BOILERS

SCOPE:

This procedure is intended to give

guidance to the plant inspector to
check, evaluate, and asses the
condition of the water tubes boiler
components and recommend any
necessary repair.

Function
>> The purpose of the utility boilers is to produce superheated steam
for use in the process units. The primary source of boiler feed water is
the clean condensate returned from steam users throughout the
complex. The makeup water is from the process water after it has been
Demineralized. Both the condensate and the Demineralized water enter
the deaerators D-6003A/B before reaching the boilers. The maximum
continuous rating of the boiler is 153 Ton/h. The normal operating
temperature and pressure are 400 C and 4480 Kpag respectively.

MAJOR PARTS

Economizer:
A heat exchanger which is used to recover the heat from the
fuel gases which otherwise would be lost up to the stack. It is
used to preheat the feed water of the boiler. The economizer
consists of spiral fin tubes connected to two headers lower
and upper. The boiler feed water enters the economizer
through the lower header and the preheated water enters the
steam drum from the upper header. The economizer has two
set of manholes for cleaning and inspection.

ForcedDraftFan:A fan supplying air under

pressure to the fuel burning equipment.

InducedDraftFan:A fan exhausting hot gases from

the heat absorbing equipment.

Furnace/Fire
Box
An enclosed space provided for the combustion of fuel.

MudDrum
A drum at the bottom of the boiler which is connected to
the steam drum by the vertical bank tubes. The drum is
also connected to the furnace wall tubes. Inside the
drum, an intermittent blowdown pipe is fixed along the
drum bottom with 6 mm holes to remove any deposits
from the drum.

SteamDrum:
A drum at the top of the boiler which is connected to the
mud drum by the vertical bank tubes. The drum is also
connected to the furnace wall tubes. The drum contains
chevron dryers that are installed at the top to remove the
moisture.

Strainer
Metal screen with small openings to retain solids and
particles in fuel media which could detrimentally affect
the operation of the burners.

Superheater
The superheater is a convection type and it consists of three
set of bank tubes secured to two headers by weld joints. It is
installed between the screen tube zone. The saturated steam
from the steam drum is superheated through the three pass
superheater.

Wind box
A chamber below the grate or surrounding a burner,
through which air under pressure is supplied for
combustion of the fuel. One type called a burner wind box
which is a chamber around a burner in which an air
pressure is maintained to ensure proper distribution and
discharge of combustion air.

SILENCERS
Two silencers to be checked in the boiler, one is the start-up
Vent Silencer, and the second is the PSV Silencer for the
normal operation.

Stack

Burner

REFERENCES
API, Guide for Inspection of Refinery
Equipment, Chapter VIII- Direct-Fire
Boilers and Auxiliary Equipment,
Second Edition 1974.
API 510, Pressure Vessel Inspection
Code, Maintenance,
Inspection, and
Alteration, Seventh Edition 1992.
ASME, Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code,
Section I, Power Boilers, Edition 1992.
ASME, Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code,
Section VIII, Recommended Guidelines
For the Care of Power Boilers,
Edition 1992.

BOILER INSPECTION

>> According to ASME standard section I and VIII,

Boiler has to be inspected annually. API Chapter VIII
does not specify any inspection interval. From YANPET
experience it has been decided that the boiler shall be
down for inspection every two years. There are two
types of inspection, during operation and during outage
inspection.

DURING OPERATION INSPECTION

>> The inspection during operation should be

done to ensure that the outside surface and
parts are in good opera table condition. It also to
ensure no leaks, hot spots, corrosion, nor
settlement are exist. The external inspection
may be done during the operation of the boiler,
however, the main foundation and supports of
the fire box shall be done during the boiler
outage.

