‘TUNING INDUSTRIAL BOILERS-I Conduct meaningful boiler tests Operation of industrial boilers often can be improved by the plant staff, increasing efficiency and reducing emissions. Baseline testing is important By D E Shore and M W McElroy, KVB Inc Ealtor’s note: Skyrocketing fust prices make It more Important than ever to operate industrist stexm generators at high efficiency. Many articles and reports published recently show thet efficiency savings of only 1-2% on a typical boler can save thousands of dollars annually. But while thase papers tell you that low-excess-air fring Is the key {0 batter performance, a8 welt as 10 lower emissions of sulfur trloxide, nitrogen axides, and particulates, they usually do not show you how to Improve operations in your plant. Recognizing thet implementation of low-excess-eir combustion programs in industrial power plants would reduce both air pollution and imports of foreign oll, the US guidance on (1) prepering for boiter-eficiency tests, (2) determining the lowest practical excess-air levels tor a particular boller, and (3) maintaining high eficiency once the optimum boller settings have been established. Thase subjects are the basis for a thros- Part series in Powe, beginning this month. Copies of the complote report (EPA 600/8-77- 0084) will be avaliable after Apri 1 trom EPA, Industrial Enviranmental Research Lab— ATP, Mell Drop-64, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711. Experts generally agree that the first step in improving the efficiency of indus- trial steam generators, and in reducing. their emissions, is to inspect the boiler thoroughly to determine the condition of its furnace, firing equipment, and con- trols (see p 66). Next, you should make any necessary repairs or adjustments revealed during the inspection. This maintenance effort insures subsequent efficiency and et ill produce data representative of the boiler's true operating capability. Re- member that, while tests can be run when the boiler is not in optimum working order, maximum fuel savings and minimum’ emissions are obtained when the unit is in good condition. Stack instruments Boiler adjustments cannot be made out instrumentation capable of mea- suring excess oxygen and carbon monox- ide in the flue gas, as well as opacity (smoke density) and stack temperature. ‘The concentration of excess oxygen in industrial-boiler stacks may vary from less than 1% to 10% or more, depending on boiler design, type of fuel, burner adjustment, and firing rate. Typically, the lowest practical level of excess oxygen offers the highest efficiency and eo lowest rate of emissions (Power, March 1977, p 54). ‘Oxygen can be measured with a portable analyzer if the boiler is not equipped with a permanent meter (Fig 1), Reasonable accuracies also can be obtained with an Ortat analyzer if it’s operated by an experienced technician using fresh chemicals. Other hand-held chemical-absorbant type analyzers are i lable, too. Note that the flue gas (see POWER special re- on. industrial Boilers, February 1977, p $3). Keep in mind that proper calibration fof stack instruments. is essential for accurate readings and successful boiler adjustment. Follow the recommended calibration procedure for the instrument and adjust the frequency of calibration 1s necessary to minimize drift, and be sure to recalibrate your equipment before beginning boiler tests. ‘When calibration gases are required, eross-check the new samples, when delivered, against older ones, 10 catch any errors in the calibration ‘gas itself. For absorption-type analyzers, make sure the chemicals are fresh by estab- lishing & routine for renewing absorbants, ~ based on the number of samples anae lyzed and the age of the chemicals. Carbon monoxide, On gas-fired boil- ‘13, carbon monoxide isthe primary indi- ‘ator of incomplete combustion and usually determines the lowest practical level of excess oxygen, Note that the concentration of CO in the fue should not exceed 400 ppm—the limit established by some city ordinances, industry codes, and insurance organiza tions—once the final adj made. When performing tests, occa- sional CO levels of up to 1000-2000 ppm are acceptable, provided adequate boiler monitoring and flame observation are passible to assure stable conditions. But use caution at these levels: Further reduction of excess air causes. a rapid increase in CO and other combustibles, which can lead to smoking, flame insta- bility, furnace pulsation, and possibly an explosion, Carbon-monoxide measurements on cil and coal-fired boilers generally are not mandatory, because smoking or excessive carbon carryover usually pre- ‘cedes the formation of large quantities of CO. This is not always the case, however. Example: High CO levels have been measured on units where burner equipment had deteriorated or maifunc- joned—that is, impellers burned of, ci tips plugged, overfire air too low. etc. ‘Also, where’ air flow had