Exergy analysis of boiler based on the temperature
gradient
Yuan Yuan Jiang and Shao Xiang Zhou
Power Engineering Department ,
North China Electric Power University ,
Beijing , 102206, China
E-mail: jyy78622@ncepu.edu.cn
AbstractIn this paper, three temperature degrees are divided
in boiler according to the character of transfer and combustion
in the boiler. At the same time, three units are divided on the
basis of temperature gradient. The energy and exergy analysis
are on these basis. Energy and exergy efficiency are deduced
according to the energy and exergy equations of three units as
shown in fig.1. In this study, we take the temperature of hot air
at the air pre-heater for example. When the temperature
increases, the adiabatic flame temperature also increases,
resulting in the exergy loss of the first unit decreases. However,
with the increase of the adiabatic flame temperature, the exergy
loss of the second and third units will increase if the exergy of the
working fluid is invariable. General considerations, the total
exergy loss will be increased; exergy efficiency will be reduced.
Keywords- exergy analysis; boiler; temperature gradient
I. INTRODUCTION
At present, there are two traditional ways to analysis the
performance of the boiler system. One is by the exergy
balance across the boiler. The other is by calculating
separately the rate of entropy generation in each physical and
chemical process [1]. Two major exergy destructions due
irreversible combustion and heat transfer are analyzed in
traditional researches. The exergy loss of the combustion is
based on the adiabatic flame temperature. The exergy loss of
the heat transfer is calculated on the basis of two
temperatures: adiabatic flame temperature and average
endothermic temperature of cycle fluid in the heating
surfaces. Otherwise, for heat transfer, incomplete combustion,
and dissociation all result in lower temperature than the
adiabatic flame temperature. In our study, we added an
actually exothermic average temperature from flue gas to the
working fluid. Therefore, our study is based on the three
temperatures: adiabatic flame temperature, actually
exothermic average temperature, and average endothermic
temperature of cycle fluid.
Nomenclature
mcwflow rate of flue gas at the condition of adiabatic
flame temperaturekg/s
cpspecific heat capacity of flue gaskJ/kgk
T0ambient temperaturek
Tadadiabatic flame temperature, k;
q i
heat in flue gases is transferred to the working fluid
978-1-4244-4813-5/10/$25.00 2010 IEEE
Yuan Yuan Jiang and Shao Xiang Zhou
Power Engineering Department ,
North China Electric Power University ,
Beijing , 102206, China
E-mail: jyy78622@ncepu.edu.cn
through i heating surface (heating surfaces include water
cooled wall, super-heater, re-heater, economizer and so on )
kJ/kg
mgi flow rate of flue gas in i heating surface, kg/s
Ti actually exothermic average temperature from flue
gas to the working fluid in i heating surface, K
qi heat absorption of i heating surfacekJ/kg
mi flow rate of working fluid in I heating surfacekg/s
T i average endothermic temperature of cycle fluid in i
heating surface
ha enthalpy of air at the air pre-heater outletkJ/kg
m a flow rate of air at the air pre-heater outletkg/s
h g enthalpy of gas at the air pre-heater inletkJ/kg
mg flow rate of gas ate the air pre-heater inletkg/s
ea specific exergy of air at the air pre-heater outlet
kJ/kg
eg specific exergy of air at the air pre-heater outlet,
kJ/kg
I1 exergy loss of first unit, kJ/s
I2 exergy loss of second unit, kJ/s
Qss1 heat loss of third unit (including heat loss due to
radiation and convection ,heat loss due to unburned gaseous
combustibles, heat loss due to unburned solid combustibles)
kJ/s
Iss1 exergy loss of third unit (including exergy loss due
to radiation and convection , exergy loss due to unburned
gaseous combustibles, exergy loss due to unburned solid
combustibles, exergy loss of transfer heat),kJ/kg.
Iss2 exergy loss of air pre-heaterkJ/s.
Qss2 heat loss of air pre-heater, kJ/s,
Qss heat loss of total boiler, kJ/s.
II. THE DERIVATION OF THE EFFICIENCY OF BOILER
The heat exchange in the furnace is extremely complex.
Up to now, there have appeared quite a few methods for
calculating the heat transferred in the furnace [5].
In this paper, according to the character of transfer and
combustion in the furnace, three temperature degrees are
divided in furnace. The first temperature is adiabatic flame
temperature Tad. For a combustion process that takes place n n
adiabatically with no shaft work, the temperature of the qimgi qi mi = Qss1 (5)
products is referred to as the adiabatic flame temperature. This i =1 i =1
is the maximum temperature that can be achieved for given
reactants [5]. For heat transfer, incomplete combustion, and n
T0 n
T
dissociation all result in lower temperature. The second qimgi (1 ) qi mi (1 0 ) = I ss1 (6)
temperature is actually exothermic average temperature Ti . i =1
T i i =1 Ti
The third temperature is average endothermic temperature of hg mg + ha ma ha ma hg mg = Qss 2 (7)
cycle fluid in the heating surface.
According to these three temperatures, the energy
conversion of the boiler was divided into three units. In the
ea ma + mg eg ma ea I py = I ss 2 (8)
same way, three exergy losses were divided. The energy and exergy balance of flue gas and water
Exergy loss of first unit was caused as a result of were calculated according to Equation (5) and (6).
adiabatic combustion at the adiabatic combustion temperature The energy and exergy balance of flue gas and air were
Tad. calculated according to Equation (7) and (8).
Exergy loss of second unit was caused as a result of
the temperature difference of adiabatic combustion D. Heat loss and exergy loss due to exhaust gases
temperature Tad and actually exothermic average temperature
T i from flue gas to the working fluid. Heat loss and exergy loss due to exhaust gases are Qpy and Ipy
Exergy loss of third unit was caused as a result of
the temperature difference of actually exothermic temperature E. Total heat and exergy loss of boiler
T i of flue gas and actually average endothermic temperature
T i of cycle fluid. Qss=Qss1+Qss2+ Qpy
The last exergy loss was due to exhaust gases. n
0
= qF , L Bs qi mi (9)
i =1

