What is Combustion?
Combustion is a chemical process where oxygen combines with
fuel elements like hydrogen and carbon to produce heat. The
amount of heat produced depends on the fuel element combined
with oxygen. Elements like oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, and sulfur
participate in this process.
Fuel like coal contains elements such as iron and silicon, which
participate in combustion and are considered impurities. These
impurities create waste, forming ash stored in the ash pit of the
steam boiler furnace. Combustion of coal occurs in three stages.
1. The absorption of heat to rise the temperature of the fuel to
the point of ignition.
2. The distillation and burning of volatile gasses.
3. Combustion of fixed carbon.
While the coal is fed to the boiler furnace in a pulverized form, the
temperature of the coal is first raised to its ignition point the
volatile matters of the coal so called hydrocarbons, such as marsh
gas, tar, pitch, naphtha are separated from the coal and driven of in
the gaseous form. These gases then combine with oxygen of air
which is supplied through the bed of the hot bed of fuel (coal) of
the steam boiler furnace.
Once hydrocarbons are removed from the coal, solid carbon
combines with oxygen to form carbon monoxide and carbon
dioxide. Non-combustible substances fall through the grate into the
ash pit below the boiler furnace.
So far combustion process, sufficient air to be supplied in furnace.
Generally approximately 12 pound of air is required to complete
combustion of one pound of coal. But in practice twice or more of
this quantity of air is supplied in the furnace by forced draft since
ideal condition of combustion can not be achieved practically. It is
always quite difficult to supply air to the all part of the steam
boiler furnace uniformly.
In the other hand, too mush air should not be supplied to the
furnace. If air is supplied is in very higher rate than its specified
rate then there may be a chance of blowing off the hydrocarbon
gases before the combustion process is completed. So the air
should be supplied to the furnace in high but controlled rate.
The boiler furnace is designed to achieve combustion with minimal
smoke. Smoke-free combustion is preferred for two reasons:
1. Smoke causes air pollution
2. Indicates incomplete combustion, as unburned gases become
visible as smoke.
The principle of complete combustion is quite simple but is not
always possible to carry out in steam boiler furnace. Introducing
coal into the boiler furnace, rising the temperature to the burning
point, and supplying enough air for the combustion may not be
sufficient for a successful combustion. There is another factor
which to be kept in mind during designing a furnace.
It is equally important to mix up the air with combustible gases
thoroughly and that is to be maintained at a sufficiently high
temperature during the process. When fresh bituminous coal is
fired, on the fuel bed of boiler furnace, the combustible gases are
driven off and large portion of which remain unburned and are
carried into the chimney if air is not mixed up with them properly.
There are many air mixing processes developed for steam boiler
furnace. One of the popular methods of boiler furnace is to
providing fire brick lined combustion chamber of ample size with
suitable baffles for proper mixing the gases with the air, the
introduction of sufficient heated air in the combustion to consume
the combustible gases before reaching the heating surface of the
boiler.
Construction of Boiler Furnace
For successful combustion a boiler furnace has some essential
parts in its construction, such as
1. A grate for supporting fuel (coal).
2. Combustion chamber – in which the combustion takes place
Means of supplying fresh air.
3. An ash pity for collecting and catching the refuses from the
fuel during combustion.
Boiler Furnace Grate
A furnace grate is provided in a steam boiler furnace for supporting
the solid fuel in the furnace. Grate is so designed that it can also
allow air to admit air in the solid fuel for combustion.
The openings of the grate must not be so large that they allow the
unburned fuel partials to fall through and on the other hand these
openings must not be so narrow that they obstruct sufficient
amount of air to pass through the fuel.
Firebox and Combustion Chamber of Furnace
Firebox of boiler furnace is the place just above the grate and
combustion chamber is the extension of this where combustion of
volatile hydrocarbons take place. The heat is produced due to
combustion is absorbed by the steam boiler surface at the top of
the combustion chamber. Different fire bricks wall and baffles
are provided in the combustion chamber proper mixing of air with
combustible gases.
Ash Pit
Ash pit of steam boiler furnace is a chamber provided below the
grate to catch the refuse (ash) from the fire above. Ash pit also
functions as supply chamber of air through the grate. There must
be sufficient height between the bottom floor of the ash pit and the
grate to give plenty of air space. In common practice to slope the
pit floor towards the front, to facilitate the removal of ashes.
