INTRODUCTION

The NTPC Sipat Super Thermal Power Plant is located in Bilaspur, Chattisgarh State.
Sipat Super Thermal Power plant consists of five boilers in two stages. The stage 1 consists
of 3 units of 660 MW super critical steam generators supplied by M/s Doosan Heavy
Industries & Construction Co. Ltd, South Korea and the stage two consists of 2 units of 500
MW sub-critical units supplied by M/s Bharath Heavy Electricals Ltd, Trichy. The two units
supplied by M/s BHEL are in service operating above its rated capacity. The two units
supplied by M/s Doosan are in final stages of erection and for the third unit insulation work is
in progress.
 SIPAT STAGE – I
3 X 660 MW ONCE THROUGH SUPER CRITICAL BOILER

DESIGN ASPECTS
General

The steam generator supplied by M/s Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co.,
Ltd., South Korea is a balanced-draft, once-through, supercritical, single reheat, dry bottom,
indoor type boiler. It is designed for sliding pressure operation, with a balanced draft furnace
capable of firing pulverized coal. The steam generator will produce steam flow to a turbine
generator with boiler outlet conditions of Main Steam flow of 2023.75 t/h,(660 MW)
Superheater Steam Temperature 540°C at 255 kg/cm2(g) and RH outlet steam flow of
1678.37 t/h, Reheater Steam Temperature 568°C at 44.08 kg/cm2(g). The once through
system is characterized by the unique arrangement of the evaporator sections with the water
separator placed at the end of the sections. In a once-through system, the water and steam
flows only once through the evaporator circuit with no re-circulation. The steam is slightly
superheated as it exits the evaporator section, or waterwalls, between minimum once-through
load and maximum load. In this load range, the water separator operates in a dry mode.

The fluid pressure in the evaporator changes from supercritical to subcritical over the
boiler load range due to the sliding pressure mode of operation. However the once-through
circuitry is always the same above the minimum once-through load. Below about 75% load
the water walls are in subcritical region of flow, and part of the waterwalls will have two
phase flow. Below the minimum once-through load the flow through the evaporator must be
maintained at a constant value to ensure adequate cooling of the evaporator tubes. This flow
is ensured by the Boiler Circulation Pump, which is in service only below the minimum once-
through load. Therefore at low loads a mixture of water and steam leaves the waterwalls, and
the water separator operates in a wet mode with a controlled water level.

A major advantage of the once-through system is that there is no fixed point at which
the waterwall system ends and the superheater system starts. This means that the system can
operate with a very wide range of fuels and different states of furnace cleanliness. The water
separators have been located in the system to ensure a smooth transition from the constant
waterwall flow mode to the once-through flow mode.

This also ensures that no significant steam temperature excursions occur at the
superheater outlet. During startup and at low load, the steam-water mixture generated in the
water walls flows to the separators. In the separator, the steam is separated from the steam
water mixture. The steam passes to the superheaters and the water is recirculated through the
Economizer and Evaporator by the Boiler Recirculation Pump.

The furnace is made up of two sections-the lower spiral wall section and the upper
vertical wall section. The lower furnace spiral wound parallel tube construction results in
uniform heat absorption in all tube circuits, thus avoiding potentially damaging temperature
differentials in the tube panels.

The steam and water flow is attached for reference. ( Fig: 1)

568 C, 47
Ksc 492 C, 260 Ksc

FUR ROOF
457 C, 49 Ksc
I/L HDR ECO HGR O/L
HDR
HRH LINE
MS LINE

411 C, 411 C,
277Ksc 275 Ksc

SEPARATOR

S
T FINAL SH
FINAL
O RH LTRH
R
DIV PANELS SH PLATEN SH
A
G
E

T VERTICAL WW
A
ECO JUNCTION
G N HDR
305 C, 49 Ksc

K
LPT LPT IPT
C
O HPT
N ECONOMISER
D
E
N
S
E
R
ECO I/L

FEEDWATER
BWRP
290 C, 302 KSC

FUR LOWER HDR

Fig:1 WATER & STEAM CIRCUIT OF DOOSAN 660 MW BOILER

The mechanical design of this boiler meets the demands of the specified pressure,
temperature and transients during load changes. A transient design pressure of ± 889 mm WC
in the furnace chamber covers extreme conditions of puffs and implosion.

The furnace chamber is formed of spiral wound parallel tubing welded to form water
wall panels. The furnace weight is supported by tension strips and distributed into the upper
vertical waterwalls.

A wrap-around buckstay system is installed over the whole height of the boiler. The
upper vertical walls are reinforced by an internal buckstay system attached perpendicular to
the tubes. This arrangement is capable of sustaining the ± 889 mm WC furnace transient
design pressure. Again, careful attention has been taken by designing the boiler suspension
with an even load distribution over a multitude of links to the steel structure. High strength
materials are used for the waterwall, the superheater and the Reheater outlet headers. These
materials make it possible to use smaller wall thickness tubes and reduce thermal stresses.

