1- ENERGY PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OF BOILERS
Performance of the boiler:
Efficiency
Evaporation ratio
Reduces with time due to:
Poor combustion
Heat transfer fouling
Poor operation and maintenance.
Purpose of the Performance Test:
To find out the efficiency of the boiler
To find out the Evaporation ratio
Performance Terms and Definitions
The boiler should be operated under steady load conditions
(generally full load).
The efficiency is expressed on the basis of gross calorific value
(GCV)
Reference Standards
BS845: 1987 British standards
ASME Standard : American Society of Mechanical Engineering Boiler
and Pressure Vessel Code
IS8753: Indian Standard for Boiler Efficiency Testing
The Direct Method Testing
1.6 Boiler Efficiency by Direct Method:
Calculation and Example
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The Indirect Method Testing
The Indirect Method Testing
Test Conditions and Precautions:
The efficiency test does not account for:
Standby losses. Occur between firing intervals (the boiler is operating
under a steady load).
Auxiliary equipment energy consumption.
Such as burners, fans, and pumps.
Test Conditions and Precautions:
Preparations and pre conditions for testing:
Burn the specified fuel(s) at the required rate.
Do the tests while the boiler is under steady load.
Obtain the charts /tables for the additional data.
Sampling and analysis of fuel and ash.
Ensure the accuracy of fuel and ash analysis.
Ensure proper operation of all instruments.
Check for any air infiltration in the combustion zone.
Planning for the testing:
The testing is to be conducted for a duration of 4 to 8 hours in a
normal production day.
Advanced planning is essential for the resource arrangement of
manpower, fuel, water and instrument check etc and the same to
be communicated to the boiler Supervisor and Production
Department.
Sufficient quantity of fuel stock and water storage required for
the test duration should be arranged so that a test is not
disrupted due to non-availability of fuel and water.
Necessary sampling point and instruments are to be made
available with working condition.
Lab Analysis should be carried out for fuel, flue gas and water
in coordination with lab personnel.
The steam table, psychometric chart, calculator are to be
arranged for computation of boiler efficiency.
1.7 Boiler Efficiency by Indirect Method:
Calculation Procedure and Formula
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Factors Affecting Boiler Performance
Periodical cleaning of boilers
Periodical soot blowing
Proper water treatment program
Excess air control
Percentage loading of boiler
Steam generation pressure and temperature
Boiler insulation
Quality of fuel
Boiler Terminology
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List out the merits and demerits of direct method of boiler efficiency.
Merits
Efficiency can be evaluated.
Requires few parameters for computation
Needs few instruments for monitoring
Demerits
Does not give clues to the operator as to why efficiency of system
is lower.
Does not calculate various losses.
Evaporation ratio and efficiency may mislead, if the steam is highly
wet due to water carryover.
Boiler Terminology
MCR: Steam boilers rated output is also usually defined as MCR
(Maximum Continuous Rating). This is the maximum
evaporation rate that can be sustained for 24.
Boiler Rating: Boilers are specified by their capacity to hold water
and the steam generation rate.
Efficiency: In the boiler industry there are four common definitions of
efficiency:
1. Combustion efficiency
Effectiveness of the burner only (ability to completely
burn the fuel).
2. Thermal efficiency
Effectiveness of the heat transfer in a boiler.
3. Boiler efficiency
Substituted for combustion or thermal efficiency (the
measure of fuel to steam efficiency).
4. Fuel to steam efficiency
Calculated using either of the two methods:
The first method is input output method.
The second method is heat loss method.
Boiler turndown: Boiler turndown is the ratio between full boiler
output and the boiler output when operating at low fire.
Primary air: That part of the air supply to a combustion system which
the fuel first encounters.
Secondary air: The second stage of admission of air to a combustion
system, generally to complete combustion initiated by the
primary air.
Tertiary air: A third stage of admission of air to a combustion system,
the reactions of which have largely been completed by
secondary air. Tertiary air is rarely needed.
Stoichiometric: Theoretically air needed to burn completely a unit
quantity of fuel.
Balanced draught: When the pressure of the gas in a furnace is the
same as or slightly below that of the atmosphere in the
enclosure or building housing it.
Gross calorific value (GCV): The amount of heat liberated by the
complete combustion of which the water produced by
combustion of the fuel is assumed to be completely
condensed and its latent and sensible heat made available.
Net calorific value (NCV): The amount of heat generated by the
complete combustion of which the water produced by the
combustion of the fuel is assumed to remain as vapour.
Absolute pressure: Sum of the Pg and Patm.
Carbon monoxide (CO):
Blow down: Removal of some quantity of water from the boiler in
order to achieve an acceptable concentration of dissolved and
suspended solids in the boiler water.
Complete combustion: Regardless the amount of oxygen or air.
Perfect combustion: With the stoichiometric amount of air.
Saturated steam: Temperature is equal to the boiling point
corresponding to that pressure.
Wet Steam: Saturated steam which contains moisture.
Dry Steam: Either saturated or superheated steam.
Superheated Steam: Steam temperature above the boiling point.
Oxygen trim: Sensor measures flue gas oxygen and a closed loop
controller compares the actual oxygen level to the desired
oxygen level. The air (or fuel) flow is trimmed by the controller
until the oxygen level is corrected.
Heat transfer mediums: Steam, hot water and thermal oil.
Thermic Fluid: Thermic Fluid is used as a heat transfer mechanism
in some industrial process and heating applications.
