Classification of Stoker Firing

Classification of stokers
Naresh B
Asst.Professor,
Dept. Of Mechanical Engg
GITAM University - Hyderabad
Automatic stokers are classified

Overfeed stokers.
Underfeed stokers.
In case of overfeed stokers, the coal is
fed into the grate above the point of air
admission.
In case of underfeed stokers, the coal is
admitted into the furnace below the point
of air admission.
Under feed
Classification of stoker firing
Under feed
Overfeed stokers
Principle of Operation: The fuel bed section receives fresh
coal on top surface. The ignition plane lies between green coal
and incandescent coke.

The air enters the bottom of the grate under pressure. The air is
heated while flowing through the grate and passes through a
layer of hot ashes and picks up the heat energy.
The region immediately above the ashes contains a mixture of
incandescent coke and ash, coke content increasing in upward
direction. As the air comes in contact with incandescent coke,
the oxygen reacts with carbon to form carbon-di-oxide.
Water vapour entering with the air reacts with coke to form
CO2, Co and free H2. Upon further travel through the
incandescent region some of the CO2 reacts with coke to
form CO. Hence no free O2 will be present in the gases
leaving the incandescent region.
The ignition zone lies directly below the raw fuel undergoing
distillation. To burn the combustible gases, additional
secondary air must be fed into the furnace to supply the
needed oxygen.
The secondary air must be injected at considerable speed to
create turbulence and to penetrate to all parts of the area
above the fuel bed.
The combustible gases then completely burn in the furnace.
Fuel, coke and ash in the fuel move in direction opposite to
that of air and gases. Raw fuel continually drops on the
surface of the bed.
The rising air feed cools the ash until it finally rests in a plane
immediately adjacent to the grate.

Types of overfeed stokers
The overfeed stokers are used for large
capacity boiler installation where the coal is
burnt with pulverization.
Overfeed
stokers
Travelling
grate stoker
Chain grate
type
Bar grate
type
Spreader
stoker
Travelling grate stoker
The chain grate type or bar grate type
are differ only in the details of grate
construction.
Burning rate 200 to
300kg/sq.met/hr
A chain grate stoker consists of flexible
endless chain which forms a support for the
fuel bed.
The chain travels over two sprocket wheels
on at the front and one at the rear of
furnace.
The front sprocket is connected to a
variable speed drive mechanism. The
speed of the stoker is 15 cm to 50cm per
minute.
The coal bed thickness is shown for all
times by an index plate.
The air is admitted from the underside of
the grate which is divided into several
compartments each connected to an air
duct.
The grate should be saved from being
overheated.
For this coal should have sufficient ash
content which will form a layer on the
grate.
Non-coking coals are best suited for
chain grate stokers.
The rate of burning is 200 to 300kg per
square meters per hour when forced
draught is used.
Advantages of chain grate stoker:
Simple in construction
Initial cost and Maintenance charges are
low
Self-cleaning stoker

Gives high release rates per unit volume
of the furnace

Heat release rates can be controlled just
by controlling the speed of chain

Disadvantages:
Preheated air temperatures are limited to 180
degrees Centigrade maximum.

The clinker troubles are very common

Always some loss of coal in the form of fine
particles through riddling's

Ignition arches are required

Cannot be used for high capacity boilers
(200 tonnes / hr or more)

Spreader stoker
The coal is not fed into
furnace by means of
grate.
The function of the grate is
only to support a bed of
ash and move it out of the
furnace.
The coal is fed into the path of a rotor by means of a conveyor, and
is thrown into the furnace by the rotor and is burnt in suspension.
The air for combustion is supplied through the holes in the grate.
For thorough combustion of coal the secondary air is supplied
through nozzles located directly above the ignition arch.
Unburnt coal and ash are deposited on the grate which can be
moved periodically to remove ash out of the furnace.
Spreader stoker can burn any type of coal.
Used for boiler capacities from 70000kg to 140000kg of steam per
hour.
Advantages:
A wide variety of coal can be burnt
Simple to operate, easy to light up
Operation cost is low
Clinking difficulties are reduced
Volatile matter is easily burnt
Fire arches are generally not required
Depth of coal bed on the grate is usually
limited to 10 to 15 cm only, fluctuating
loads can be easily met with.
Disadvantages:
Difficult to operate spreader with varying sizes of
coal with varying moisture content.
Fly-ash is much more
No remedy for clinker troubles
Possibility of some fuel loss in the cinders up the
stack because of suspension burning
UNDERFEED FEEDERS:
Suitable for burning the semi-bituminous
and bituminous coals.

Principle of operation

Underfeed
Feeders
Single retort
stoker
Multi-retort
stoker
Single-retort stoker
Multi-retort underfeed stokers:
Principle of Operation
Principle of Operation:
The stoker consists of a series of sloping
parallel troughs formed by tuyere stacks.
These troughs are called retorts.
Under the coal hopper at the head end of
the retorts, feeding rams reciprocate
back and forth.
With the ram in the outer position coal
from the hopper falls into space vacated
by the ram.
On the inward stroke the ram forces the
coal into the retort.
In this stoker the number of retorts may vary
from 2 to 20 with coal burning capacity ranging
from 300kg to 2000 kg per hour per retort.
Underfeed stokers are suitable for non-
clinkering, high volatile coals having coking
properties and low ash contents.

Advantages:
High thermal efficiency
Combustion rate is higher
The grate is self-cleaning
Part load efficiency is high particularly with multi-retort
type.
Different varieties of coals can be used.
Much higher steaming rates are possible
Smokeless operation is possible at very light load.
With the use of clinker grinder, most heat can be liberated
out of fuel.
It can be used with all refractory furnaces because of non-
exposure of stoker mechanism to the furnace.
The boiler may remain in service in the event of
temporary breakdown of the coal supply system.
Disadvantages:
1. High initial cost
2. Require large building space
3. The clinker troubles are usually present
4. Low grade fuels with high ash content
cannot be burnt economically.

Classification of Stoker Firing

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