Case Study of A Condemned Boiler & Methods To Re-Establish It
Case Study of A Condemned Boiler & Methods To Re-Establish It
Case Study of A Condemned Boiler & Methods To Re-Establish It
BY
ADITYA BHATTACHARJEE
Of
Bachelor of Technology
In
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
BY
ADITYA BHATTACHARJEE
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CERTIFICATE
I hereby certify that the work which is being presented in the B.Tech. Major (or Minor)
Project Report entitled “CASE STUDY OF A CONDEMNED BOILER & METHODS TO
RE-ESTABLISH IT.”, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the
Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering and submitted to the Department of
Mechanical Engineering of Budge Budge Institute of Technology, Kolkata is an authentic
record of my own work carried out during a period from January 2016 to July 2016 under
the supervision of
Prof. Debajit Banerjee
ME , Jadavpur University
Assistant Professor
Budge Budge Institute of Technology
The matter presented in this thesis has not been submitted by me for the award of any other
degree elsewhere.
Signature of Candidate
This is to certify that the above statement made by the candidate is correct to the best of my
knowledge.
Acknowledgements
I consider myself lucky to have the guidance of Mr. Debajit Banerjee, Assistant Professor,
Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Budge Budge Institute of Technology, who took
time from his busy schedule to guide me through my project constantly. I shall be ever
grateful to him and owe my sincere debt to my guide.
I expressed my warm thanks to the Director Mr. Alok Saraf ; Project Co-ordinator
Mr. Vedant Saraf ; Installation General Manager Mr. S.C.Chandra ; Mr. Natwar
Gupta ; Mr. Debabrata Das ; Mr. Anway Chakraborty for their support and
guidance at Hindustan Storage & Distribution Co. Ltd.
I would further like to thanks my co-member Mr. Argha Das who continuously
supported me throughout the project and without his presence my project would
have been incomplete.
I take the opportunity to express my heartiest reverence to my parents who have worked
very hard throughout their life to make me what I am today.
I am thankful to all who have assisted me directly or indirectly to accomplish this work.
At last but not the least, I am very grateful to the Almighty for keeping me healthy
throughout the period.
Dated:
Kolkata
Aditya
Bhattachar
jee
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CONTENTS
1. Introduction 6
2. Abstract on HSDCL 7
3. Definition of Boiler 8
4. Specification of Boiler 8-9
5. Scope of works for repairing & re-establishment of the condemned
boiler 10-17
5.1. Study of the boiler process & its accessories 10
5.2. Scope of work for boiler maintenance & repairing 13
5.3. Scope of work after renovation to start-up the boiler 17
6. Combustion Analysis 18-24
6.1. Combustion 19
6.2. Parameters that are measured in Combustion Analysis 21
6.3. Roles of the parameters 21
7. Measurement Tools 25-27
7.1. Manual Gas Measurements 25
I. Orsat Analyser
7.2. Portable Electronic Instruments 26
II. Combustion Analysis Calculator
7.3. Continuous Emission Monitors 27
8. Calculations 28-34
8.1. Excess Air
28
8.2. Carbon dioxide concentrations
28
8.3. Determining combustion efficiency 29
8.4. Temperature measurements
32
8.5. Draft measurements
32
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1. INTRODUCTION
2. ABSTRACT ON HSDCL
Product Type :
· SUPER SPIRIT
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Requirement of Boiler:
The products like CPO & RBDPO which are stored in the company have slip melting
point at about 35 degree centre grade .That means during winter seasons as the atm.
temperature falls below 35 degrees they starts solidifying and about 15-16 degrees of
atmospheric temperature the oils get solidified. Hence hot steam under pressure is used
to melt the oils. To generate the hot stream a package boiler REVOMAX PLUS is
installed in the site.
3. DEFINATION OF BOILER:
A boiler is an enclosed container that provides a mean from heat of combustion to be
transferred to the working medium (water) until it become heated or convert in steam. The
heated steam can be utilized for transferring the heat in several processes that consume
the heat of the stream and turns in work or just to heat another substance.
Model: R*D-850/164
Product Features
· Membrane design allows large tube diameter for coil enabling better steam dryness,
less frequent de-scaling, longer coil life and minimum downtime
· Unique circulation burner design prevents leakage and eliminates fire hazard
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· Ceramic wool refractory allows fast cooling of top plate and easy maintenance
Operating Range
The Revomax series incorporate a host of features that make them the first choice in
their capacity range.
