WELCOME TO SEMINAR

ENHANCING PERFORMANCE OF ESP AT THERMAL POWER STATIONS

B.B. NAYAK DY. GENERAL MANAGER(ELECT.) CPP, NALCO

CHALLENGES OF AGEING ESP AND RLA STUDY TO ENHANCE PERFORMANCE

Thermal Power Plants pose major environmental hazards of ash emission through chimney.

ESP is the proven technology for collection of ash & to minimize emission to meet environmental requirement.

OVER VIEW OF PRESENTATION

1. ESP AT A GLANCE 2. ESP TECHNOLOGY & BACK CORONA 3. BASIC FACTORS AFFECTING PERFORMANCE OF ESP 4. ELECTRICAL PARAMETER ANALYSIS TO EVALUATE PERFORMANCE

OVER VIEW OF PRESENTATION

5. CHALLENGES OF AGEING ESP & OUR STRATEGY 6. RLA STUDY FOR TOTAL AVAILABILITY 7. NEW DEVELOPMENTS 8. FREQUENTLY FACED PROBLEMS 9. CASE STUDY

1. ESP AT A GLANCE
CHIMNEY

BOILER OAL

ESP

FUELOILTANK

PAFAN

MILL IDFAN

CONSTRUCTIONALLY ESP CONSISTS OF POWER SUPPLY UNIT

Closed space housing collecting electrode

Emitting electrode

Collecting & Emitting system

Rapping mechanism for period removal of collected ash from emitting & collective electrode

DESIGN PARAMETERS OF ESP

Ash percentage in coal. Inlet dust concentration Outlet dust concentration Flue gas flow Total collecting area Specific collecting area Flue gas velocity Pressure drop Temperature drop

2. ESP TECHNOLOGY & BACK CORONA (Principle of ash Separation)

Principle of corona discharge in Electrical Engineering is utilised for charging ash particles.

CORONA
Corona is an electrical discharge taking place from the surface of the round/flat small diameter conductor. The discharge takes place when the voltage gradient over the conductor excess 30KV/cm(peak) 20KV/rms.

CORONA
qs
Fieldcharging Saturationcharge

It is difficult to charge small size ash particle

Corona generation

HOWITLOOKS

Corona is generated in spots along the wire at critical voltage

EFFECT OF CORONA GENERATION

Corona discharge ionises the free air molecules surrounding the emitting electrodes. Air molecules gets negatively charged. The negatively charged molecules under the influence of electric field gets attracted towards +ve collecting electrode. While traveling the air molecules collide with ash particles and transfer ve charge.

EFFECT OF CORONA GENERATION

The ve charged ash particles gets attracted towards +ve collecting electrode and gets collected there. Collected ash is removed at a regular interval by rapping.

BACK CORONA
Undesired corona formation on +ve collecting electrode is called back corona. Corona discharge generates corona current from the discharge electrode. This current reaches the +ve collecting electrode by penetrating the ash layer. The current through this layer generates a voltage drop proportional to current & resistivity of the ash. When the voltage drop through the ash layer is high, an electral break down is initiated.

BACK CORONA

contd.

This results +ve & -ve ions. The +ve ions will create a corona current that will move to emitting electrode in reverse direction. Back corona is detected by comparing peak values of precipitator voltage during scanning cycle.

WHAT HAPPENS...

High resistivity ash leads to back corona

EFFECTS OF BACK CORONA

During back corona the precipitator voltage decreases with increase in precipitator current. This reduces the efficiency of the precipitator and consumes unnecessary increase in power.

