A numerical study on thermal behavior of a D-type water-cooled steam boiler

To achieve a precise assessment on thermal performance of a D-type water-cooled natural gas-fired boiler the present paper was aimed at determining temperature distribution of water and flue gas flows in its different heat exchange equipment. Using the zonal method to predict thermal radiation treatment in the boiler furnace and a numerical iterative approach, in which heat and fluid flow relations associated with different heat surfaces in the boiler convective zone were employed to estimate heat transfer characteristics, enabled this numerical study to obtain results in good agreement with experimental data measured in the utility site during steady state operation. A constant flow rate for a natural gas fuel of specified chemical composition was assumed to be mixed with a given excess ratio of air flow at a full boiler load. Significant results attributed to distribution of heat flux on different furnace walls and that of flue gas and water/steam temperature in different convective stages including superheater, evaporating risers and downcomers modules, and economizer were obtained. Besides the rate of heat absorption in every stage and other essential parameters in the boiler design too, inherent thermal characteristics like radiative and convective heat transfer coefficients as well as overall heat transfer conductance and effectiveness of convective stages considered as cross-flow heat exchangers were eventually presented for the given operating condition.

► Detailed distribution of heat flux on all of the boiler furnace walls was obtained.
► Flue gas and water thermal behaviors in different heating sections were evaluated.
► A good agreement was made between numerical results and experimental data.
► Contribution of the boiler furnace to the total thermal absorption was 39%.
► Contribution of the boiler tube banks to the total thermal absorption was 61%.