Fuel Handling System

1 Coal delivery The coal from supply points is delivered by ships or boats to power
station

2 Unloading  If coal delivered by trucks, there is no need of unloading

In case the coal is brought by railways wagons, ships or boats, the unloading
may be done by
car shakes, rotary car dumpers, cranes, grab buckets, coal accelerators, Portable
conveyors, coal tower, Self Unloading boats
3 Preparation When the coal delivered is in the form of big lumps
(not of proper size). the preparation (sizing) of coal
Breakers Crushers Dryers Magnetic
separators
Seizers
4 Transfer between the unloading point and the final storage
point from where it is discharged to the firing equipment
Belt conveyors
(i) Screw Conveyor - It consist of an endless helicoid screw fitted to a shaft

(ii) Pivoted Bucket Conveyor – Consists of buckets suspended by pivots midway

between the joints of two endless chains,
(iii) Grab Bucket elevator- it is the form of the hoist which lifts and transfers the load
on a single rail or track from one point to another.
-Used for filling as well as transfer
-It can be used with crane or tower

(iv) Flight conveyor (or Scraper) It consists of one or two strands of chain, to which
steel scrapers are attached.
(v) Vee Bucket Conveyor- In this type steel V shaped bucket are rigidly fastened to an endless
chain going round sprockets
(vi) Skip Hoist – it used for high lifts and handling no continuous

5. Storage of coal gives protection against the

interruption of coal supplies.
At Storage Area
No standing water near
Well drained area is not available
Area should be solid not loose or porous
Sealed to protect against wind erosion, piles
Avoid piles, conical piling
6 Inplant Handling- It is
Coal handling between the final storage and the firing equipment
Conveying system to feed coal from any bunker to any firing unit

7. Weighing and Measuring To weigh the quantity of the coal

following equipment's are used
Weigh bridge
Belt Scale
Weigh Lorry
Automatic Scale

8. Furnace Firing
 Ash Handling
A huge quantity of ash is produced in central stations, sometimes
being as much as 10 to 20% of the total quantity of the coal burnt in a
day. Hundreds tonnes of ash may have to be handled every day in large
power station and mechanical devices become indispensable.
Handling of ash include:
(i) It removal from the furnace
(ii) Loading on the conveyors and delivery to the fill or dump
from where it can be disposed off by sale or otherwise.
Handling of the ash is a problem because ash coming out of the
furnace too hot, it is dusty and irritating to handle and is accompained
by some poisonous gas. Ash need to be quenched before handling due
to following reasons:
(i) Quenching reduces corrosion action of the ash.
(ii) It reduce the dust accompanying the ash
(iii) Ash forms clinkers by fusing in large lumps and by
quenching clinkers will disintegrate.
Characteristics of good Ash Handling Plant
• It should have enough capacity to cope with the volume of ash that
may be produced in a station
• Able to handle large clinkers, boiler refuse, soot etc. with little
personal attention of the workmen
• Able to handle hot and wet ash effectively and with good speed
• Plant should not cost much
• The operation charges should be minimum possible
• The operation of the plant should be noiseless as much as possible
• The plant should be able to operate effectively under all variable
load condition
• The plant should have high rate of handling
 Ash handling System- They are four in group
(i) Mechanical handling System This system generally employed for low
capacity power plant using coal as fuel

The hot ash released from the boiler furnaces is made to fall over the belt
conveyor after cooling it through water seal. This cooled ash is transported to
an ash bunker after to the dumping site through trucks
(ii) Hydraulic System: In this system ash is carried with the flow of
water with high velocity through a channel and finally dumped in the
sump. This system is two type
1. Low Pressure System: In this system a trough or drain is
provided below the boilers and the water is made to flow through the
trough. The ash directly falls into the troughs and is carried by water to
sumps. In the sump the ash and water are made to pass through a
screen so that water is separated from ash.
 2.High Pressure System: The hoppers below the boilers are fitted
with water nozzles at the top and on the sides. The top nozzles quench
the ash while the side ones provide he driving force for the ash. The
cooled ash is carried out to the sump through the trough. The water is
again separated from ash and recirculate.

Capacity 120 tonnes per hour, distance 1000 meter

(iii) Pneumatic System: This system can handle fine abrasive ash as
well as fine dusty material such as fly ash and soot.

