DRAUGTH SYSTEM

AND
CHIMNEYS
 What are chimneys and why
are thy used?
Temperature Inversion is a phenomena during which temperature
increases as altitude increases.
In Normal conditions, temperature decreases as altitude increases.
Temperature inversion leads to poor convection (heat exchange) as
already warmer air is present above and leads to poor mixing of air.
Inversion layer is most common in winters. As we observe in metro cities
during winter the air quality decreases because the inversion layer traps
all the pollutants from vehicle exhaust in the atmosphere at breathable
heights.
Chimneys at power plants are designed to release the gases above the
inversion layer. The exhaust from the power plants consist of particulate
matter, various oxides of nitrogen, sulfur at very high temperature. At
higher heights wind speed will be more and disperses the pollutants
properly. If chimneys are shorter in height below the inversion layer, all
the oxides may be trapped in atmosphere resulting in health hazards to
living organisms. Wind speed, Inversion layer and landscapes play a
significant role in designing the chimney.
 FACTORS INVOLVED IN
CHIMNEY DESIGN

WEIGTH DISTRIBUTION

FLOW RATE OF FLUE

DRAUGHT OR STACKER
 WEIGHT AND FLOW RATE

Chimneys are greatly affected by weight as they have

high construction and face heavy drag from high speed
winds.
In order to counter this chimneys are designed in
taper shape with circular walls to manage weight
distribution and high speed winds respectively.
The diameter of chimney is decided by factors like
amount of heat transfer and the rate of flow of flue.
For higher flow rates larger diameter chimneys are
used but after certain limit the larger diameter results in
lower heat transfer efficiency.
To avoid this multiple chimneys are used.
 Draught system

The combustion process in a furnace can take place only when it

receives a steady flow of air and has the combustion gases
continuously removed.
The Steam Generator draft system includes air and flue gas flow.
When only a chimney (stack) is used to create the draft
necessary for steady flow of air and flue gas, the system is called
natural draft.
For large boilers the draft created by stack is too little to ensure
steady flow. For example, a 30m stack with gas at 2500C will
develop a draft of approximately 10-12 mm of water column
(WC) where as gas flow resistance of 100-120 mmWC may be
encountered. Thus it becomes essential to provide fans for
developing the draft and then the draft system is called
mechanical draft.
 Draught system
All modern large utility boilers are fired under balanced draft
condition i.e.where draft is zero. This condition is created by the
combination of forced draft and induced draft.
Forced draft represents flow of air or products f combustion at a
pressure above atmosphere. The air for combustion is carried under
forced draft conditions and the fan used for this purpose is called
Forced Draft (FD) fan.
Induced draft represents the system where air or products of
combustion are caused to flow to or through a unit by maintaining
them at a progressively increasing sub-atmospheric pressure. (This,
when, attained with a chimney is called natural draft). This is achieved
with the help of stack and fans. These fans are called Induced Draft
Fans or ID Fans.
Though theoretically balanced draft means keeping furnace pressure
equal to atmospheric pressure, in practice the furnace is kept slightly
below atmospheric pressure (-2 to -5mmWC). It ensures that there
is no egress of air or hot gas and ash into boiler house.
 Flue as out

Draft Required to
Establish Air Flow

Air in
 Natural Draft

Zref
pg dz
dp
R T (z )

pA = pref +Dp Hchimney

pg dz
ZB
pg dz
ZA

p A pref Rair Tair ( z )

pB pref
Z ref
Rgas Tgas ( z )
Z ref

Tatm Tgas

A B
 Natural Draft

Natural Draft across the furnace,

Dpnat = pA pB

The difference in pressure will drive the exhaust.

Natural draft establishes the furnace breathing by
Continuous exhalation of flue gas
Continuous inhalation of fresh air.
The amount of flow is limited by the strength of the draft.
Mechanical (Artificial)Draft : Induced Draft
Essential when Natural Draft cannot generate required amount of breathing

Hchimney

pB = pfan,s
pA = patm + ratm *g *Hchimney

Tat B
B
m
A Tgas
Mechanical (Artificial)Draft : Forced Draft

Hchimney

pB = patm + rgas *g *Hchimney

pA = pfan

Tgas
Tatm
B
A
 Mechanical (Artifical)Draft : Balanced
Draft

Hchimney

pB = pfan,s
pA = pfan.b

A Tatm B
B

Tgas
Balanced Draught System
Some special chimneys from around
the world
 419 m

GRES-2 Power Station, Khazakhistan

Solar Chimney, Manzanares, Spain