XII.

PULVERISED FUEL
PREPARATION EQUIPMENT
AND SYSTEMS

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 Contents
1. INTRODUCTION

2. COAL

3. FACTORS AFFECTING THE MILLING PLANT PERFORMANCE

4. PULVERISED COAL PREPARATION SYSTEMS

5. TYPES OF PULVERISERS

6. COAL FEEDER

7. OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

8. CONCLUSION

FIG. XII-1 MILL OUTPUT VARIATION WITH GRINDABILITY AND

FINENESS

FIG. XII-2 VARIATION IN MILL OUTPUT WITH TOTAL MOISTURE

CONTENT IN RAW COAL

FIG. XII-3 VARIATION IN MILL OUTPUT WITH RAW COAL SIZE

FIG.XII-4 ONE MILL CIRCUIT INDIRECT FIRING WITH DRUM

MILL

FIG. XII-5 DIRECT FIRING ARRANGEMENTS FOR BOWL MILLS

FIG. XII-6 ONE MILL CIRCUIT DIRECT FIRING WITH HAMMER

MILL

FIG. XII-7 LOW SPEED MILL - BALL MILL

FIG. XII-8 TYPICAL BALL - DRUM MILL

FIG.XII-9 BEATER MILL ARRANGEMENT

FIG. XII-10 MEDIUM SPEED BOWL MILL

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FIG. XII-11 BOWL MILL

FIG. XII-12 FEEDER -- ROTARY

FIG. XII-13 FEEDER-DRAG LINK CHAIN TYPE

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 XII. PULVERISED FUEL PREPARATION
EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEMS
1. INTRODUCTION
Most efficient way of utilizing coal for steam generation is to burn it in pulverised form.
The method of firing coal in pulverised form was developed and put into commercial use
some 70 years back which can be considered as one of the most significant engineering
achievements, in boiler technology.

Pulverised fuel firing is a method whereby the crushed coal, generally reduced to a fineness
such that 70-80% passes a 200 mesh sieve is carried forward by air through pipes directly
to burners or to storage bins, from where it is passed to burners. When discharged into
combustion chamber the mixture of air and coal ignites and burns in suspension.

The economic motives for the introduction and development of pulverised fuel firing are:

1. Efficient utilisation of cheaper low grade coals.

2. Flexibility in firing with ability to meet fluctuating loads.

3. Ability to design and build high unit capacity steam generators.

4. Better reaction to automatic control.

5. Ability to use high combustion air temperature and increasing the overall effi-
ciency of boiler.

6. High availability.

The main disadvantage is that the initial cost of equipments for preparation of pulverised
coal will be high.

2. COAL
Coal is a mixture of active combustible substances and non-combustible substances. Active
substances are carbon, hydrogen, hydro-carbon, sulphur, etc. During combustion, combustible
matter releases heat by chemical reaction. Coal is one of the most important fuel for steam
generation and electric power generation through out the world.

2.1 Coal Formation:

Plants absorb carbon-dioxide from the atmosphere and synthesize by solar heat to form
vegetable matter such as starch, cellulose, etc. During millions of years, the vegetations
which were prevented from access of air due to over-burden such as sand, sediments, dirt,
etc. were converted to carbon and hydro-carbon due to heat and pressure. This can happen
naturally under favourable conditions and perhaps the vegetation were changed to different
types of coal due to variation in the conditions existed and period of such conditions.

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2.2 Analysis of Coal:

“ Proximate analysis ” and “ ultimate analysis ” are the two different analysis that are in
general use. Proximate analysis may be defined as determination of moisture, volatile matter
and ash and calculation of fixed carbon by difference. Ultimate analysis may be defined as
determination of elements carbon, hydrogen sulphur, nitrogen and ash and the estimation of
oxygen by difference. While proximate analysis gives the information on the behaviour of coal
when it is heated, ultimate analysis provides data required for computation of air requirement,
weight of products of combustion and heat losses on boiler and in turn for fan sizing.

2.2.1 Moisture.

Coal as mined and shipped contains varying amount of moisture. Coal loses moisture on
exposure to atmosphere. For the purpose of analysis, coal sample is exposed to the atmosphere
of the laboratory to bring it in equilibrium with humidity conditions prevailing in the laboratory,
so that the sample during weighing does not lose or gain weight. Such a sample is known as air
dried coal.

Moisture in the coal is determined in two steps. First the moisture lost by drying the coal to
equilibrium condition (60% relative humidity at 400C) which is called surface moisture as it
is assumed that this part of moisture is extranious to the coal. Then the coal is dried by heating
to 108 ± 20C. The loss of weight in this step represent inherent part of moisture in the coal.
Surface moisture and inherent moisture constitute total moisture.

Surface moisture is essential for proper selection of drying and pulverising equipment. Inherent
moisture is useful in classifying the coal. Total moisture is used for boiler efficiency calculation.

2.2.2 Volatile Matter :

The volatile matter is that portion which is driven off as gas or vapour when the coal is
subjected to standardized temperature (900 ± 100C). The amount of volatiles is an index of the
behaviour of the coal on combustion, on carbonisation and on gasification. Hight volatile
coals easily ignite and burn more easily and quickly. Incomplete burning of volatile will form
smoke.

