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AirpreheaterWikipedia

Airpreheater
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Anairpreheater(APH)isageneraltermusedtodescribe
anydevicedesignedtoheatairbeforeanotherprocess(for
example,combustioninaboiler)withtheprimaryobjectiveof
increasingthethermalefficiencyoftheprocess.Theymaybe
usedaloneortoreplacearecuperativeheatsystemorto
replaceasteamcoil.
Inparticular,thisarticledescribesthecombustionair
preheatersusedinlargeboilersfoundinthermalpower
stationsproducingelectricpowerfrome.g.fossilfuels,
biomassorwaste.[1][2][3][4][5]
Thepurposeoftheairpreheateristorecovertheheatfromthe
boilerfluegaswhichincreasesthethermalefficiencyofthe
boilerbyreducingtheusefulheatlostinthefluegas.Asa
consequence,thefluegasesarealsoconveyedtothefluegas
stack(orchimney)atalowertemperature,allowingsimplified
designoftheconveyancesystemandthefluegasstack.Italso
allowscontroloverthetemperatureofgasesleavingthestack
(tomeetemissionsregulations,forexample).

Schematicdiagramoftypicalcoalfiredpowerplant
steamgeneratorhighlightingtheairpreheater
(APH)location.

Contents
1 Types
1.1 Tubulartype
1.1.1 Constructionfeatures
1.1.2 Problems
1.1.2.1 Dewpointcorrosion
1.2 Regenerativeairpreheaters
1.2.1 Rotatingplateregenerativeairpreheater
1.2.1.1 Constructionfeatures
1.2.1.2 Problems
1.2.2 Stationaryplateregenerativeairpreheater
1.3 Regenerator
2 Seealso
3 References

Types
Therearetwotypesofairpreheatersforuseinsteamgeneratorsinthermalpowerstations:Oneisatubulartype
builtintotheboilerfluegasducting,andtheotherisaregenerativeairpreheater.[1][2][6]Thesemaybearrangedso
thegasflowshorizontallyorverticallyacrosstheaxisofrotation.
Anothertypeofairpreheateristheregeneratorusedinironorglassmanufacture.
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Tubulartype
Constructionfeatures
Tubularpreheatersconsistofstraighttubebundleswhichpassthroughtheoutletductingoftheboilerandopenat
eachendoutsideoftheducting.Insidetheducting,thehotfurnacegasespassaroundthepreheatertubes,
transferringheatfromtheexhaustgastotheairinsidethepreheater.Ambientairisforcedbyafanthroughducting
atoneendofthepreheatertubesandatotherendtheheatedairfrominsideofthetubesemergesintoanothersetof
ducting,whichcarriesittotheboilerfurnaceforcombustion.
Problems
Thetubularpreheaterductingsforcoldandhotairrequiremorespaceandstructuralsupportsthanarotating
preheaterdesign.Further,duetodustladenabrasivefluegases,thetubesoutsidetheductingwearoutfasteronthe
sidefacingthegascurrent.Manyadvanceshavebeenmadetoeliminatethisproblemsuchastheuseofceramic
andhardenedsteel.
Manynewcirculatingfluidizedbed(CFB)andbubblingfluidizedbed(BFB)steamgeneratorsarecurrently
incorporatingtubularairheatersofferinganadvantagewithregardstothemovingpartsofarotarytype.
Dewpointcorrosion

Dewpointcorrosionoccursforavarietyofreasons.[7][8]Thetypeoffuelused,itssulfurcontentandmoisture
contentarecontributingfactors.However,byfarthemostsignificantcauseofdewpointcorrosionisthemetal
temperatureofthetubes.Ifthemetaltemperaturewithinthetubesdropsbelowtheacidsaturationtemperature,
usuallyatbetween190F(88C)and230F(110C),butsometimesattemperaturesashighas260F(127C),
thentheriskofdewpointcorrosiondamagebecomesconsiderable.

