inner casing is supported in the outer casing and
carries the guide blades.

Provides opposed double flow in the two blade sections and compensates axial thrust.

Steam after reheating enters the inner casing from Top & Bottom.

LP Turbine Casing:

The LP turbine casing consists of a double flow unit and has a triple shell welded casing.

The shells are axially split and of rigid welded construction.

The inner shell taking the first rows of guide blades is attached kinematically in the
middle shell.

Independent of the outer shell, the middle shell, is supported at four points on
longitudinal beams.

Steam admitted to the LP turbine from the IP turbine flows into the inner casing from
both sides.

ROTORS
HP Rotor:

The HP rotor is machined from a single Cr-Mo-V steel forging with integral discs.

In all the moving wheels, balancing holes are machined to reduce the pressure difference
across them, which results in reduction of axial thrust.

First stage has integral shrouds while other rows have shroudings, riveted to the blades
are periphery.

IP Rotor:

The IP rotor has seven discs integrally forged with rotor while last four discs are shrunk
fit.

The shaft is made of high creep resisting Cr-Mo-V steel forging while the shrunk fit discs
are machined from high strength nickel steel forgings.

Except the last two wheels, all other wheels have shrouding riveted at the tip of the
blades. To adjust the frequency of thee moving blades, lashing wires have been provided
in some stages.

LP Rotor:

The LP rotor consists of shrunk fit discs in a shaft.

The shaft is a forging of Cr-Mo-V steel while the discs are of high strength nickel steel
forgings.

Blades are secured to the respective discs by riveted fork root fastening.

In all the stages lashing wires are provided to adjust the frequency of blades. In the last
two rows, satellite strips are provided at the leading edges of the blades to protect them
against wet-steam erosion.

BLADES

Most costly element of the turbine.

Blades fixed in stationary part are called guide blades/ nozzles and those fitted in moving
part are called rotating/working blades.

Blades have three main parts:

o Aerofoil: working part.
o Root.

o Shrouds.

Shroud are used to prevent steam leakage and guide steam to next set of moving blades.

VACUUM SYSTEM
This comprises of:

Condenser: 2 for 200 MW unit at the exhaust of LP turbine.

Ejectors: One starting and two main ejectors connected to the condenser locared near the
turbine.

C.W. Pumps: Normally two per unit of 50% capacity.

CONDENSER
There are two condensers entered to the two exhausters of the L.P. turbine. These are surfacetype condensers with two pass arrangement. Cooling water pumped into each condenser by a
vertical C.W. pump through the inlet pipe.
Water enters the inlet chamber of the front water box, passes horizontally through brass tubes to
the water tubes to the water box at the other end, takes a turn, passes through the upper cluster of
tubes and reaches the outlet chamber in the front water box. From these, cooling water leaves the
condenser through the outlet pipe and discharge into the discharge duct.
Steam exhausted from the LP turbine washes the outside of the condenser tubes, losing its latent
heat to the cooling water and is connected with water in the steam side of the condenser. This
condensate collects in the hot well, welded to the bottom of the condensers.

A typical water cooled condensor

EJECTORS
There are two 100% capacity ejectors of the steam eject type. The purpose of the ejector is to
evacuate air and other non-condensating gases from the condensers and thus maintain the
vacuum in the condensers.
The ejector has three compartments. Steam is supplied generally at a pressure of 4.5 to 5 kg /cm 2
to the three nozzles in the three compartments. Steam expands in the nozzle thus giving a highvelocity eject which creates a low-pressure zone in the throat of the eject. Since the nozzle box of
the ejector is connected to the air pipe from the condenser, the air and pressure zone. The
working steam which has expanded in volume comes into contact with the cluster of tube
bundles through which condensate is flowing and gets condensed thus after aiding the formation
of vacuum. The non-condensing gases of air are further sucked with the next stage of the ejector
by the second nozzle. The process repeats itself in the third stage also and finally the steam-air
mixture is exhausted into the atmosphere through the outlet.
CONDENSATE SYSTEM
This contains the following

i.

Condensate Pumps: 3 per unit of 50% capacity each located near condenser hot well.

ii.

LP Heater: Normally 4 in number with no.1 located at the upper part of the condenser
and nos. 2,3& 4 around 4m level.

iii.

Deaerator; one per unit located around 181 M level in CD bay.

Condensate Pumps
The function of these pumps is to pump out the condensate to the desecrator through ejectors,
gland steam cooler and LP heaters. These pumps have four stages and since the suction is at a
negative pressure, special arrangements have been made for providing sealing. The pump is
generally rated for 160 m3/ hr at a pressure of 13.2 kg/ cm2 .
L.P. Heaters
Turbine has been provided with non-controlled extractions, which are utilized for heating the
condensate, from turbine bleed steam. There are 410 W pressure heaters in which the last four
extractions are used. L.P. Heater-1 has two parts LPH-1A and LPH-1B located in the upper parts
of the condenser A and condenser B, respectively. These are of horizontal type with shell and
tube construction. L.P.H. 2,3 and 4 are of similar construction and they are mounted in a row of
5m level. They are of vertical construction with brass tubes the ends of which are expanded into
tube plate. The condensate flows in the U tubes in four passes and extraction steam washes the
outside of the tubes. Condensate passes through these four L.P. heaters in succession. These
heaters are equipped with necessary safety valves in the steam space level indicator for visual
level indication of heating steam condensate pressure vacuum gauges for measurement of steam
pressure, etc:
Deaerator
The presence of certain gases, principally oxygen, carbon dioxide and ammonia, dissolved in
water is generally considered harmful because of their corrosive attack on metals, particularly at
elevated temperatures. One of the most important factors in the prevention of internal corrosion
in modern boilers and associated plant therefore, is that the boiler feed water should be free as far
as possible from all dissolved gases especially oxygen. This is achieved by embodying into the
boiler feed system a deaerating unit, whose function is to remove the dissolved gases from the

