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CFB refractory repair
Article in Power · January 2006
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Refractory Selection, Design and Its Installation In
Circulating Fluid Bed Combustor – CFBC Boiler
D. K. Singh and I. N. Chakraborty
Calderys India Refractories Limited
Nagpur
Abstract: Refractory used in CFBC boilers are subject to various aggressive process condition
emerging out of fuel used. Fuel can be Lignite, Pet coke, Coal with Ash content upto 65%, Bio –
Mass, Tyre, Plastic, Industrial Waste, Municipal Waste etc. The changes in fuel results in Low
Melting Alkali or Alkaline Oxides and Salts, corrosive atmosphere out of gases like SOx. NOx, Cl2,
F2, CO / CO2 etc.
For the years, we have been active in the field of Power Plants by combining our knowledge of
refractories with understanding of the constraints existing in power plants, Calderys have
developed in its R&D centers Fuel and / or Process based refractory solutions for our customers
across the globe. The result has been satisfactory performance in adverse operating conditions.
The main parameters responsible for the performance of refractory in CFBC boiler are –
• Abrasion
• Thermal Shocks, and
• Corrosion of refractory in different zones
While selecting refractory, above three parameters are considered to get satisfactory performance
of refractory material.
Over a period of time, Calderys have developed “Technical Solutions” based on type of fuel and
operating condition to meet various process demands for the successful performance of
refractories. This has put additional demand of “Refractory Lining Design” which has been
developed and adopted successfully at multiple locations.
Calderys have also developed and put into practice, the modern application methods of refractories.
This has been done keeping in view – the availability of experienced and quality application crew. The
faster application of refractory has been another requirement and to meet that aspect several new
application system/processes have been development and used successfully. This presentation will
deal with
a. Selection of refractory based on fuel used
b. Design of refractory lining to ensure optimum performance of refractory
c. New application procedure to ensure quality application and reduce installation mistakes
Introduction
The Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustion (CFBC) boiler has been used with great success
across the globe. In Europe and Scandinavia, for example, these boilers were used to burn
lignite, peat and wood and/or biomass, industrial/municipal wastes and preferably they are used
as incinerator to burn each and every waste. CFBC is attractive from a commercial standpoint
since it can use abundant low - grade and variety of fuels compared with the high cost
conventional fuels. The CFBC system can also destroy hazardous wastes, with a destruction and
removal efficiency exceeding 99%. Toxic emission, viz. dioxins and furanes (< 0.5 ng / m3), HCl
(< 75 ng / m3), suspended particles (< 20 ng / m3), by CFBC boilers are lower compared to the
conventional processes. In addition, gaseous emission like NOx and SOx for CFBC is lower since
these boilers operate at 850 0C to 900 0C. High turbulence of the fluidized bed as well as long
residence time in cyclone improves the combustion efficiency, enables utilisation of low-grade
fuels and maintains CO and CxHy emissions at a low level.
The first CFBC boiler was commissioned in 1992 in India at Hirakud with Foster Wheeler design,
followed by series of smaller and bigger up to 250 MW boilers of European as well as Chinese
design have been commissioned. The situation in India, however, is unique in the sense that the
ratio of fuel constituents, i. e. coal, lignite and Pet Coke, vary greatly and this ratio do not remain
constant in a given unit. This, in effect, varies the alkali and acidic constituents in the combustor
environment putting heavy demand on refractories.
In this paper we share our experience with the refractory selection and design on its performance
in CFBC boilers, especially where multiple fuel are used.
Configuration of CFBC Boiler
The CFBC thermal unit is made-up of the following components:
- A combustion chamber and cyclone
- A gas cooling system
- A sleeve filter to catch dust
- A dry purification system using hydrated-lime injection
- An induced – draft fan to discharge gas at the stack
- A chimney
- A continuous computerized control with recording system
A Schematic diagram of a CFBC boiler is illustrated in Figure 1. The combustible materials are
introduced into combustion chamber in presence of fluidized preheated bed of sand. For
fluidisation of sand and combustible matter, like coal, lignite etc., a forced-air current is maintained
in the bed so that matter introduced into the combustion chamber is immediately sucked into it
and is subjected to high turbulence.