The exhauster provided at the discharge end creates a high velocity

stream which picks up ash and dust from all discharge points and then
these are carried in the conveyor pipe to the point of delivery. Large ash
particles are generally crushed to small sizes through mobile crushing
units which are feed from the furnace ash hopper and discharge into the
conveyor pipe which terminates into a separator at the delivery end.
(iv) Steam Jet System: When the path of travel of the ash is not
straight & there is little space for other type of handling equipment,
this system is useful. This system utilizes jet of high pressure steam,
blowing in the direction of travel through a conveying pipe in which
the ash from the boiler ash hopper is fed.
 Pulverisers:
The main Function of the Pulveriser is to break the large coal lump
into a pre determined Size in order to increase the surface area of the
coal.
  If the coal is not pulverized, the coal might not burn completely,
thus resulting in wastage of fuel. Also, pulverization of coal helps the
boiler to respond to load variations more promptly.
In a thermal power plant, the raw coal transported via trucks or
railways is first crushed to smaller size in a crusher. This coal is then fed
to a coal mill where it is crushed to a fine particle form by applying
force either by hammering or by combined effect of compressive and
shearing forces. Once the coal of appropriate fineness/size is achieved,
it is carried along with air (with the help of Primary Fan) and fed to the
boiler. There are three main types of Pulverisers:
1.Impact: This operate at high speed. Due to hammering action of paddles,
the coal is crushed to powder. The peripheral speed 5400 mpm,
Output is 5 tonnes/hr. Power consumption is 18 to 20 kWh.
2.Attrition or Grinding: The coal is ground by the movement of a revolving
roller against a race.
3.Crushing : In crushing system, steel balls are allowed to move in a steel
cylinder lined with renewable. C. I. liner plates on the inside. The drum is
supported at each end on bearing.
Elements of Pulverised Coal System
Advantages:
• Any grade of the coal can be used
• Greater capacity to meet peak loads
• No standby losses due to bank fires
• Almost complete combustion
of the fuel there is incresed rate
of evaporation and higher boiler
efficiency.
• No moving parts in the furnace
is subjected to high temperature
• Much smaller quantity of air is
required
Burner: Primary air hat carries the powered coal from the mill to the
furnace is only about 20% of the total air needed for combustion. Before
the coal enters the furnace, it must be mixed with additional air known
as secondary air, in burners mounted in the furnace wall. In addition to
the primary function of mixing, burners must also maintain stable
ignition of fuel air mix and control the flame shape and travel in the
furnace.
Ignition depends on the rate of flame propagation. The requirement
of a burner can be summarized as:
(i) The coal and air should be so handled that there is stability of
ignition
(ii) The combustion is complete
(iii) In the flame the heat is uniformly developed avoiding any
superheat spots
(iv) Adequate protection against overheating, internal fires and
excessive abrasive wear
Pulverised fuel Burners:
1. Long flame burner Also called U- flamed burner. In this type of
burner coal is floated on a portion of air supply (primary air) and
supplied to the burner in one stream. Secondary and tertiary air
supplies are maintained . The length of the flame is increased in the
combustion chamber by downward initial flow of the flame. The
produce is stable, long but it can be made short
2. Turbulent Burner it is Also called short flame burner. These
burners can fire horizontally r at a some inclination by adjustment.
The fuel air mixture and secondary hot air are arranged to pass
through the burner in such a way that there is a good mixture and the
mixture is projected in highly turbulent form in the furnace. This
burner gives high rate of combustion compared with other types. This
is generally preferred for high volatile coal.
3. Tangential Burner In this case four burners are located in the four
corners of the furnace and are fired in such a way that the four
flames are tangential to an imaginary circle formed at the centre.
(i) operation of theses burners are very simple
(ii) High heat release with complete and effective utilisation of
furnace volume
(iii) The parts of the burners are well protected by furnace wall
tubes.
4. Cyclone Burner The main disadvantages for pulverised coal firing:
(i) High cost (ii) 70% of ash escapes as fly ash
These are offset by cyclone burner.
In cyclone burner coal is crushed to a maximum size of 6 mm and
tangential entry into cylindrical cyclone furnace. Secondary air enters
the furnace through tangential ports at the upper edge at the high
speed and creates a strong and highly turbulence vortex.
5. Oil Burner Te function of an oil burner are to mix the fuel and air in
proper proportion and to prepare the fuel for combustion.
Fludised bed Combustion:
It may be defined as the bed of solid particles behaving as a fluid. The principle of FBC
system is: when an evenly distributed air is passed upward through a finely divided
bed of solid particles at low velocity, the particles are undistributed. If the velocity is
steadily increased , a stage is reached when the individual particles are suspended
in the air stream. If the air velocity is further increased, the bed becomes highly
turbulent and the rapid mixing of the particles occur which appear similar to the
bubbles formed in the boiling liquid, a bed is said to be fludised.
There are two basics of FBC system.
(i) Atmospheric FBC (AFBC): Pressure inside the bed is atmospheric.
(ii) Pressurised FBD: In this system, double shell design is provided so that the thermal
reactor stress is separated from the pressure stress. Pressurised air is supplied to
the system
