Boiler Light Up
Boiler Light Up
Boiler Light Up
Kumar Rupesh
Date: 03-Sep-13
Contents
5. None of the breakers are in closed condition. This can be checked from
mechanical indicator available at Breaker. (What will happen if some of the
breakers are in closed condition)
6. None of the breaker relays are in operated condition (for the breakers not under
maintenance).
8. All the breakers are in racked-in and in service/ test position (conditional).
Charging Sequence:
Transformer charging –
a. Simultaneous charging of two or more transformers on same bus are not
recommended to avoid very high magnetization inrush current and hence
system upset (On what parameters of system transformer magnetization
inrush current depends).
b. The transformer should be charged on no load i.e. from primary side only.
Charging Sequence:
Transformer Magnetizing Current
Charging Sequence:
Normal Incomer charging to Bus –
a. The voltage parameter of all three phases of the bus after bus charging should
be observed. Any discrepancy should be immediately informed to EMD.
c. This way the other incomer also should be charged for Bus having two
sections.
Charging Sequence:
Incomer/ Bus Coupler Interlock checking – The interlock opening and
closing of bus coupler on failure and restoration respectively of normal incomer
should be checked for healthiness.
The loads on bus (drives and transformers) should be charged last. Here,
also simultaneous charging of transformers from same bus is not
recommended. Also, simultaneous starting of motors should not be allowed to
avoid system upset due to high starting current
(why motor starting current is so high and on what parameters it
depends)
Note: For HT drives frequent start and stop is strictly prohibited in view of
safeguarding the insulation from very high temperature rise.
The bus voltages may be maintained using tap changers available with
station transformers. (why is it intended to maintain bus voltage)
2. DG set synchronization
Once charging is complete it is always advisable to ensure availability of
DG set. The DG set is started and DG supply is synchronized with
Emergency switchgear normal supply from station source.
Interlocks, as the name itself suggests, are the set of condition for an
activity, where one activity initiates another activity to safeguard the system/
equipment/ process.
Once understood for one type of system, the same can be implemented to
various systems of same category.
Water System
Note: It is worthwhile to understand that most of the water systems shall
be governed by principle of operation of centrifugal pumps. (what are the
characteristics of centrifugal pumps)
Permissives
Source water tank level adequate - minimum flow and churning
Water System
Permissives
Bearing temperature normal – oil viscous properties and babbit damage
Protections
Source water tank level Lo-Lo - minimum flow and churning
Pump started and Discharge valve not opened (open limit switch) in specified
time – minimum flow and churning
Protections
Suction Pressure Lo-LO – NPSH and Cavitation
Interlocks
Pump started and discharge valve open command (Integral bypass valve)
Mechanical line-up
1. Close all drain valves in the system
Mechanical line-up
2. Observe that, the discharge valve and integral bypass valve follow auto
sequence.
4. Observe that auxiliary oil pump stops on auto after a time delay (if
applicable)
Protections
Practically the PD pumps do not have any protection except the electrical
motor protection which may have origin in its mechanical parameter
disturbance
Bearing temperature hi-hi
Interlocks
Stand-by Pump start on discharge header pressure lo-lo
Mechanical line-up
1. Close all drain valves in the system
Mechanical line-up
6. Open recirculation valve (if applicable)
9. System venting – system includes suction line, pump casing and discharge
line – This is done to avoid mechanical hammering. The system is provided
with number of vents, the same should be opened and kept open till oil
comes out after initial bubbling. Suction side venting is done before start-up
and discharge venting after start-up.
10. Start the pump and put other on auto stand by.
1. Start the pump and record discharge pressure and starting current.
Starting current should come down immediately after current shoot-up
(1-2 sec), if it does not shut down the pump immediately. Discharge
pressure should be adequate, if not close the pump immediately.
Air System
Note: It is worthwhile to understand that most of the air systems shall be
governed by principle of operation of radial and axial fans. They have
similar characteristics to the centrifugal pumps (what are the
characteristics of radial and axial fans)
Permissives
Suction damper/ gate open – minimum flow and churning
Air System
Permissives
Motor winding temperature normal – insulation protection
Protections
Fan started and Discharge gate not opened (open limit switch) in specified time
– minimum flow and churning
Interlocks
Fan started and discharge valve open command
Mechanical line-up
1. Open suction gate/ damper
3. Ensure all the manual/ actuated isolation gates/ dampers downstream are
opened.
2. Open vents and close when steam starts coming out of it for sufficient time.
4. Open the feed line valve slowly to avoid thermal hammering. If available, utilize
the integral bypass valve for the purpose.