The primary air fan supplies most of its air to the under-bed grid nozzles, which keeps bed
material, i. e. waste coal, ash, limestone, unburned carbon and reaction products in suspension.
Limestone is introduced along with the fuel for removal of Sulphur, present in the waste coal,
lignite, in the form of CaSO4.
Another unique feature of the CFBC boiler design is the cyclone section, which is attached to the
combustor. An induced draft fan is used to pull flue gas and fine particulate matter through the
heat recovery section of the boiler, which allows proper circulation of the fluidized bed and flow of
the flue gas stream. Each boiler is equipped with cyclone separators that allow the heavier
particles, including un-burnt carbon, to re-circulate into the combustor improving the thermal
efficiency. At the top of the cyclone, the flue gas pass through a crossover or hot gas duct and
then into the economiser. The heavier particles settle into a down-comer duct where they are
reintroduced into the combustor.
Refractory Selection for CFBC Boilers
While analysing the operating conditions of CFBC boilers it became apparent that thermal shock,
i. e rapid change in refractory temperature, is a cause of concern in Combustor and Loop Seal.
The area most susceptible to mechanical erosion and / or chemical corrosion are the cyclone inlet
where particle velocity may be in excess of 25 mt / s and impinges on the refractory at a higher
angle. Figures 2 – 5 illustrate the damaged refractories in Cyclone, Bull Nose, Combustor etc.
due to various reasons. The refractory wear in Bull Nose and combustor area was primarily
attributable to abrasion/erosion/corrosion and CO disintegration. Whereas the same, for Loop
Seal, has been attributed to thermal shock and / or abrasion. Thermal shock is main reason for
damages around openings like secondary air nozzles, man – holes etc. In addition to these
physical aspects, chemical attack, especially Sulphur and Alkalis from fuel, are of great concern.
Table I reports the operating conditions of various locations in CFBC. The refractory
recommendations of the technology provider, for majority of locations of CFBC boilers, primarily
had been low cement castable in the past.
Tables II and III report the effect of fundamental refractory properties on their Thermal Shock and
Wear Resistance, which are critical properties of refractory for CFBC boiler
As mentioned earlier coal, lignite and Pet coke and now bio-mass are used in India, in varied
ratios, as fuel for CFBC boiler. In most of the occasions thus, it is not possible to adjust the
Limestone concentration in the feed to counter the presence of Sulphur and Alkalis in the CFBC
environment. As a result, excess sulphur oxide gas attacks the lime bearing constituents of the
castable matrix and higher Alkalis causes Alkali bursting. Our experience reveals that under such
circumstances the refractory life is miserably low mainly in the identified locations, like Bull Nose,
burner, kick off area of combustor, openings like Manhole, Primary/Secondary Air inlet, loop seal,
striking area, refractory around Vertex Tube Finder and combustor rear wall opposite to return leg.
The analyses of failed castables from various fuel like lignite, bio mass, coal, pet coke etc. fired
CFBC boiler revealed formation of Calcium Sulphate, Sodium / Potasium Aluminate, or complex
Feldspathic compounds like Leucite etc. It, thus, was concluded that Sulphur preferentially
attacks lime bearing constituent of the castable matrix, Alkali enhances spalling and corrosion.
This, in turn, reduces the abrasion resistance of the castable and wear rate had increased
significantly.
