Steam Generation and Utilization
Steam
Steam is a vapor
form of water, and
it is colorless,
tasteless, and
odorless, but apart
from this, it carries
heat energy. So,
steam transfers
heat energy from
one location to
another one.
Steam System Operation
• Generation: How we generate the steam: the boiler, and the feedwater supply system
• Distribution: Network through which steam can be distributed whatever is being formed in due course of
time through the boiler to the point of use
• End use: Where we are using the steam, maybe for the power generation, the heating, the mixing, the
agitation, etc.
• Condensate recovery and Feed Water Systems: It is again very important because of water's value.
Generation
• Steam generators are usually called boilers because they boil the water and generate the steam. This ranges
in size from those needed to heat a small building or use in industrial operations. Sometimes they may
produce even 1300 megawatt to 1800 megawatt of electricity in the power generation system, so enough
power for more than 1 million people.
• Stream flow rate and operating conditions are again crucial while designing the steam generator dramatically:
From 1000 pounds per hour (0.125 kg/s) in one process to more than 10 million pounds per hour in a large
electric power plant.
From about 14.7 psi and 212 F in some heating applications to more than 4500 psi and 1100 F in advanced
cycle power plants. So, you can see the wide spectrum of steam uses.
Steam System Operation
Generation
• Fuel use and handling add to the complexity in variety of steam generating systems.
• The fuel used in most steam generators are coal, natural gas and oil.
• However, nuclear energy also plays a major role in the electric power generation.
• Also, variety of biomass materials and process by product have become the heat source
for steam generation. These include peat, wood and wood waste, bagasse, straw coffee
grounds, cornhusk, coal mine waste, and waste heat from steel-making furnaces.
• Even renewable energy sources like solar are being used to generate steam.
• Sometimes hospital waste incineration is also being used for a steam generation.
COMPONENTS OF STEAM GENERATION UNIT
Key subsystem include fuel receiving
and preparation, steam generator and
combustion, environment protection,
turbine generator, and heat rejection
including cooling tower.
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COMPONENTS OF STEAM GENERATION UNIT
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MAJOR COMPONENTS
The major components in the steam-generating and heat recovery system
1. Furnace 2. Super steam heaters 3. Steam reheaters
4. Steam-generating 5. Economizer 6. Steam drums
banks.
7. Steam temperature
8. Air heaters
control system
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Supercritical Boilers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf1b-dyxDCo
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Subcritical Supercritical
❖ In the subcritical boiler (conventional boiler) the ❖ In the supercritical boiler the boiler working under
boiler working under pressure Below (<221.05 bar) pressure above critical pressure (221.05 bar).
boiler.
❖ Supercritical boiler consists only preheater
❖ A subcritical boiler consists of three heating surfaces (economizer) and superheater.
as economizer, evaporator and superheater.
❖ As we know that pressure of water or steam is
❖ In the conventional boiler water is heated below raised, the enthalpy of evaporation is reduced. At
critical pressure, hence heat added to water is critical pressure (221.05 bar) the enthalpy of
utilized to increase temperature of water up to evaporation becomes zero.
their saturation temperature corresponding to
❖ It means that if the water is pressurised with the
pressure of boiler.
help of feed pump up to critical pressure and
❖ If more heat added to this water boiling will begins at then heat added to it, the water will be directly
constant temperature. Bubbles of steam begin to converted to steam at the temperature of 374°C
form in the water and rise above the water level in and there is no bubbling action as water changes
the drum. to steam.
❖ Further heating of saturated steam, steam
becomes superheated.
Supercritical Boilers
❖ The once through boiler is only
type suited to supercritical boiler
because there is no latent heat of
evaporation involved.
❖ When water is heated at constant
supercritical pressure suddenly it
is converted into steam.
❖ As shown in Fig. the high pressure
(above critical point) water enters
the tube inlets and leaves at the
outlet as the superheated steam.
Supercritical Boilers
❖ The prime duty of power plant designer is to reduce the cost of electric power generation.
❖ The cost of power generation increases with the increase in the fuel cost.
❖ To compensate the rising fuel price the designers continuously try to find the ways. The
most recent method to produce economical electric power is by the use of supercritical
boiler in the thermal power plant.
Benefit of supercritical technology
I) Higher cycle efficiency means primarily:
❑ Less fuel consumption.
❑ Less per MW infrastructure investments.
❑ Less emission.
❑ Less auxiliary power consumption.
❑ Less water consumption.
II) Operational flexibility:
❑ Better temperature control.
❑ Shorter start-up time
CHALLENGES OF SUPERCRITICAL TECHNOLOGY
Water chemistry is more stringent in super critical once through boiler.
Metallurgical Challenges
Ash sticking tendency is more in spiral water wall in comparison of vertical wall.
More feed pump power is required due to more friction losses in spiral water wall.
Maintenance of tube leakage is difficult due to complex design of water wall.
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STEAM TRAP
The steam traps are being used to release the condensate from the pipework while
preventing the steam from escaping into the system.
Steam trap is used when the condensate is formed while releasing its enthalpy of
evaporation.
The proper condensate removal from the steam plant of all types is important if plant
efficiency is of concern.
Frequent causes of unsatisfactory condensate drainage include the wrong type of steam
trap for the application, the use of a trap that is the incorrect size of the load and pressure
condition and bad installation.
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WHAT MUST A STEAM TRAP DO?
The steam trap must
remove condensate air or
CO2 out of system as
quickly as it collects. There should not be any
retention time.
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A STEAM TRAP MUST ALSO
MINIMIZE STEAM LOSS
LONG LIFE AND
DEPENDABLE SERVICE
CORROSION
RESISTANCE
AIR VENTING
CO2 VENTING
FREEDOM FROM DIRT
PROBLEMS
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TYPES OF STEAM TRAP
Trap/operator
Types
Thermodynamic Mechanical Thermostatic
Uses the difference in Senses the
Steam (flashes) the density between the
condensate's
flow operates steam and condensate
temperature change
to operate the wall and
valves float. to operate the valve.
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THERMODYNAMIC STEAM TRAP
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MECHANICAL STEAM TRAP
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THERMOSTATIC STEAM TRAPS
Is one of the simplest forms of the thermostatic trap
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THERMOSTATIC STEAM TRAPS
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