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HOWDEN HEATER TECHNOLOGY

INTELLIGENT AIRHEATER MONITORING

Without intelligent airheater monitoring With intelligent airheater monitoring

Showing partially corrected heater pressure drops Showing fully corrected heater pressure drops

ZINTELLIGENT MONITORING CAN IDENTIFY FOULING LOCATIONS FOR SELECTIVE CLEANING.

REAL-TIME FEEDBACK REPORTS ON AIRHEATER CONDITION AND PERFORMANCE

DEVELOPED OVER MANY YEARS

HOWDEN KNOW-HOW
OF RESEARCH, INNOVATION AND
COMPREHENSIVE FIELD TESTING,
AIRHEATER FOULING LEADS TO AN
THE HOWDEN INTELLIGENT AIRHEATER INCREASE IN PRESSURE DROP WHICH
MONITORING SYSTEM ENABLES IN TURN PLACES AN ADDITIONAL
OPERATORS TO IDENTIFY, LOCALISE BURDEN ON THE INDUCED DRAUGHT
FAN. WHEN FOULING BECOMES
AND MINIMISE MANY OF THE MAJOR
EXTREME, IT CAN CAUSE LOAD
CAUSES OF LOSS OF AVAILABILITY IN REDUCTIONS AND EVEN FORCED
ROTARY AIR PREHEATERS ON BOILERS OUTAGES TO ALLOW OFF-LINE
FIRED BY FOSSIL FUEL. WASHING OF THE HEATER ELEMENTS
TO TAKE PLACE.
THE SYSTEM PROVIDES A SIMPLIFIED Almost 30 years ago, an independent
ROUTE TO UNDERSTANDING THE assessment carried out by EPRI in the
United States found that fouling, and the
OPERATION AND CONDITION OF
associated stoppages for washing, typically
THE HEATER, OPTIMISING THE reduced availability and thus power
EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CLEANING generation by around 1%. Since then, the
PROCEDURES AND IMPROVING advent of SCR and other flue gas treatment
processes has had the side-effect of making
THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ENTIRE
fouling problems worse. It is therefore
BOILER DRAUGHT PLANT. more important than ever for operators to
have an accurate understanding of whats
going on inside their air preheaters and to
know how to avoid problems and deal with
them when they do arise.
Intelligent Airheater Monitoring uses an
array of SMART Sensors 1 and other
sensing devices strategically positioned at
critical points to monitor, through a series
of complex mathematical algorithms, the
condition not only of the overall unit but of
individual rings within the rotor assembly.
This information is then provided in real time
in a simple and intuitive format that allows
the operating parameters to be adjusted to
minimise heat rate and maximise availability.
The Intelligent Airheater Monitoring
System can be used with any rotary heat
exchanger, but is capable of best overall
results when used in conjunction with
Howdens new HC ElementsTM and Enerjet
on-line cleaning system incorporating Clyde
Bergemann technology.
Technology partner:
1
The SMART Sensors are the result of a joint
development effort between Howden and
Clyde Bergemann. SMART Sensor is a
Clyde Bergemann trademark.
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INTELLIGENT AIRHEATER MONITORING

Heater Fouling Factors Heater A Ring

Fouling Factors

Heater B Ring
Fouling Factors

Status bar graphs Status bar graphs for individual

for overall heaters heater rings Ring Fouling Fact

Heater or heater ring still fairly clean continue with normal soot blowing only
Heater or heater ring fouling risen to a level where on-line HP washing is recommended
Heater or heater ring fouling risen to a level where on-line HP washing is becoming essential
(Flashing red integrity of heater structure at risk)

Intuitive display provides clear and useful information Data from an array of SMART Sensors is processed to provide feedback

Analysis of 100 Units with Key features
200 Ljungstrm-type APHs
Z Comprehensive monitoring of operating
Loss in MWhrs due to APH problems conditions around the airheater gives early
1.77% assuming 80% Load Factor indication of fouling.
Z Real time information is constantly available
to the control room.
Z Exhaustively tested and proven.
Developed and proven in the field
Endesas Teruel Power Station in Spain has
three 350MWe generating units fuelled
by high sulphur lignite. In the late 1990s,
the station was retrofitted with flue gas
desulphurisation plant, and at the same
time the stations air heaters were replaced
by Howden rotary regenerative units.

Pluggage/Fouling 39% *
Washing 15% *
APH limits mill capacity 12%
Rotor bearings 9%
Other 7%
* 54% airheater availability loss due
to Pluggage/Fouling/Washing
Airheater fouling produces 1%
average loss in overall MWhrs
Z Fully integrated to supplement the stations
Operational Information System.
Z SMART Sensor technology identifies
severely fouled areas for selective cleaning.
Z Enables optimum use of Howden Enerjet
Motor drive 6% or other cleaning systems.
Noise and vibration 4%
Inspections 3% Z Data can be relayed to Howden for
Rotor Seals 2%
specialist analysis and advice.
CE baskets drop out 2%
Coupling 1%
Z Measurements can be compiled and
extended to provide a broad-based
Condition and Event Monitoring system.
The combination of high-sulphur coal and the
FGD process produces a high risk of fouling
in the air heaters, which were therefore fitted
with Howden Enerjet on-line cleaning systems
from the start. Howden HC ElementsTM, which
offer improved cleanability, were subsequently
added in cold end.
For more than seven years, we have been
carefully auditing the cleaning efficacy and
heater performance of the Teruel plant, and
in the process we have evolved the Howden
Intelligent Airheater Monitoring System
together with Clyde Bergemann to its present
level. The data it provides has been of great
value in understanding and improving the
airheater performance, and planning the
cleaning schedules to maximise element
life and minimise operating costs.

Teruel Power Station, Spain

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Air & Gas handling products/services
for the global power industry, please
visit our website: www.howden.com HOWDEN HEATER TECHNOLOGY