Loss Prevention Circular No.

02-11

Exhaust boiler damages

Introduction
Gard has experienced an increase in the severity of incidents involving exhaust boilers,
and in particular fire damages. The causes of the boiler damages vary, however, slow
steaming, fuel quality and the frequency of manoeuvres can all be important factors, and
can lead to soot accumulating. This can increase the risk of fire due to sparks from the
exhaust gas igniting the soot.
The purpose of this circular is to address the risks involved and to emphasise the
importance of proper soot blowing, cleaning, maintenance and treatment of boiler feed
water.
Problems caused by soot on the exhaust side
The design of exhaust boilers is compact with very narrow channels and fins on the
exhaust side. In addition the design of the main engine exhaust channel to the exhaust
boiler on many ships is restricting the easy flow of gas through the boiler. Combined with
e.g. slow steaming and reduced exhaust gas velocity the risk for build up of soot deposits
will increase. Unburned deposits coming from the combustion process of the main engine
due to different fuels and different loads will cause ignitable soot deposits to build up in
the boilers. As the exhaust contains high levels of oxygen (about 14%), the ignition of the
soot deposit may cause serious fire damage if preventive actions are not taken in due
time. For long-stroke diesel engine, the larger lub.oil quantum required will also add to the
build up of ignitable soot deposit. High lubrication oil consumption in slow speed engines
lower gas temperatures and larger economizers in combination with low grade residual
oils will increase the risk for soot fires and in worst case result in a complete meltdown of
the boiler or economizer.
The soot blowing equipment fitted must be used according to manufacturers
recommendations, but the equipment provided does not necessarily take into account the
various design and layout of the exhaust channel. It is therefore important that the
condition of the exhaust side is checked frequently in order to establish that the soot is
effectively removed, and if not, more frequent blowing or manual cleaning will have to be
performed. If the vessel operates on a reduced load, we recommend increasing the load
during the soot blowing. It is also possible to fit additional equipment to monitor pressure
and temperature through the boiler/economiser for optimization of cleaning intervals.
Proper treatment of feed water
As slow steaming appears to have become more common, the importance of regular
inspection, water washing, blow down and proper feed water treatment should be
emphasised. Impurities in the feed water can result in increased scaling, corrosion and
foaming. Proper treatment of boiler feed water is therefore an important part of the boiler
maintenance program and will reduce the risk of pitting and corrosion.
To reduce the possibility of problems arising, and to have control of the concentration of
1
dissolved solids in the feed water , it is necessary to carry out blow down or periodically
discharge the water or in some cases replace the water completely. Surface water blow
down is often done continuously to reduce the level of dissolved solids, whilst bottom blow
down is performed periodically to remove sludge from the bottom of the boiler. Regular
testing and chemical dosing of the feed water is therefore important to reduce the problem
of corrosion and pitting.
Normally the feed water is produced by the vessels own fresh water generator; however,
it may become necessary to top up with shore water which will be of a different quality. If
the feed water has been topped up with shore water, feed water tests, chemical dosing
and blow down are extremely important.

Your contacts

Senior Manager, Loss Prevention

Terje R. Paulsen
more terje.paulsen@gard.no

Important parameters of the feed and boiler water are PH, chloride, hardness, oil, iron, carbon
dioxide concentration, silicates, dissolved solids.

Gard AS, February 2011

Senior Loss Prevention Executive

Marius Schnberg
marius.schonberg@gard.no

Loss Prevention Circular No. 02-11

Exhaust boiler damages

Problems caused by scale on the water side
The biggest problem caused by scale is overheating and failure of the boiler tubes. The
thermal conductivity of porous boiler scale is similar to insulating bricks. The scale acts as
an insulating layer and prevents an efficient transfer of heat through the tubes to the
circulating water. The reduction in thermal conductivity means lower boiler efficiency
which in turn leads to overheating and may result in softening, bulging or even fracturing
of the boiler tubes. Boiler scale can also cause plugging or partial obstruction of circulating
tubes in a water tube boiler, which again causes starvation and overheating of the tubes. It
can be necessary to plug some of the tubes from time to time. However, this is only
intended to be a temporary solution. In case of a larger number of plugged tubes, the
manufacturer/class society should be consulted.

Picture: Lower side of middle evaporator tubes section with melted metal.

Recommendations
With the new generation of very efficient engines the soot cleaning of exhaust gas boiler
has become even more important for efficient and safe operation.
It is therefore strongly recommended that all soot blowing/fixed washing systems
are used and tested regularly by skilled crew to ensure that they are fully
operational.
The importance of regular inspection, water washing, blow down and proper feed
water treatment should be emphasised. Acceptance criteria for the condition after
cleaning should be established throughout the fleet. By this, any alteration in
operational conditions and its consequences for the boiler conditions will be
addressed.
Alarm and monitoring system to be regularly tested to ensure proper function.
The manufacturer to be contacted for further and more detailed instructions, and in
particular - If vessels normal operational conditions alter. (i.e. such as slow steaming or
change of fuel quality )

Your contacts
The information is provided for general information purposes only. Whilst we have taken every care
to ensure the accuracy and quality of the information provided at the time of original publication, GardSenior Manager, Loss Prevention
AS can accept no responsibility in respect of any loss or damage of any kind whatsoever which may Terje R. Paulsen
arise from reliance on this information. www.gard.no
terje.paulsen@gard.no
Senior Loss Prevention Executive
Marius Schnberg
marius.schonberg@gard.no

Gard AS, February 2011