2.2.3 Ash and Mineral Matter:

Ash is the inorganic residue left after complete inceneration of coal under specified condition.
Ash predominantly contains oxides and silicon, alumina, iron, calcium and magnesium. Inorganic
part of the coal is the mineral matter. Inorganic minerals chemically change during inceneration
and suffer loss of weight. Thus the weight of ash is somewhat lower than the weight of total
mineral matter present in coal.

2.2.4 Fixed Carbon :

This is the combustible residue left after driving off the volatile matter. The fixed carbon
represents the portion of fuel that must be burned in a solid state. It is determined by difference,
that is by deducting the sum - total of moisture, ash and voladle matter from totaeightw weight
of coal.

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2.3 Classification of Coal : (Ref. IS 770)

Coals are classified into anthracite, bituminous, subbiturninous, lignite, etc. based on nature
and composition of organic matter, volatile matter, moisture, heating value, etc.

2.3.1 Anthracite :

This is a hard, compact variety of coal and pitch like in apperance. It is very difficult to ignite
and when ignited, it gives intense heat. Coal containing more than 93% carbon and not more
than 10% volatile matter on moisture, mineral matter free basis are classified in to anthracite.
This coal is used only for metallurgical purposes. Practically this coal is unknown in India.

2.3.2 Bituminous:

They are bluish black to greyish black in colour. They burn with a yellow, often smoky flame.
Bituminous variety is further classified based on volatile content and caking property. Volatile
content is more than 15% and carbon content is in the 75-92% range on moisture mineral
matter free basis.

2.3.3 Sub-Bituminous :

They are brownish black in colour. They have high moisture content. They have over 32%
volatile matter and 76-80% carbon on moisture, mineral matter free basis. High volatile
non-coking bituminous coals and sub-bituminous coals are generally used for steam generation
in India.

2.3.4 Lignites :

They are of chocolate brown colour and called as brown coal. It is probably an intermediate
stage in the formation of black coal. In the natural state as mined, moisture constitute more than
50%. On air dried sample, the moisture reduces to about 20%. Carbon content varies from 65
to 75% and volatile about 50% on moisture, mineral matter free basis. Owing to high moisture
content, disintegration on exposure to air and low heating value, it is not economical to transport
from place to place. It is used for steam generation, briqueting, etc.

2.4 Heating Value of Coal:

Number of heat unit liberated when an unit mass of fuel is burnt at constant volume in oxygen
saturated with water vapour, the original and final products being at about 250C. It is expressed
in K.cal/kg. It is also called as calorific value of fuel.

in practice, there are two heating values used, one is Higher Heating Value (HHV) and the
other is Lower Heating Value (LHV) In lower heating value, Which is also known as Net
Calorific Value (NCV), the final water in the products of combustion is taken as vapour form.
But in higher heating value, which is also known as Gross Calorific Value (GCV) the water
(other than that originally present as water vapour) being in the liquid state. In GCV it is
assumed that all the heat produced is available including heat of condensation of steam to
water at room temperature. The relation between the gross calorific value and net calorific
value is as follows :
NcV = GcV - 54H where H is the percentage of hydrogen present in the coal including hydrogen
of moisture and of water of constitution.
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 2.5 Grindability of Coal:

GrindabilRy index indicates the case with which the coal can be pulverised. There are various
methods of determining the grindabifity of coal. Two important methods are hard-grove method
and VTI method. The index is high for soft coals and low for hard coals.

2.5.1 VTI Method:

Small ball mill is used in this method. This is made of porcelain cylinder of 270 mm internal
dia and 210 mm length. 8 kg of porcelain balls of 15 mm dia are filled inside. The mill is
operated at 41 rpm. About 500grm of air dried coal of 2360-3320 micron are taken and is
ground for 15 minutes. Then the powder is taken out and screened through 90 microns sieve.

Where R90 is reminder in 90 micron sieve.

2.5.2 Hardgrove Method:

In this method ring roll mill is used, 8 nos. of 1" dia balls are provided in between two rings
and a load of 36.8 kgs is applied on it. The mill stops immediately after 60 revolutions. 50 gms
of air dried coal of 590-1190 microns are ground in this mill and sieved through 200 mesh (74
micron) sieve. Grindability index is calculate as below:

HGI = 6.93 W + 13

Where W is the portion of coal is grms passing through the 200 mesh.

2.6 Typical Analysis of Indian Coals:

Proximate analysis, GCV and hardgroove index of typical Indian Coals are furnished below
for information.

