Thermal Efficiency

Improvement on UNILAG
Steam Boiler
By Dukor Kenechi Franklin
120404036, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Lagos.

Content

Purpose

UNILAG Steam Boiler as Case Study

Methods of Calculating Boiler Losses

Calculation for the losses in the boiler

Losses From Input and Output Parameter

Graph of Percentage Losses on Boiler

FAULT TREE ANALYSIS (FTA)

Corrective Actions

Purpose

Show an evaluation of the operation efficiency (Thermal) of

UNILAGS Boiler

Show various losses experience in the boiler

Show the causes of these performance degradation and its

performance analysis

Suggest corrective actions to eliminate the efficiency loss

What is Heat Transfer

Heat transfer describes the

exchange of thermal energy,
between physical systems
depending on the temperature and
pressure, by dissipating heat

UNILAG Steam Boiler as Case Study

PROPERTIES OF THE BOILER
It is a fire-tube steam boiler
It generates low pressure saturated steam
below 100psig
Hot combustion gases are produced by
burning diesel oil.

Methods of Calculating Boiler

Losses
Boiler
Efficiency
Evaluation
Methods

Direct Method

Indirect
Method

The indirect method of determining

efficiency will be used for measuring all the
losses occurring in the boilers.

This method is used because the errors in

measurement do not make significant
change in efficiency.

Calculation for the losses in the

boiler
The

indirect method for calculation losses in a boiler was used.

Indirect

method is used where the efficiency is the difference

between the losses and the energy input.

The parameter calculated to get the losses in the boiler are:

Theoretical
air
requirement

Theoretical
value of

Excess air
supplied

Actual mass
of dry flue
gas

The losses in
the boiler
(, , , , , , )

Losses From Input and Output

Parameter
So the major heat losses in
boiler occurs due to

Dry heat gas loss (7.302%),

Loss due to hydrogen in fuel
(4.55%),
Loss due to moisture in fuel
(2.39%) and
Partial combustion of C to CO
(2.32%).

Input/output Parameter
Heat Input
Losses in boiler
1. Dry flue gas,

kCal / kg of
coal
=
3320

% loss
100

242.42

7.302

2. Loss due to hydrogen in

fuel,
3. Loss due to moisture in
fuel,
4. Loss due to moisture in
air,
5. Partial combustion of C
to CO,
6. Surface heat losses,

151.06

4.55

79.34

2.39

6.407

0.193

77.02

2.32

9.96

0.3

7. Loss due to Unburnt

15.93

0.48

Graph of Percentage Losses on

Boiler
LOSS
Loss due to unburnt carbon (L7)
Surface heat losses (L6)

0.48
0.3

Partial combustion of C to CO (L5)

VARIOUS LOSSES

Loss due to moisture in air (L4)

2.32
0.19
2.39

Loss due to moisture in fuel (L3)

4.55

Loss due to hydrogen in fuel (L2)

7.3

Dry flue gass (L1)

0

%LOSS
Column2

FAULT TREE ANALYSIS (FTA)

Percentage losses were identified in boiler Fault Tree Analysis

(FTA)

The heat rate fault tree is used to identify areas in the plant
where heat rate degradation may be occurring without
conducting expensive tests.

The fault tree is structured to provide a process by which

decisions can be determined that narrow down the cause of the
problem based on available information.

FAULT TREE ANALYSIS (FTA)

CORRECTIVE
ACTIONS

Dry gas losses

Category of losses

Corrective Actions

Incorrect fuel-toair ratio

Proper O2 monitoring system

Incomplete combustion
Change in Diesel quality

Moisture losses
Change in ambient conditions

Collect
diesel
sample
and
analyze
the
diesel
quality
periodically.

Adjust the primary air

temperature at air Preheater

Conclusion
The major causes of degradation in thermal efficiency were

Dry heat gas loss (7.302%),

Loss due to hydrogen in fuel (4.55%),

Loss due to moisture in fuel (2.39%) and

Partial combustion of C to CO (2.32%)

And can be corrected following the Fault Tree

THANK YOU