Quality compressed air forms an intricate part of the power industry, fueling the wide gamut of operations involved in the plants. Compressed air finds application in coal handling and ash conveying systems to ensure smooth operation of pneumatic instruments that power turbines, boilers, generators, precipitators, etc. in the power plant.
At present, India is the third-largest producer and second-largest consumer of electricity in the world. But given the increasing world population and the fast pace at which the developed and developing countries are undergoing economic and industrial growth, the demand for global energy will only rise in the next few decades. In order to fulfil this surging demand for electricity, it is necessary to escalate the generation capacity of power plants which can be achieved by ensuring the efficiency of operations.
Ensuring quality compressed air for the various operations in the power plant can play an instrumental role in amplifying the plant’s productivity. Compressed air is required for all pneumatic systems, so it becomes imperative to keep the air free from contaminants like moisture/water, oil fumes, dust particles, or any form of solid contaminants.
Any contamination in the compressed air can lead to serious problems by impairing the proper functioning of pneumatic tools, instruments, machines, and automation systems. Out of all the contaminants, moisture is the major source of inconvenience whose repercussion is starkly visible in the ash conveying system within a power generation plant. The Pressure Conveying System is responsible for conveying the bulk material from one point to another along with several discharge points under pressure. This transport of dry fly ash from the surge hopper to the silo for storage is feasible with the help of pressure provided by compressed air.
In case there is any presence of moisture in the compressed air stream, it initiates moistening of the ash that disrupts the free flow due to scale formation in the pipeline arising from ash sticking to the sides. The probability of contamination also increases, and there is a damaging effect at the point of contact of compressed air with the hygroscopic material.
Moisture can also negatively impact pneumatic pipelines, cylinders, and other components. The situation worsens during the cold weather as the moisture freezes in the exposed lines. This accounts for sluggish and inconsistent operations of pneumatic valves and cylinders. As a result, the downtime of the equipment is increased invariably, which puts a lot of pressure on the maintenance cost of the pneumatic machines.
All the factors cumulatively can take a toll on the company considering the temporary discontinuity in operations arising from malfunctioning of the machines. In extreme cases, it can even lead to the plant’s shutdown. The productivity is impaired massively, and a huge revenue loss is incurred for the company.
As compressed air forms an essential part of the power plant, it becomes imperative to monitor the quality of compressed air closely. Proper care must be taken to eliminate even the slightest contaminant in the air. Therefore, compressed air dryers must be installed to achieve the highest quality of compressed air. They are adept at providing comprehensive Compressed Air Treatment solutions that are responsible for saving the production and energy costs of the power plant. It comes with a wide range of refrigeration and desiccant/adsorption dryers that achieves the same desired results of removing moisture from the compressed air but works on different dying principles.
The refrigeration dryers cool down the compressed air with the help of a heat exchanger, followed by condensation of the bulk amount of water vapour into droplets discharged by automated drain valves. This type of drying is efficient for applications requiring a best pressure dew point of +2°C. On the other hand, the adsorption dryer works on the principle of heatless regeneration that uses the physical properties of desiccant to adsorb and desorb the water vapour. The pressure swing principle/ purge air regenerates the desiccant bed. This method requires the application to require a best pressure dew point of (-20°C) to (-40°C) max.
Considering that power is an intricate part of a country’s infrastructure that invariably contributes to the economic growth and welfare of the nation, it is only fair that highly smart and efficient power plants are established to add to the generating capacity of the country massively.