SMOKESTACK/CHIMNEY 2.

Draft

1. FLUE GAS STACK

The air enters the furnace through the grate end after supporting
combustion passes over the boiler tubes to the chimney. The air enters
the system at atmospheric pressure and immediately some of this
pressure must be converted into velocity pressure or kinetic energy to
permit flow. Losses are encountered in passing through the fuel bed and
grate, the boiler tubes, dampers, and the ductwork leading from the
A flue-gas stack is a type of chimney, a vertical pipe, channel or boiler to the chimney. Although the gases will be discharged into the
similar structure through which combustion product gases called flue atmosphere, they will have a velocity leaving the chimney. Therefore,
gases are exhausted to the outside air. Flue gases are produced when the total gas pressure leaving the chimney will be higher than
coal, oil, natural gas, wood or any other fuel is combusted in an atmospheric pressure by the amount of the kinetic energy.
industrial furnace, a power plant's steam-generating boiler, or other
large combustion device. Flue gas is usually composed of carbon dioxide
(CO2) and water vapor as well as nitrogen and excess oxygen remaining
from the intake combustion air. It also contains a small percentage of
pollutants such as particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides
and sulfur oxides. The flue gas stacks are often quite tall, up to 400
meters (1300 feet) or more, so as to disperse the exhaust pollutants
over a greater area and thereby reduce the concentration of the
pollutants to the levels required by governmental environmental policy
and environmental regulation.
At times a distinction is made between chimneys and stacks,
chimneys indicating brick or concrete construction and stacks
designating steel construction. The two names will be considered The pressure differential created by the chimney is due to the
synonymous. difference between the densities of the air column and the gas column
in the chimney. Any draft created in the boiler between the air inlet and
1
the flue gas outlet will be credited to the boiler and accounted for in the
manufacturer’s estimate of draft loss through the boiler. Therefore, in
calculating chimney draft, it is customary to measure the height above
the centerline of the gas entrance to the chimney. Since pressure, in
pounds per square foot, is equal to the height of a fluid columns times
its density,
P  H a   g 
Where
P = pressure differential created by the two columns, psf
H = height of the stack above centerline of gas inlet, ft
a and g = air and gas densities, lb per cu ft
Since the pressure differential is very small, it is customary measured in
inches of water rather than in pounds per square foot. Therefore,
p 
P  t w
12
In which,
pt = theoretical pressure differential or draft, in. of water
w = density of water used for measuring, lb per cu ft
The abbreviation WG, meaning water gage, is frequently used to
indicate pressure in inches of water.
The characteristic gas equation (PV = WRT) gives us a convenient
means of calculating the air and gas densities. We can make the
assumptions that the gas constant (R) is the same for both air and gas
and that both are under a pressure very nearly approximating
atmosphere. Combining above equations, and using these assumptions,
we get
12HPa 1 1
pt    
 wR T T 
 a g 
where
2
Pa = atmospheric pressure, psf
Taand Tg = average absolute air and gas temperatures, R
More convenient units may be used, including the use of 62.4 as the
density of water in the draft gage if it is at 60 F. Then
1 1
pt  0.256BH  
T T 
 a g 
In which B is the barometric pressure in inches of Hg.
Since the gas inside the chimney is at a higher temperature than the
surrounding atmosphere, the gas will raise the chimney temperature
with a corresponding reduction in gas temperature. Also, any leaks in
the duct work or in the chimney itself will allow infiltration of cool air
and further reduce the gas temperature. Estimates of average gas
temperature are doubtful at best, but some investigations indicate that
the mean temperature may be taken as
 
tg  ta  C tg  ta
where
tg = average gas temperature, F
t’g = gas temperature leaving boiler, F
ta = air temperature, F
C = empirical constant, ranging from 0.85 to 0.95 for chimney heights
and diameters normally used for power plants.
Note that the theoretical draft from a chimney is directly
proportional to the barometric pressure and that the draft decreases as
the atmospheric temperature increases. Therefore when designing a
chimney it is advisable to use the lowest re-occurring barometric
pressure (actual barometer, not corrected to sea level) and the highest
re-occurring atmospheric temperature encountered during plant
operation. For purpose of stack design it is customary to assume that
the barometric pressure decreases 0.1 in. Hg for each one hundred-foot
 rise in elevation. Barometric pressures corrected to sea level usually Tg= absolute gas temperature, R
vary from about 29.5 to 30.2 in. Hg.

