The present invention relates to a thermal power boiler in accordance with the introductory part of the independent claim. The invention thus relates to a thermal power boiler comprising a furnace having a rear wall, a flue gas channel connected to the furnace, said flue gas channel comprising a back pass arranged on the rear wall side of the furnace, and a pre-heater for combustion air provided with an inlet channel for flue gas, the upper portion of the inlet channel for flue gas being connected to the lower portion of the back pass, and a flow channel for combustion air arranged adjacent to said inlet channel for flue gas for leading pre-heated combustion air to the furnace.

There is a tendency to increase the capacity of thermal power boilers, such as circulating fluidized bed boilers by shifting to larger and larger units. For example, the capacity of the largest manufactured circulating fluidized bed boiler is nowadays 460 MWe, but there are already plans for constructing 600 MWe and even 800 MWe plants. One of the essential problems with high capacity thermal power boilers is that the size of the plant grows very much, which increases the construction costs and makes the location of the plant to the neighborhood more difficult.

Pre-heating of the combustion air by means of the heat of the flue gas is one of the standard methods to improve the capacity of a thermal power boiler. The pre-heaters for combustion air can be divided into recuperative and regenerative pre-heaters. In the recuperative pre-heaters heat is conducted through heat surfaces directly from the flue gas to the combustion air, whereas in the regenerative pre-heaters the flue gas first heats heat storage mass, usually a metal or ceramic battery, which in the second stage emits heat to the combustion air.

The regenerative pre-heaters are common especially in the large thermal power boilers due to their relatively small size. In the so called rotary plane pre-heaters that are most commonly used, the heat storage mass rotates slowly, usually 3 - 5 rpm in such a way that it is alternately in contact with the flue gas flow and the combustion air. In the pre-heaters for combustion air with a stationary plane, the storage mass remains still, but the connecting conduits for flue gas and combustion air comprise a rotary member, by means of which the gases are guided to flow alternately through different sectors of the storage mass.

For example, US Patent No. 5,915,340 discloses a regenerative pre-heater for combustion air with four-sector rotary plane, in which the flue gas flows through one flow sector, and primary air and first and second secondary air through the three other flow sectors. The rotary axis of the regenerative pre- heater for combustion air can be either horizontal or vertical, but especially pre-heaters with vertical rotary axis are discussed below. The present invention is especially related to pre-heaters for combustion air, in which the flue gas flows through a pre-heater downwards and the combustion air upwards, respectively.

According to the prior art, the furnace, back pass and pre-heater for combustion air of a thermal power boiler are located one after another in the direction of the normal of the rear wall or side wall of the furnace, as disclosed, for example, in Fig. 2 of US patent 5, 915, 340. The back pass refers in this connection to a vertical portion of the first flue gas channel, which usually comprises heat exchangers, such as superheaters, reheaters and pre-heaters for feed water.

In the lower part of the back pass, there is usually a turn channel, from the farthest edge of which, in respect of the furnace, the flue gas channel extends towards the pre-heater for combustion air. There is usually at the bottom of the turn channel an ash hopper collecting flue gas particles. Usually, the flue gas channel comprises after the turn channel first a horizontal or inclined channel portion, which is directed away from the furnace, and then a vertical channel portion, which leads to the upper portion of the pre-heater for combustion air.

When the furnace of a large thermal power boiler, back pass and pre-heater for combustion air are arranged conventionally one after another, the channels connecting them to each other can become long, whereby the design and assembly thereof among the other equipment and parts related to the furnace is complicated. Each portion and bend of the flue gas channel requires space, which could otherwise be used for locating other parts, for example, fuel treatment equipment.

In order to have different flow sectors of the pre-heater for combustion air wide enough to keep the pressure losses reasonable, the diameter of a regenerative pre-heater for combustion air to be arranged in a large thermal power boiler can be very large. It is also known that the flue gas channel of a large thermal power boiler is divided into two portions, which lead into two adjacent pre-heaters for combustion air, whereby the size of an individual pre- heater remains reasonable and the assembly thereof is relatively easy.