Fuel cycle: Furnace Oil is used as the fuel for the boiler. The oil is initially stored in
the fuel tank which is made up of mild steel. As the fuel pump runs suction is generated
in the fuel pipeline as a result of it the fuel flows through the pipe .A fuel filter is fitted
near the fuel pump and as the fuel pass the filter the impurities get filtered and the pure
oil is transferred to the fuel pre-heater where it is electrically heated to some specific
temperature before it flows to the burner assembly.
Firing Mechanism: The fuel is pumped to the burner gun. where it is atomized to
fine droplets in presence of stream of air as it pass through the nozzle. In the gun there
is a pair of electrodes for producing the spark. So as the air-fuel mixture passes through
tip of the nozzle the electrodes produce spark and combustion take place.
Steam coil: The coil through which the water circulates and heats up to form stream
.It is made up of mild steel.
Economizer: Heat exchanger (shell tube type) to preheat the feed water before
it enters the combustion chamber by recovering the heat of flue gas.
Heat Optimizer: Preheat the water entering the economizer and optimize the
temperature of water leaving the economizer and entering the feed water pump.
Centrifugal fuel pump: It is used to pump the oil from the oil tank to
the combustion chamber.
Burner Gun: It is a heating device which burns the fuel oil. The fuel is atomized
through the nozzle under pressure and it is ignited by electric sparks generated by
2 sets of electrodes.
Oil Filter: They minimize the dirt and water that can enter into the boiler fuel
system. This not only maximizes the efficiency of your furnace but its longevity as
well.
Water Softeners: Removes the minerals calcium, magnesium and metal cations
from hard water. This is very essential to eliminate the formation of scales on the
equipment’s.
Oil Pre-heater: It is a simple electric coil heater which is insulated from outside.
It heat the incoming oil before it enters into the burner gun.
Pressure Gauges: To determine the pressure of fuel and stream at different section.
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Combustion Chamber
OIL FILTER
BURNER GUN
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TEST
EQUIPMENT OBSERVATION STATUS
PERFORMED
Damaged due to
OUTER JACKET Replaced
rusting
Ceramic
INTERMEDDIATE
insulations are To be renewed
JACKET
damaged
Checked by
SENSORS damaged Replaced with new one
electricians
Glass wool
Replaced
INSULATIONS insulations are
totally damaged
In good shape
BURNER ASSEMBLY Found ok
electrodes are ok
PRESSURE GAUGES working Found ok
Tested by
Anion and cation
specialized Replaced
WATER SOFTNERS exchanger are
technicians
damaged
PROCEDURE:
· They used overhead chain pulley to lift up the bulgy components like economizer
coil, inner and outer jackets.
OBJECTIVE: It is the final check of mechanical integrity of the whole system and
should be followed religiously as after this activity the piping system has to be
commissioned.
· Pressure gauges should be fitted at both low and high point when testing large
volume systems.
· The system shall be filled from the lowest available point; all vents and high
point connections shall be open during this operation to allow the air in the
system to vent off.
· After the system has been completely vented all vents and drains should
be plugged or blinded. Verify that Valves are in place and open/closed as
required.
· Maintain pressure for 10 minutes and then gradually increase pressure in steps
of one tenth of the test pressure until the test pressure is attained. The
recommended practice of a QC inspector is to walk through the whole piping
system and check for leaks. Every single length of piping, welds, bolted
connections shall be visually examined for any leakage. Duration of this activity
varies with the span of piping system. For larger piping system time taken for
this activity is enough to clear the hydrostatic test. In case of piping system
having smaller span, 1 hour time may be made as standard practice.
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PROCESS:
· Pressure gauges and temperature recorder were installed at the inlet and
outlet of the pipelines.
· The operation was commenced at 1.5 times higher than the design pressure
of the system.
RESULT:
Pressure drop, temperature drop & several leakages were found. Therefore hence
total insulation has to be replaced & the pipeline has to be repaired by arc welding.
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2. BOILER TUNE-UP
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6. COMBUSTION ANALYSIS
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6. COMBUSTION ANALYSIS
6.1 COMBUSTION: Combustion occurs when fossil fuels, such as natural gas, fuel oil,
coal or gasoline, react with oxygen in the air to produce heat. The heat from burning fossil
fuels is used for industrial processes, environmental heating or to expand gases in a cylinder
and push a piston. Boilers, furnaces and engines are important users of fossil fuels.
Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons, meaning they are composed primarily of carbon and
hydrogen. When fossil fuels are burned, carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) are the
principle chemical products, formed from the reactants carbon and hydrogen in the fuel and
oxygen (O2) in the air.
The simplest example of hydrocarbon fuel combustion is the reaction of methane (CH4), the
largest component of natural gas, with O2 in the air. When this reaction is balanced, or
stoichiometric, each molecule of methane reacts with two molecules of O2 producing one
molecule of CO2 and two molecules of H2O. When this occurs, energy is released as heat.
In actual combustion processes, other products are often formed. A typical example of an
actual combustion process is shown in Figure 1. Fuel has reacted with air to produce the
products shown on the right.
OBJECTIVE:
1. Improve Fuel Economy: The largest sources of boiler heat losses are shown Figure 2.
Heat energy leaving the system exhaust flue (or stack) is often the largest single source of
lost fuel energy and is made up of the Dry Gas loss and Latent Heat Loss. Although some
flue loss is unavoidable, an equipment tune-up using combustion analysis data can often
significantly reduce this source of heat loss and save fuel costs by improving fuel efficiency.
Table 1 gives examples of yearly cost savings that can be realized by improving equipment
efficiency by five percent.
2. Reduction Emission: Carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particles are
undesirable emissions associated with burning fossil fuels. These compounds are toxic,
contribute to acid rain and smog and can ultimately cause respiratory problems. Federal and
state laws govern the permissible emission rates for these pollutants under the guidance of
the Clean Air Act and oversight of the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA ).
Combustion analysis is performed to monitor toxic and acid rain forming emissions in order
to meet these federal, state and local regulations.
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· When too little air is supplied to the burner, there is not enough oxygen to completely
form CO2 with all the carbon in the fuel. Instead, some oxygen combines with
carbon to form carbon monoxide (CO). CO is a highly toxic gas associated with
incomplete combustion and efforts must be made to minimize its formation. This
effort goes hand-in-hand with improving fuel efficiency and reducing soot
generation. This formation of CO gas is illustrated in Figure 4.
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2. TEMPERATURE:
Exhaust Gas Temperature and Supplied Combustion Air Temperature
Heat leaving the exhaust flue with the hot gases is not transferred to do useful work, such as
producing steam. This heat loss becomes a major cause of lower fuel efficiency. Because the
heat content of the exhaust gas is proportional to its temperature, the fuel efficiency drops as
the temperature increases. An example of efficiency loss due to the increase in stack gas
temperature is shown in Figure 6.
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3. DRAFT: Draft refers to the flow of gases through the heat generating equipment,
beginning with the introduction of air at the back of the burner. Once combustion occurs, the
heated gas leaves the combustion chamber, passes heat exchangers and exits the exhaust
stack. Depending upon the design of the equipment, draft is natural, meaning combustion air
is pulled in by buoyant heated gases venting up the stack, or it is mechanical, meaning air is
pushed or pulled through the system by a fan. Often, draft relies on a combination of both
natural and mechanical means. Adequate draft is typically verified by measuring the pressure
in the exhaust stack. Measurement is important since environmental influences such as
changes in barometric pressure and ambient temperature can influence the flow. Typical draft
pressures are in the range of –0.5 to 0.5 inches of water column.
4. Nitrogen Oxides (NOx): Nitrogen oxides, principally nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen
dioxide (NO2), are pollutant gases that contribute to the formation of acid rain, ozone and
smog. The NO concentration is often measured alone, and the NO2 concentration is
generally assumed to comprise an additional five percent of the total nitrogen oxides.
5. Sulfur Dioxide (SO2): Sulfur dioxide combines with water vapor in the exhaust to
form a sulfuric acid mist. Airborne sulfuric acid is a pollutant in fog, smog, acid rain and
snow, ending up in the soil and ground water. Sulfur dioxide itself is corrosive and harmful
to the environment.
Sulfur dioxide occurs when the fuel contains sulfur and where the emission levels are
directly related to the amount of sulfur in the fuel. The most cost-effective way to reduce
sulfur emissions is to select a low-sulfur or de-sulfured fuel.
7. Soot :
Soot is the black smoke commonly seen in the exhaust of diesel trucks, and is present
whenever fuel oils or solid fuels are burned. Excessive soot is undesirable because it
indicates poor combustion and is responsible for coating internal heat transfer surfaces,
preventing good thermal conductivity. Over time, serious damage to the heat exchanger can
occur.