The above mentioned facts necessitated to use refractories which can with stand SOx, Alkalis, and
other low melting constituents like Vanadium, Manganese etc. These conditions also gave way to
use modern application procedures. The focus shifted from using only traditional Low Cement
Castable to tailor made -
- Ultra Low or No Cement Castable
- Alkali Resistant Castable
- Thermal Shock Resistant Castable Table II
- Wear / Spalling resistant castable
In order to achieve above characteristics, at least in critical areas, the focus shifted to refractory
material technology with addition of following additional characteristics (Table III)
- Lower thermal expansion
- Higher MOR
- Lower elastic modulus
- Higher thermal conductivity
- Higher fracture toughness
- Lower crystallite size, and
- High fracture toughness and hardness
Table II Properties Critical for Thermal Shock Resistance of Refractories
Table III Properties Critical for Wear Resistance of Refractories
For better refractory performance, thus, the relevant characteristics of the aggregate base as well
as the matrix were suitably modified. The installation practices needed a relook and following new
installation came into practice and they are:
- Use of Plastic by Ramming
- Use of Low Porosity Gunning material and / or Shotcreting technique (Quite popular in West)
These newly developed materials, with specific characteristics mentioned above and new
application procedures, demanded better -
- Storage facility of Monolithic material and FIFO concept thereafter while using them
- Control of water quantity as well as quality used for mixing at site
- Quality of equipment - like Mixer, Vibrators, Rammers, Gunning Machine are extremely vital
for improved life of refractories
- Lead Time after mixing since the setting behaviour is time linked process
- In general - Quality of installation by reducing / eliminating human errors during application at
job site,
Design Of Lining For Improved Refractory Performance:
- Expansion provisions
- Anchor system and spacing of the same
Other aspects, which influenced refractory performance, but were not paid attention to in the past,
are getting due attention now. Some of them are:
- Curing and Heating in shortest possible time ,
- Conservation/preservation of lining,
The life of modified refractory castable and installation practices helped significantly improved
refractory performance. A typical picture – Figure 6 attached here below explains what can be
achieved.
It has become imperative to implement modern Design Concept / Practices of refractory lining to
ensure long and satisfactory performance of the lining in CFBC boiler.
The Trend Today is
- Use lime free monolithic refractory in CFBC boilers where ever required / possible
- Use Modern application practices
- Reduce installation time
- Preserve / conserve refractory after installation
A specially designed phosphate bonded and / or Low Porosity aluminous castable or Plastic, has
been used of late for improved physical and thermal properties. As a result, the refractories do
not get damaged due to spalling or abrasion/erosion/corrosion.
It is important to note that, Phosphate bonded Plastics are most preferred material in Compact
Separator type CFBC Boilers where lining thickness is as thin as 25 mm. Phosphate bonded
plastic sets only after curing at > 265 0C. It, thus, is not practically feasible to install plastic
refractories in all locations efficiently which necessitated use of Low Porosity Gunning material.
The installation of chemically bonded plastic, especially preheating, is extremely crucial for the
desired performance in CFBC boilers. For higher thickness lining, it is recommended to use
ceramic anchors for best performance.
The Precautions Required for use of Plastics
- Provide adequate and proper retainers at pre – determined intervals
- Place / weld anchors in line with drawing
- Ensure void free refractory application around ceramic anchors
- Keep ceramic anchors tight, aligned. Check orientation of Ceramic anchors to avoid point
stress
- Full width of the shuttering should be filled with Plastic before placement of the next set of
forms
- Shuttering should be removed part by part after checking for slumping. Timing for shuttering
removal vary from season to season and also the location in the equipment
- The plastic cover should be around 10 mm over anchor tip in case metallic anchors are used
- The form work, in case it is made of wood, should be removed before heating commences
- Provide Defined Shrinkage (Contraction) cuts
- Vent hole is required for easy removal of moisture
- Re-ramming after removal of shuttering, if used during installation, is must to ensure proper
compactness of plastic particularly around anchors
Precautions Required for Gunning:
- Install gunning by segment wise only
- After gunning, scrape extra thickness by wooden / Aluminium rafter
- For Low Porosity Gunning materials, provide vent holes where ever possible
- Strictly do not use re-bound material
- The gunning operation should be in elliptical direction
- Build around 50 mm at a time
- Gunn corners of a segment first
- In case of multiple layer gunning, clean the material stuck over anchors before fresh gunning
Refractories Maintenance Procedure for CFBC Boiler
During normal shut down, the most common observation with any monolithic refractory lining is ~
2 – 3 mm wide gaps all around the panels. Since these gaps serve as expansion joint during
reheating, no attempt shall be made to fill these gaps. It is, however, recommended that if the
gap width is > 5 mm, first clean the gap with compressed air, where ever possible then pack it with
ceramic fiber/wool to eliminate infiltration of ash / sand in the gap. If these joints get packed with
ash / bed material and restrict the thermal expansion of the lining, they will result in uneven crack
formation leading to spalling and/or erosion.
