CHAPTER 3 Air train

3.0 Preheating combustion air for energy efficiency

ueIs need uIr (oxygen) In wIIcI Lo burn. n uny combusLIon
sysLem-sucI us LIe recuperuLIve Iurnuce-IueI Is burned Lo
ruIse LIe LemperuLure und muInLuIn IL uL u cerLuIn IeveI. TIe
umounL oI uIr requIred Ior combusLIon depends on LIe umounL
oI IueI LIuL Is Lo be burned. To ensure compIeLe und opLImum
combusLIon oI IueI, IL Is necessury onIy Lo provIde LIe requIred
uIr IIow uL LIe requIred pressure. I LIe uIr Ior combusLIon Is
uIreudy IoL, Iess IueI Is needed Lo IeuL up LIe Iurnuce Lo LIe
requIred LemperuLure und Ience LIe energy eIIIcIency oI LIe
combusLIon sysLem Increuses.

n LIe cuse oI LIe recuperuLIve Iurnuce, LIe key Lo IncreusIng LIe
energy eIIIcIency IIes In LIe recuperuLor. TIIs devIce Is pIuced In
LIe puLI oI LIe IIue guses us LIey IIow Irom LIe Iurnuce`s gurum
nuII Lowurds LIe cIImney (see Igure 1.6, CIupLer 1). AIr meunL
Ior combusLIon Is bIown uL umbIenL LemperuLure LIrougI u
serIes oI meLuIIIc Lubes seL wILIIn LIe recuperuLor. As IL IIows
LIrougI LIe Lubes, LIe uIr pIcks up IeuL Irom LIe IIue guses
wIIcI IIow LIrougI LIe spuce ouLsIde LIe Lubes. TIe IeuLed uIr
Is LIen senL Lo LIe gus burner seL InLo LIe crown oI LIe
recuperuLIve Iurnuce.

3.0.1 Components of air train
n prucLIce, uIr Ius Lo be pumped InLo LIe recuperuLor uL u
conLroIIed pressure und ruLe, In order Lo reguIuLe LIe IIow oI
preIeuLed uIr Irom LIe recuperuLor Lo LIe burner. TIe
LemperuLure oI LIe preIeuLed uIr reucIIng LIe burner Loo musL
noL exceed u cerLuIn IImIL, or eIse LIe burner muy be dumuged.
n order Lo meeL LIese vurIous requIremenLs, LIe uIr LruIn In LIe
recuperuLIve Iurnuce sysLem comprIses LIe IoIIowIng
componenLs
AIr bIower
AIr IIow meLer
ConLroIIIng und IsoIuLIon vuIve
Pressure guuge
RecuperuLor
TemperuLure IndIcuLor
PIpes und IILLIngs us requIred Ior InLegruLIon

A scIemuLIc dIugrum oI LIe uIr LruIn oI LIe recuperuLIve Iurnuce
sysLem Is sIown In Igure .1. DeLuIIed specIIIcuLIons Ior
22

equIpmenL used In LIe uIr LruIn ure provIded In CIupLer 8 (see
SecLIon 8.o, TubIe 8.1).

3.0.2 Recuperator
TIe TER-desIgned meLuIIIc recuperuLor Is IubrIcuLed Irom
sLuInIess sLeeI (SS). L consIsLs oI IIve moduIes, wIIcI ure
connecLed In serIes. deuIIy, uII LIe moduIes sIouId be
IubrIcuLed usIng SS-1o seumIess pIpe oI 1-IncI nomInuI bore
(NB), scIeduIe qo. However, LIIs opLIon muy prove Lo be very
cosLIy. n order Lo opLImIze IubrIcuLIon cosLs wILIouL
compromIsIng on LIe IIIe oI LIe recuperuLor, LIe IoIIowIng
opLIon muy be consIdered:
ModuIe 1 und ModuIe z cun be IubrIcuLed Irom SS-1o
ModuIe und ModuIe q cun be IubrIcuLed Irom SS-oq
ModuIe cun be IubrIcuLed Irom mIId sLeeI (MS)

TIe urrungemenL oI recuperuLor moduIes In LIe IIue puLI Is
sIown In Igure .z (u), Igure .z (b). SpecIIIcuLIons Ior LIe
recuperuLor, und LIe 'quuIILy ussurunce und quuIILy conLroI`
(QAQC) purumeLers Ior ILs IubrIcuLIon, ure eIuboruLed In
CIupLer 11 (see QuuIILy Assurunce PIun, Annexure 1).

3.0.3 Lagging with insulation
L Is ImporLunL Lo provIde beLLer InsuIuLIon (IuggIng) Lo LIe
preIeuLed uIr IIne-LIuL Is, LIe pIpe curryIng preIeuLed uIr Irom
recuperuLor Lo burner-Lo reduce LemperuLure drop. CerumIc
wooI Is generuIIy used Ior IuggIng. L Is recommended LIuL
IuggIng be provIded In LIe IoIIowIng sequence:
1. IrsL, LIe pIpe body Is covered by u Iuyer oI cerumIc wooI
wILI densILy oI 1z8 KgJm.
z. NexL, u Iuyer oI cerumIc wooI wILI densILy oI q6 KgJm Is
wrupped over LIe IIrsL Iuyer oI cerumIc wooI.
. InuIIy, uIumInum IoII cIuddIng Is done over LIe Lwo Iuyers
oI cerumIc wooI Lo uvoId dusL deposILIon, wIIcI wouId
oLIerwIse reduce LIe eIIecLIveness oI LIe IuggIng.