Heat recovery boilers, also known as waste heat recovery boilers or

heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs).

waste heat boilers are used to cool waste gas streams from a given inlet
temperature to a desired exit temperature for further processing
purposes. A common application for an HRSG is in a combined cycle
power station .

where hot exhaust from a gas turbine is fed to an HRSG to generate
steam which in turn drives a steam turbine.

The output of the HRSG is solely dependent on the performance and
load of the gas turbine.








Fire Tube Boiler



Water Tube Boiler
In this type of boilers, the hot gas stream which could be at very
high pressure flows inside the tubes, while low pressure saturated
steam is generated outside the tubes.

They could be of single or of multi -gas pass design.


Water tube boilers are more difficult to design compared to fire
tube boilers,

due to the complex arrangement or disposition of heating surfaces
such as superheaters , evaporators and
economizers.

Due to the higher heat transfer coefficients associated with gas
flow over the tubes , water tube boilers requires less surface area and
hence the gas pressure drop can be lower than in a fire tube boiler.







Unfired

Auxiliary fired

unfired HRSG is selected when the plant steam requirements
are such that the energy in the exhaust gases is adequate .

HRSGs in combined cycle plants are unfired

Typical gas temperature entering the HRSG ranges from 800
to 1050F, depending on the gas turbine used.



Supplementary firing of exhaust gases is done to raise the
temperature of the gas stream entering the boiler

To a maximum of 1700F, so that additional steam can be
generated without major modifications to the unfired boiler design,
HRSG in cogeneration plants are fired


The 1700F limit is set by the design of the casing

The efficiency of the HRSG system improves with firing



Natural
Forced

Once-through
Natural circulation units have vertical tubes and horizontal
gas flow orientation .


In natural circulation units,
the difference in density between
water and steam drives the
steamwater mixture through
the evaporator tubes and
risers and back to the steam drum.
The forced circulation HRSG uses
horizontal tubes and gases flow in
the vertical direction.

In forced circulation units, a pump
is used to drive the
steamwater mixture
through the horizontal
evaporator tubes.


A once-through HRSG (called an OTSG) does not have a steam
drum like a natural or forced circulation unit


Once-through units can have
either a horizontal or
vertical gas flow path.


In once-through designs, there is no circulation system. Water
enters at one end and leaves as steam at the other end of the tube
bundle.



Superheater

Evaporator

Economizer
The most important component
would of course

In the evaporation circuit the water
is heated to as close to saturation
temperature as is possible.
This process changes the water from
liquid to vapor or steam.

Evaporator sections are where the boiling process or steam
generation occurs. As heat energy is absorbed by water from
the gas stream, the water temperature increases.


D-Frame evaporator layout

O-Frame evaporator layout.

A-Frame evaporator layout.

I-Frame evaporator layout.

Horizontal tube evaporator layout.


The major function of super-heater is to increase the
pressurized water temperature above the steam saturation
temperature for use in the steam turbine.

Types of Superheaters:

Vertical tube superheater
Horizontal tube superheater
I-frame superheater

An economizers function is to increase water temperature
close to the Saturation Temperature, known as Approach
Temperature. Approach Temperature is designed to ensure
maximum heat energy absorption efficiency and operational
flexibility.



Economizer sections are composed of extended or finned
tube
surface banks.

Selecting the tube material and size to use in a HRSG design is really a
matter of experience.
Segmented Fins:
These are usually one of the two types shown below.

High Frequency
Continuously Welded

Standard Frequency
Spot Welded

Solid Fins:
These are the most popular fins for modern HRSGs.
High Frequency

Continuously Welded


Stud Fins:
These are used generally when the fuel is No. 6 or higher.
Resistance

Welded


Enthalpies :
= at (T = Tsat -15) & P
= at 97% dryness fraction & Pb
= at 97% dryness fraction & Pb
Gas temperature distribution :
Heat balance on high pressure superheater:




Heat balance on high pressure evaporator :
Heat balance on intermediat superheater :

Heat balance on intermediat evaporator :
Heat balance on economizer:
Heat balance on low pressure superheater :
Heat balance on low pressure superheater :
Over all heat transfer coefficient :




For gas side
67 . 0
25 . 0
5 . 0
3 2 1
*
*
492
5
9
492
5
9
2
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
+
|
|
.
|

\
| +
=
P
P
a
g
o
C
K
C G
T
T
dof
lf dof
C C C h

0.35
1
Re * 0.25 C

=
S lf
e C
/ 25 . 0
2
* 65 . 0 35 . 0

+ =
t L
s s Nb
e e C
/ 15 . 0
3
* ) * 8 . 0 7 . 0 ( 7 . 0
2

+ =
For steam side:


Pressure drop calculation in tube:
Do Outer diameter 38.1(mm)
Di Inner diameter 33.8836(mm)
T Tube thickness 2.1082 (mm)
Np Number of passes for all tubes 60
Npeh Number of pass for high pressure
economizer
100
Vg Gas velocity 15 (m/s)
Vst Steam velocity 25(m/s)
Vw Water velocity 1(m/s)
Nf Number of fins per meter 310
Sf Fin spacing 2.4(mm)
Lf Fin height 15(mm)
Tf Fin thickness .8(mm)
f
Fin efficiency 85%
Sl Lognitudnal pitch 83(mm)
St Transverse pitch 83(mm)
Assumptions :
Temperature distribution:


Tshh 612.2 (c)
Tevh 585.7405 (c)
Tshi 518.3584 (c)
Tevi 466.7537 (c)
Teco 308.4764 (c)
Tevl 266.2291 (c)
Tst 150.3862 (c)
High pressure superheater specifications:
Heat gain 12.173 MW
Total surface area 20421 (m
2
)
Total number of tubes 1634
Number of passes 60
Tube length 8 (m)
Pressre drop 72000 (Pa)
Material Carbon steel .25% carbon
Intermediate pressure superheater specifications:

Heat gain 31 MW
Total surface area 64977 (m
2
)
Total number of tubes 1189
Number of passes 60
Tube length 4 (m)
Pressre drop 41000 (Pa)
Material Carbon steel .25% carbon
High pressure economizer specifications:
Heat gain 11.179 MW
Total surface area 78000 (m
2
)
Total number of tubes 2926
Number of passes 100
Tube length 16 (m)
Pressre drop 396 (Pa)
Material Carbon steel .25% carbon
Intermediate pressure economizer specifications:


Heat gain 5.0769 MW
Total surface area 17440 (m
2
)
Total number of tubes 1666
Number of passes 60
Tube length 6.5 (m)
Pressre drop 91.5 (Pa)
Material Carbon steel .25% carbon
Low pressure superheater specifications:
Heat gain 3.1804 MW
Total surface area 15173 (m
2
)
Total number of tubes 1294
Number of passes 60
Tube length 7 (m)
Pressre drop 7400 (Pa)
Material Carbon steel .25% carbon