FOUNDATIONS
>>The important of foundation can not be
overemphasized. Any overlook of the foundation
deterioration might lead to equipment bearing
failures, refractory failures, steam leaks
and.....etc. Tapping the concrete with a hammer
will reveal deterioration or unsound conditions.
Foundation should be checked for:
A)- Settlement, which is caused by water wash or high
vibration. Settlement of the foundation can be detected by
cracks in the concrete, brick walls and adjacent flooring.
Surveyors level or transit
or transparent hose water
level can be used to check the settlement. Boiler
manufacturer often put level marks on drums or other parts
that can be used to check settlement.

B)Spalling, usually caused by excessive heat,

mechanical shock, the corrosion of reinforcing
steel.
C)Cracks, in concrete which may be caused by
excessive
heat, poor design material,
mechanical shock, or unequal settlement.
D)Soundness of the anchor bolts.

LADDERS, STAIRWAYS,
PLATFORMS & WALKWAYS
>> The ladders, stairways, platforms, and
walkways should be checked carefully by
visual inspection aided with light
hammering and scraping the oxide scales
and other corrosion products. They should
be checked for:
Cracks.
Broken parts.
Tightness of bolts.
Wear of ladder rungs and stair treads.
The condition of the platforms flooring.
Corrosion beneath painted surfaces which
will be
indicated by rust stain or blistering.

PIPING

The piping and their connections are items may be

affected if any vibration, settlement, earthquakes, and fire
damages occur to the boiler. They should be checked for:
High vibration.
Leaks.
Cracking at weld joints.
Defective coatings and insulation.
Distortion or any deterioration.
Metal loss.
Corrosion.

INSULATION
The insulation and cladding of the boiler components is
considered as one of the major items that it should be in good
condition, due to the fact that any defect or loss of insulation
will cause loss of heat and may subject personnel to heat
burns. The insulation should be checked for:
Hot spots, may indicate hidden defects in the insulated
parts.
Un-secured parts of cladding.
Sign of leaks, may indicate a hidden problem.
Deterioration and general defects.

AUXILLARY EQUIPMENT

Auxiliary equipment, such as gauges connections,

sight glasses, and safety valves may be inspected
visually for:
Undue vibration.
Corrosion and breakage.
General deterioration.

DURING OUTAGE INSPECTION

Inspection will be carried out when the
boiler is out of service either in planned
shutdown or an emergency shutdown.
The emergency shutdown usually in short
period of time, therefore, complete
inspection could be difficult. However, it
is considered a good chance for checking
the critical areas and/or the areas with
previous problems. Before starting
internal inspection, the results of the
recent external inspection and the
previous internal inspection should be
used as a guide for the current internal
inspection, e. g. a hot spot on the casing

CONTINUATION:
A preliminary inspection of the inside of
the boiler shall be carried out before the
boiler is cleaned. The location, amount,
physical appearance, and analysis of mud
and sludge or scale deposited on the
inside of tubes and drums will provide
information relative to the effectiveness of
the feed water treatment, blowdown
operation and method of cleaning
needed. The preliminary inspection may
also be helpful in determining which part
of tubes or drums require close
inspection.

FIRE BOX
The fire box (furnace) is the main and major component of
the boiler. The fire box is constructed of water wall tubes
backed up by firebricks ( refractory), block insulation and
steel plate casing. The fire box should be inspected
internally by checking the following items visually and/or
by using any of the NDT methods.
TUBES:
All tubes should be checked for :
Blistering and Bulging.
Cracks.

Bowing and Sagging.

Corrosion.
Deposit that will effect the heat transfer.
Metal loss, may be done by checking the wall thickness
of the tubes using Ultrasonic as per 7.1.
Soot and dirt shall be removed and area below it should
be inspected.
Overheating.
Tube may be x-rayed to check the internal
deposit and
wall thinning.

All the tubes should be inspected for signs of overheating,

corrosion, and erosion. Usually overheating is caused by
deposits or excessive scale on the water side of the tube. The
nearest tubes to the burners are susceptible to overheating
and should be closely examined for bulging, blistering,
quench cracking, sagging and bowing. Blistering and bulging
is easily accomplished by shining a flashlight parallel to the
length of the tubes so that bulges or blisters will cause
shadows.

