BOILERS

A BOILER is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including boiler-based power generation, cooking and sanitation.

CLASSIFICATION OF BOILERS
Boilers are commonly subdivided into watertube or firetube units. These designations reflect the way the water and combustion gases are designed to pass through the unit. Boilers are sometimes classified by their heat sources. For example, boilers are often referred to as oil-fired, gas-fired and coal-fired boilers. Coal fired boilers are further divided based on the equipment used to fire the boiler, for example Pulverized Coal (PC) fired, stoker-fired and fluidized-bed combustion (FBC) boilers. Boilers are occasionally distinguished by their method of fabrication. For example, packaged boilers are assembled in a factory, mounted on a skid and transported to the site as one package ready for hookup for auxiliary piping. Now we will discuss each type in detail.

1. FIRE TUBE BOILERS

Firetube boilers consist of a series of straight tubes that are housed inside a water-filled outer shell. The tubes are arranged so that hot combustion gases flow through the tubes. As hot gases flow through the tubes, they heat the water that sorrounds the tubes. The water is confined by the outer shell of the boiler. They typically have a lower initial cost, are more fuel efficient and easier to operate, but they are limited generally to capacities of 25 tons/hr and pressures of 17.5 kg/cm2. Fire tube boilers are available for operation with oil, gas or solid fuels. For economic reasons, most fire tube boilers are nowadays of packaged construction for all fuels.

2. WATER TUBE BOILERS

Watertube boilers are designed to circulate hot combustion gases around the outside of a large number of water-filled tubes. The tubes extend between an upper header, called a steam drum,

and one or lower headers or drums. In older designs, the tubes are either straight or bent into simple shapes. Newer boilers have tubes with complex and diverse bends. Because the pressure is confined inside the tubes, these boilers can be fabricated in larger sizes and used for high-pressure applications. Most modern water boiler tube designs are within the capacity range 4.5 120 tons/hr of steam, at very high pressures. Many water tube boilers nowadays are of packaged construction if oil and /or gas are to be used as fuel. Solid fuel fired water tube designs are available but packaged designs are less common.

3. STOKER FIRED BOILERS

Stokers are classified according to the method of feeding fuel to the furnace and by the type of grate. The main classifications are:

CHAIN GRATE BOILERS

Coal is fed onto one end of a moving steel grate. As grate moves along the length of the furnace, the coal burns before dropping off at the end as ash. Some degree of skill is required, particularly when setting up the grate, air dampers and baffles, to ensure clean combustion leaving the minimum of unburnt carbon in the ash. The coal-feed hopper runs along the entire coal-feed end of the furnace. A coal gate is used to control the rate at which coal is fed into the furnace by controlling the thickness of the fuel bed. Coal must be uniform in size as large lumps will not burn out completely by the time they reach the end of the grate.

SPREADER STOKER BOILERS

Spreader stoker utilizes a combination of suspension and grate burning. The coal is continually fed into the furnace above a burning bed of coal. The coal fines are burned in suspension; the larger particles fall to the grate, where they are burned in a thin, fast-burning coal bed. This method of firing provides good flexibility to meet load fluctuations, since ignition is almost

instantaneous when firing rate is increased. Hence, the spreader stoker is favored over other types of stokers in many industrial applications.

4. PULVERIZED FUEL BOILERS

Most coal-fired power station boilers use pulverized coal, and many of the larger industrial water-tube boilers also use this pulverized fuel. The coal is ground (pulverized) to a fine powder, so that less than 2% is +300 micro meter (m) and 70-75% is below 75 microns, for a bituminous coal. It should be noted that too fine a powder is wasteful of grinding mill power. On the other hand, too coarse a powder does not burn completely in the combustion chamber and results in higher unburnt losses. The pulverized coal is blown with part of the combustion air into the boiler plant through a series of burner nozzles. Secondary and tertiary air may also be added. Combustion takes place at temperatures from 1300-1700C, depending largely on coal grade. Particle residence time in the boiler is typically 2 to 5 seconds, and the particles must be small enough for complete combustion to have taken place during this time.

5. FLUIDIZED BED COMBUSTION (FBC) BOILERS

If sand particles in a fluidized state is heated to the ignition temperatures of coal, and coal is injected continuously into the bed, the coal will burn rapidly and bed attains a uniform temperature. The fluidized bed combustion (FBC) takes place at about 840C to 950C. Since this temperature is much below the ash fusion temperature, melting of ash and associated problems are avoided. Fluidized bed combustion (FBC) has emerged as a viable alternative and has significant advantages over conventional firing system and offers multiple benefits compact boiler design, fuel flexibility, higher combustion efficiency and reduced emission of noxious pollutants such as SOx and NOx. The fuels burnt in these boilers include coal, washery rejects, rice husk, bagasse & other agricultural wastes. The fluidized bed boilers have a wide capacity range- 0.5 T/hr to over 100 tons/hr.