EFFECTS OF BACK CORONA

Back corona reduces ESP collection efficiency in two ways. -Some collected fly ash are reentered in to gas flow by explosive nature of voltage break down. -The +ve ions collides with ve charged ash particles and make them neutral

EFFECTS

Back corona reduces precipitator voltage

3. BASIC FACTORS AFFECTING PERFORMANCE OF ESP

I. FLUE GAS TEMPERATURE II. PARTICLE SIZE III. GAS FLOW IV. CONDITION OF ESP INTERNALS V. ASH REMOVAL VI. GAS DITRIBUTION IN ESP PASS VII. BOILER CONDITION

BASIC FACTORS AFFECTING PERFORMANCE OF ESP

VIII. FLUE GAS VELOCITY IX. MIGRATION VELOCITY X. ASH RESISTIVITY XI. LOW FIELD VOLTAGE & CURRENT XII. CHARGE RATIO XIII. BACK CORONA

I. FLUE GAS TEMPERATURE

HIGHER THE TEMPERATURE LOWER IS THE OPERATING VOLTAGE. HIGH TEMPERATURE INCREASES ASH RESISTIVITY 10DEG. CENT. RISE IN TEMPERATURE EFFICIENCY IS REDUCED BY 2-3%.

Resistivity vs Migration Velocity

Effect of Resistivity on Wm
18 16

14

12

Wm(cm/s)

10 Wm(cm/s) 8

0 1.00E+09 1.00E+10 1.00E+11 1.00E+12 Resisticvity(ohm.cm)

II. PARTICLE SIZE

COARSE PARTICLES ARE EASIER TO COLLECT THAN FINE PARTICLES.

Effect of Particle size on Efficiency

Effect of particle size on efficiency
101 100 99

98 97 Efficiency 96 95 94 Efficiency

93 92 91 0 2 4 6 Particle size(Microns) 8 10 12

III. GAS FLOW

HIGHER QUALITY OF FLOW CAN ADVERSLY AFFECT THE EMISSION PERFORMANCE. AIR INGRESS INCREASES FLOW DETRIMENTAL TO PERFORMANCE HIGHER FLOW REDUCES SPECIFIC COLLECTION AREA.

IV. CONDITION OF ESP INTERNALS

ELCTRODE ALLIGNMENT POOR ALLIGNMENT CAUSES LOW VOLTAGE A COMMON REASON FOR POOR PERFORMANCE.
ALLIGNMENT OF RAPPING MECHANISM POOR ALLIGNMENT CAN RESULT IN FOULING OF THE ELECTRODE AND IMPAIR PRECIPITATION

V. ASH REMOVAL
REGULAR DISLODGING COLLECTED ASH FROM COLECTING PLATES ENSURES GOOD PERFORMANCE. HOPPERS ARE NOT MEANT FOR STORAGE. ASH BUILD UP CAN AFFECT THE ELECTRODE ALLIGNMENT AND CAUSE MECHNICAL DAMAGE TO THE ELECTRODE AND RAPPING SYSTEM.

VI. GAS DISTRIBUTION IN ESP PASS

UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION LEADS TO OVERLOADING AND REDUCTION IN SPECIFIC COLLECTION. AFFECTS COLLECTING ELECTRODE.

VII. BOILER CONDITION

Air ingress: - increases flow reduces percentage moistures. - moisture can aid conduction in ash layer can improve operating voltage. Milling system: - Particle size is dependant on milling system.

VIII. FLUE GAS VELOCITY

HIGHER FLUE GAS VELOCITY REDUCES TREATMNET TIME AFFECTS MIGRATION VELOCITY AFFECTS LIFE OF COLLECTING ELECTRODE

IX. MIGRATION VELOCITY

COARSE PARTICLES HOLD MORE CHARGE, WHICH ENHANCES MIGRATION VELOCITY & INCREASES COLLECTING EFFICIENCY

X. ASH RESISTIVITY
HIGH RESISTIVITY DUST CAUSES BACK CORONA, HENCE DIFFICULT TO PRECIPITATE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION INFLUENCES RESISTIVITY

XI. LOW FIELD VOLTAGE

LOW FIELD VOLTAGE <18KV FORMS WEAK CORONA ASH IONISATION REDUCES DRASTICALLY

XII. OPTIMISED CHARGED RATIO

INADEQUATE CHARGE RATIO AFFECTS THE ASH COLLECTION EFFICIENCY.

