A heat recovery steam generator ( HRSG) is a heat exchanger that Energy recovery from a hot gas stream, such as a combustion turbine or other waste gas stream. It produces steam that can be used in a process (cogeneration) or used to drive a steam turbine (combined cycle).
Modular HRSGs can be categorized by a number of ways such as direction of exhaust gas flow or number of pressure levels. Based on the flow of exhaust gases, HRSGs are categorized into vertical and horizontal types. In horizontal type HRSGs, exhaust gas flows horizontally over vertical tubes whereas in vertical type HRSGs, exhaust gas flows vertically over horizontal tubes. Based on pressure levels, HRSGs can be categorized into single pressure and multi pressure. Single pressure HRSGs have only one steam drum and steam is generated at a single pressure level, whereas multi pressure HRSGs employ two (double pressure) or three (triple pressure) steam drums. As such, triple pressure HRSGs consist of three sections: an LP (low pressure) section, a reheat/IP (intermediate pressure) section, and an HP (high pressure) section. Each section has a steam drum and an evaporator section where water is converted to steam. This steam then passes through superheaters to raise the temperature beyond the humidity point.
The steam and water pressure parts of an HRSG are subjected to a wide range of degradation mechanisms, for example creep, thermal fatigue, creep-fatigue, mechanical fatigue, Flow Accelerated Corrosion (FAC), corrosion and corrosion fatigue, amongst others.
Additionally, HRSGs can include cold water heat exchangers designed to condense moisture in flue gases, reducing emissions and increasing efficiency. AITESA. Heat Recovery Steam Generators & Waste Heat Recovery Boilers
HRSGs can also have diverter valves to regulate the inlet flow into the HRSG. This allows the gas turbine to continue to operate when there is no steam demand or if the HRSG needs to be taken offline.
Emissions controls may also be located in the HRSG. Some may contain a selective catalytic reduction system to reduce NOx (a large contributor to the formation of smog and acid rain) or a catalyst to remove carbon monoxide. The inclusion of an SCR dramatically affects the layout of the HRSG. NOx catalyst performs best in temperatures between . This usually means that the evaporator section of the HRSG will have to be split and the SCR placed in between the two sections. Some low-temperature NOx catalysts have recently come to market that allow for the SCR to be placed between the evaporator and economizer sections ().
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