BOILER DRAUGHT
DEFINITION
Boiler draught may be defined as the small
difference between the pressure of outside air and
that of gases within a furnace or chimney at
the grate level, which causes flow of air/hot flue
gases to take place through boiler.
The draught is necessary to force air through
the fuel bed/ grate to aid in proper combustion
of fuel and to remove the products of combustion
i.e. flue gases to the atmosphere after they
have
given their heat to water being evaporated in boiler.
Draught also provides velocity to flue gases and so
increases the heat transfer co-efficient in the boiler.
Thus draught is essentially required in a boiler and
can be produced by a number of methods.
NATURAL DRAUGHT
Natural draught is obtained naturally by the use of
a chimney.
Chimney is a conical shape vertical tubular steel or
masonry or concrete structure having a
large height.
The flue gases after transferring their heat in
the boiler are guided by chimney to a
considerable height in the atmosphere.
As chimney has a large height and is the only
outlet from boiler, it remains filled by hot flue gases.
These exhaust gases, however have given their
heat to water in the boiler, are still hotter than
the boiler room air.
Due to this, the exhaust gases are lighter in weight
than outside air and so lifts up naturally in the
chimney and finally escape out in the
atmosphere from top of the chimney.
As the flue gases lift up in the chimney, more gases
from fuel bed flow towards chimney to take
their place.
During this they first flow through the
process, boiler and job of heating of water and
do the
produce steam.
As flue gases flow through boiler and then to
chimney, fresh air from outside naturally enters
the boiler and help in burning of fuel and
production of hot flue gases.
So, in this way, a small pressure difference is
naturally created between the base of chimney and
the air inlet point of boiler because of density
difference between hot flue gases inside
the chimney and fresh colder air outside.
This pressure difference is called natural
draught,
because it is produced naturally.
ARTIFICIAL DRAUGHT
When the draught is produced by some
external agency i.e. mechanical fan/blower or by
steam jet itself, it is called artificial draught.
In modern commercial boilers, more value
of draught is required to increase the heat transfer
co- efficient and hence the thermal efficiency.
So, artificial draught is must to use to overcome the
flow resistance offered by large flue passages.
FORCED DRAUGHT
It is a positive pressure draught.
The fan is installed at the base of the boiler before
grate which forces the outside air through fuel bed,
furnace and air pre-heater and then flue gases
through flue passage, economizer etc.
The enclosure for the furnace has to be very tightly
sealed so that gases from the furnace do not leak
out in the boiler house.
INDUCED DRAUGHT
In this system a fan or blower is located at or near
the base of the chimney which creates a
partial vacuum in the furnace and flue passage.
Thus the air and flue gases are drawn through the
boiler due to comparatively higher pressure
of outside air.
It is convenient to produce induced draught and
like in forced draught, any type of fan/blower
may be used.
BALANCED DRAUGHT
It is a combination of forced and induced draught.
Forced draught fan overcomes the resistance in air
pre-heater and grate.
Induced draught fan overcomes draught losses
through boiler, economizer and connecting
flue passages etc.
Depending on the type of fuel burnt and type
of boiler, the fan or blower used may be of any type
as radial or axial etc.
ADVANTAGES OF MECHANICAL DRAUGHT
It is more economical and its control is easy.
Desired value of draught can be produced by
mechanical means which cannot be produced
by means of natural draught.
It increases the rate of combustion by which
low
grade fuel can also be used.
It reduces the smoke level and increases the heat
transfer co-efficient on flue gases side
thus increases the thermal efficiency of boiler.
It saves the energy and the heat of flue gases can
be best utilized by it.
DISADVANTAGES OF MECHANICAL
DRAUGHT
Initial costs of mechanical draught system are high.
Running cost is also high due to requirement
of electricity but that is easily compensated by
the savings in fuel consumption.
Maintenance cost is also on higher side.
Noise level of boiler is also high due to noisy
fan/blower etc.
STEAM JET DRAUGHT
It is a very simple and easy method of
producing artificial draught without the need of
an electric motor.
Steam under pressure is available in the boiler.
When a small portion of steam is passed through a
jet or nozzle, pressure energy converts to
kinetic energy and steam comes out with a high
velocity.