The locations of the thickness measurements shall be

identified, so next shutdown the readings will be taken in
the same locations for comparison.

REFRACTORY
The refractory should be inspected for:
Cracks.
Erosion.
Melting.
Bulging.
Fall down.
Cracks in the refractory are common and are to
be expected but if the cracks is severe, then
repairs should be made. If the erosion and
melting are present, then the refractory has to
be carefully evaluated before putting the boiler
back into service. Metal shell and insulation
behind the refractory will become overheated if

BURNERS
All burners should be checked for:
Corrosion.
Erosion of tips.
Burning and Melting.
Spalling.
Cracks.
General deterioration.

STEAM DRUM
The drum should be inspected internally for:
Seam welds cracks.
Corrosion.
Pitting.
Grooving.
Scale deposits and sludge accumulation in shell and tubes.
Tightness.
Deterioration.
Soundness.
Structural stability.
Metal loss

MUD DRUM

The mud drum (water drum) should be checked for:

Corrosion.
Pitting.
Grooving.
Cracking.
Scale, deposits, and accumulation of sludge in shell and tubes.
Metal loss as

Special attention should be paid to all seam

welds and should be examined for cracks and
corrosion. Corrosion adjacent to the seam weld
is more serious than a similar amount of
corrosion in the solid plate away from the
seams. Cracks along the seams is likely to occur
when the material is highly stressed.

SUPERHEATER

The superheater should be checked for:

Corrosion and paint defects.
Signs of leaks.
Cracks at weld joints.
Wall loss of headers and tubes, thickness check to be taken
in fixed points as per
Melting, burning, and/or heat damage to the internals.
Sign of insulation and refractory deterioration at the
walls.
General damage or breakage.

ECONOMIZER

The economizer should be checked for:

Corrosion and paint failure.
Cracking at weld joints.
Signs of leaks.
Wall loss of header and tubes, thickness check to be taken in
fixed points.
Damage to the structural and vane plates.
Tightness of bolts and clips of header and tubes.
Security and cleanness of vents.

BANK TUBES CHANGER

The bank tubes chamber should be checked for:

Corrosion and paint failure.
Cracking at weld joints.
Signs of leaks.
Wall loss as per
Damage to the structural and vane plates.
Tightness of bolts and clips of header and tubes.

SIDE WALL TUBES

The side wall tubes should be checked for:

Corrosion and paint failure.
Cracking at weld joints.
Signs of leaks.
Wall loss

WIND BOX AND F.D. FAN

They should be checked for:

Corrosion and paint failure.
Erosion due to ash particles.
Thinning and holes in the fan blades.
General deterioration.
Damage of the louvers near the burners.
Any damage, deterioration, or paint failure on the
burners visible parts

STAC

The stack should be checked for:

Refractory damage
Corrosion on the stack metal parts.
Erosion.
Overheating.
External Paint damage.

STRAINERS

Two strainers for the gas and the diesel fuel to be

checked in the boiler shutdown. They are located at the
top platform in the inlet lines to the boiler. They should
be checked for:
Breakage in the screen.
Heavy deposit.
Corrosion.
Foreign materials.
Deterioration in the screen or the body

VALVES

During the boiler shutdown, there are two valves to be

checked, one is the boiler feed water non-retaining valve
and the other is the superheater non-retaining valve. They
should be checked for:
Erosion.
Cracking in the seat and seat ring.
Corrosion.
General deterioration.

SILENCERS

Two silencers to be checked in the boiler, one is the start-up

Vent Silencer, and the second is the PSV Silencer for the
normal operation. The smaller one is for the start-up. They
should be checked for:
Corrosion internally or externally.
Cracking in the weld joints or the body.
Deterioration in the internals.
Damage to the connecting fittings.
Corrosion or deterioration of the inlet piping.