XIII. BACK CORONA

BACK CORONA REDUCES ASH COLLECTION EFFICIENCY.

4. ELECTRICAL PARAMETERS TO EVALUATE ESP PERFORMANCE

a. b. c. d. e.

Spark rate Field voltage Field current Charge ratio Peak & valley voltage

a. SPARK RATE

Spark takes place due to complete ionisation of ash particle. Normal spark rate indicates healthiness of the field.

b. FIELD VOLTAGE
Field voltage >21KV generates strong corona discharge. Low voltage results in weak corona generation leading to unhealthy field condition. Low voltage indicates back corona. No voltage indicates field shorting

c. FIELD CURRENT
Normal field current indicates healthy field. High field current indicates back corona/short circuit. Zero field current indicates open circuit.

d. CHARGE RATIO
It is an intermittent charging of ESP field. Keeps average current to a lower limit and eliminates back corona. Peak current is still high. Gives a better distribution of corona along discharge electrode. Charge ratio can be increased to cater highest dust resistivity associated with severe back corona condition.

INTERMITTENTCHARGING

FINDING THE OPTIMUM CHARGE RATIO

Base charge avoids saturation of transformer

OPTIMISATION OF CHARGE RATIO Optimised charge ratio maintains a proper current distribution while at the same time eleminates back corona. Higher charge ratio generates weak corona . Lower charge ratio initiates back corona reduces efficiency.

OPTIMISATION OF CHARGE RATIO

Charge ratio mode supplies currents in pulses which provides a dense corona for a short time and at the same time gives a low average current to avoid back corona. Charge ratio 1:15. Represents blocking 14 half cycles after conduction of 1 half cycle.

CHHALENGES OF AGEING ESP

i. High availability factor ii. No breakdown iii. Zero maintenance iv. Reduced emission v. High MTBF

OUR STRATEGY

i. RLA study ii. Adopt new technology/developments iii. Water washing of ESP Fields. iv. Flue gas conditioning

i. RLA STUDY FOR TOTAL AVAILABILITY

Residual life assessment of ESP components / equipments can only prevent breakdown. It alerts planned replacement Ensures total availability.

RLA STUDY OF ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTS Rectiformer ( degree of polymerization &

DGA test)

C ontroller

(healthiness of card)

Insulators (ageing & crack test) Thyrister (forward & reverse bias) Rapping system Hopper heater , shaft and support insulator heater (IR value & physical
check for surface damage)

RLA STUDY OF MECHANICAL EQUIPMENTS

Collecting Electrodes
erosion)

(bend and

Emitting electrodes (stiffness) Gas distribution screen (physical

inspection test for erosion)

ii. TO ADOPT NEW DEVELOPEMENTS.

95KVA Rectiformer set Electrode spacing of 400mm wider pitch electrode system Higher specific collection area Tall electrode system (15m) Flue gas conditioning by NH 3 and SO 3 reduces ash resistivity

iii. WATER WASHING

Water washing ESP fields ensures complete surface cleanness of emitting, collecting electrodes & and ash collecting surface Removes sticky layer of ash and oil which is the cause of back corona

FREQUENTLY FACED PROBLEMS 1. Snapping of emitting electrodes a. Temperature variation b. Ash build up in hopper c. High velocity 2. Ash deposit on emitting & collecting electrodes due to oil firing. 3. Collecting electrode shock bar bend

FREQUENTLY FACED PROBLEMS contd.

4. Low field voltage 5. Reverse rotation of rapping motor 6. Failure of rapping motor 7. Vibrating or swinging of electrodes 8. Failure of controller 9. Plugging of gas distribution screen 10. Insulator cracking 11. Erosion of gas distribution screen / missing deflector plate 12. Unstable electrical control 13. Unequal gas distribution