this article relates to industrial ways of steam generation, used in thermal power plants for electricity generation to use in chemical plants for running turbines

1. Description of industrial steam generation plants
Sameer Pandey1
National Fertilizers Limited ,Naya Nanagal, Ropar, Punjab,140126
Abstract: This paper presents a concise description of steam generation industrial process. No industry can survive
without water, which is the raw material for steam generation. Steam is used for heat applications to generating
electricity in industries. Thus the study of steam generation process is very important.
INTRODUCTION:
Steam is generated in industrial devices called boilers, the design of boilers can be different
depending on the type of industry. The energy stored in steam in form of its Enthalpy is used to
drive turbines. Steam generated is usually superheated. Saturated steam is used in heat exchangers
generally. Boilers can be classified on many terms like on the basis of air draft used, on the basis of
pressure of steam generated, on the basis of design of radiant section or the tubes etc.
SUBCRITICAL BOILERS:
These boilers are used for steam generation below the critical temperature and pressure of water,
they usually have a boiler drum and mud drum arrangement to seperate water droplets from the
steam produced, since the steam formed is wet. The boilers may have water flowing inside tubes
and hot gases outside or the opposite. The flow of water may be forced or natural.
Superheaters, economisers, air preheaters, bank tubes etc are boiler accesories. Main fuel for boilers
is coal, supported on N.G. Some boilers are designed to use N.G. as main fuel with no supporting
fuel.
SUPERCRITICAL BOILERS:
These type of boilers operate and genrate steam above the critical pressure of 22 MP. They are
mainly used in thermal power plants for electricity generation. These boilers donot have steam
drums and mud drums thus eliminate a major risk of boiler drum explosion. Sometimes they are
called Benson boilers after its inventor.
Major problems associated with steam genertaion plants is perticulte matter generation and ash
handling. Pollution norms are getting stricter by day and modern plants are being designed to be
more environment friendly.

2. Figure showing schematic of supercritical boiler.