8. OPERATION 8.1 PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION : Coal is fed to the center of the pulveriser onto a revolving bowl.

Centrifugal force causes the coal to travel towards the perimeter of the bowl. The coal passes between the bull ring and the grinding rolls, which impart the pressure necessary for grinding. The partially ground coal continuous outward and over the edge of the bowl. Heated air enters the mill side housing below the bowl and is directed upward around the bowl outside diameter and separator body annulus, by the rotating vane. It continues upward and into the deflector openings in the classifier at the top of the inner cone, then out through the venturi and multiple port outlet assembly. As the air passes upward around the bowl, it picks up the partially pulverized coal, particles are carried up through the deflector openings of the classifier. The deflector blades in the openings cause the coal - air mixture to spin within the inner cone. The angle of the blades determines the velocity of the spin and the resulting fineness of the finished product. Heavier pulverised coal are returned through the inside of the inner cone to the bowl for further grinding. Coal that is pulverised to the desired fineness leaves the pulveriser and enters the fuel piping system. Any tramp iron or dense, difficult to grind foreign material in the coal feed is carried over the top of the bowl, where it drops through the air stream and rotating vanes to the mill bottom. Pivoted scrapers attached to the bowl hub sweep the tramp iron or other material to the tramp iron discharge opening. BHARAT HEAVY ELECTRICALS LIMITED 22 Bowl Mill XRP 1003 Operation

The tramp iron spout is fitted with a valve. Under normal operation this valve remains open and material is discharged into a sealed pyrites hopper. The valve is closed only while the hopper is being emptied. DO NOT close the valve on the tramp iron spout to prevent the discharge of rejects. If the valve is closed for an extended period, material normally discharged will be retained in the millside housing and be ground by the scrapers, scraper guards and holders. This produces excessive wear on these parts and creates a potential fire hazard. If coal is discharged into the pyrites hopper, this indicates overfeeding, too little pressure on the rolls, too low an air flow or too low a pulveriser outlet temperature. Excessively worn pulveriser parts or improper adjustment can also cause coal to be discharged. Excessive spillage indicates that a pulveriser is not functioning properly and steps should be taken as soon as possible to correct the situation. The pulveriser operates under positive pressure. A seal air system provides clean air to a chamber surrounding the bowl hub to prevent hot air and coal dust from contaminating the gear housing. Seal air is supplied to each journal trunnion shaft to prevent coal dust from entering the journal bearings. Seal air is also supplied to each spring assembly to keep it free from coal dust. For good pulveriser performance the temperature of the coal-air mixture leaving the classifier should be maintained as high as possible within the safe temperature limit of the particular coal. Too high an outlet temperature may lead to a pulveriser fire. Typically, Bituminous coals may tolerate temperatures to 70 C. Sub-bituminous coals may become troublesome with pulveriser outlet temperatures exceeding 65 C. Environmental conditions may cause changes that result in a lower pulveriser outlet temperatures. A pulveriser may be operated at a BHARAT HEAVY ELECTRICALS LIMITED 23 Bowl Mill XRP 1003 Operation

temperature below 65 C, provided there is no loss in capacity, coal spillage or high motor current. An outlet temperature below 60 C may not dry the coal sufficiently. BHEL pulveriser systems are designed to perform effectively with coals with a wide range of moisture content and grindability. In order to obtain rated capacity from the pulveriser, it is necessary to have sufficient hot air entering the pulveriser to dry the coal, sufficient pressure on the rolls to pulverise it, and proper setting of the classifier deflector vanes to obtain a fineness reasonably close to that for which the pulveriser was designed. Operating experience will help determine the pulverisers optimum conditions for a given coal.

8.2 OPERATING PARAMETERS : Operating experience will help to determine the pulverisers optimum conditions for a given coal. i) Mill Air Flow : Mill should be operated at the design air flow at all loads. Operating at higher air flow will cause excess wear and upset the performance of classifier etc. If mill is operated at lower air flow it may result in coal rejects, low bowl differential pressure, excess fineness, coal BHARAT HEAVY ELECTRICALS LIMITED 24 Bowl Mill XRP 1003 Operation

settlement etc. The air flow is controlled by the simultaneous operations of hot and cold air dampers. ii) Mill Outlet Temperature : For good pulveriser performance, the temperature of coal air mixture leaving the classifier should be maintained as high as possible within the safe temperature limit of the coal being ground. Too high a outlet temperature may lead to a pulveriser fire. When grinding coal with a volatile content below 30% on a as received basis, the mil outlet temperature of 75 C to 80 C is recommended. When grinding coal with higher volatile content, the mill outlet temperature should be maintained between 65 C to 75 C. If a high volatile coal with high sulphur content the maximum safe operating temperature may be as low as 65 C. Environmental conditions may cause changes that result in lower pulveriser outlet temperature. A pulveriser may be operated at a temperature below 65 C provided there is no loss in capacity, coal spillage, high bowl differential pressure, or high motor current. The outlet temperature below 60 C may not dry the coal sufficiently. Mill outlet temperature is controlled by simultaneous operation of cold and hot air dampers. iii) Pulverised Fuel Fineness : The degree of pulverised coal fineness required depends upon the volatile content of coal and the furnace size. This is specified for each unit. Operating the mills at higher fineness increases the wear rate and reduces capacity of the mill. The fineness can be controlled by operating the classifier vanes. BHARAT HEAVY ELECTRICALS LIMITED 25 Bowl Mill XRP 1003 Operation

Note: See pulverised coal sampling and adjustment of fineness sections also. iv) Mill Capacity : The capacity of mill depends on the hard groove grindability index, the moisture content of coal and the pulverised fuel fineness output required. Note : If low calorific value of coal is used, the amount of coal required is more. Thus mill capacity against steam generated decreases. The indications of mill overloading are the following, out of which one or more indication may be present during mill overloading. a) High mill motor current. b) High bowl differential pressure. c) Low mill outlet temperature. d) Mill rejects having large amount of coal.