LUBE OIL COOLER

The cooler usually opened during the scheduled boiler
shutdown for cleaning and inspection. It should be checked
for:
Tube plugging.
Corrosion.
Erosion in the channel, covers, or heads.
Cracks or damage.
If leak is suspected, the cooler should be hydrotested from the
shell side to 1.5 times the design pressure of the shell and
observe any leaks through the tubes, this test should be done
when all covers and heads are removed.

THICKNESS MEASUREMENTS
The thickness measurements shall be taken at several
locations (Attachment III) at the boiler as follows:
FIRE BOX:
All four sides of the wall tubes shall be covered by the
thickness check at fixed locations. The thickness shall be
checked at 1.5 M. from the floor on the following selected
tubes:
NORTH WALL: 12 tubes, first 4 from east, 4 tubes
at the middle (tube no. 58 to 61), and the last 4 tubes at the
west side
(tube no. 116 to119).

CONTINUATION:
SOUTH WALL (SCREEN & BAFFLE TUBES): 3 screen
tubes at the middle section (tube no. 7 to 9). 9 baffle tubes,
first three at east side, 3 at the middle (tube no. 51 to 53) and
the last 3 tubes at west side (tubes 102 to 104).
WEST WALL (BURNER SIDE): 4 tubes, 2 tubes at the
center (tube no. 8 and 9) of both north and south sections.
EAST WALL (MAN-WAY SIDE): 9 tubes, first 3 tubes at
North corner and 3 tubes (tubes no. 22 to 24) at the center and
the last 3 tubes at south corner (tubes n0. 45 to 47).

STEAM DRUM:
The thickness shall be checked on the steam drum at the
following locations:
HEADS: Both heads shall be checked at 3,6,9
and 12 Oclock positions.
SHELL: The shell shall be checked at the top
and the bottom sections and the
thickness shall be checked `at three
locations, east, middle and west sides.
The top section shall be checked from
outside.

MUD DRUM:
The thickness shall checked on the mud drum at the following
locations:
HEADS: Both heads shall be checked at 3,6,9
and 12 Oclock positions.
SHELL: The shell shall be checked at the top and
bottom sections in three locations, east,
middle and west sides.

CONTINUATION:
SUPERHEATER:
The thickness shall be checked on the superheater at the
following locations:
TOP CHAMBER:
TUBES: 1 tube in each of the east, middle and
west banks, tube no. 1 counting from
east of each bank.
HEADER: 3 locations, east, middle and west.

BOTTOM CHAMBER:
TUBES: 1 tube in each of the east, middle
and west banks, tube no. 1
counting from east of each bank.
HEADER: 3 locations, east middle and
west.

ECONOMIZER:
The thickness shall be checked on the economizer at the
following locations:
TOP CHAMBER:
TUBES: 1 tube in each of the east, middle,
and west sides (tubes no. 1, 17 and
30 counting from east) of both south
and north ends.

CONTINUATION:
HEADER: 3 locations east, middle and west side plus
one point at the bottom side of each branch.
BOTTOM CHAMBER:
TOP SECTION TUBES: 1 tube in each of the
east, middle and west sides (tubes no. 1, 22 and 30
counting from east) of the north end.
BOTTOM SECTION TUBES: 1 tube in each of
the east, middle and west sides (tubes no. 1, 22 and
30 counting from east) of the south end.

CONTINUATION:
BANK TUBES CHAMBER:
The thickness shall be checked on 1 tube in each of the north,
middle and south sides (tubes no. 1, 17 and 23 counting from
north) at 1.5 M from the floor.
SIDE WALL TUBES: All 6 tube shall be
checked, one point each.

HYDROSTATIC TEST
>> After completing the inspection, the boiler
shall be hydrostaticly tested to a pressure equal
to 1.5 times the maximum allowable working
pressure (MAWP), thus the testing pressure shall
be 8826 KPaG. The pressure shall be increased
gradually, max. 300 KPaG per minute and shall
be held for at least 30 minutes. Then the test
pressure shall be reduced to the MAWP, 2746
KPaG and shall be maintained at this pressure
until the Inspector certify that there are no leaks
or other apparent defects.