As the flue gas is usually guided from a pre-heater for combustion air further to the cleaning apparatuses for flue gas, for example, to a dust separator, it is natural to arrange the pre-heater in such a way that the inlet and outlet connections for flue gas are in the portion of the pre-heater, which is the farthest from the furnace. Thereby, the inlet and outlet connections for combustion air are on the furnace side of the pre-heater, respectively. In the regenerative pre-heaters for combustion air with a rotary plane, the inlet and outlet connections for flue gas are naturally in the same portion of the pre-heater as the flow sector for flue gas, and the inlet and outlet connections for combustion air are in the same portion of the pre-heater as the flow sector for combustion air, respectively. In the regenerative pre-heaters with stationary plane, the inlet and outlet connections for combustion air and flue gas are stationary, but the flow sectors for combustion air and flue gas rotate with the rotary members of the respective connecting conduits. Fig. 1 of US Patent No. 7,438,876 discloses a conventional embodiment in accordance with prior art, in which a regenerative pre-heater for combustion air with a rotary plane is arranged outwards from the furnace in respect of the back pass and the flow sector of combustion air in the pre-heater is in the furnace side of the pre-heater. A problem with such an arrangement is that the channel for combustion air must be bent in the next stage underneath the back pass, which in practice usually leads into a complicated channel structure. Fig. 9 of US patent No. 7,438,876 discloses another possible alternative, in which the flow sector of the pre-heater for combustion air is arranged away from the furnace. This arrangement is advantageous when there is a second, recuperative pre-heater for combustion air arranged above the regenerative pre-heater for combustion air and connected in series therewith, through which pre-heater the combustion air is guided to the side of the furnace.

An objective of the present invention is to provide a thermal power boiler, in which above described problems of the prior art are minimized. It is especially an objective to provide a large thermal power boiler, the size of which has been maintained reasonable.

In order to minimize the above mentioned problems of the prior art a thermal power boiler is provided, the characterizing features of which are disclosed in the characterizing part of the independent claim. Thus, it is a characteristic feature of the present thermal power boiler that the inlet channel for flue gas comprises two adjacent channel portions, which adjacent channel portions are connected to the opposite sides of the back pass.

The cross-section of the back pass is usually of rectangular shape in such a way that the side wall of the back pass facing to the furnace and the side wall opposite thereto are broader than the side walls perpendicular to them. Especially, when such a rectangular back pass is considered to be divided into a front portion on the furnace side and a rear portion opposite thereto, one of the parallel channel portions is connected, according to an especially advan- tageous embodiment of the invention, to the front portion of the back pass and the other to the rear portion of the back pass.

According to the present invention, the inlet channel for the flue gas is, in other words both of the channel portions of the inlet channel for flue gas are, connected to the lower portion of the back pass. The channel portions can preferably be connected to the side walls of the back pass immediately above an ash hopper in the lower portion of the back pass, but most preferably they are connected to the back pass in the area of the ash hopper thereof. Thereby, one of the adjacent channel portions is preferably connected to the front portion of the ash hopper and the other one to the rear portion thereof.

The pre-heater for combustion air can be of any type, in which the pre-heater is connected to an inlet channel for flue gas, which inlet channel is connected of its other end to the lower portion of the back pass, and has a flow channel for combustion air, connected to the pre-heater, arranged adjacent to said inlet channel. The pre-heater for combustion air is, however, advantageously a regenerative pre-heater with a rotary plane and comprising abattery of storage mass. Preferably, the rotary axis of the rotary plane of the pre-heater for combustion air is vertical.

The portions of the inlet channels for flue gas connected to the opposite sides of the back pass, especially to the front portion and rear portion thereof, render it possible to connect the pre-heater for combustion air to the back pass symmetrically, in a compact and operationally efficient way. The portions of the channel symmetrically connected to the back pass provide that the flow of the flue gas and the particles entrained therewith in the back pass is even and symmetric, which is why the lower portion of the back pass can easily be designed so that the wearing thereof is relatively mild. Furthermore, the ash hopper in the lower portion of the back pass can be designed in such a way that the separation of the particles from the flue gas flow to the ash hopper is especially efficient. The arrangement in accordance with the conventional technique, in which the inlet channel for flue gas leading to the pre-heater for combustion air is connected merely to the rear portion of the back pass, almost inevitably results in the pre-heater for combustion air being relatively far from the furnace. The channels for flue gas and combustion air thereby become relatively long and complicated. The symmetrical arrangement of the channel portions of the back pass offers a possibility to such an embodiment of the present invention, in which the inlet channel for flue gas is preferably at least partially, more preferably mainly and most preferably completely, underneath the back pass. The inlet channel for flue gas underneath the back pass can thereby be preferably realized in such a way that it is completely, or at least mainly, vertical. The absence of horizontal channel portions decreases the accumulation of ash in the inlet channel, whereby the dimensioning weight of the channel decreases and the costs caused by the channel remain low.

A pre-heater for combustion air, arranged according to the invention can be arranged relatively close to the furnace, whereby an especially compact structure is provided, in which the channels for flue gas and combustion air remain relatively short. Owing to the compact structure, it is possible to provide a relatively small building for the thermal power boiler, whereby the costs remain low.

The pre-heater for combustion air comprises an inlet connection for flue gas, connecting the inlet channel for flue gas to the pre-heater for combustion air. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pre-heater for combustion air is arranged in such a way that the inlet connection for flue gas is at least partially, most preferably completely, underneath the back pass.