Soot is primarily unburned carbon, and is formed for the same reasons CO is formed
insufficient combustion air, poor mixing and low flame temperature. As with CO, it is
usually impossible or impractical to entirely eliminate soot formation for some fuel types.
7. MEASUREMENT TOOLS
1. ORSAT ANALYSER:
DEFINATION: The Orsat analyzer is a gas concentration analysis tool typically used to
manually sample CO2, O2 and CO from the flue of a combustion system
OBJECTIVE: The Orsat analyzer determines the gas concentrations from a sample of gas
extracted from the flue and bubbled through solutions of reagents that selectively absorb
each gas. By measuring the decrease in gas volume over the liquid reagents, the amount of
gas absorbed is indicated.
PROCEDURE:
1. The sample of flue gas is taken and allowed to pass through the orsat analyzer.
2. Expelling excess gas.
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3. Absorption of the gas through contact with chemical by rising and lowering the leveling
bottle.
Gas then passed into KOH (potassium hydroxide) solution pipette to absorb CO2 to
form potassium carbonate by the reaction 2KOH + CO2 ↔ K2CO3+ H2O at ambient
conditions.
After confirming no change in the volume of reservoir than gas led to alkaline
pyrogallic acid containing pipette to absorb oxygen by the reaction:
2C6H3(OH)3(pyrogallol) + 2KOH(saturated alkaline)+ O2 ↔ 4H2O + 2C5H3OCOOK
and a physical color change is observed.
Finally carbon monoxide is absorbed by ammoniacal cuprous chloride pipette by the
reaction,
2CuCl + 2CO →(in NH3 solution)→ [CuCl(CO)]2
4. .Finally measuring the percentage of component by equating the water levels, repeating
RESULTS:
NOMENCLATURE:
OBJECTIVE:
To analyze combustion routinely for tune-up, maintenance & emission monitoring
PROCEDURE:
1.This instrument are extractive. The remove the sample from stack or flue by vacuum pressure
and the analyze the sample using electro chemical sensors.
A small sample of flue gas is extracted, by means of a pump, into the CEM system via a
sample probe. Facilities that combust fossil fuels often use a dilution-extractive probe to
dilute the sample with clean, dry air to a ratio typically between 50:1 to 200:1, but usually
100:1. Dilution is used because pure flue gas can be hot, wet and, with some pollutants,
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sticky. Once diluted to the appropriate ratio, the sample is transported through a sample line
(typically referred to as an umbilical) to a manifold from which individual analyzers may
extract a sample. Gas analyzers employ various techniques to accurately measure
concentrations. Some commonly used techniques include infrared and ultraviolet
adsorption, chemiluminescence , fluorescence and beta ray absorption. After analysis, the
gas exits the analyzer to a common manifold to all analyzers where it is vented out of
doors. A Data Acquisition and Handling System (DAHS) receives the signal output from
each analyzer in order to collect and record emissions data
8. CALCULATIONS:
DEFINATION: The percentage of excess air needed above the theoretical amount for
complete combustion of fuel.
creates highly toxic carbon monoxide gas and produces soot. To ensure there is enough
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oxygen to completely react with the fuel, extra combustion air is usually supplied. This
extra air, called “Excess Air,” is expressed as the percent air above the amount
theoretically needed for complete combustion. In real-world combustion, the excess air
required for gaseous fuels is typically about 15 percent. Significantly more may be
needed for liquid and solid fuels.
FORMULA:
REQUIREMENT: Carbon dioxide (CO2) forms when carbon in the fuel combines with
O2 in the combustion air. When there is just enough O2 supplied to react with the carbon in
the fuel, the CO2 concentration in the stack exhaust is at its highest level. This is generally
at or close to the ideal operating condition for the heat generating equipment. This was
shown in Figure 5.
The maximum possible CO2 exhaust concentration depends ultimately on the carbon
content of the fuel being burned.
FORMULA:
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FORMULA 1:
Moisture in the fuel is determined from lab analysis of the fuel and can be
obtained from the fuel supplier.
Lm = fraction fuel moisture x (hl – hrw)
Where: hl = enthalpy of water at exit gas temperature and
pressure hrw = enthalpy of water at fuel supply temperature
Carbon in the fuel reacts with oxygen to form CO first, then CO2, generating
a total of 14,540 Btus of heat per pound of carbon. If the reaction stops at CO
because of insufficient O2 or poor mixing of fuel and air, 10,160 Btus of
energy are lost.
