Balancing Act: The Role of Induced Draft Fans in Boiler Operations

The draft fans are among the most crucial elements in the boiler system of a plant. These fans, also called blowers, are primarily divided into two categories – induced draft (ID) fans and forced draft (FD) fans. The significance of both these blowers is equal in any boiler system. The scope of this write-up is going to be restricted to briefly elaborating on the role of induced draft fans in boiler operations.

• The ID fans perform an important function in the boiler system. These blowers collect the flue gasses and other pollutants there in the chamber and expel them into the external atmosphere. For this, the fans make use of a blower to draw in air present within the combustion chamber. This air, which is composed of those gasses and contaminants, is directed through a chimney and released into the outside environment.

• The induced draft blowers accomplish the above objective by generating negative pressure.

• In the boiler systems, the ID fans work in coordination with the forced draft blowers. This makes certain that both the airflow and the fuel level of the system remain balanced at all times.

• It has to be highlighted that the amount of air that is handled by induced draft blowers is higher when compared with the FD variants. The ID fans do this job effectively and contribute to enhanced efficiency of the boiler operations.

• Usually, the induced draft fans are installed in such a way that they are easily accessible by the technicians taking care of their maintenance. This aspect of uncomplicated accessibility makes it simpler to periodically carry out maintenance work for these devices. And, when the blowers are constantly working at their best, there are no issues with unhindered completion of the process of combustion.

• The area that in the middle of the dust collector and the boiler is the place where ID blowers are generally fixed. Because of that, it becomes easier for the blowers to eliminate gasses and other noxious substances.

• The quantity of power that is consumed for operating induced draft fans is substantially lower. As a result, these fans enable the plant to save huge costs related to energy consumption. These savings can be allocated to addressing other key issues about plant operations.

• Since the ID blowers operate in high temperatures and harsh conditions, they are manufactured from materials like steel and cast iron. This ensures that the blowers work optimally, doing full justice to their role.

• Here is another point worthy of special mention. The induced draft fans bring in only that much air that is necessary for the proper combustion of the fuel. The correct ratio between air and fuel is always maintained. The fact that this greatly boosts the overall efficiency warrants no special mention.

• These devices make sure that there is no accumulation of noxious gasses in the boiler. It must be mentioned that if there is no prompt elimination of these gasses, the risk of a major explosion is alarmingly high.

• There are now different models of induced draft fans available. The plant has to choose the model that is most appropriate for its given requirements. It is only then that the purpose of deploying ID fans can be fully realized.