increased so much (excess oxygen readings were high) it affected flame stability. ‘Thus, by measuring CO you can be sure burners are operating properly, a Prerequisite for meaningful testing. Your CO analyzer should be capable of detecting from about 100 to 2000 ppm. While Orsat analyzers traditionally have been used for determining CO, diffcul- {ies in accurate reading of concentrations less than 1000 ppm have increased the use of hand-held, length-of-stain-type detectors. Such color-sensitive tubes reportedly provide the necessary sensi- tivity and measurement range. Portable or permanently mounted electronic i struments also are available. Their abili- ty to measure CO continuously is desir- able when making burner adjustmentsince CO excursions may not be detected with occasional spot readings. Opacity. Smoking with oil and coal fuels indicates the presence of flue-gas combustibles or unacceptable flame con- ditions, and always should be avoided. Some boilers, especially the larger ones, are equipped with smoke detectors, ‘which can indicate poor stack conditions when properly calibrated. Ultimately, acceptable stack conditions always are ‘confirmed by visual observation. ‘Accurate smoke measurements can be made on small boilers with an inexpen- sive, portable hand pump and filter- paper testers (Fig 2). These devices use the smoke-spot number or ASTM (American Society for Testing & Mate- rials) smoke scale (standard D-2156), and can be very helpful in establishing ‘optimum boiler conditions. Though this type of test provides good spot-check measurements, it cannot be used for continuous stack monitoring. ‘Stack temperature. Deposits and foul- ing on the external tube surfaces of a watertube boiler, or similar gas-side conditions in the tubes of a firetube boiler, of heat in the unit and lead to lower efficiencies. Deposits are indicated by flue-gas tem- peratures that are high compared to ‘lean conditions. The efficiency loss resulting from dirty tubes can be esti- in stack temperature reduces efficiency by about 1%, Waterside deposits caused by improper water treatment also can lead to high stack temperatures. But tube failures due to overheating gener- ally occur before any substantial eff- ciency losses are evident from internal tube deposits. ‘Stack-temperature measurements (Fig easy and effective means for boller-tube cleanliness. Peri- ‘dically, you should compare tempera- tures to values obtained during startup ‘or after washing the furnace, to identify operating conditions. In the absence of any previous data, flue-gas temperatures normally are about 150-200 deg F above the steam temperature, for a boiler producing saturated steam at high firing rates. Obviously, this temperature differ- ence does not apply to boilers equipped with economizers or air preheaters. Sampling techniques Most of the oxygen, CO, and smoke analyzers discussed above require that a sample of flue gas be withdrawn from the stack and delivered to the instru- ment. Some analyzers require a contin- uous flow of sample until a stable reading is obtained; others need only a single, small-volume sample. Exceptions fare in-stack instruments with detector clements located in the flue-gas stream. Regardless of the analysis technique, the portion of gas analyzed must be repre- sentative of the total gas stream. Location of the sampling site can be as, important as'the selection of the proper measurement device. To illustrate: On negative-draft boilers, it should be upstream of the air preheater, if'one is installed, or upstream of any known air leaks. Reason is that air leakage into the ‘gas ducts can dilute the flue gas. and resultant measurements won't give a true indication of furnace conditions. Air Teakage in preheaters poses the same problem. ‘Sample locations immediately down- stream of bends, dampers, or induced- draft fans should be avoided. Gases such areas can stratify or form pockets, leading to errors, especially when ples are withdrawn from a single point in the duct. When a single-point probe is to be used, compare readings at several points in the duct first, to find the most repre~ sentative probe location. When existing ports are not satisfactory, drill or cut out new ports. Remember, unless you get trucly representative data, your testing program will be of little value. Flue-gas temperatures also are subject to stratification in ducts, and a represen- tative location of thermometers or other temperature sensors should be verified. Position them close to the boiler outlet, because thermal losses can occur in the fiue-gas duct, especially in uninsulated sections, Flame appearance The appearance of an industrial boiler's ume offers a good preliminary indica- tion of combustion conditions. It is diff- cult to generalize the characteristics of a “good” flame, because of variations due to burner design, and because a certain amount_of operator preference is in- volved. This is especially