2011a SECTION VII
other gas passages that may severely damage the boiler or
other structure. Only properly trained operators who are
familiar with the fuel-burning equipment being operated
should be in charge of the boiler units.
This Subsection is not intended to provide detailed safety
rules governing the design, installation, operation, and
maintenance of fuel-burning systems. Other sources, such
as manufacturer’s operating instructions, standards cov-
ering the prevention of furnace explosions published by the
National Fire Protection Association, and other recognized
authorities, should be consulted.
General recommendations and precautions that should
be followed in handling fuel-burning equipment are given
in Subsection C3.
The firing rate should be regulated to avoid sudden,
abrupt changes by gradually increasing or decreasing the
fuel and air simultaneously to all operating burners to
maintain the fuel–air ratio for complete combustion. How-
ever, an air lead over the fuel during firing rate increase
and decrease should be established.
Safety devices, such as fan interlocks, fuel shutoffs, and
the like, should be examined and tested frequently to ensure
that they are in operating condition.
On boilers equipped with automatic combustion sys-
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tems, the operators should be familiar with both automatic
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and manual operation. Periodic refresher training for man-
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ual operation should be mandatory for boiler operators.
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Instruments used to maintain proper combustion condi-
tions should be calibrated periodically to ensure that they
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are in good working order.
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Should it ever be necessary, as a last resort, to use water
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to extinguish hand or stoker fires, the furnace and setting
should be thoroughly purged afterward to prevent gas accu-
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mulation. Water in contact with incandescent coke will
produce gas that can explode if it is not purged.
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In removing ashes, care should be used to prevent injury
to the operating personnel from steam or hot water that
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may be present when ash gates are open.
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Where excess carbon is present in ashpits and not prop-
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erly wetted down, gas explosions can result when gates
are opened, allowing air to enter the ashpit creating a
combustible atmosphere.
C9.500 FURNACE EXPLOSIONS
Furnace explosions may be averted if proper precautions
are taken to prevent the admission of unburned fuel into
the furnace. This fuel will vaporize from the heat in the
furnace and form a combustible mixture when mixed with
air. The fuel causing the hazard may enter the furnace
through leaking fuel valves to burners that have lost igni-
tion or are not completely burning the fuel. In these cases,
the operator has no control over the mixing of fuel with
the air in the furnace.
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In such cases, the safe procedure is to remove the explo-
sive mixture by purging the furnace with air. The hot
refractory or the inadvertent application of an igniting
device can ignite the combustible mixture if it is not
removed.
Be sure that inlet valves on idle burners are closed tightly
and do not leak. It is advisable to remove atomizer guns
on idle oil burners to avoid dripping. Oil burners should
not be connected to oil supply lines until just before they are
put in service. Combustion of the fuel should be carefully
observed so that the fuel may be shut off without delay if
fires are extinguished unexpectedly. On loss of ignition,
immediately stop the fuel supply and purge the furnace.
In starting up, if ignition is not established in a few
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seconds, purge the furnace before inserting an ignition
torch when a boiler has been idle. Be sure that the torch
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is large enough to produce a flame not easily extinguished.
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With oil firing, be sure that the atomizing air or steam is
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dry and that the oil is heated and circulated to give the
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desired viscosity at the burner. Oil at the burner should be
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free from dirt, sludge, water, and other foreign matter.
Refer to standards for prevention of furnace explosions in
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boilers published by the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA).
C9.600 FURNACE IMPLOSIONS
A furnace implosion is the establishment of a sufficient
negative pressure in a furnace to produce damage to the
furnace structure. Large utility boilers are more susceptible
to implosions due to their large furnace wall area and the
high suction head capacity of their induced draft (ID) fans.
Two basic mechanisms can cause a furnace implosion;
a rapid drop in the temperature of gas in the furnace and
the gas passages on flameout, and a high suction heat
capability of the ID fan.
During firing, tripping of the fuel will result in a mass
temperature reduction, which will in turn produce a
decrease in furnace pressure. The negative pressure is
caused, in essence, by the interaction of the termination
of the heat of combustion, and the too rapid evacuation of
the previously heated gases by the ID fan.
The most severe furnace implosions can occur on oil or
gas fired balanced draft units. With pulverized coal, a mas-
ter fuel trip results in a relatively gradual reduction of fuel
input due to the inherent characteristics of pulverizers. The
magnitude of the negative pressure excursion is therefore
much less than it is with gas or oil. Sequential tripping of
gas or oil valves can achieve a similar cutoff characteristic.
Keeping secondary air dampers in the as-tripped position
rather than running them closed on a fuel trip will also
reduce the magnitude of the negative pressure, as it allows
a flow of air into the furnace to replace the gases being
evacuated by the ID fans.
 2011a SECTION VII
When considering the prevention of excessive negative
pressure excursions during main fuel firing, one should
keep in mind the related possibility of a furnace explosion
and not negate any control function used in their preven-
tion. The effects of a fire-side explosion are potentially
more damaging to equipment and carry a much greater
risk of injury to personnel. It is therefore essential to exam-
ine any condition, operation, or control action in light of
any potential increase in the risk of furnace explosion.
Because of the extremely fast time interval surrounding
furnace implosions, their prevention has to be approached
from an automatic control response rather than operator
action. The following features should be provided in any
furnace draft and combustion control system.
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(a) The airflow to a furnace must be maintained at its
pre-trip value and must not be prevented from increasing
by following natural fan curves; but positive control action
to increase air flow is not allowed by the NFPA.
(b) The flow of combustion products from a furnace
must be reduced as quickly as possible following a unit trip.
(c) If the removal of fuel from the furnace can be over
a 5 sec to 10 sec period (rather than instantaneously), there
will be a reduction in the magnitude of the furnace negative
pressure excursion that follows a unit trip.
It is essential that protective control systems for large
high draft loss boilers be properly installed, tested, and
maintained, and that plant operators consider these control
systems to be vital for safe operation of the boiler.
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