feed water by mechanical means. Particularly the unit must reduce the oxygen content of the feed
water to a lower value as far as possible, depending upon the individual circumstances. Residual
oxygen content in condensate at the outlet of deaerating plant usually specified are 0.005/ litre or
less.

A Deaerator

PRINCIPAL OF DEAERATION
It is based on following two laws.

Henrys Law

Solubility

The Deaerator comprises of two chambers:

Deaerating column

Feed storage tank

Deaerating column is a spray cum tray type cylindrical vessel of horizontal construction with
dished ends welded to it. The tray stack is designed to ensure maximum contact time as well as
optimum scrubbing of condensate to achieve efficient deaeration. The deaeration column is
mounted on the feed storage tank, which in turn is supported on rollers at the two ends and a

fixed support at the centre. The feed storage tank is fabricated from boiler quality steel plates.
Manholes are provided on deaerating column as well as on feed storage tank for inspection and
maintenance.
The condensate is admitted at the top of the deaerating column flows downwards through the
spray valves and trays. The trays are designed to expose to the maximum water surfaces for
efficient scrubbing to affect the liberation of the associated gases steam enters from the
underneath of the trays and flows in counter direction of condensate. While flowing upwards
through the trays, scrubbing and heating is done. Thus the liberated gases move upwards
alongwith the steam. Steam gets condensed above the trays and in turn heats the condensate.
Liberated gases escapes to atmosphere from the orifice opening meant for it. This opening is
provided with a number of delflectors to minimize the loss of steam.
FEED WATER SYSTEM
The main equipments coming under this system are:

Boiler feed Pump: Three per unit of 50% capacity each located in the 0 meter level in
the T bay.

High Pressure Heaters: Normally three in number and are situated in the TG bay.

Drip Pumps: generally two in number of 100% capacity each situated beneath the LP
heaters.

Turbine Lubricating Oil System: This consists of the Main Oil Pump (MOP), Starting
Oil Pump (SOP), AC standby oil pumps and emergency DC Oil Pump and Jacking Oil
Pump (JOP). (one each per unit)

Boiler Feed Pump

This pump is horizontal and of barrel design driven by an Electric Motor through a hydraulic
coupling. All the bearings of pump and motor are forced lubricated by a suitable oil lubricating
system with adequate protection to trip the pump if the lubrication oil pressure falls below a
preset value.
The high pressure boiler feed pump is a very expensive machine which calls for a very careful
operation and skilled maintenance. Operating staff must be able to find out the causes of defect at
the very beginning, which can be easily removed without endangering the operator of the power
plant and also without the expensive dismantling of the high pressure feed pump.

Function
The water with the given operating temperature should flow continuously to the pump under a
certain minimum pressure. It passes through the suction branch into the intake spiral and from
there; it is directed to the first impeller. After leaving the impeller it passes through the
distributing passages of the diffuser and thereby gets a certain pressure rise and at the same time
it flows over to the guide vanes to the inlet of the next impeller. This will repeat from one stage
to the other till it passes through the last impeller and the end diffuser. Thus the feed water
reaching into the discharge space develops the necessary operating pressure.
Booster Pump
Each boiler feed pump is provided with a booster pump in its suction line which is driven by the
main motor of the boiler feed pump. One of the major damages which may occur to a boiler feed
pump is from cavitation or vapour bounding at the pump suction due to suction failure.
Cavitation will occur when the suction pressure of the pump at the pump section is equal or very
near to the vapour pressure of the liquid to be pumped at a particular feed water temperature. By
the use of booster pump in the main pump suction line, always there will be positive suction
pressure which will remove the possibility of cavitation. Therefore all the feed pumps are
provided with a main shaft driven booster pump in its suction line for obtaining a definite
positive suction pressure.
Lubricating Pressure
All the bearings of boiler feed pump, pump motor and hydraulic coupling are force lubricated.
The feed pump consists of two radial sleeve bearings and one thrust bearing. The thrust bearing
is located at the free end of the pump.
High Pressure Heaters
These are regenerative feed waters heaters operating at high pressure and located by the side of
turbine. These are generally vertical type and turbine based steam pipes are connected to them.
HP heaters are connected in series on feed waterside and by such arrangement, the feed water,
after feed pump enters the HP heaters. The steam is supplied to these heaters to form the bleed

point of the turbine through motor operated valves. These heaters have a group bypass protection
on the feed waterside.
In the event of tube rupture in any of the HPH and the level of condensate rising to dangerous
level, the group protection devices divert automatically the feed water directly to boiler, thus
bypassing all the 3 H.P. heaters.

An HP heater