Compressed Air - Fourth Utility of The Power Plant

In any case, if the compressed air is contaminated by the presence of moisture, dust particles, oil, or solid contaminants it can be a source of serious problems as it can highly impair the proper functioning of the pneumatic tools, machines and systems. As moisture is a great source of deterrent across various industries, its impact on the power industry is equally inconvenient. The menace of moisture is highly amplified and starkly visible in the ash conveying system of the power plant.

August 08, 2022. By News Bureau

Compressed air plays an instrumental role in the power plant that finds application in a wide range of operations. From coal handling to ensuring smooth operation of pneumatic instruments powering boilers, turbines, generators, precipitators, etc., and ash conveying systems, compressed air is intricately crucial in the power industry.

Currently, India is the world’s second-largest consumer and third-largest producer of electricity. The electricity demand is only expected to increase rapidly in the years to come. As per varied reports, Global energy demand is expected to increase substantially in the next few decades. This mainly due to the projected growth in world population, and the economic and industrial growth of developed and developing countries. To meet the surging demand for electricity, it is only sensible to amplify the generation capacity of the power plants that requires efficiency in the operations.

Here the role of quality compressed air, free from any form of contaminants like moisture/water, oil fumes, dust particles, or any form of solid contaminants is inevitable in ensuring the productivity of the power plant. Quality compressed air is very critical for the pneumatic systems connected with Ash Conveying System, turbines, boilers, reactors and gas turbines.

In any case, if the compressed air is contaminated by the presence of moisture, dust particles, oil, or solid contaminants it can be a source of serious problems as it can highly impair the proper functioning of the pneumatic tools, machines and systems. As moisture is a great source of deterrent across various industries, its impact on the power industry is equally inconvenient. The menace of moisture is highly amplified and starkly visible in the ash conveying system of the power plant.

Here the Pressure Conveying System conveys the bulk material under pressure from one point to another along with several discharge points. In this process of transporting dry fly ash from the surge hopper to the silo for storage, a huge force of air is needed that is provided by the high pressure compressed air. The presence of moisture in the compressed air stream causes the moistening of the ashes that stick to the sides of the pipeline leading to scale formation. It can acutely disturb the free flow of the ash. This even increases the probability of contamination and damage at the point where the compressed air comes in direct contact with the hygroscopic material.

Furthermore, it can cause the corrosion of pneumatic pipelines, cylinders, and other components and during the cold weather, there is freezing in the exposed lines. As a result, there are sluggish and inconsistent operations of pneumatic valves and cylinders. Such issues are responsible for increasing the downtime of the machines and invariably put a lot of pressure on the maintenance cost of the pneumatic machines.
 

Compounding the misery, these issues can take a toll on the company as the malfunctioning of the machinery can invariably lead to temporary discontinuity in the operations of the power plant. In severe cases, it can even result in the shutdown of the plant. The productivity is highly impaired that ultimately amounts to a huge revenue loss for the company.

Therefore, considering that compressed air is essential for the diverse functions in the power plant, the quality of the compressed air must be monitored closely to eliminate the slightest presence of contaminants in the air. For this compressed air dryers must be installed to achieve the highest quality compressed air. Delair provides Compressed Air Treatment solutions that save the production and energy costs of the plant. It offers a wide range of refrigeration and desiccant/adsorption dryers that work on different drying principles, but achieves the same desired result of eliminating moisture and other contaminants from compressed air.

Processes that require pressure dew point to be maintained between 3°C and 6°C resort to refrigeration dryer that cools down the air to a nearly freezing point to dry the compressed air. On the other hand, for achieving extra dry air that ranges between atmospheric dew points of (-)40°C and (-)60°C, adsorption or desiccant drying is employed. It makes use of the heatless regeneration principle where the desiccants adsorb and desorb the water vapor.

With India actively undergoing industrial expansion, there is a growing urban and rural population that will give an impetus to the rising demand for electricity. As a result, the power plants must be highly smart and efficient in their work to meet the demand created by the country. Along with the benefit of catering to the population, the flourishing power plants has great potential to contribute to the sustainable growth of the Indian economy as well.

- Deepak Pahwa, Director, Delair

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