FBD Advantages: (i) Better heat transfer and capital cost are reduced
(ii) It can respond rapidly to changes in load demand
(iii) Low combustion temperature (800 to 950) inhibits the formation of nitrogen
oxides like nitric oxide and nitrogen oxide and also fouling, corrosion etc. of tubes
is reduced.
(iv) Not necessary to grind to coal very fine as is done in pulverised fuel firing
therefore cost of the coal crushing is reduced.
(v) Pollution controlled and combustion of high sulphur coal is possible
(vi) Combustion temperature can be controlled accurately.
(vii) The combustion is conventional system becomes unstable when the ash
exceeds 40% but even 70% ash containing can be efficiently burned in FBC.
Dust Collection:
The product of combustion of coal- fed fires contain particles of solid matter
floating in suspension. This may be smoke or dust. If smoke, the indication is that
combustion conditions are faulty, and proper remedy is in the design and
management of the furnace. If dust the particles are mainly fine ash particles
called FLY-ASH intermixed with some quantity of carbon ash material called cinder.
The size of the dust particles measured in microns.
Removal of smoke the smoke disposal to the atmosphere is not desirable due to the
following reasons.
(i) smoke is produced due to the incomplete combustion of coal. This will creates a
big economical loss of heating value of coal.
(ii) A smoky atmosphere is unhealthy
(iii) Smoke corrodes the metal, darken the paint and gives lower standards of
cleanliness
1. Mechanical Dust Collectors: The basics principle of mechanical dust
collectors
(i) Enlarging the dust cross sectional area to slow down the gas gives the heavier
particles a change to settle out
(ii) When a gas makes the sharp change in flow direction, The heavier particles tend
to keep going in the original direction and so settle out.
(iii) Impingement baffles have more effect on the solid particles tan the gas, helping
them to settle out.
Wet Type dust collectors Wet types called scrubbers, operate with water sprays to
wash dust from the air. Such large quantities of wash water are needed for central
station gas washing that this system is seldom used. It also produces a waste
water that may require chemical neutralization before it can be discharged into
natural bodies of water
Dry type dust collector it is commonly used for dust collector
Gravitational dust collector These dust collectors acts by slowing down gas flow so
that particles remains in the chamber long enough to settle to the bottom. They
are not very suitable because of large chamber volume needed.
2. Electrical dust collector:
Electrostatic dust collectors this type also called cottrell precipitators works effectively
on the fine flue dusts. The precipitator has two sets of electrodes, insulated from
each other, that maintain an electrostatic field between them at high voltage. The
field ionizes dust particles that pass through it, attracting them to the electrode of
opposite charge. The high voltage potential maintain a negative potential difference
of 30000 to 60000 volts with the collecting electrodes grounded.
A wet type of this unit removes dust by a water film flowing down on the inner side of
the collecting electrode.
Advantages: (i) Can effectively remove very small particles like smoke, moist and flyash
(ii) Easy operation
(iii) The draught loss is quit less (1 cm of water)
(iv) Most effective for high dust loaded gas
(v) as compared to other separators its maintain charges are minimum
(vi) the dust is collected in dry form and can be removed either dry or wet.
Efficiency Of Dust Collector: or collection efficiency of a dust separators is the amount of
dust removed per unit weight of the dust. Though dust collectors removes
contaminants, they increase draught losses and hence the fan power.
Chimney Draught
The small pressure difference which causes a flow of gas to take place is termed as a
draught. The function of the boiler is to force air to the fire and to carry away the
gaseous products of combustion. In boiler furnace proper combustion take place
only when sufficient quantity of air is supplied to the burning fuel.
The draught may classified as
i. Natural Draught or Chimney draught
ii. Artificial Draught
a) Steam Jet: Induced and forced
b) Mechanical: Induced, Balanced and forced
Natural Draught: Natural draught is obtained by use of chimney. The chimney in a
boiler boiler installation performs one or more of the following functions
i) It produced the draught whereby the air and gas are forced through the fuel
bed, furnace, boiler passes and setting
ii) it Carries the products of combustion to such a height before discharging them
that they will not be objectionable or injurious to surroundings.
Artificial Draught: In the boiler installation the total static draught required may varies
from 30 to 350 mm of water column.
To meet this requirement artificial draught system should be used. It may be
mechanical or steam jet draught. Draught is produced by a fan.
Forced Draught : In a forced draught system, a blower or a fan is installed near or at
the base of the boiler to force the air through the cool bed and other passages
through the furnace, flues, air preheater, economiser etc. It is a positive pressure
draught.
Induced Draught: In this system a fan or blower is located at or near the base of the
chimney. The pressure over the fuel bed is reduced below that of the atmosphere. By
creating a partial vacuum in the furnace and flues, the product of the combustion are
drawn from the main flue and they pass up the chimney. This draught is used usually
when economisers and air preheaters are incorporated in the system.
Balanced Draught: It is a combination of the forced and induced draught system . In
this system the forced draught fan overcomes the resistance in the air preheater and
chain grate stoker while the induced draught fan overcomes draught losses through
