Heat pipe based air preheater for thermal power plants

Modern day thermal power plants try to utilize more & more heat available from burning of coal. In the process reducing the heat loss to the surroundings and increasing the efficiency. Devices like economizer and air preheater are manifestations for the same purpose. Most of the power plants in India rely on air preheaters of the Ljungstrom type - the regenerative variety or the tubular type - the recuperative variety. These air pre heaters have limitations with respect to having a large size and less efficiency of heat transfer.

The captive power plant of HINDALCO Industries Limited at Renusagar also uses air pre heaters of Ljungstrom type for its older units & of tubular type for its new units. These air pre heaters have inherent drawbacks of low heat transfer and more soot formation. These can be removed by using the heat pipe technology for air pre heating.

The problem before the team is to develop a "heat pipe based air Pre Heater for thermal power plants" based on the design specifications of the current air pre heater being used by Messrs. HINDALCO Industries Limited and to test its feasibility by making a scaled model of the heat pipe air pre heater and testing it in the laboratory. This is a collaborative project between the students of the institute and Messrs. HINDALCO Industries Limited with the latter providing information about its on-site resources, processes and parameters. And the former sharing the results of the project and findings with the industry.