Boiler Light-up
3. Auxiliary Steam Supply Charging (conditional) – If the other unit is
operational or start-up boiler is available. Otherwise, this activity is taken up
after Boiler light-up with LDO and steam source taken from MS line.
Boiler Light-up
7. Establish DMCW System – as per note – Equipment cooling water system
10. Normalize LP Dosing System – as per note – BFP suction dozing of NH 3 and
N2H4 (mechanical and chemical deaeration)
MDBFP with its auxiliaries is available and in service through HPHs bypass
valves.
Open all the vents in Boiler water circuit viz. Economiser and drum vents.
2/5/23 Footer text 42
Boiler Filling contd.
The Boiler filling rate shall be so chosen that the drum top-bottom level
difference is always <50 DegC and feed water and drum bottom metal
temperature difference is < 30 Deg C.
Open the Economiser inlet and recirculation valve.
Open low range isolation valves and close high range isolation valve. (DP
Control vs. Scoop Control)
Gradually open the low range feed control valve to start boiler filling. Ensure
condensate cycle make-up comes on auto for make-up requirement. Ensure that
level rise is observed in hydrasteps.
Close the BCW pumps’ vents when bubble free water start coming out of it.
Likewise, close the economiser header vents when bubble free water comes out.
Keep the drum vent open. Keep the steam circuit drains and vents open.
Close the low range feed control valve when drum level reaches NWL + 50-100
mm. Take proper care that water does not enter SH circuit. Use emergency drain
valve if required.
Ensure that the BCW cooling water lines are lined-up and the pump’s discharge
valves are full open.
Start the first BCW pump and ensure that its motor current, motor cavity
temperature and DP across pump are normal.
It is to be noted that when the drum filling is started with BFP, the riser tubes are
not filled as they are at higher elevation than drum required level. They are filled
only when BCW pump is started. Thus, start of first BCW pump depresses the
drum level a lot. Take fresh feed to maintain drum level.
Similarly, take second and third BCW pumps also in service. The drum level
depression with second and third pump is not that severe.
15. Starting and warm-up of fuel oil system – as per note – If the auxiliary
steam is not available, this activity can only be taken-up after boiler light-up
and auxiliary steam charging through MS source. The HFO temperature is to
be maintained at 120 Deg C using HFO heaters.
The PA, SA and FG inlet and outlet dampers for APH are closed.
APH Operation
The lube oil system line-up and start-up as per note.
Start the APH with air motor. This is done to avoid starting of APH main motor
on load.
Start APH main motor and ensure that the air motor cuts out on auto.
Flue gas and secondary air inlet and outlet dampers may be opened.
Boiler observation and access doors are closed. One or two access doors
may be kept open to give suction to ID Fan. Alternatively, the FD Fan circuit
may be kept through for giving suction path to ID Fan.
ID Fan operation
Start the fan and observe its parameters like starting current, motor and
bearing temperatures, vibrations etc. Modulate the IGV for fan loading and
maintaining negative pressure in Furnace.
Windbox manhole doors are closed. SADs are available and modulating from
CCR.
FD Fan operation
Start the fan and observe its parameters like starting current, motor and
bearing temperatures, vibrations etc. Modulate the BP of FD and IGV of ID fan
for fan loading and maintaining negative pressure in Furnace.
PA Fans OFF.
The Boiler is ready to be lighted-up. The HOTV and LOTV may be opened to
proceed for Boiler light-up.
Additional Checks
All the wall blowers and LRSBs are available and in retracted condition.
Boiler spring loaded safety valves are in gagged condition if light-up is done
before safety valve setting. If safety valve setting has already been done, the
gagging should be removed (Safety valve set reset pressure).
Bottom ash equipment such as clinker grinder, hydraulic pumps, jet pumps
etc. are available.
Additional Checks
Again ensure that Boiler water circuit drains are closed. All Boiler vents are
open. All Boiler steam circuit drains are opened.
Ensure that Boiler stop valves along with IBVs are closed.
The SCAPH is charged. If the aux steam is not available, this activity to be
taken after Boiler light-up. (Purpose of SCAPH and cold end corrosion).
Increase the LDO and HFO pressure to set value. Wait till HFO temperature
reaches 110 Deg C (if aux steam is available).
Press pair 1-3 start button for LDO/ HFO and observe the following sequence:
As the guns are taken furnace pressure may become slightly positive. Adjust
the ID fan IGV to maintain -10 mmwc furnace pressure. Alternatively, the
Furnace pressure control can be kept on auto.
As the guns are taken into service, Oil header pressure drops, maintain the
header pressure at recommended value. In case of HFO, the temperature
also may drop, maintain the temperature by adjusting the heater input steam
flow.