Respectively, the pre-heater for combustion air comprises an outlet connection for combustion air, which connects the flow channel for combustion air to the pre-heater for combustion air. In pre-heaters for combustion air comprising more than two sectors, there is, in practice, more than one outlet connection for combustion air, however, also in case there are several outlet connections for combustion air, they are simply referred to as "an outlet connection for combustion air".

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pre-heater for combustion air is arranged in such a way that the outlet connection for combustion air is at least partially, most preferably completely, outside the area underneath the back pass. When the outlet connection for combustion air is outside the area underneath the back pass, the flow channel, or flow channels, of combustion air can be led to the furnace via a most advantageous route. It is not necessary to especially form extensions or special bends in the flow channels for combustion air leading to the furnace, so called feed channels for combustion air, in order to pass the back pass or the flue gas channel. The shortness of the air channels and the simple geometry thereof diminish the pressure loss in the channels, whereby the power consumption of the blowers for combustion air diminishes or alternatively the cross-section of the air channels can be diminished, thus minimizing their costs.

When the thermal power boiler comprises only one pre-heater for combustion air, the outlet connection for combustion air of the pre-heater can preferably be located, in respect of the inlet connection for flue gas, either to the furnace side or opposite to the furnace, whereby the inlet connection for flue gas and the outlet connection for combustion air are arranged one after the other in the direction of the normal of the rear wall of the furnace. Most preferably, the outlet connection for combustion air and the inlet connection for flue gas are, however, arranged one after the other in the direction of the horizontal cross- section of the rear wall of the furnace, whereby the inlet channel for combustion air can preferably be arranged as a whole beside the back pass, as seen from the furnace. Thereby, the inlet channel for combustion air can extend towards the furnace without the necessity of bends to pass the back pass.

According to a most preferred embodiment of the present invention, a thermal power boiler comprises two parallel connected pre-heaters for combustion air, which are arranged symmetrically side by side in respect of the center normal of the rear wall of the furnace. In other words, the thermal power boiler comprises two parallel connected pre-heaters for combustion air, which are arranged one after the other in the direction of the rear wall of the furnace. Thereby, both pre-heaters for combustion air are preferably connected to a separate inlet channel for flue gas, in other words a branch of the inlet channel for flue gas, the other end of which being connected to the lower portion of the back pass, which both branches of the inlet channel for flue gas comprise two adjacent channel portions, of which adjacent channel portions one is connected to a front portion of the back pass and the other to a rear portion of the back pass.

The adjacent pre-heaters for combustion air are preferably arranged in such a way that the inlet connections for flue gas of both of them are at least partially, more preferably mainly and most preferably completely, underneath the back pass. Respectively, the outlet connections for combustion air are preferably at least partially, more preferably mainly and most preferably completely outside the area underneath the back pass. The pre-heaters for combustion air are thereby preferably directed in such a way that the outlet connection for combustion air of both pre-heaters for combustion air is on the furnace side or opposite to the furnace in respect of the inlet connection for flue gas. Most preferably, the pre-heaters for combustion air are, however, directed in such a way that the outlet connections for combustion air are symmetrically to the opposite directions so that the outlet connections for combustion air and the inlet connections for flue gas are one after another in the direction of the rear wall of the furnace.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a by-pass of the pre-heaters for combustion air is arranged between the branches of the flue gas channels leading to the adjacent pre-heaters for combustion air. Most preferably, the by-pass of the pre-heaters for combustion air comprises a pre-heater for feed water in a thermal power boiler. The invention is described more in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a vertical cross-section of a thermal power boiler in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a second schematic side view of a vertical cross-section of a thermal power boiler in accordance with Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3 is a schematic rear view of a vertical cross-section of a thermal power boiler in accordance with Fig. 1.

Figs. 1-3 disclose an exemplary thermal power boiler 10 in accordance with the invention. The thermal power boiler 10 comprises a furnace 12 and a flue gas channel 14 connected to the furnace, which flue gas channel conducts flue gas from the furnace through a back pass 20, arranged on the side of a rear wall 16 of the furnace and provided with heat exchange surfaces 18, and inlet channels 26, 26' for flue gas to two parallel connected pre-heaters 22, 22' for combustion air. The thermal power boiler 10 can be, for example, a large circulating fluidized bed boiler, the electric capacity of which is more than 500 MWe ₁ or a pulverized coal boiler.

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-section of the thermal power boiler 10 taken perpendicularly to the rear wall 16 of the furnace 12 at the inlet channel 26 for flue gas. Fig 2 is a corresponding vertical cross-section taken at the point at the flow channel 24 for combustion air. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section in the direction of the rear wall 16 of the furnace 12 at the back pass 20, respectively.