true for stoker- fired boilers. For other types of combustion equip- ment, flames with a definite appearance usually have been sought. Examples: Short, bright, crisp, and highly turbulent ‘il and pulverized-coal flames; blue, slightly streaked, or nearly invisible gas flames. Stability of the flame at the burner and minimum furnace vibration also are universally desirable. For under- feed stokers, an even bed and the absence of carbon streamers are impor- tant criteria. “Too often, the good flame appearances described above are achieved by oper- ating with excess-oxygen levels higher than are necessary for safe, clean firing. When operating with the lowest prac- tical amount of excess oxygen, approxi- 1. Permanently mounted analyzer measures 0, and CO in flue gas 2. Accurate smoke measurements can bbe made on bollers with a portable hand ‘pump and filter-paper testers 3, Stack temperature is an effective ‘means for monitoring tube cleanness ‘mately the same amount of heat energy is released in the furnace for a given amount of fuel heat-energy input. How- ever, less energy is wasted in heating excess air, which is not required for combustion. In addition, the reduced oxygen level leads to increased flame length because it takes more time for the fuel to burn completely. The result typi cally is « flame that: ® Actually grows in size, and fills the furnace more completely. ‘ati iii ineA checklist helps when inspecting your industrial boiler Boller components that you should inspect before conducting efficiency tests include: ‘the burners, combustion controls, and furnace. Typical things to look tor during your inspection are presented in the ‘checklist below. Consult the beller manu facturer for @ more complete list, one fellecting the equipment in your plant. il burners = Make sure the atomizer is of the proper design and size for (1) the type of 6 boing burned, and (2) the burner goom- ety. Inspect olktip passages and orifices for wear (use the proper-size drill as a feelet gage). and remove any coke oF gum. deposits, to assure the proper oll-spray pattern (Fig A). * Verity proper oll pressure and temper- ature at the burner (B).. ™ Verily proper atomizing-steam pres- sure, Make sure that the burner diffuser (impoler) ts not damaged, and is propery located with respect to the o-gun tip (C). 1 Gheck to see that the oll gun is pos- tioned properly within the burner throat, ‘and that the throat refractory Is in good condition (D). Gas burners * Inspect gas-injection orifices and veri- fy that ali passages are unobstructed Aso, be sure fiters and moisture traps are in place, clean, and operating properly. to prevent plugging of ges orifices (E). * Confirm proper location and orienta tion of diffusers, spuds, gas canes, etc. ‘Look for any burned-off or missing burner parts. .ed-coal burners = Verity that fuel and alr-control com- ponents pulverizers, feeders, primary. ‘and tempering-air dampers, etc—are ail working properiy. = Clear coal pipes of any coal and coke deposits, Chock burner parts for any sions of ‘excessive erosion or burn-off. ‘Spreader-stoker firing = Check grates for woar, and check the stokers and cinder-reinjection system for proper operation. = Contirm the proper positioning of il air-propertioning damaers, ™ Verity proper coal sizing, ‘Combustion controls inspect all fuel valves to verify proper movement. Clean valve internal surfaces it necessary (F). 1 Eliminate ‘play’ in control linkages ana air dampers (@). © Make sure fuel-supply inlet pressures to pressure regulators are high enough to ‘assure constant regulator-outlet pressures forall fring rates (H). * Correct any control elements that ta to respond smoothly to varying steam demand. Unnecessary hunting caused by improperly adjusted regulators or auto- ‘matic master controllers can waste fuel # See that all gages are functioning and that they are calibrated to assist in ‘dentitying any control problems @s they "Be sure all safety interlocks and boiler-rip circuits are operable (I). Furnace * Inspect boiler gas-side tube surfaces for excessive deposits and fouling (W). ‘These lead to higher steck temperatures land lower boiler efficiencies. Bear in ming that, although poer firing conditions may cause deposits, proper sootblower opera: tion should be verilied too (K). f burners ‘and sootbiowers are opersting properly, and fireside deposits stil accumulate, give Serious consideration to periodic. water- ‘washing. Repair any leaks in boiler gas pas- ‘sages and baffling. Also, inspect tumace ‘elractory and insulation, and repair any casing leeks and cracked or missing rotractary, * Clean furnace-Inspection ports. and make sure that burner throat, tumnace walls, and leading convection passes are Visible through them. Reason: Flame observation is an essential part of boiler testing.