Name of coal GCV of Proximate Analysis Ash coal Grind- G.C.V. on

Sl. field/ colliery coal moisture % Ask % Volatile% ability dry mineral
No. K.cal/kg HG I matter
free nases

1. Raniganj 4900 to 5300 4- 9 10-25 30-40 40-50 8200

2. Talcher 4600 to 4900 7- 9 28-38 27-31 60-66 8100

3. Singrauli 4450 to 4800 9-10 21-24 28-29 50-65 8100

Jingruda

4. Singarem 4000 to 4400 7-10 28-42 25-35 44-60 8000

5. Neyveli 2900 to 3300 30-60 2-15 20-26 - 7900

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3. FACTORS AFFECTING THE MILLING PLANT
PERFORMANCE
Major factors mainly associated with the nature of coal handled that affect the capa. city are
:

a)Grindability of coal

b) Moisture content

c) Fineness of output required

d) Size of coal input

e) Mill wear

3.1 Coal Grindability

Hard grove index of Indian coals of bituminous type normally varies between 45 to 60. Low
volatile coals except anthracite have higher index. Lignite has high grindability index. Normally
mill rated capacity expressed in T/Hr. etc. is with reference to a particular grindability index.
If the coal used is of low grindability the mill output also reduce correspondingly. The variation
of output with grindability is shown in Fig. XII-1. This is drawn for bowl mill and small
variation according to the type of milling will be there. This graph takes into account that rated
capacity of mill expressed is for 55 grindability index (and for 70% through 200 mesh fineness).

Eventhough the mill output increases with high grindability index coal, it can be realised only
if the system is designed for it, Otherwise limitation on Primary air fan. exhauster, air coal
ratio, velocity in coal pipe etc. will limit the output.

3.2 Moisture Content:

The total moisture content of raw coal consists of inherent and free or surface moisture. Normally
drying of coal is carried out along with milling by using hot flue gas or air. System is designed
to remove completely the free moisture and part of the inherent moisture. According to the
moisture content of the coal that may be received for the Power Station, the temperature and
quantity of gas/air, fan, duct, etc are designed. Lignite normally has very high moisture content
of 30 to 50%. In power stations normally water is used as wetting agent at receipt point and in
yard to reduce both dust nuisance and spontaneous combustion. This increases the surface
moisture.

Drying ability of mill varies widely between mills. Since the drying capacity of mill reduces
with higher moisture content in coal, this will limit the output capacity of mill when high
moisture coal is used. Mill capacity variation due to moisture variation is shown in Fig. XII-2
for vertical spindle mill and tube ball mill. From this it can be clearly seen that tube ball mill
capacity reduces even when the coal moisture crosses 4% and reduces at a faster rate. This is
one of the factors that favour bowl mills for Indian coal as moisture content continuously
varies due to rain, necessity to wet the coal to reduce fire hazard, receipt from different mines
etc. For drying very high moisture content coal like lignite the milling system uses the hot gas
tapped off directly from the furnace either at the end or at bottom.
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3.3 Fineness:

Normally classifier is installed in the mill outlet circuit which will return back higher size
particles back to the mill for regrinding. Fineness of the milled product is varied by varying
the classifier setting. AS the fineness of coal changes the combustion condition and efficiency,
this has to be kept at optimum value. 70 to 75% of Product passing through 200 mesh (74
micron) is normally found suitable for most of the coals. However 80 to 85% through 200
mesh may be required for low volatile coal. Excessive fineness only wastes mill powerVariation
in mill output for different fineness is shown in Fig. XII-1 Mill output varies inversely with
fineness. Hence mill output can be increased just by reducing the fineness without any alteration
in the system but it is permissible only if combustion conditions are satisfactory in all respect.

3.4 Sizes of Raw Coal:

Larger the size of raw coal fed to mill. amount of work per unit mass is ‘Increased to get fine
coal of same fineness. Hence the mill capacity varies inversely with size of raw coal. This is
shown in Fig. XII-3 and this is only typical since this varies according to the content of fines in
the raw coal. Using smaller size raw coal feed to mill to increase the milling capacity only
shift the work load to the raw-coal precrusher. Normally optimum coal size is selected so that
total initial, operating and maintenance cost of precrusher and mill can be kept minimum. In
selecting the raw coal size the difficulties in storing and transporting such as dust nuisance and
fire hazard are also considered. Coal passing through 20mm mesh is found suitable for Indian
conditions.

3.5 Mill Wear:

Due to the grinding action and abrasive nature of coal, mill and exhausted parts wear which
depends upon the period of service, type of coal, wearing properly of the material, etc. All
wearable parts are normally designed to be easily replaceable With advancement in material
technology high wear resistant materials are used for these parts which reduces the wear and
the consequent maintenance work.

In the case of tube ball mill, the wearable balls are replaceable during operation hence mill
can be kept trim throughout the operating period. If exhauster is provided, the capacity of
which reduces on wear, may effect the capacity of milling system accordingly.

Mill output will reduce as wear increases and this is because of loss of contact sur. faces due
to excessive local wear or irregular wear pattern of the grinding surfaces. Vertical spindle
mill can deliver near full capacity till considerable wear can take place but after that the
output rapidly falls. But the fineness of milled product can be, achieved till such a rapid fall in
mill occurs.

The loss of output capacity is also considered during design stage. Normally spare capacity in
mill is kept by selecting the required operating capacity below the rated capacity of mill. As
maintenance and replacement is done on cyclic basis to facilitate maintenance work, total
reduction in mill capacity of a boiler at anytime due to wear will be minimum. Wear increases
with increase in ash content of coal.