It is recommended to use Ceramic anchors in overhead areas of both cyclone and Cross Over
Duct, to get better anchorage to Plastic refractories compared to the metallic anchors. Ceramic
anchor, when compared with metallic anchors, also can withstand higher temperature and
maintain its strength. A combination of ceramic and metallic anchors can, however, also be used
for installation of Plastic refractories.
Based on our experience with Monolithic refractory lining in CFBC boiler we, however,
recommend repair of cracks of the following nature:
- The number of cracks in a panel are more and have propagated in multi directions
- After dismantling the hot face dense layer, check the anchor conditions prior to the installation
of monolithic material. If the anchors are deformed or oxidized, the same should be replaced.
- If a small portion, dislodged because of multi crack formation, needs to be repaired, expose 2
anchors in the dislodged area. Subsequently, the entire old material should be removed and
fresh monolithic material should be installed without shuttering. The plastic refractory is best
repair material for such localized damaged area.
- During every shutdown, the expansion joints must be cleaned with compressed air and filled
with ceramic blanket or wool.
Our experience reveals that if such practices are followed for the refractory maintenance, its life
can be extended significantly.
Heating and Cooling Procedures
To get best performance from refractory lining, appropriate heating and cooling procedures should
be adopted during operation / shut down / maintenance of CFBC boiler.
If the system undergoes any unplanned shut down, e. g. due to power failure etc., if possible, the
system should be cooled at ~ 50 0C per hour from normal operating temperature upto 250 0C
and thereafter it should be cooled naturally.
Conclusion
Refractory life in CFBC boilers, which have gained popularity not only in India but globally are due
to its capability of using low grade multiple fuel, can be improved significantly by their appropriate
selection, installation and maintenance. While using multiple fuel in CFBC boiler, without
limestone addition, No cement monolithic or Low Porosity refractory material have emerged as
best solution which improves the refractory life many fold.
While selecting the refractories for CFBC boilers, thus, operating parameters and variation in fuel
composition should be considered so that better life is achieved. Our experience reveals that in
addition to appropriate refractory selection, its installation, heating procedure,
conservation/preservation and maintenance during shut downs help to improve the refractory
performance.
References
1) Zevenhoven R., Järvinen M., “Particle / Turbulence Interactions, Mass Transfer and Gas/Solid
Chemistry in a CFBC Riser”, Applied Scientific Research, Volume 67 (2) 107-124 (2001)
2) Anthony EJ, Bulewicz EM, Dudek K, Kozak A, “The long term behaviour of CFBC ash-water systems”,
Waste Manag, 22 (1) 99 - 111 (2002)
3) K. G. Bhuskute and N. Ambhaikar, “CFBC Technology:Environment friendly, More efficient, Suitable for
nd
wide spectrum of fuels and Cost effective”, Presented at 2 FICCI -TERI Global Conference "GREEN
2002: AGENDA FOR INDUSTRY", New Delhi, India,
4) Calderys India and Calderys World wide presentation / publications on refractories for CFBC Boilers.
Figure 1 Typical Design of CFBC Boiler
Hot Cyclone Type CFBC Boiler Compact Separator Type CFBC
Boiler
Figure 2 Typical Refractory Figure 3 Typical Refractory
Erosion Profile of Bull Nose Area Corrosion of Strike Wall
Figure 4 Refractory Degradation in Figure 5 CO Attack of Refractory in
Cyclone Inlet due to SOx Attack Combustor Burner Area
Condition of Redd-Ram (a …Condition after 12 years of
Plibrico Product) After Operation in 2007
installation in 1995
Figure 6 Condition of Plibrico Redd – Ram Plastic Refractory in Strike Area after 12
years of Operation
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