A. Energy and exergy balance of first unit I r = I1 + I 2 + I 3 + I py

n
0
q Bs + ha ma = mcwc ptad
F ,L (1)
0
= qF , L Bs qi mi (1 T0 / T i ) (10)
i =1

T0 Total heat loss and exergy loss were calculated according

I1 = (qF0 ,LBs +eama) (qF0 ,LBs + hama)(1 ) (2) to Equation (9) and (10).
Tad
Adiabatic flame temperature can be calculated according
F. thermal efficiency and exergy efficiency of boiler
to the (1). The exergy loss of this part was calculated
according to the (2). n
B. energy and exergy balance of second unit
Qss i i q m (11)
n b = 1 0 = i =1

(qF0 , L B j + ha ma ) ad = qimgi + hg mg (3) qF , L Bs qF0 , L Bs

i =1
n
T0
T n
T0 Ir q m (1 T
i i )
I2 = ((q B +hama )(1 0 ) qm ) eg = 1
b i
0

i gi (1 (4) ex = i =1
F,L j
Tad i=1 Ti qF0 , L Bs qF0 , L Bs
n n
The energy balance and exergy loss in this part were
calculated according to the (3)and (4).
q m T S
i i 0 i
= i =1 i =1

qF0 , L Bs
C. The energy and exergy balance of third unit n n
T0 qi mi Si
This unit can be divided into two parts: flue gas transfer T0
= b i =1 i =1
= b (1 ) (12)
heat to water and air [3]. n
T
q 0
F ,L Bs qi mi
i =1

Where Si the entropy change of working fluid in I
heating surface. kJ/kgk
n
q m i i
T= i =1
n
average endothermic temperature of cycle
S
i =1
i
fluid in the boiler heating surface, k.
b exb thermal efficiency and exergy efficiency of
boiler.
III. A SAMPLE APPLICATION
A. site description[6]
Specific data was given by heat calculative analysis of
reheat pulverized coal fired boiler. The rated steam output of
this boiler is 400t/h. Outlet steam pressure is 15.6MPa. Outlet
steam temperature is 540. Feedwater temperature is 235.
Fig.1 exergy flow diagram
2) Units Analysis
According to the equation (1), the changes of any
parameter in boiler can affect not only the exergy loss of its
own unit, but can also affect exergy loss of other units.
To take the temperature of hot air for example, the
exergy loss of every unit and exergy efficiency of the system
vary with the temperature.
As shown in fig.2, when the temperature of the hot air at
the air pre-heater outlet increases, the adiabatic flame
temperature also increased, resulting in the exergy loss of the
first unit decreased.
However, with the increase of the adiabatic flame
temperature, the exergy loss of the second and third units will
B Example analysis
According to the up analysis, the energy conversion of
the boiler was divided into three units. In this way, the exergy
loss of boiler was divided into three units.
1) Exergy flow diagram
In this case, the adiabatic combustion temperature is
2184.4K.
The heating surface of this boiler is including: furnace,
front platen super-heater, rear plate super-heater, convection
super-heater, high-temperature re-heater, the first shift room,
the second shift room, outlet pipe, the third shift room, cold
re-heater, bypass economizer, boiler economizer, air-heaters.
T i Ti
increase if the exergy of the working fluid is invariable, as
shown in fig.2
General considerations, the total exergy loss will be
increased, and exergy efficiency will be reduced, as shown in
fig.3.
Therefore, changes of any parameter can affect not only
exergy loss of one unit, and will also affect other units, so it is
necessary to overall consideration.
This result provides the basis for the improvement of
boiler. If we want improve the exergy efficiency of the boiler,
when we increase the temperature of the hot air at the air
pre-heater outlet, the increase of the exergy of the working
fluid is necessary.
 [2] Kousuke Nishida, Toshimi Takagi and Shinichi Kinoshita,
Analysis of entropy generation and exergy loss during combustion,
Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, Volume 29, Issue 1, 2002,
Pages 869-874
[3] Zhu Mingshan, exergy analysis of energy system, in Beijing, Tinghua
university press, 1988, pp. 164166, 168-172.
[4] Fancongzhen, principles of boiler, China water power press,1985.
[5] Defu CHE, boilers-theory,design and operation, Xian jiaotong
university press, 2008, pp. 309-347.
[6] Zhaoxiang, Renyouzhong, course design in boiler, China water power
press, 1989.

Fig.2. Variation of exergy loss (of first unit and other units)at
different temperatures of hot air at air pre-heater outlet.

Fig.3. Variation of the total exergy losses and efficiency of

boiler at different temperatures of hot air at air pre-heater
outlet

IV. CONCLUSION

The energy conversion of boiler is simplified as three

temperature gradients. The energy and exergy analysis are on
these basis.
Energy and exergy equations are deduced on the basis of
these temperature gradients.
This paper gives us a simple way to analysis the
performance of the boiler. From the analysis of the example,
when a parameter takes change, it can affect not only exergy
loss of one unit, and will also affect other units, so it is
necessary to overall consideration.

REFERENCES

[1] S.K. Som, A.Datta, Thermodynamic irreversibilities and exergy

balance in combustion processes, Progress in Energy and Combustion
Science, Volume 34, Issue 3, June 2008, Pages 351-376.