Waste-heat boiler design for furnace gas recovery In industrial furnace technology, the design of a waste-heat boiler used to recover heat from furnace exhaust gases primarily depends on which set of gas characteristics?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: all (a), (b) and (c).

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Waste-heat boilers (WHBs) recover sensible heat from hot furnace off-gases and convert it to useful steam or hot water. Proper design must consider several gas-side parameters to ensure high efficiency, reliability, and safe operation in real plant conditions.



Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The WHB serves a furnace exhaust stream.
  • We compare the importance of gas quantity and temperature, dust loading and dust character, and corrosivity.
  • Only one option should best capture the full design dependency.


Concept / Approach:
Gas-side design governs heat-transfer area, tube geometry, fouling allowances, cleaning provisions, metallurgy, and allowable gas velocities. These choices hinge on thermal load (flow and temperature), particulate nature (erosion, deposition, and plugging risks), and chemistry (acid dew points and high-temperature corrosion).



Step-by-Step Solution:

Recognize that thermal duty = gas mass flow * specific heat * temperature drop; this fixes heat-transfer surface scale.Abrasive or sticky particulates set velocity limits, tube pitch, soot-blowing/rap systems, and orientation (horizontal vs vertical passes).Corrosive species (e.g., SO3, HCl, alkali vapors) dictate materials selection, tube metal temperatures, and gas exit temperature to avoid acid condensation.Therefore the comprehensive answer must include all three aspects.


Verification / Alternative check:
Field practice shows WHBs frequently fail due to fouling/erosion (dust) or cold-end corrosion (chemistry) rather than pure thermal sizing, confirming that multi-parameter design is essential.



Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Quantity & temperature only — ignores fouling/corrosion risks that dominate lifecycle performance.Dust factors only — ignores duty sizing and metallurgy for corrosive gases.Corrosivity only — ignores capacity and fouling control.


Common Pitfalls:
Designing solely on thermal load, underestimating dust stickiness, and setting gas exit temperature below acid dew point causing rapid corrosion.



Final Answer:
all (a), (b) and (c).

More Questions from Furnace Technology

Discussion & Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
Join Discussion