FURNACE DIMENSIONS

The complex properties of coal and its ash have a major impact upon the unit. The
combustibility of the coal, the ash content and the ash chemistry determine the slagging and
fouling properties. Furnace dimensions and the burner arrangement must reflect the resulting
fuel ash slagging characteristics. While the ignition of coal particles and the complete
combustion must be allowed, sufficient radiant surfaces must be provided within the furnace
to lower the gas temperature at the inlet to the convection heating surfaces to eliminate sticky
deposits from forming on these surfaces.
BOILER ARRANGEMENT

General

The boiler is a two-pass boiler of gas tight welded wall construction. The furnace is of
dry bottom type with continuous spiral wound tubes that run from the furnace hopper up to
the bottom of the furnace arch. The tubes connect to intermediate headers and from these
headers, vertical tubes are attached to form the upper vertical evaporator walls. From the
outlet headers of the vertical walls, the steam/steam & water mixture is fed to the water
separators. The subsequent steam path is through the steam-cooled roof, the back pass wall,
into the superheater extended sidewall panels, into the superheater division panels, to the
superheater platens and finally to the finishing superheater located above the furnace arch.
Two stages of Superheater desuperheaters are located in the steam circuitry. The first stage is
between the SH Division panels and the superheater platens, and the second stage is between
the superheater platens and the finishing superheater. There are two parallel desuperheater
stations in each stage of the superheater desuperheater.

The Reheater section consists of two stages-the Low Temperature Reheater arranged
horizontally in the rear pass of the boiler and the High Temperature Finishing Reheater
arranged pendant above the furnace arch in the high gas temperature zone. A single stage
Reheater desuperheater is located at the cold reheat line that is the upstream of horizontal
Reheater section.Feedwater enters the economizer through the lower inlet header and flows
through the horizontal bare tube, in-line tubing comprising the heating surface. Return bends
at the ends of the tube banks provide continuous tube elements, whose upper ends connect to
junction headers. The economizer terminal tubes act as hanger tubes for the horizontal
primary Reheater and terminate at the economizer outlet header. The outlet header is linked
with the lower waterwall headers through connecting links.

The economizer is designed for counter flow of gas and water, which results in a maximum
log mean temperature difference for heat transfer. Upward flow of water helps avoid water
hammer.
Arrangement of Tube Banks

The location and sequence of superheat and reheat heating surfaces in the flue gas path is
dictated by:

The temperature difference between the gas and the internal fluid.
The method of reheat temperature control.
The metal temperature limits.

The reheat temperature is controlled by burner tilt, which assures reliable and maintenance
free operation. Because of this, the final Reheater is located before the final superheater. In
this way the burner tilt has a maximum effect on the finishing reheat platen surface. The first
stage of Reheater, the Low Temperature Reheater, is placed in the second pass to take
advantage of the convection heat transfer. All heating surfaces are bare tubes and are
arranged in line. The convection bundle suspension and tube penetrations are designed for
easy access and effective cleaning.

Fuels and Fuel Firing Requirements

1. Ignition and Warm-up Fuel

Light Diesel Oil.

2. Start-up. Low Load and Flame Stabilization Fuel

HFO/HPS/LSHS

3. Fuel for Rating and Performance

The steam generating unit and fuel preparation system is designed for continuous
operation at maximum continuous output with the Design/Worst/Best Coal and the
range of Coal as specified. The Performance Guarantees are based on the Design coal.
Boiler Start-up and Bypass System

The start-up and re-circulation system is designed to provide the necessary mass flow
for adequate cooling of the evaporator during start-up and low load operation. A minimum of
30% of TMCR flow is maintained up to a boiler load of 30% TMCR.

In this re-circulation system the feedwater flows through the boiler feedwater line to
the economizer, to the evaporator, and then to the water separator. From the separator the
recirculated water returns through the Boiler Recirculation Pump to the boiler feedwater line,
where it is mixed with feedwater. The UG valve, located downstream of the BCP, controls
the amount of flow.

During a cold start-up, as the water swells, the excess re-circulated water is drained
from the water separator (at or near ambient pressure) through the WR and ZR control valves
into the boiler flash tank and thereafter the condenser. As the pressure in the water separator
increases and the water swell reduces, the amount of excess water decreases. The WR and ZR
control valves automatically maintain the water level in the separator. As the water level
increases the WR valve opens, followed by the ZR valve. When water level drops, the ZR
valve closes first followed by the WR valve. Both the WR and ZR control valves are closed
when water level is normal or below normal level.

During shutdown, the return water may become more or less contaminated, depending
on the amount of time the unit is shutdown. The contamination must be removed from the
circuit. If this happens, the return water can be routed through the atmospheric flash tank and
then to the condenser. From the condenser the water will pass through the condensate
polishing plant before returning to the feedwater tank. This will provide the required
feedwater quality relatively quickly.