The pre-heaters 22, 22' for combustion air are preferably arranged according to the invention partially underneath the back pass 20. The pre-heaters 22, 22' for combustion air in the thermal power boiler 10 of Figs. 1-3 are regenerative pre- heaters with a rotary plane. They can, however, also be of some other type, for example, recuperative pre-heaters for combustion air, in which a flow channel for combustion air leading combustion air to the furnace is arranged next to the inlet channel for flue gas connected to the pre-heater for combustion air. Inlet channels for flue gas 26, 26' leading from the lower portion of the back pass to the pre-heaters 22, 22' for combustion air comprise two adjacent channel portions 28, 28', which are connected to the opposite sides of the back pass. In the thermal power boiler of Figs. 1-2, the adjacent channel portions 28, 28' are connected to a front and rear wall 32, 34 of ash hoppers 30, 30' in the lower portion of the back pass 20. In some cases it can be advantageous to connect the adjacent channel portions 28, 28' elsewhere in the lower portion of the back pass 20, for example, immediately above the ash hoppers 30. The adjacent channel portion 28, 28' can in some cases be preferably connected to other opposite sides of the back pass than the front and rear portion of the back pass, for example, to the side walls 36, 36' of the ash hopper 30. Connecting to the side walls of the ash hopper is in some cases advantageous, especially when the thermal power boiler comprises only one pre-heater for combustion air.

As can be seen from Figs. 1 and 3, the inlet channels 26, 26' for flue gas, in other words, both channel portions 28, 28' of the inlet channels for flue gas, are arranged underneath the back pass 20, whereby especially the inlet connections 38, 38' for flue gas connecting to the pre-heaters 22, 22' for combustion air are arranged underneath the back pass. Respectively, as can be seen from Fig. 3, outlet connections 40, 40' for combustion air of the pre-heaters 22, 22' for combustion air are arranged outside the area underneath the back pass.

As can be seen in Fig. 3, the outlet connections 40, 40' are arranged symmetrically to opposite directions so that the inlet connections 38, 38' for flue gas and the outlet connections 40, 40' for combustion air are one after another in the direction of the horizontal cross-section of the rear wall.

This arrangement provides that the inlet channels 26 for flue gas are as short and simple as possible, whereby the back pass 20 and the pre-heaters 22, 22' for combustion air form a compact entity and the size of the thermal power boiler remains as small as possible. When the pre-heaters 22, 22' for combustion air are arranged underneath the back pass 20, the inlet cannels for flue gas are, at least mainly, vertical. Thereby, the accumulation of ash in the inlet channels is considerably less than, for example, in an inlet channel of prior art including horizontal channel portions.

Moreover, the route of the flow channels 24, 24' for combustion air can be designed as advantageously as possible so that it is not necessary to include extra transfer channels or bends therein to pass the back pass 20 or the flue gas channel 14. Thereby, the pressure loss taking place in the flow channel for combustion air is as small as possible, which saves in the power consumption of the blower (not shown in Figs. 1-3) in the inlet channel 58 for combustion air.

The exemplary thermal power boiler 10, disclosed in Figs. 1-3, is a fluidized bed boiler, in which the flow channel 24 for combustion air comprises two branches 42, 44, which transfer primary air to the bottom of the furnace and secondary air above the bottom of furnace, respectively. If the thermal power boiler is a pulverized coal boiler, the branches of the flow channel for combustion air lead primary air to a coal pulverizer and secondary air to burners. In reality, the combustion airs to be conducted to different locations are usually divided apart already prior to the pre-heater for combustion air, whereby the pre-heater for combustion air comprises numerous flow sectors for combustion air, which each are connected with a separate outlet connection for combustion air. For simplicity, Fig. 2 discloses only one outlet connection for combustion air 40, 40' in each pre-heater 22, 22' for combustion air.

A by-pass channel 46 of the pre-heaters for combustion air is arranged between the inlet channels 26, 26' for flue gas leading to the pre-heaters 22, 22' for combustion air, which by-pass channel advantageously comprises a pre-heater 48 for feedwater of the thermal power boiler. The by-pass channel 46 preferably comprises a means, for example, a control valve 50, for controlling the amount of flue gas to be led to the by-pass channel. Preferably, the flue gases cooled in the pre-heaters 22, 22' for combustion air and in the pre-heater 48 for feed water of the by-pass channel are gathered to a common turn channel 52 arranged un- derneath the pre-heaters 22, 22' for combustion air before they are guided further through the outlet channel 54 for flue gas, for example, through a dust separator, to a stack (not shown in Figs. 1-3). A compact construction is obtained by arranging a by-pass channel 46 of the pre-heaters for combustion air between the inlet channels 26, 26' for flue gas. Further, a separate ash hopper below the by-pass channel can then be left out and ash from the flue gas can be gathered to common ash hoppers 56.

The invention has been described above with reference to some exemplary embodiments, but the invention also covers various combinations or modifications of the disclosed embodiments. Thus, it is obvious that the invention is not intended to be limited to the above disclosed embodiments only, but it includes numerous other embodiments, which are limited merely by the appended claims and their definitions.