Ensure that the Furnace temperature does not exceed 540 Deg C, in view of
no steam flow in Reheater section, as HP/ LP bypass is not charged.
The elevation fire is proven once 3 / 4 scanners are proven. The flame failure
protection is armed. In the event of 1 or no scanners sensing flame, the
elevation will vote for Boiler Flame Failure Protection.
Before putting HFO gun into service, APH steam blowing shall be necessarily
started to avoid any oil accumulation and unwarranted fire at later stage when
APH inlet temperature approaches 200 Deg C.
When sudden steam flow is taken from drum viz. MS stop valve opens, HP
Bypass opens, drum swelling can take place. Avoid ingress of water in SH
circuit by reducing the flow first. The drum swelling is followed by fast level
depression. Avoid water starvation by increasing the FW flow fast. (What is
Drum Swelling and Sinking, Drum Swelling and role of TDS).
If auxiliary steam was available before light-up, the parallel activity of vacuum
pulling and HP/ LP bypass charging could be carried out. If it was not
available, Boiler must maintain oil firing to cater Aux steam header charging
and condenser vacuum pulling. After vacuum pulling only HP/ LP bypass can
be charged. (Why)
Any solid or liquid combustible can burn on its surface only as oxidant is
available at its surface itself.
Thus, increasing surface area of the combustible material of same volume
will expedite quick burning and high heat release.
To increase the surface area of a solid volume it should be broken in number
of particles.
This is what done in Pulverizers. The breaking of particles with smaller pre
defined size is called coal pulverization.
Higher flue gas velocities are also related with high heat release and hence
slender boiler with smaller footprints can be made.
Higher flue gas velocities demand smaller coal particles which are provided
by Coal Pulverizers.
Further, the coal containing moisture is supplied with Hot air to remove
moisture and avoid coal pipe choking. It also improves pulverization action.
Thus to achieve these intended results coal pulverizers do coal drying,
grinding, classification and transportation.
Type of Coal Mills
Medium speed mills – Bowl, Ball and race, Roller mills- Used for coals
ranging from sub-bituminous to anthracite
We will take-up briefly the low speed Ball and tube mills and medium
speed mills for better understanding.
The grinding happens with coal particles trapped between the tumbling balls.
They may be either single or double ended i.e. fed from one or both ends.
The coal residence time in the mill is higher, which makes it preferably
suitable for harder coals.
We will take-up briefly the low speed Ball and tube mills and medium speed
mills for better understanding.
2/5/23 Footer text 69
Ball and Tube Mills
Coals with very high moisture > 20% can not be used as poor intrinsic coal air
mixing capability.
They are most suitable with highly abrasive and difficult to grind coals.
They are provided with jacking oil at these low RPMs as hydrodynamic films
are not sufficient to safeguard bearings.
For the same reason they are kept on hot stand-by by keeping under rotation
with slowing motor.
They are more prone to mill fire especially at low loading due to presence of
very high volume of coal under suspension, the ignition source and high % of
oxygen in the mill. (The fire triangle)
Thus, generally they are provided with steam inerting device which come on
auto on start and stoppage of mill.
Mill Controls
Loop-1: Boiler Master – Fuel Master – Air Dampers.
Loop-2: Mill Level – Mill DP – Coal Feeder Speed
Loop-3: Mill outlet temperature – Mill Cold Air Damper
The basic difference between tube mill control and roller/ bowl mill control is
that for tube mill, the coal output increases with air input flow but for Bowl mill it
happens with feeder speed. The difference is related with residence time of coal
in mills.
Mill Operation Sequence (if on auto)
Steam inerting for 5 minutes to contain low load condition fires
Purge Air damper opens for 2 minutes for Coal Pipe cleaning
Mill outlet gates open
Mill mix air gate opens
Mill main motor starts
Manual
Open cold air gate, hot air gate and capacity air dampers for mill warming.
Start the coal feeder when mill outlet temperature reaches 80 Deg C (depends
upon VM of coal fed).
Observe that coal scanners sense flame. When 3/4 scanners sense flame,
elevation flame failure protection is armed.
Load the mill slowly by increasing coal feeder speed and air dampers. As the
mill loading increases, the coal level in mill increases. This is reflected by Mill
DP.
Put Mill DP control, mill capacity air control, mill outlet temperature controls on
auto.
HP/ LP Bypass
Why are generally systems designed for 60% HP/ LP Bypass capacity?
Equation of Power
Thus it may easily be correlated with Loss of Power due to vacuum drop
Law of Squares
The blades are therefore paddling in steam causing steam temperature to rise
by a process known as windage heating.