Regenerativeairpreheaters
Therearetwotypesofregenerativeairpreheaters:therotatingplateregenerativeairpreheaters(RAPH)andthe
stationaryplateregenerativeairpreheaters(Rothemuhle).[1][2][3][9]
Rotatingplateregenerativeairpreheater
Therotatingplatedesign(RAPH)[2]consistsofacentralrotatingplateelementinstalledwithinacasingthatis
dividedintotwo(bisectortype),three(trisectortype)orfour(quadsectortype)sectorscontainingsealsaround
theelement.Thesealsallowtheelementtorotatethroughallthesectors,butkeepgasleakagebetweensectorstoa
minimumwhileprovidingseparategasairandfluegaspathsthrougheachsector.
Trisectortypesarethemostcommoninmodernpowergenerationfacilities.[11]Inthetrisectordesign,thelargest
sector(usuallyspanningabouthalfthecrosssectionofthecasing)isconnectedtotheboilerhotgasoutlet.Thehot
exhaustgasflowsoverthecentralelement,transferringsomeofitsheattotheelement,andisthenductedawayfor
furthertreatmentindustcollectorsandotherequipmentbeforebeingexpelledfromthefluegasstack.Thesecond,
smallersector,isfedwithambientairbyafan,whichpassesovertheheatedelementasitrotatesintothesector,
andisheatedbeforebeingcarriedtotheboilerfurnaceforcombustion.Thethirdsectoristhesmallestoneandit
heatsairwhichisroutedintothepulverizersandusedtocarrythecoalairmixturetocoalboilerburners.Thus,the
totalairheatedintheRAPHprovides:heatingairtoremovethemoisturefromthepulverisedcoaldust,carrierair
fortransportingthepulverisedcoaltotheboilerburnersandtheprimaryairforcombustion.
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Therotoritselfisthemediumofheattransferinthis
system,andisusuallycomposedofsomeformofsteel
and/orceramicstructure.Itrotatesquiteslowly(around3
5RPM)toallowoptimumheattransferfirstfromthehot
exhaustgasestotheelement,thenasitrotates,fromthe
elementtothecoolerairintheothersectors.
Constructionfeatures

Inthisdesignthewholeairpreheatercasingissupported
ontheboilersupportingstructureitselfwithnecessary
expansionjointsintheducting.
Theverticalrotorissupportedonthrustbearingsatthe
lowerendandhasanoilbathlubrication,cooledbywater
circulatingincoilsinsidetheoilbath.Thisarrangementis
forcoolingthelowerendoftheshaft,asthisendofthe
verticalrotorisonthehotendoftheducting.Thetopend
oftherotorhasasimplerollerbearingtoholdtheshaftina
verticalposition.

TypicalRotatingplateRegenerativeAirPreheater(Bi
sectortype)[10]

Therotorisbuiltupontheverticalshaftwithradial
supportsandcagesforholdingthebasketsinposition.
Radialandcircumferentialsealplatesarealsoprovidedto
avoidleakagesofgasesorairbetweenthesectorsor
betweentheductandthecasingwhileinrotation.
Foronlinecleaningofthedepositsfromthebasketssteam
jetsareprovidedsuchthattheblownoutdustandashare
collectedatthebottomashhopperoftheairpreheater.This
dusthopperisconnectedforemptyingalongwiththemain
dusthoppersofthedustcollectors.
Therotoristurnedbyanairdrivenmotorandgearing,and
isrequiredtobestartedbeforestartingtheboilerandalso
PrinciplefunctionfortheFredrikLjungstrm
tobekeptinrotationforsometimeaftertheboileris
regenerativepreheater.
stopped,toavoidunevenexpansionandcontraction
resultinginwarpingorcrackingoftherotor.Thestationair
isgenerallytotallydry(dryairisrequiredfortheinstrumentation),sotheairusedtodrivetherotorisinjectedwith
oiltolubricatetheairmotor.
Safetyprotectedinspectionwindowsareprovidedforviewingthepreheater'sinternaloperationunderalloperating
conditions.
Thebasketsareinthesectorhousingsprovidedontherotorandarerenewable.Thelifeofthebasketsdependon
theashabrasivenessandcorrosivenessoftheboileroutletgases.
Problems