boiler, economiser, air preheater and connecting flues.
Advantages of mechanical Draught:
a) Easy control of combustion and evaporation
b) Increase in evaporation power of a boiler
c) Improvement the efficiency of the power plant
d) Reduced the chimney height
e) Prevention of smoke
f) Capability of consuming low grade fuel
Steam Jet Draught: steam jet draught is a simple and easy method of producing artificial
draught. It may be of forced or induced type depending upon where the steam jet to
produce draught is located. If the steam jet is directed into the smoke box near the stack,
the air is induced through flues, the grate and ash pit to smoke box. If the jet is located
before the grate, air is forced through the fuel bed, furnace and flues to the chimney.
Advantages of steam jet Draught:
g) Very simple and economical.
h) Occupies minimum space
i) Require very little attention
j) In forced type steam jet draught, the steam keeps the fires bars cool and prevents the
adhering of clinker to the fire bars.
k) Several classes of low grade fuels can be used with this system.
Cooling Pond and Cooling Tower:
The main function of the condenser performs the dual function of removing this
rejected energy from the plant cycle and keeping the turbine back pressure at lowest
possible level. The main condenser does this by transferring the latent heat of the
exhaust steam to water exposed to the atmosphere. This water we call circulating, or
cooling, water.
The cooling requirement in an open system is about 50 times the flow of steam to the
condenser. And in closed cooling system using cooling towers, the requirement of the
cooling tower is 5 to 8 kg/kWh. This means a 100MW station will require about 100
thousand tons of circulating water per day with the use of cooling tower. The cooling
water supply is made by the following sources
1. River or sea
2. Cooling Pond
3. Spray Ponds
4. Cooling Ponds
1. River or Sea:
When the power station situated on the bank of a river or lake or other natural source
of water, the condenser water supply can be obtained directly from there, water being
discharged to the waste or back to the source
2. Cooling Ponds:
A cooling ponds are the simplest of the device for recooling of the cooling water. It
consists of a large, shallow pool into which the hot water is allowed to come in contact
with the atmosphere air.
(i) Non directed Flow: Its cooling effect is than the directed cooling flow pond
(ii) Directed Cooling Pond: Its cooling effect is more than the non directed flow pond
as water comes in contact with air at lower temperature.
In a cooling pond no spray or other cooling device is employed thus keeping the
operating expenses quite low. The cooling pond is suitable where sufficient supply of
circulating water is not available.
3. Spray cooling Ponds:
In case the amount of cooling water to be cooled is very large, as in the case of big
power plants, the cooling ponds will have to be made very large thus making it
prohibitive. For large power plants therefore, spray ponds should be used. The depth
of the cooling pond should be around one meter.
In this system warm water received from the condenser is sprayed through the nozzles
over a pond of large area and cooling effect is mainly due to evaporation from the
surface of water. In this system sufficient amount of water is lost by evaporation and
windage.
• Disadvantages of cooling and Spray Ponds:
1. Large area required for cooling
2. High spray losses
3. No control of temperature of cooled water
4. Low cooling efficiency
4. Cooling Towers:
In a cooling tower water is made to trickle down drop by drop so that it comes in
contact with the air moving in the opposite direction. As a result of this some water is
evaporated and is taken away with air. In evaporation the heat is taken away from the
bulk of water.
Factor effecting cooling of water in a cooling tower are:
1. Temperature
2. Humidity of air
3. Velocity of Air
4. Size and height of the tower
5. Temperature of hot water
6. Accessibility of air to all parts of tower
Cooling Tower Types
7. Natural draught cooling tower
8. Mechanical draught cooling towers
1. Forced Draught
2. Induced Draught
3. Balanced draught
1. Natural draught Cooling Tower:
In this type of tower, the hot water from the condenser is pumped to the troughs and
nozzles situated near the bottom. Troughs spray the water falls in the form of droplets
into a pond situated at the bottom of the tower. The air enter the cooling tower from
air openings provided near the base, rises upward and take up the heat of falling
water. Advantages are:
1. Low operating and maintenance cost
2. Less floor area required
3. Trouble free operation
4. Tower height 125 m and diameter 100 m at
the base with capability of withstanding winds of
very high speed.
2. Mechanical Draught Cooling tower:
In these towers the draught of air for cooling is produced mechanically by means of
propeller fans. These tower are built in cells or units, the capacity depending upon the
number of cells used.
Forced draught : It is
Similar to the natural draught
Cooling tower but the slides
of the tower are closed and form
an air and water tight structure,
Except for fan opening at the base
For the inlet of the fresh air, and
The outlet at the top for the exit
Of air and vapours.
Forced draught : In these towers, the fans are placed at the top of the tower and they
draw the air in through louvers extending all around the tower at its base.
Advantages:
1. Cold water comes in contact
with the driest air and warmest
water comes in contact with the
most humid air.
2. Lower initial cost
3. Less Space required
4. This tower is capable of cooling
through a wide range.
• Comparison of Forced and Induced draught towers
Forced Draught Induced Draught
1.More efficient 1.Lower initial cost
2.No problem of fan blade erosion (dry air) 2.Less Space required
3.More safe 3.This tower is capable of cooling
4.The vibration and noise are minimum through a wide range.