® Exhibits a lazy, rolling appearance. Instead of intense, highly turbulent flames, low-oxygen flames may appear to move somewhat more slowly through the furnace. "Has an over-all color that may ‘change as excess oxygen is decreased. Natural-gas flames, for instance, become more visible o luminous with yellow, or ven slightly hazy, portions. Coal and oil flames become a darker yellow or orange and may appear hazy in parts Safety, reliability, and satisfactory particulate emissions can be achieved with low-excess-oxygen firing, even though these. lame characteristics are, for the most part, contrary to Mame ‘conditions traditionally desired by opera- tors. But this method of operation demands that plant personnel pay close attention to the combustion process. How to conduct tests ‘Two major aspects of the boiler-tuneup testing program are: (1) determining the ‘optimum boiler firing conditions over the turndown range; and (2) making the bburner adjustments necessary to tain optimum conditions during normal, automatic operation. The step-by-step test procedures, to be presented in the next article in this series, deal mainly with the first point. The second part of the program ‘pou, ore stor can be aio maintaining igh ficleney ‘Bole ‘output increases and performance « sete tloration becomes greater. 21! ‘Stack losses. Efficiency gains aa buted to operating st lmor secs a for lower sack orpertire are Shown inthe chart below. When p01" ing the chars, remember that redut= ton oxcase ar unialy ls accompanied ‘by'a reduction in stack temperature. The hua tmporeture crop doped on Me inal sack trporture an te mount ces aie reduced, To tava, & 2s drop neces protien about a * 80-deg F reduction in stack temperature 1 fle gas Is In the S00F to 800F range. ‘but only 18 deg F tor 300F stack gas. ‘The combined effect fa found by frst ‘evaluating the etfclency improvement for reduced excess at (lft) and then adaing. - the efficiency Improvement tor reduced ‘stack-gas temperature (ight), evaluated at the lower excese-air level. i Other losses, Solid combustibie losses ‘are of concern principally with coal firing. CO heat losses can become eigniicant ‘with gea or oil fring. For example, 1000,” ppm of CO represents a heat loss of approximately 0.95%. Highor CO levele {ticlensy improvement foreach 1% eduction in exgoes a dog F rehiction in stack, temperature (ight I found quickly from charts above. Dale re a foetal ficency gion pica ail som grr, burning naturel gas, No. 2 through No, 6 fuel os and coal “water side by proper water treatment and periodic chemical or mechanical cleaning. ‘Many old boilers have refractory or metal baffles to provide for crossfiow of ‘gases in boiler banks. If your unit has such baffles, inspect and repair them regularly to maintain the desired gas- ef och 10: flow pattern. Missing baffle tiles or plates cause gas to bypass heat-transfer ‘surfaces and increase stack temperature. Newer boilers allow for crossfiow with- ‘out baffles. Gas-distribution problems still can occur, however, if localized heavy ash deposits plug gas-flow lanes. ‘Data from the boiler operator's lokindicate the rate of increase of exit-gas. temperature oF draft loss, which would determine the need for boiler cleaning. A sudden increase in boiler exit-gas tem- perature, possibly accompanied by a noticeable decrease in draft loss, may indicate damage to crossfiow baffies. Boiler tubes. Many plonts that experi- cence problems with internal deposits that Ihave led to furnace-tube failures ha installed thermocouples to measure tube temperature at the failure location. If the tubes are clean, these Will ead only a fos degrees above satu- ration temperature. As internal deposits form, he temperature inereases, indi- cating the need for cleaning, If your annual inspection discloses significant internal deposits, or if there is ‘evidence of tube-wall overheating (bulg- ing or swelling), consider adding thermo- ‘couples to warn of poor water-side condi- tions in the future. In summary, specific efficiency- related maintenance items to look for when inspecting heat-transfer surfaces include: Soot or ash deposits on furnace walls. They may indicate a need for burner adjustment or repair. ‘© Evidence of furnace-wall overheat- ing. © General gas-side cleanliness of boil fr, superheater, economizer, and air- heater surfaces, as well as areas with heavy deposits that are not being cleaned by sootblowers, '® Alignment of superheater elements. Misalignment could contribute to ash plugging or increased gas-flow resis- tance, ™ Condition of baffles or dampers in gas passages or air ducts. ‘© Evidence of sootbiower erosion on coulired units. It may be caused by high blowing pressure or excessive soot- blower operation. Water-side inspection to establish boiler cleanliness and the mechanical condition of drum internals. Fans. Some forced-draft fans with maintain capacity. Inlet screens should be examined frequently for blockage by rags, paper, or other material that would resi ir flow: Check linkage position to verify desired settings.