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 3.6 Calorific Value:

Calorific value of coal does not have any bearing on the mill capacity. But calorific value is
one which dictates the quantity of coal to be milled per boiler for a particular output. Hence
variation in calorific value of coal varies the number of mills to be kept in service, loading on
each mill for the same output of the boiler.

As boiler output is proportional to the heat input to the boiler, mill output in terms of heating
value can be considered as true indication for deciding number of mills etc. But calorific
value of coal is independent of mill, and hence calorific value of coal has to be considered
separately in selecting the mills. Hard coals like anthracite which has low grindability index
will reduce the capacity of mills in terms of mass but increase in terms of heating value, hence
no additional milling capacity or reduction of boiler output is needed.

4. PULVERISED COAL PREPARATION SYSTEMS

Two main systems adopted are :

a) Indirect firing system (intermediate storage system or Bin firing system)

b) Direct firing system

4.1 Indirect Firing System (See Fig. XII-4)

This system essentially consists of raw coal bunker, raw coal feeder, the mill, external classifier,
a cyclone separator, a rotary transport valve, a pulverised fuel bunker, a pulverised fuel worm
conveyor and a mill fan along with various interconnecting pipings.

Raw coal from the bunker is transported to the mill by the raw coal feeder and after getting
pulverised in the mill it is carried to the external classifier, where the pulverised fuel is
classified with the required fineness. To act as drying and transporting medium, hot flue gases
drawn from the steam generator are utilised. The classified pulverised fuel is then separated
by means of the cyclone separators and is transported down by a rotary valve. The pulverised
fuel is then distributed by screw conveyors and is then stored in a pulverised fuel bunker, This
pulverised fuel is then tapped off by a separate primary air system to feed into the steam
generator for burning inside the furnace. For transporting the flue gas through the pulverising
system, a fan is used, which is located after the cyclone separator and thus having the whole of
the pulverising system under suction. The unseparated superfine pulverised fuel and flue gas
mixture handled by this fan, is biffurcated on the fan delivery side, one branch is recirculated
for control purpose and the remaining is fed into the boiler for burning.

4.2 Direct Firing System (See Fig. XII-5)

4.2.1 Hot Primary System:

Advantage is that the maintenance is greatly reduced. The fan is located before the pulveriser
and handles complete primary air required for drying and transporting the coal. Disadvantages
are that the fan is required to handle high temperature air resulting in high fan power. In

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addition to, this special materials are required to handle high temperature air.
Separate sealing air fans are required to seal the mill and journal bearings.

4.2.2 Cold Primary Air System:

The name implies, the primary air fan handles clean cold air either from FD fan discharge or
taking suction from atmosphere. The former system is called booster primary air fan system.
The primary air fan is located before the air heater and handles primary air required for the
mills.

The advantages are saving in fan power and maintenance. The number of primary fans can be
only 2 per boiler to supply all the air to the pulveriser and the capacity of each need not exceed
2/3 of total air requirement of pulverisers. The only disadvantage is the cost increase due to
additional duct work, and air heater.

The advantages of pressurised system is that the coal air mixture can be directed into the
boiler thus saving the maintenance of exhauster. The disadvantage is that the plant requires
careful operation and maintenance apart from the precise manufacture of various flanged joints.
Separate sealing air arrangements are required to seat the bearings, inside the mill, feeders
and various dampers.

4.2.3 Suction System :

In this system the mill operates under negative pressure. Suction being created by an exhauster
placed after the mill. The exhauster handles all the coal air mixture and forces it into the
burners. The advantage of suction system is that the plant can be maintained clean. Proper care
has to be taken in the maintenance of flanged joints. Since the mills operate under suction,
sealing of bearings in the mill base and journal shafts is not necessary. Allowable maxirnum
air temperatures can be higher than pressurised system, since the temperature of medium handled
by exhauster is constant -around 70-1000C. Common motors can be employed to drive both
mill and exhauster’ Cold air is drawn from atmosphere near the mill, thus eliminating cold air
duct.

Cold air flow is regulated by the exhauster inlet damper which should be automatically
positioned by the combustion control system to provide primary air flow to meet pulverising
system requirement for proper transport Of pulverised coal.

The disadvantage of this system is that the high speed exhauster has to handle coal air mixture
and tends to wear more as the pulveriser size increases. Smaller size mills can be adopted
with the above system.

4.2.4 Pressurised Exhauster System:

In this system the mills operate under positive pressure. With exhauster provided at the exit of
pulveriser to boost the pulverised coal into the pressurised furnace. Since the pulveriser operates
with lesser pressure than forced draft fan pressure. The sealing of mill parts can be effected by
taking cold air line from FD fan discharge.