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Efficiency = 100 – qA
Where: qA = flue loss
Ts = flue temperature
Ta = supply air temperature
O2 = measured volumetric oxygen concentration expressed as a percent
A2, B = fuel dependent constants
The constants A2 and B are derived from the fuel composition. In Germany, the following
values are prescribed for some common fuels:
OBJECTIVE: Measurements of the stack gas temperature and the combustion air
temperature are required to establish the heat loss from the exhaust gases and
determine combustion efficiency.
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PROCEDURE: This thermocouple probe is placed at the point of highest exhaust gas
temperature at the base of the flue and toward the center for small ducts. If the stack gas
temperature is underestimated, the operating efficiency will be overstated. When an
economizer or air heater is used, stack temperature is measured after these devices. Figure 10
shows locations for measuring both stack and combustion air temperatures.
OBJECTIVE:
Draft is a measurement to ensure the combustion gases are being properly exhausted.
MEASURING INSTRUMENT:
Draft is measured using a manometer or electronic pressure transducer.
PROCEDURE : Draft is usually measured in the same location as the stack temperature
relative to the ambient space. When a draft diverter or draft hood is in the stack, a second
measurement should be taken downstream of the device.
REQUIREMENT: Excess air is measured in the flue as a percentage of O2. This excess air
dilutes the concentration of other gases measured. The measured O2 concentration, together
with the O2 reference value is used in the equation below to obtain the corrected gas
concentration. O2 reference values of 3 and 6 percent are often used, giving a corrected gas
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FORMULA:
OBJECTIVE: The emission rate calculation presented below is described in EPA Method
19. This uses the dry gas factor Fd. Dry factors are incorporated into the values found in
Table 5 below. The table values (Ft), convert the measured concentrations of emission gases
CO, NOx, and SO2 from PPM to pounds per million Btu of fuel.
FORMULA:
Ft Furnace oil
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SO2 0.00153
NOx 0.00110
CO 0.00670
9. BOILER TUNE-UP
9. BOILER TUNE-UP
• Boiler tune up refers different aspects of improving and starting up the boiler
operations.
• The tune –up activity is the act of re-establishing the air-fuel mixture for the
operating range of boiler, oxygen and unburned fuel are balanced to provide safe and
efficient combustion
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:
PROCEDURE:
1) Preparation:
a) Clearly identify the target equipment along with the intent and goals of the tune-up.
i) Typically nitrogen oxides (NOx) and combustible material (often identified as CO) are
specifically addressed in the emission limits.
f) Identify steam production control strategy that will be used during the tune-up.
2) As-found observation:
a) Examine the combustion control components (i.e., the system controlling the air-to-
fuel ratio) and ensure it is functioning properly.
b) Examine the burner internal components and identify any defects, if applicable.
d) Measure and record the following for each operating position of the combustion
control system.
(1) Additional flue gas component analysis is required when the environmental
permit specifies limits on emission components. A common regulated
emission component is nitrogen oxides (NOx).
3) Tune-up:
The tune-up activity is the act of ensuring the burners are properly mixing the air and fuel
and of reestablishing the most appropriate amount of excess air throughout the operating
range of the boiler.
a) Tune-up each operating position of the combustion control system (from high-fire
through low-fire).
(1) Flue gas oxygen content - target will generally be the manufacturer’s
specifications.
(3) NOx content, if applicable – target will generally be the limit specified in the
environmental permit.
iii) Measure and record the following for each operating position of the combustion
control system.
4) Document tune-up.
i) As-found conditions.
10. CONCLUSION
Boiler or steam generator is an integral part of most of the core industries like power plant,
steel plant etc. As machines are always susceptible to damages, any problem related to boiler
will hampers the total process of production or service in an industry.
We are highly honoured to be part of the project which deals with immediate steps to repair,
renovate and re-establishment of small industrial package boilers. From the project we have
learned basic ideas about stream generator, its working processes, requirement in industries,
individual parts and their functions and the means to improve the efficiency of the boiler
while maintaining the environmental laws and pollution act.
The project has immensely helped us to use our theoretical knowledge and skills in practical
field while dismantling the boiler parts and analysis for any defects and needful works for
their repair.
Overall it has been a great learning experience and gain a lot of experience which we can
utilize in practical field in future.
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11. REFERENCES
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