Thermodynamic Analysis of Grate Fired Boiler Efficiency using Biomass Fuels

The boiler efficiency is one of the most important factor in a thermal power plant. In recent years there is a demand for investigation of grate fired boiler efficiency around the world using various biomass fuels. The objective of this analytical study is to investigate the performance of grate fired boiler for different biomass fuels. The boiler efficiency is calculated based on the ultimate analysis of biomass fuels by using indirect method. The analytical study is conducted using three biomass fuels namely; casuarina, rice husk and bagasse. The results of the analysis showed that the maximum boiler efficiency for casuarina is 79 % for the boiler feed water inlet temperature at 105°C and the flue gas exit temperature at 160°C. Similarly, the boiler efficiency for rice husk and bagasse are 76.45 % and 67.07 % respectively for the conditions. The moisture in air is considered as 0.022 kg/kg of dry air for calculating the boiler efficiency. The final results are compared and analysed for the performance of grate fired boiler and found that the boiler efficiency is higher for casuarina fuel.