This high velocity steam carries, along with it,
a large mass of air or flue gases and makes it to
flow through boiler.
Steam jet is directed towards a fixed direction and
carries all its energy in kinetic form.
It creates some vacuum in its surroundings and so
attracts the air of flue gases either by carrying along
with it.
Thus it has the capacity to make flow of the
flue gases either by carrying or inducing
towards chimney.
FORCED STEAM JET DRAUGHT
Steam from the boiler after having been throttled to
a gauge pressure of 1.5 to 2 bar is supplied to the
jet or nozzles installed in ash pit.
The steam emerging out of nozzles with a
great velocity drags air along the fuel bed,
furnace, flue passage and then to the chimney.
Here steam jet is forcing the air and flue gases to
flow through boiler hence it is forced steam jet
draught.
INDUCED STEAM JET DRAUGHT
The jet of steam is diverted into smoke box or
chimney.
The kinetic head of the steam is high but
static head is low i.e. it creates a partial
vacuum which draws the air through the grate,
ash pit, flues and then to motor box and chimney.
This type of arrangement is employed in locomotive
boilers.
Here steam jet is sucking the flue gases
through boiler, so it is Induced Steam Jet Draught.
STEAM POWER PLANT
Purpose of Draught:
1. The purpose of draught is as follows- To supply require amount of
air to the furnace for the combustion of fuel.
2. To remove the gaseous of combustion.
Types of draught:
1. Natural draught.
2. Mechanical draught.
3. Steam- jet draught.
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STEAM POWER PLANT
1. Natural draught:
If only a chimney is used to create the necessary draught, the
system is called natural draught system. It is used in boiler of smaller
capacities. Natural draught is created by the difference in weight of a
column of cold eternal air and that of similar column of hot gases in
the chimney. This system is dependent upon the height of chimney
and average temperature of the gases in the chimney.
2. Mechanical draught:
If in addition to chimney a forced draught (F.D) fan or an induced
draught (I.D) fan or both are used. The system is called mechanical
draught system .In boiler of larger capacities, fans are employed to
create the necessary draught in order to reduce the height of
chimney. To obtained draught that is independent of weather
conditions and control the draught easily.
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STEAM POWER PLANT
Types of Mechanical draught:
1) Induced draught.
2) Forced draught.
3) Balance draught.
1) Induced draught:
Induced draught system shown in fig
is created by chimney and for located
in the gas passage on the chimney side
of the boiler. In this system gas
movement is achieved as result of a
vacuum. The far sucks in gas from the
boiler side and discharge it to the
chimney.
(Fig:- Induced draught.)
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STEAM POWER PLANT
2) Forced draught:
In forced draught system as
shown in fig the fan installed near
the boiler base supplies the air at
a pressure above that of
atmosphere and delivers it
through air duct to the furnace.
Most height combustion
equipment employs forced
Fig: Forced Draught System.
draught fans for supplying air to
the furnace.
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STEAM POWER PLANT
3) Balanced draught system:
Balanced draught system (shown
in fig) is a combination of induced and
forced draught system. The forced
draught fan forces the air through the
fuel bed on to the top of grate and
the induced draught fan sucks in
gases from the boiler side and
discharge then then to the chimney.
Fig: Balanced draught system.
3. Stem-jet draught:
Stem jet draught may be induced or forced draught,
depending upon the location of steam jet producing the
draught. Induced draught is used in locomotive boilers.
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ADVANTAGES
It is quite simple and cheap.
It has the capability of using low grade fuels.
It occupies very less space.
Initial cost is low.
Maintenance cost is low.
Exhaust steam from steam engine or turbine can be
used easily in Steam Jet Draught.
DISADVANTAGES
It can operate only when some steam is
generated.
Draught produced is very
low.
DRAUGHT LOSSES
Loss due to the frictional resistance offered by flue
gas passage to the flow of flue gases.
Loss due to bends in gas flow circuit, which
also offer flow resistance.
Loss due to friction head in grate,
economizer,
super heater etc.
Loss due to flow resistance offered by chimney.
Loss due to imparting some velocity to flue gases,
which is required to increase heat transfer in boiler
and also to throw away the flue gases
from chimney.