Theboilerfluegascontainsmanydustparticles(duetohighashcontent)notcontributingtowardscombustion,
suchassilica,whichcauseabrasivewearofthebaskets,andmayalsocontaincorrosivegasesdependingonthe
compositionofthefuel.Forexample,Indiancoalsgenerallyresultinhighlevelsofashandsilicainthefluegas.
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Thewearofthebasketsthereforeisgenerallymorethanother,cleanerburningfuels.
InthisRAPH,thedustladen,corrosiveboilergaseshavetopassbetweentheelementsofairpreheaterbaskets.
Theelementsaremadeupofzigzagcorrugatedplatespressedintoasteelbasketgivingsufficientannularspacein
betweenforthegastopassthrough.Theseplatesarecorrugatedtogivemoresurfaceareafortheheattobe
absorbedandalsotogiveittherigidityforstackingthemintothebaskets.Hencefrequentreplacementsarecalled
forandnewbasketsarealwayskeptready.Intheearlydays,Cortensteelwasbeingusedfortheelements.Today
duetotechnologicaladvancemanymanufacturersmayusetheirownpatents.Somemanufacturerssupplydifferent
materialsfortheuseoftheelementstolengthenthelifeofthebaskets.
Incertaincasestheunburntdepositsmayoccurontheairpreheaterelementscausingittocatchfireduringnormal
operationsoftheboiler,givingrisetoexplosionsinsidetheairpreheater.Sometimesmildexplosionsmaybe
detectedinthecontrolroombyvariationsintheinletandoutlettemperaturesofthecombustionair.
Stationaryplateregenerativeairpreheater
Theheatingplateelementsinthistypeofregenerativeairpreheater
arealsoinstalledinacasing,buttheheatingplateelementsare
stationaryratherthanrotating.Insteadtheairductsinthepreheater
arerotatedsoastoalternativelyexposesectionsoftheheatingplate
elementstotheupflowingcoolair.[1][2][3]
Asindicatedintheadjacentdrawing,therearerotatinginletair
ductsatthebottomofthestationaryplatessimilartotherotating
outletairductsatthetopofthestationaryplates.
Stationaryplateregenerativeairpreheatersarealsoknownas
Rothemuhlepreheaters,manufacturedforover25yearsbyBalke
DrrGmbHofRatingen,Germany.

Regenerator
Aregeneratorconsistsofabrickcheckerwork:brickslaidwith
Schematicoftypicalstationaryplate
spacesequivalenttoabrick'swidthbetweenthem,sothataircan
regenerativeairpreheater
flowrelativelyeasilythroughthecheckerwork.Theideaisthatas
hotexhaustgasesflowthroughthecheckerwork,theygiveupheat
tothebricks.Theairflowisthenreversed,sothatthehotbricksheatuptheincomingcombustionairandfuel.For
aglassmeltingfurnace,aregeneratorsitsoneithersideofthefurnace,oftenforminganintegralwhole.Forablast
furnace,theregenerators(commonlycalledCowperstoves)sitseparatetothefurnace.Afurnaceneedsnoless
thantwostoves,butmayhavethree.Oneofthestovesis'ongas',receivinghotgasesfromthefurnacetopand
heatingthecheckerworkinside,whilsttheotheris'onblast',receivingcoldairfromtheblowers,heatingitand
passingittotheblastfurnace.

Seealso
Recuperator
Economiser
Regenerativeheatexchanger
Thermalwheel

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References
1.SadikKakaHongtanLiu(2002).HeatExchangers:Selection,RatingandThermalDesign(2nded.).CRCPress.
ISBN0849309026.
2.Babcock&WilcoxCo.(2005).Steam:ItsGenerationandUse(41sted.).ISBN0963457004.
3.SadikKaka(Editor)(April1991).Boilers.EvaporatorsandCondensers.WileyInterscience.ISBN0471621706.
(SeeChapter8byZ.H.Lin)
4.BritishElectricityInternational(1991).ModernPowerStationPractice:incorporatingmodernpowersystempractice
(3rdEdition(12volumeset)ed.).Pergamon.ISBN008040510X.
5.ThomasC.ElliottKaoChenRobertSwanekamp(1997).StandardHandbookofPowerplantEngineering(2nded.).
McGrawHillProfessional.ISBN0070194351.
6.TrisectorLjungstrmAirPreheater(http://www.airpreheatercompany.com/Products/Category.aspx?cat=1&subcat=12)
7.Examplesofdewpointcorrosion(http://cmsinc.us/)
8.Moreexamplesofdewpointcorrosion(http://cmsinc.us/)
9.LawrenceDrbak,PatricaBoston,KalyaWestra,andR.BruceErickson(Editors)(1996).PowerPlantEngineering
(BlackandVeatch).Chapman&Hall.ISBN0412064014.
10.CourseSI:428A(http://yosemite.epa.gov/oaqps/EOGtrain.nsf/fabbfcfe2fc93dac85256afe00483cc4/0747540cee260442852
56db900597c4c/$FILE/SI%20428A_1.pdf)OnlinepublicationoftheU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency'sAir
PollutionTrainingInstitute,knownasAPTI(Scrolldowntopage23of28)
11.Airpreheaters:Rotatingregenerativeheatexchangers(http://bwe.dk/pdf/brochure01%20APH_06.pdf)

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