Comparison of Natural and Mechanical draught towers

Mechanical draught towers Advantages:
1. These towers require a small land area and can built at most location
2. The fans give a good control over the air flow and thus the water temperature
3. Less costly to install than natural
Governing:
The purpose of governing is to maintain the speed of the turbine fairly constant with
respect to load. The steam turbine is not always operate at design load. Sometimes it is
required to operate at load different from the design load. The turbine performance will
then depend much on the particular method employed for controlling the supply of system
to the turbine so that the speed of rotation will remain constant with respect to the load.
The chief method of governing are:
(a) Throttle Governing: The object of the throttle governing is to throttle the steam so as to
reduce the steam flow whenever there is a reduction of load compared to economic or
design load, for maintaining speed and vice versa. In it a centrifugal governor actuates the
governor lever which adjust the setting of the throttle valve of the turbine. A high speed of
the turbine results in reducing the opening of the valve, while the reverse action occurs
when turbine speed is low.

(b) Nozzle Controlling governing: In this governing, the nozzles of the turbines are grouped in
two, three or more groups, and each group of the nozzles is fed with steam controlled by
valves. In it supply of the steam to the group of the nozzles is cutt off or is regulated through
regulated valves, on the basis of load on the turbine.
-In nozzle controlling there is no throttling losses (small losses in nozzle valve), wherein
throttle control there is several throttling losses.
- In nozzle control governing the larger heat drop is available, while in throttle control lesser
heat drop is available.
- This method is suitable for medium and large size turbines, whereas throttle control is
suitable for small turbines.