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 4.2.5 Direct Firing System with Beater Mills; (See Fig. X11-6)

In this system raw coal from the bunker is, fed at a regulated rate to the mills through a feeder
depending on the boiler load. Air required for drying and transporting the pulverised coal
from the mill is obtained from the FD fan. Hot air is drawn through air heaters and cold air
directly from FD fan discharge. Both are mixed before enter. ing the milling circuit, in order to
achieve a constant temperature after classifier within safe limits. The drying and grinding
takes place inside the mills. The pulverised particles are being carried from the mill to the
classifier, directly mounted on the mill. The medium is directed into the burners through various
fuel pipe lines mounted at the outlet of the classifier.

This can be used for lignite also with hot combustion gas along with hot and cold air for drying
and transporting the pulverised coal.

5. TYPES OF PULVERISERS
The types of pulverisers may be conveniently classified based upon their speeds.

a) Slow speed mills: These mills, usually rotating between 15 to 25 rpm depending
upon the mill size, are called Drum mills, or Tube mills, or Ball mills, or Ball tube
mills.

b) The medium speed mills will normally be operating between 50 to 100 rpm. There
are varieties of designs in these types. These are called vertical shaft mills, or
table type pulverisers. The mills belonging to these categories are Bowl mills,
Ball and Race mills, Roller mills, etc.

c) High speed mills: These are directly coupled to the driving motor and run at 750
to 1000 rpm.

5.1 Drum Mills: (See Fig. XII-7 and 8)

5.1.1 Components -.

The essential components of a drum mill would comprise of :

a) A single component mill drum lined with armour plates.

b) Antifriction bearings on which the drum rotates.

c) Driving system consisting of motor, couplings, gear box and gear rim with pinion.

d) Fuel inlet and discharge elbows.

e) Foundation frames for drive and bearings.

f) Ball charge and

g) Lubricating equipment.

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5.1.2 Construction:

The mill drum is fabricated from thick steel plates provided with fabricated dished ends and
flanges for bolting the gear rim. The dished ends are provided with machined flanges for
accommodating mill journals which are precisely machined from steel castings and are
supported on antifriction bearings. The entire internal surface of the mill shell is covered with
cast armour plates bolted to the shell with a 10 mm thick asbestos board placed in between the
shell and the armour plates.
The internal surface of the journals are provided with steel liners consisting of a helix which
could prevent the coal or balls getting entrenched inside the journal and facilitates automatic
return of the balls to the mill drum.

The entire drum with mill journals are supported on specially designed antifriction bearings.
One of the bearings is fixed and the other is free. The fixed bearing is provided on the gear rim
side. The free bearings are designed to take axial and angular displacements occurring during
operation.

The lubricating unit for the bearing consists of an oil tank, gear pump and heat exchanger. The
bearings are cooled and lubricated by maintaining a flow of the required Oil inside the housing.
The temperature of oil is indicated by a thermometer provided. The leakage of the oil from the
bearings is prevented by the provision of sufficient labyrinth with seals.

The drive mechanism consists of a high tension motor and a reduction gear box ; the driving
shaft carrying the pinion which is supported on antifriction bearings and gear rim bolted to the
drive flange of the mill drum. Resilient grid type couplings connect the motor with the gear box
with the pinion shaft. The pinion and gear unit are enclosed in a sheet casing which serves as
an oil tank for lubricating the gear drive.

The gear box has a built-in oil cooler for cooling the oil inside. The inlet and discharge
elbows of the mill are provided with replaceable liners fabricated from steel sheets. Sealing
glands provided between rotating parts of the mill and elbows prevent any leakage from the
circuit.

The foundation frames are fabricated from thick steel sections consisting of 3 parts with
precisely machined mating surfaces bolted together. The entire frame is levelled on the pedestal
bolted to the foundation and grouted. Forged steel balls of three different sizes - 40 mm, 50 mm
and 60 mm - are used as the charge. The quantity of ball charge will be around 25% of the
volume of the mill. While operating the mill, only 60 mm balls are added depending upon the
requirements. The designation of the mill denotes the drum shell diameter and length.

5.1.3 Working:

The mill drum carrying the ball charge rotates on the antifriction bearings. Rawcoal is fed to
the drum through the inlet elbow and gets crushed to powder inside the mill drum. The ball
charge and the coal are carried to a certain height inside the drum and allowed to fall down.
Due to the impact of the balls on coal particles and due to attrition as the particles slide over
each other and also over the liners, the coal gets crushed. Hot flue gases are used for drying
and transporting the pulverised coal from the mill to the classifier. The coarser particles are
returned by the classifier for further grinding.

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5.2 Hammer Mill: (See Fig. XII-9)

5.2.1 Components:

The mill mainly consists of

i) Mill casing,

ii) Rotor assembly with beater arms fitted with beaters (hammers),

iii) Electric motor and

iv) Coupling.

5.2.2 Construction :

The entire mill in a casing and the drive motor are fixed on a common base frame. The casing
is fully lined with adequately sub-divided armours/liners from chilled castings and steel plates.
The casing is fabricated from thick steel plates with sufficient stiffening. Flanges are provided
to casing for bolting the following:

a) Classifier on top of mill

b) Mill over base frame

c) Air inlet elbows on sides.

The casing can be divided into two parts for removal of rotor assembly for maintenance
purpose.