6. WASTE HEAT BOILERS

Wherever the waste heat is available at medium or high temperatures, a waste heat boiler can be installed economically. Wherever the steam demand is more than the steam generated during waste heat, auxiliary fuel burners are also used. If there is no direct use of steam, the steam may be let down in a steam turbine-generator set and power produced from it. It is widely used in the heat recovery from exhaust gases from gas turbines and diesel engines.

BOILER MAINTENANCE
1. General Maintenance
A well-planned maintenance program avoids unnecessary down time or costly repairs. An inspection schedule listing the procedures should be established. It is recommended that boiler room log or record be maintained, recording daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly maintenance activities. This provides a valuable guide and aids in obtaining boiler availability factor to determine shutdown frequency, economies, length of service, etc. Good housekeeping helps to maintain a professional boiler room appearance. Only trained and authorized personnel should be permitted to operate, adjust, or repair the boiler and its related equipment. The boiler room should be kept free of all material and equipment not necessary for operation for the boiler. Even though the boiler has electrical and mechanical devices that make it automatic or semiautomatic in operation, these devices require systematic and periodic maintenance. Any "automatic" features do not relieve the operator from responsibility, but rather free him from certain repetitive task, providing him with time to devote to upkeep and maintenance. Alertness in recognizing unusual noises, improper gauge readings, leaks, signs of overheating, etc., can make the operator aware of developing malfunction and initiate prompt corrective action that may prevent excessive repairs or unexpected down time. All piping connections to the system and its accessories must be maintained leak-proof because even a minor leak, if neglected, may soon become serious. If serious leaks occur shut down the boiler immediately and gradually reduce steam pressure. Do not attempt to make repairs while the boiler is under pressure.

2. Shift Maintenance
Shift maintenance should include checking the boiler water level in the gauge glass and the boiler steam pressure on the gauge. Operate the intermittent blowdown valve to remove any accumulated solids in the mud drum. The valves on the water column and gauge glass should be operated to make sure these connections are clear. Monitor water chemistry to adjust the chemical feed treatment and continuous blowdown as required, to remain within water treatment guidelines established by the Owner's water treatment consultant.

3. Daily Maintenance
Daily Maintenance should include a check of the burner operation, including fuel pressure, atomizing air or steam pressure, visual appearance, etc. Clean the observation ports during

periods of low fire or shutdown. Test the boiler level alarms and low water cutoff. Maintain a daily schedule of sootblowing.

4. Monthly Maintenance
Check the condition of the refractory for significant damage or cracking. Patch and repair the refractory as required. Frequent wash coating of refractory surfaces is recommended. Use high temperature bonding, air-dry type mortar diluted with water, to the consistency of light cream, for this purpose. This will seal small cracks and prolong the life of the refractory. Any large cracks should be cleaned out and filled with mortar. Follow the recommendations of your authorized inspector pertaining to safety valve inspection and testing. The frequency of testing, either by the use of the lifting lever or by raising the steam pressure, should be based on the recommendation of your authorized inspector. Test the boiler safety valves in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions to be absolutely sure that the valves have not corroded shut. Failure of the relief valves in an overpressure situation is DISASTROUS!

5. Annual Maintenance
Have the unit inspected and checked by a service representative from the manufacturer, if possible. Clean both the heating and heated sides of the boiler. Remove all manway and handhole covers. Open all bottom blowdown and drain valves. Hose the inside of the boiler with clean water under high pressure. Use a hand scraper to remove accumulated sludge and scale. Start near the top and work toward the bottom. After cleaning tube exteriors, inspect the tube surfaces for signs of overheating, such as bulging, blackened surfaces in the tubes, etc. Specific local conditions determine the use of "wet" or "dry" storage during shutdown periods. If you are unsure of which procedure to follow, contact the Owner's water treatment consultant or your local insurance company. Replacement of flange, manway, and handhole gaskets 1. Clean metal surfaces where cover plate bears against shell plate or ring. 2. Always use new gaskets. Apply graphite paste to gasket to prevent sticking and assure tightness. 3. Use care in centering cover plate and gasket in shell opening. Draw bolts up firmly. Yokes are designed for the positioning and holding of the covers only. Gasket sealing is accomplished by the application of internal pressure. 4. Spare gaskets should be maintained in your inventory to minimize your downtime.