3. Stack outlet velocities 4. Stack losses due to friction

Stack outlet velocities will depend on the installation. When the
chimney is the sole draft-producing equipment, outlet velocities must
be in the range of 15 to 30 fps; otherwise, the friction losses and the
velocity head at the chimney outlet will be high. If the installation
included induced-draft fans, the primary purpose of the stack is to
disperse the gases over a huge area. Then the stack need do little more
than overcome its own friction loss. Outlet velocities of 50 to 60 fps
represent good practice and help disperse the gases. However, stack
diameter is not only a function of velocity but is also determined by the
stack structural stability. The gas-velocity pressure at the chimney outlet
Stack losses due to friction will be small (say, 5 to 10%) for a natural
draft boiler where the stack velocity is low. However, the losses in a
high-velocity stack would be much greater. Friction factors for
determining the stack loss are quoted to be from 0.02 to 0.065.
Construction materials and features will affect the loss. Unlined steel
stacks should have a lower loss than concrete-lined steel, concrete,
brick, or brick-lined chimneys. Conservative values of friction factors
that have proven satisfactory are 0.065 for all stacks except unlined
steel, where a value of 0.050 is recommended.
 Q 
2

must be included in the system losses. If there are fan in the system, fHB 
pf 
fHpv
  1000 
they will provide the velocity pressure loss for the system, but the D 0.5602 D 5Tg
chimney must supply this loss if the chimney provides all draft for the
Or
system. 2
 W 
For stack calculation. fHTg  
2
pf   100 ,000 
 Q  0.3535BD 5
B 
pv   1000  where
0.5602D 4Tg pf = stack friction loss, in. of water
Or f = dimensionless friction factor
2
 W  H = stack height above centerline of gas inlet, ft.
Tg  
pv   100 ,000 
0.3535BD 4
where 5. Solved Problems
pv= velocity pressure, in. of water 5.1 A concrete-lined steel stack is to be 90 ft high (above the centerline
B = barometric pressure, in. Hg. of the gas inlet) and is to handle 250,000 cfm of flue gas at a stack
Q = gas flow, cfm inlet temperature of 300 F. The velocity should be 53 fps. Assume a
W = gas flow, lb per hr 28.5 in. Hg. barometer and 90 F air, and find the theoretical draft,
D = stack diameter, ft the friction loss, and the velocity pressure loss at the stack outlet.

3
Given:  250 ,000 
2

H = 90 ft 28.5 
pv   1000   0.430 in. WG
Q = 250,000 cfm 0.5602 10 4 740 
Velocity = 53 fps
B = 28.5 in. Hg. fHpv
ta = 90 F pf 
D
t’g = 300 F wheref = 0.065 for lined steel stack
Required: 0.065 900.430 
Theoretical draft, pt pf   0.252 in. WG
10
Friction loss, pf
Velocity pressure loss at the stack outlet, pv Answers:
Theoretical draft, pt= 0.307 in. WG.
Solution: Friction loss, pf= 0.252 in. WG.

tg  ta  C tg  ta  Velocity pressure loss at the stack outlet, pv= 0.430 in. WG.
Assume C = 0.90
tg  90  0.90300  90   280 F 5.2 Calculate the average velocity for a lined stack that will be 140 ft
high and that will serve a boiler to be equipped with induced-draft
Ta  90  460  550 R fans. Sixty tons per hour of 12,000 Btu per lb coal will be consumed
Tg  280  460  740 R with 21% excess air. The temperature of the flue gas entering the
stack will be 275 F. The plant elevation will be 1200 ft; atmospheric
temperature should be taken as 90 F.
1 1 Given:
pt  0.256BH  
T T  H  140 ft
 a g 
Wf  60 tons hr  120 ,000 lb hr
 1 1 
pt  0.25628.590     0.307 in. WG HHV  12,000 Btu lb
 550 740 
2 e  0.21
 Q 
B  Elevation = 1200 ft
pv  
1000  t a  90 F
0.5602D 4Tg t g  275 F
Q 250 ,000 Required:
D   10 ft
 4 velocity  4 60  53 Average velocity
Solution:

4
 2
7.65HHV  W 
Wta  fHTg  
10 ,000  100 ,000 
pf 
7.6512 ,000  0.3535BD 5
Wta   9.18 lb air lb coal 2
10 ,000
0.065 140 716.5 1,452 ,960 
Waa  1  e Wta  1.219.18   11.108 lb air lb coal  100 ,000   135 ,910
pf 
W  1  Waa Wf  1  11.108 120 ,000   1,452 ,960 lb hr 0.3535 28.65D 5 D5

0.1 in. Hg pt  pv  p f
B  29.85 in. Hg  1200 ft   28.65 in. Hg
100 ft 14,935 135,910
0.4338  
tg  ta  C tg  ta  D4 D5
Ta  90  460  550 R
D  15.31 ft
C  0.90
tg  ta  C tg  ta 
2
 W 
2
 Q  Tg 
B  
pv  
1000   100 ,000 
tg  90  0.90275  90   256.5 F 
0.5602 D 4Tg 0.3535BD 4
Tg  256.5  460  716.5 R 2 2
 Q  2 W 
B2    1.584724 Tg  
 1000   100 ,000 
pt  pv  p f
1 1  Q   1,452 ,960 
pt  0.256BH   28.65   1.258858 716.5 
T T   1000   100 ,000 
 a g 
Q  457 ,427 cfm
 1 1 
pt  0.25628.65140     0.4338 in. wg. 4Q 4457 ,427 
 550 716.5  V 2   41.41 fps (answer)
D  15.312 60 
2
 W 
Tg  
pv   100 ,000 
0.3535BD 4
2
 1,452 ,960 
716.5 
pv   100 ,000  14,935

0.3535 28.65D 4 D4
f  0.065