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Training Manual on Energy Efficiency - APO Asian Productivity ...

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- 17 -<br />

<strong>Energy</strong> <strong>Efficiency</strong> in Boilers<br />

permissible exit flue gas temperature for avoiding chimney corrosi<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong><br />

the <strong>on</strong>e hand, and recommended limits of pre-heat temperature by burner<br />

manufacturers <strong>on</strong> the other.<br />

2.6.3 Avoid incomplete combusti<strong>on</strong><br />

Incomplete combusti<strong>on</strong> can arise from a shortage of air or sulphur of fuel or<br />

poor distributi<strong>on</strong> of fuel. It is usually obvious from the color or smoke, and<br />

must be corrected immediately. In the case of oil and gas-fired systems, CO<br />

or smoke (for oil-fired system <strong>on</strong>ly) with normal and high excess air indicates<br />

burner system problems like poor mixing of fuel air at the burner. Incomplete<br />

combusti<strong>on</strong> can result from high viscosity, worn burner tips, carb<strong>on</strong>izati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong><br />

burner tips, and deteriorati<strong>on</strong> of diffusers or spinner plates.<br />

With coal firing, unburnt carb<strong>on</strong> can escape through fly ash or bottom ash<br />

and can lead to 2% to 3% heat loss. Coal preparati<strong>on</strong>, sizing, and air supply<br />

should be looked into, in order to avoid this loss.<br />

2.6.4 Reduce scaling and soot losses<br />

In oil and coal-fired boilers, soot buildup <strong>on</strong> tubes acts as an insulator<br />

against heat transfer. Any such deposits should be removed <strong>on</strong> a regular<br />

basis. Elevated stack temperatures may indicate excessive soot buildup. The<br />

same result will also occur due to scaling <strong>on</strong> the water side. High exit gas<br />

temperatures at normal excess air indicate poor heat transfer performance.<br />

This c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong> can result from a gradual build-up of gas-side or water-side<br />

deposits. Water-side deposits require a review of water treatment procedures<br />

and tube cleaning, to remove the deposits. Incorrect water treatment, poor<br />

combusti<strong>on</strong>, and poor cleaning schedules can easily reduce overall thermal<br />

efficiency. However, the additi<strong>on</strong>al cost of maintenance and cleaning must be<br />

taken into c<strong>on</strong>siderati<strong>on</strong> when assessing savings.<br />

Every millimeter thickness of soot coating increases the stack temperature<br />

by about 55 º C. A deposit of 3mm of soot can cause an increase in fuel<br />

c<strong>on</strong>sumpti<strong>on</strong> by 2.5%. A 1mm thick scale (deposit) <strong>on</strong> the water side could<br />

increase fuel c<strong>on</strong>sumpti<strong>on</strong> by 5% to 8%.<br />

Stack temperature should be checked and recorded regularly as an<br />

indicator of soot deposits and soot removal frequencies decided by trends of<br />

temperature rise of flue gas. Fire-side (fuel additives) and water-side additives<br />

may be judiciously adopted where justified.<br />

2.6.5 Minimize radiati<strong>on</strong> and c<strong>on</strong>vecti<strong>on</strong> losses<br />

The boiler’s exposed surfaces lose heat to the surroundings depending <strong>on</strong> the<br />

surface area and the difference in temperature between the surface and the<br />

surroundings. The heat loss from the boiler shell is normally assumed as fixed<br />

energy loss, irrespective of the boiler output. With modern boiler designs, this<br />

may represent <strong>on</strong>ly 1.5% of the gross calorific value at full rating, but it will<br />

increase to around 6% if the boiler operates at <strong>on</strong>ly 25% output. Repairing or<br />

augmenting insulati<strong>on</strong> can reduce heat loss through boiler walls.

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