HRL Technology Group Pty Ltd ABN 89 609 887 327 info@hrl.com.au hrl.com.au

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IDFan

Cap

ability

hrl:

IDFanCapabilityOptimisinginduceddraftfanperformanceandreliability

Challenges

Sub-optimalinduceddraft(ID)fanperformancecanleadtoshort-andlong-termissuessuchas:• prematurecrackingoffanimpellers• increasedpowerconsumptionandhenceauxiliaryload• damagetofanimpellersthrougherosion.

Solutions

HRL canhelpplantoperatorsmeetthesechallengesby:• providingindependentIDfanperformance/acceptance

testingtorelevantcodessuchasASMEPTC11-Fans• auditingfandesignusingstressandmodalanalysis

(finiteelementmethods),impulsetesting,fatigueassessmentsandstraingaugesurveys

• undertakingprocessmodellingandcomputationalfluiddynamics(CFD)modellingofthefansandsurroundingductworkunderexistingandpotentialoperatingconditions.

Benefits

HRL servicesandexpertiseprovideplantoperatorswithnumerousbenefits,including:• independentacceptancetestingtoensureoriginal

equipmentsuppliersperformanceguaranteesaremet• performancetestingandprocessmodellingproviding

insightintohowplantoperatingconditionsareimpactingonIDfanperformanceandefficiency

• auditingfandesignstodeterminethesteadystate,staticanddynamicstressesexperiencedduringoperation;andthemodefrequenciesandshapes,tohelpdeterminethecauseandriskofprematurecracking

• auditingthatcanalsodetermineexpectedfanlifeandassistindevelopingweld-repairprocedures

• usingcomputationalfluiddynamicsmodellingtorevealtheunderlyingflowstructureswithinthefanandsurroundingductworktodiagnoseperformanceissuessuchasvibrationcausedbythefanoritsinteractionwithsurroundingductwork

• usingCFDmodellingtopredicterosionpatternscausedbyparticle-ladenflowstohelpplanmaintenanceandcomparescenariostominimisesucherosion.

2

Case Study

Investigating premature cracking in an ID fan

AnAustralianpowerstationfoundsignificantcrackingwithintheimpellerononeoftheirinduceddraftfans.Theimpellerhadbeenreplacedthreeyearsearlierandhadbeensubjectedtoseveraldesignchanges,suchthatthereplacementimpellercouldbeconsideredasadifferentstructuretotheoriginal.HRL wasengagedbythepowerstationoperatorstoinvestigatetherootcauseofprematurecrackinginthenewimpeller.

HRLinvestigatedthecrackingby:• installing(wireless)straingaugesontothenewimpeller

tosurveystrainduringstart-upandnormaloperation• undertakingafiniteelementanalysis(FEA)ofthefanto

determinetheresonantfrequencyoftheimpellerandmodeshapeofthenaturalfrequencies

• undertakingsteady-stateanalysistocomparetheoperatingmeanstressofthenewimpellertotheoriginal

• performingastiffenedmodalanalysistodeterminethesystem’snaturalfrequenciesandmodalshapes

• performinganunstiffenedmodalanalysistodeterminestaticnaturalfrequenciesforvalidationagainstimpacttestingresults

• performancetestingofthefanduringoperationtodetermineitsefficiencyunderdifferentoperatingconditions.

HRLestablishedthemostprobablecauseofthecrackingtobevibration,possiblylinkedtothechangedimpellerdesign.HRLprovidedthepowerstationoperatorswithoptionstopreventfurthercrackingoftheirIDfans.HRLrecommended:• thefanmanufacturerreviewthefanflow-design

characteristicsbasedontheperformancetestdataHRLcollectedunderplantoperatingconditions–nearstallatlowload

• tomitigatetheflow-inducedvibration,thestationtoconsiderasmallerfan,orinstallingavariablespeedfanorbypassductsystem

• installingflue-gasflowmeasurementdevicesonbothfanstoeliminatebiastoonefan

• specificoperatinginstructionstoavoidrunningthefanatnear-stallcondition.

Contact JamesTaylor

Telephone+61395659867Mobile+61438862702Emailjtaylor@hrl.com.au

Contact DaoNguyen

Telephone+61395659783Mobile+61427184907Emaildnguyen@hrl.com.au

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