Westinghouse Electric Corporation

M Mushtaq Ahmed

David H Archer

A method and apparatus for modeling flow in a bunker detects material characteristics of material supplied to a bunker and predicts the type of flow from the sensed material characteristics. Material characteristics of the material subsequently discharged from the bunker are compared with the material characteristics of the material supplied to the bunker to verify the prediction of flow in the bunker. The method and apparatus can be applied to bunkers storing coal at a power plant where moisture content, heating value, sulphur, etc. are detected by a bulk material analyzer prior to being supplied to a plurality of bunkers. Even if the coal is subsequently mixed prior to combustion, estimates, an be made of the contribution of each bunker to the resulting heating value, moisture removed, sulphur, ash content, etc. An appropriate flow model predicting one of mass flow, rat hole flow and funnel flow can be selected based upon characteristics of the material supplied to and discharged from the bunkers.

Method and apparatus for modeling bunker flow

A system and method for controlling soot removal in a heating device (2) in which heat energy is generated by combustion of a fuel, with accompanying production of soot, to produce combustion product gases, and heat energy is transferred from the product gases to a heated medium via a heat exchange surface on which the soot collects in a layer, by: producing (10) an indication of the present thickness of the soot layer; determining (12) the increase in cost of transferring heat energy to the heated medium due to the soot layer; and performing (4) a soot removal operation starting at a time selected on the basis of the determined cost increase.

Method for soot blowing automation/optimization in boiler operation

A system for monitoring combustion of coal in a boiler detects coal composition and heating value using a bulk material analyzer and determines an air/fuel mixture so that when the coal is burned oxygen is available throughout the boiler and the wall temperature of the boiler is maintained below the metallurgical limit and the surface temperature below the ash fusion temperature of the coal where slagging is not desired. The temperature and pressure of steam in the boiler, fuel and air flow rates and temperature and oxygen content of the stack gases are supplied to a boiler model. The boiler model predicts how varying the air supply rate affects sensible heat loss. Periodic measurements of unburned carbon in the ash produced by combustion of the coal are correlated with the operation of the boiler at the time that the ash was produced to provide a basis for estimating unburned coal loss. An optimum air/fuel mixture is determined to minimize heat loss for a given steam production rate or to maximize steam production, using the estimate of unburned carbon loss and output from the boiler model, while at all times maintaining sufficient air flow to prevent oxygen depletion and acceptable wall temperatures.

System for optimizing total air flow in coal-fired boilers

An improvement in a process for operating a gas turbine system containing a compression unit, a combustion unit and an expansion unit to operate a generator, wherein a low BTU gaseous fuel is used in the combustion unit and a portion of the air from the compression unit is bled from the system so as to prevent surges in the compression unit by limiting the flow of combustion gases to the compression unit, which comprises heating the air charged to the compression unit so as to reduce the volume of air from the compression unit that is bled from the system, and thereby increase the efficiency of the gas turbine system.

Method for increasing the efficiency of gas turbine generator systems

Raw shale is supplied to a pyrolyzer where it is pyrolyzed by fuel gas and hot spent shale derived from a gasifier. Typically, the raw shale is Eastern U.S. shale and the pyrolyzer includes a fluidized bed. The pyrolyzed shale having given up its oil and volatile hydrocarbons, rises to the top of the fluidized bed of raw shale where it is transferred to the gasifier. Oxygen and steam are supplied to the gasifier. This composite gas reacts with the carbon of the pyrolyzed shale in a fluidized bed to produce synthesis or fuel gas. The oxygen is supplied in such quantities as not to react completely with the carbon in the pyrolyzed shale. The steam reacts with the excess of carbon. Predominantly hydrogen and carbon monoxide are produced; in addition there is a smaller quantity of carbon dioxide and methane. This hot fuel gas is transferred to the pyrolyzer. In addition, hot spent shale is transferred to the pyrolyzer. The hot fuel gas fluidizes the raw shale in the pyrolyzer. The hot gas and the hot spent shale heat the raw shale separating the shale oil and product gas including volatile hydrocarbons. The oil is condensed and collected, the fuel gas is collected for utilization in the above process and also for other purposes.

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Turtle Creek, PA, United States of America

M Mushtaq Ahmed