(c) By pass Governing: The principle of by pass governing is to by pass some extra quantity of
steam to the far down stream stages, when the load is more than economic load. In it additional
steam is delivered to the intermediate stages of the turbine direct from the main throttle valve.
Thus when load on the turbine increased, this additional steam helps to produce additional
power. In case of decrease in load, the main throttle valve come into action while the by pass
valve cut off all additional steam to the lower stages.
Gland Sealing System:
The purpose of the gland sealing system is to prevent the leakage of air from the
atmosphere into the turbine and prevent the escape of steam from turbine casing into the
atmosphere.

Set of Labyrinth packing are employed along the turbine rotor where the rotor exits the
turbine casing to maintain this pressure differential.

The Labyrinths create many little chambers causing pressure drops along the shaft. The
number of labyrinth sets depends greatly on the steam pressure possible in that area.
Labyrinth packing alone will neither stop the flow of steam from the turbine nor prevent air
flow into the turbine.

The gland sealing system provides low pressure steam to the turbine gland in the final sets
of labyrinth packing. This assists the labyrinth packing in sealing the turbine to prevent the
entrance of air into the turbine, which would reduce or destroy the vacuum in the
associated condenser. Excess pressure (excess gland seal) is removed by the gland seal
unloader.
Gland Leakage:
Gland are provided to prevent the leakages of the steam and the leakage of air through the
clearance space between the rotor and the casing. The types of gland are Labyrinth gland,
carbon ring and water sealed glands.
Labyrinth gland: This is the common type of gland used fro preventing the leakage of
steam. The practical requirement of the glands are that it should be non corrosive, able to
withstand high temperature and these should be able to destroy the acquire kinetic energy
in the previous clearance space of the maximum extent. In the diaphragm and external
glands it is usual to use a form of labyrinth packing shown in fig radial type of Labyrinth
packing. In this type the pressure drop is very small.
Radial Type Labyrinth Packing
Face Type Labyrinth Sealing:
In this the clearance is smaller than the radial type , also the centrifugal force tends to
resist the leakage of steam
Fuel System:
The fuel oil may be delivered at the plant site by trucks, railroad tank cars and tankers.
From truck the delivery is through the unloading facility to main storage tanks and
then by transfer pumps to small service storage tanks known as engine day tank.
Fuel Injection System:
The mechanical heart of the diesel engine is the fuel injection system. The engine can
perform no better than its fuel injection system. A very small quantity of fuel must be
measured out, injected atomized and mixed with the combustion air
Function of a fuel injection system:
1. Filter the fuel
2. Meter or measure the correct quantity of fuel to be injected.
3. Time of fuel injection
4. Control the rate of fuel injection
5. Automise or break up the fuel to fine particles
Properly distribute the fuel in combustion chamber
Types of the fuel injection systems:
The following fuel injection systems are commonly used in diesel power station:
1. Common rail injection system:
Two types of common-rail injection systems are as shown in fig.
(a) A single pump supplies high-pressure fuel to header, a relief valve holds pressure
constant. The control wedge adjust the lift of mechanical operated valve to set amount
and time of injection.
 (b) Controlled-pressure system has pump which maintains set head pressure.
Pressure relief and timing valves regulate injection time and amount. Spring loaded
spray valve acsmerely as a check.
2. Individual pump injection system:
In this system an individual pump or pump cylinder connects directly to each fuel
nozzle. Pump meters charge and control injection timing. Nozzles contain a delivery
valve actuated by the fuel-oil pressure.
3. Distributor System:
In this system, fuel is metered at a central point ; a pump pressurises, meters the fuel
and times the injection. From here, the fuel is distributed to cylinders in correct firing
order by cam operated poppet valves which open to admit fuel to the nozzles
Lubrication System
Lubrication is the admittance of oil between two surface having relative motion. The purpose of
lubrication are:
1. To reduce friction and wear between the relative moving parts.
2. To cool the surface by heat dissipation
3. To seal a space adjoining the surfaces such as piston rings and cylinder liner.
4. To clean the surface by carry away the carbon and metal particles.
5. To absorb shock between bearing and other parts
The main parts for lubrications are:
main crank shaft bearing
Big end bearings
Small end bearing
Piston rings and cylinder wall
Timing gears
Camshaft and camshaft bearing
Valve mechanism
Various lubrications system are:
1. wet sump lubrication system- Splash, semi pressure and full pressure
2. Dry sump Lubrication system