The shaft of the rotor is from steel forging very precisely machined. The assembly is supported
on two self-aligning roller bearings. Discs which carry the arms and hammer tips are mounted
on to the shaft. The shaft is deep drilled for the circulation of cooling water. This cools the
rotor shaft which comes into contact with hot air as well as the inner race of both bearings. The
hammer tips are made from manganese steel castings in austenitic annealed condition to take
up greater wear during impact and shock. The entire assembly will be balanced accurately by
mounting hammers of same weight on opposite ends. The motor shaft and mill motor shaft are
directly coupled by grid type resilient coupling. The designation of the mill goes with the rotor
diameter and length.

5.2.3 Working:

The coal fed to the mill is crushed by the impact against the armour plates and by attrition. The
hot air supplied dries the coal in the mill and transports the coal powder to the classifier. The
coarser particles are returned by classifier for further grinding.

5.3 Bowl Mill : (See Fig. XII-10)

The bowl mill is one of the most advanced designs of coal pulveriser, presently manufactured
by BHEL.

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5.3.1 Advantages are:

a) Low power consumption

b) Reliability

c) Minimum maintenance

d) Wide capacity

e) Quiet and vibration less operation

f) Ability to handle wide range of coals.

(a) Lower Power Consumption:

Low mass of grinding elements and quick removal of ground material by flowing air assure
low power consumption.

(b) Reliability:

A pulveriser designed should be reliable in operation to meet the demand of the steam generating
units and the bowl mills are considered more reliable in this fashion.

(c) Minimum maintenance:

Frequency and length of pulveriser outages must be kept to an absolute minimum to ensure that
large blocks of generating capacity are not lost during peak load periods. There is bound to be
an associated wear of mill components during grinding. Unique grinding method and materials
of wear parts used minimise wear to greater extent. Replacement of parts involves minimum
down time because of the ease with which the equipment can be taken apart and re-assembled.

(d) Wide Capacity:

Capacities of various ranges are available from 1.7t/hr to 100t/hr.

(e) Quiet and Vibrationless Operation:

There is no metal to metal contact between the grinding elements of bowl mill. The base which
houses the mill gearing is made of sturdy multiwalled grey iron casting which is capable of
damping vibration. Combined with this, spring loaded journal rollers assure quiet and
vibrationless operation. All shafts are provided with antifriction bearings.

(f) Ability to handle Wide Range of Coals:

Bowl mill is capable of handling coal and lignite with hardgrove grindability ranging from 35
to 100, moisture ranging from 2 to 26% in coal and upto 50% in lignite and ash content from 5
to 50%. With the improved construction, the bowl mill ‘is capable of handling the hot air upto
temperature of 4400C. The pulveriser is also capable of handling and rejecting foreign mate
rials such as pyrites, stone, slates and metal objects.

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 5.3.2 Construction : (See Fig. XII-11)

The bowl mill essentially consists of a revolving bowl which is driven by a reduction gear
mechanism coupled to an electric motor. It is provided with a set of 3 grinding rollers. The
coal fed to the centre of the revolving bowl is forced between the grinding roll and the bowl
for getting pulverised. The required grinding pressure is given by means of a set of heavy duty
springs.

Hot air is sent through an air chamber provided beneath the bowl to dry and transport the
pulverised coal.

An integral classifier is mounted right on top of the mill to effect the required classification of
the pulverised fuel. Low power consumption, quiet and vibrationless operation, flexibility of
operation through wide load range, good control response for varying loads, good drying
capability, easy maintainability are some of its main advantageous features. The pulveriser is
one of the major equipments which has to meet the conditions of wear during its operation. It is
recognised, that the coals in our country normally used for ateam generator applications contain
high amount of ash, which is also highly abrasive in nature. Studies are being made continuously
to meet with this wear problem on different areas, like materials, constructional design
improvements, provision of adequate handling facilities for removal and refitting of parts,
easier accessibility etc. Among various designs of pulverisers of the medium speed family, the
bowl mill design has a specific characteristic feature in that, there is no metal contact between
the grinding elements. This is one of the features which contributes to lesser metal loss on the
grinding elements.

6. COAL FEEDER:
(See Figs. XII-12 and XII-13)

Raw coal feeders that are generally in use are rotary type or drag link chain type. These are
volumetric feeders (i.e.) constant volume of coal per revolution of the feeder. Feed is varied
steplessly by varying the speed of the feeder. For achieving this, a constant speed motor coupled
with PIV variators is found suitable. Atleast 1 :4 speed variation and maximum speed
corresponding to 125% of mill output is selected so as to give sufficient flexibility in mill load
and use of different coals. In the case oi chain feeder the coal bed thickness can be varied and
thus additional flexibility permits the use of less speed variation.
Shear keys are provided in the coal feeders so that this will fail in case of obstruction by any
foreign material coming along 64ith coal and protect the equipments from possible damages.

7. OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

The output of pulverised coal from the milling system is governed by the boiler requirements.
The milling output is directly varied with regard to the boiler demand. In case of indirect firing
system the mill output is kept at the optimum level, independent of boiler load and in order to
have a safe amount of storage in the pulverised coal bunkers.

During the normal operation of the milling system, the following two parameters are important:

1) The mill classifier outlet temperature maximum safe operating temperature from
the point of view of adequate drying and safe operation without fire or explosion.

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 2) Air or gas flow through the circuit in order to ensure adequate flow for drying and
transporting,

The salient points of operation of pulverisIng plant for a typical bowl mill system is given
below. For detailed instructions reference should be made to the 0 & M instruction supplied
for each equipment and operating plant.

7.1 Operation of Bowl Mills:

7.1.1 Start up:

On the initial start up, before feeding any material into the mill, it should be checked for the
proper direction of rotation. When looking down on the mill, the bowl rotates in clockwise
direction. Rotation may be checked by momentarily energizing the mill motor and observing
the bowl through one of the mill side doors. The rotation of the exhauster tan should be towards
the fan discharge opening.

When placing a mill in service, start the mill and bring up to speed. Start up the feeder with a
fairly high feed rate setting. After the mill begins to grind reduce the feed rate to the desired
amount.The feeder drive should be interlocked with the mill motor so that if the mill power is
interrupted, the feeder will be shut down, thereby preventing the bowl from overloading.

For best operation on coal, the mill outlet temperature should be maintained as high as possible
without exceeding the safe limits of the coal being ground.* When grinding coal with a volatile
content below 30% on an “as received” basis the mill outlet temperature should be maintained
between 750C and 800C. When grinding coal with a higher volatile content the mill outlet
temperature should be maintained between 65 and 75 deg. C. If the high volatile coal is also
higher sulphur coal the maximum safe operating temperature may be as low as 650C†.

*CAUTION:Mill outlet temperature In ex. cess of 95 deg. C could result In mill

fires.

†NOTE: If mill operating temperature should momentarily drop below 650C because of
coal high moisture content or other reasons, there is usually no cause for con-
cern, Low mill temperature in itself is not an indication of mill overload or a
drop in mill capacity. It must be accompanied by other indications such as mill
motor over. load, high differential pressure, etc.

The suction mill should be operated under suction at all times. It is recommended that a suction
gauge (connected to the pipe tap located in the mill side below the mill) be installed. The mill
suction at this point should be maintained between 12mm and 38 mm w.c. If the mill is operated
under pressure there is a possibility of blowing abrasive materials such as coal, pyrites or
stone out into the room through the air inlet in the base. If the mill suction is carried too high,
the mill air flow may be reduced to a point where it interferes with proper operation.
The gate in the tramp iron spout should not be held open to allow the discharge or mill rejects.
Excessive spillage indicates that the mill is not functioning properly. Steps should be taken to
correct the condition. Retaining abrasive materials on the mill base plate will cause excessive
wear of the scrapers, scraper guards and holders. It could also create a potential source of fire
with possible serious consequences.

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In order to obtain rated capacity on the mill it will be necessary to have sufficient hot air
entering the mill to dry the coal. Suffi~ clent spring pressure to pulverise the coal, and the
classifier deflector vanes set so as to obtain a fineness reasonably close to that for which the
mill was designed.

7.1.2 Normal Shutdown,

In order to cool the mill when shutting it down, the feeder hot air and the hot air shut off gate
should be closed. Coal feed may continue at a reduced rate until the mill outlet temperature
reaches approxima- (b) tely 45 cleg.C. Then stop the feeder and run the mill for atleast 2
minutes until it is completely empty. These steps will greatly reduce the fire hazard when the
pulveriser is out of service.
When the mill is shutdown in cold weather for any length of time, it is necessary to drain the
oil cooling coils in the gear housing. If, for any reason ice has formed in (d) the coil, a careful
examination should be made before starting up to make sure that the coil has not ruptured. This
would allow the cooling water to contaminate the gear lubricant. On out door installations,
where there is a change of freezing, a slight flow of cooling water should be maintained.

7.1.3 Emergency Shutdown:

If the fire is lost or some other conditions arise necessitating a manual emergency fuel trip, the
mill motors should be stopped immediately. The feeders will automatically trip out and the hot
air shut off gate will close. The feeder hot air valve on each mill should be closed as quickly
as possible thereafter.

7.1.4 Fire and Explosion in Mill Circuit:

Some of the common causes for fire and explosion are listed below:

a) Feeding raw coal which is already burning. Raw coal fire may be due to storing
for longer period, storing for more height etc. Fire in raw coal bunker may not be
visible because it cannot spread fast as oxygen for combustion is not freely avail-
able. But in mill with hot air availability fire will become intense.

b) Raw coal containing foreign material which may start fire from the heat evolved
from grinding or due to hot
drying medium.

c) Higher classifier outlet temperature may also be another cause. High volatile coals
are prone to catch fire easily and hence lower classifier outlet temperature is
advisable.

d) Differing from permitted operating procedure may cause different air/coal ratio,
settling of coal particle etc.
which will result in fire.

7.2 Maintenance of Bowl Mills:

Tho Bowl Mill is a rugged machine, designed and built for continuous operation over an
extended period, with but little wear to the working parts. However, iron pyrites and other

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 abrasive substances in the coal are apt to shorten the life of such parts as the rolls, grinding ri
ng, separator body liners, scrapers, bowl deflectors, exhauster blades and exhauster liners.

CAUTION - When working in a pulveriser which is connected to an operating

furnace, the valves and gates provided in the exhauster discharge
piping , the hot air duct and the cold air duct to the mill, should be
securely closed to prevent any possible furnace or duct pressure
changes from blowing hot gases into the pulveriser.

The following is a list of parts which should be checked for wear whenever the mill is open
for Inspection:-

Bull ring Air inlet vanes Cover plates

Rolls Journal Housings Scrapers
Mill Side Liners Journal Flange covers Scraper Guards
Mill Bottom Cover plates Mill sides Scraper Holder
Separator body liners Classifier bodies Exhauster blades
Bowl Deflectors Inner cones Exhauster Liners and Housings
Direction vanes Classifier vanes Fuel piping
Journal Heads Bowl Extension Ring

When reassembly of the mill has been completed, the roll journal assemblies can be adjusted
for bull ring to roll clearance and the spring pressures reset to the desired amount.

Most repair work can be accomplished by removing the journals for access to the interior of
the mill. When doing any welding on the mill, ground the welding machine to the mill.

The feed pipe, converter head and usually the exhauster intake pipe remain intact when changing
the grinding ring, liners and bowl deflectors.

The converter head cover plate can be removed to provide access to the inner cone of the
classifier. On the smaller mills it is necessary to remove the vane inside the converter head to
provide sufficient space for entering the inner cone.

7.2.1 Roll Renewal:

The roll is held to the tapered end of the lower journal housing by the roll lock nut. Remove the
alien set screws and back the nut off with a bar and a sledge hammer.
After removing the nut, suspend the journal assembly in a vertical position, with the bottom
end of the journal housing just touching the floor. Tap the roll lightly with a brass or lead
hammer to knock it off- A steel hammer may chip the chilled surface of the roll. These chips
may fly off and cause injuries to workmen. If the roll cannot be driven off as mentioned above,
heat it evenly with a torch. Raise the journal out of the old roll, clean the tapered surface of the
lower journal housing and the tapered bore of the new roll and lower it into the new roll which
should be placed on 100 x 100 mm blocks to permit the housing to pass through the roll. The
assembly can then be tipped and the roll lock nut replaced. Be sure that the nut is driven up
solidly, and the Allen set screws are securely locked.

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 7.2.2 Renewal of Grinding Ring:

The segmented grinding ring can normally be removed by working through the journal cover
openings.

First remove one or all of the journal assemblies. Unbolt and raise the bowl hub cover and
clamping ring (bowl cone) by means of jack bolts. Remove the o!d bull ring, it may be necessary
to air arc one segment lengthwise to loosen the old ring. Exercise care not to cut the bowl.
Clean all interior surfaces of the bowl.

Install the new bull ring segments in numerical sequence starting with the number one segment
and working clockwise. Use narrow wooden wedges between the bowl hub cover and the
segment inner ends to hold the segments in position.

When installing the last segment, open the gap by moving all the segments as near as possible
to the outside perimeter of the bowl. It might be necessary to insert “ Porto-Power “ type jacks
between the segments to open the gap for the last segment. It is essential that every segment
makes solid contact with the bowl or outer retaining ring. If necessary, grind off the wide end
of segment to start it into the gap.

Remove the wooden spacer blocks and install the inner retaining ring.

Replace the bowl hub cover, clamping ring and the hold down bolts. Tighten the bolts while
prying the segments outward against the bowl perimeter. Spread any remaining gap between
several segments.

8. CONCLUSION
Pulveriser and the system being the primary equipment for pulverised fuel fired boiler, it has
to be kept always in trim condition to get the full output of the boiler. Whatever may be the
pulveriser and pulverising system selected, they need careful operation and periodic inspection,
maintenance and adjustment to reap the full benefits.

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 FIG. XII-1 MILL OUTPUT VARIATION WITH
GRINDABILITY AND FINENESS

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FIG. XII-2 VARIATION IN MILL OUTPUT WITH TOTAL MOISTURE
CONTENT IN RAW COAL

FIG. XII-3 VARIATION IN MILL OUTPUT WITH RAW COAL SIZE

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 FIG.XII-4 ONE MILL CIRCUIT INDIRECT FIRING WITH
DRUM MILL

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FIG. XII-5 DIRECT FIRING ARRANGEMENTS FOR BOWL MILLS

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 FIG. XII-6 ONE MILL CIRCUIT DIRECT FIRING WITH
HAMMER MILL

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 FIG. XII-7 LOW SPEED MILL - BALL MILL

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 FIG. XII-8 TYPICAL BALL - DRUM MILL

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 FIG.XII-9 BEATER MILL ARRANGEMENT

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 FIG. XII-10 MEDIUM SPEED BOWL MILL

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 FIG. XII-11 BOWL MILL

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 FIG. XII-12 FEEDER -- ROTARY

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 FIG. XII-13 FEEDER-DRAG LINK CHAIN TYPE

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