The algorithm of steam soot blowers operation based on the monitoring of fouling factors of heating surfaces of a coal-fired boiler under operating conditions

PGE Energia Ciepła S.A., Department of Research and Development, Ciepłownicza 1, 31-587 Kraków

Abstract

The article deals with the problem of optimizing the operation of soot blowers in a pulverized coal-fired boiler based on the instantaneous degree of cleanliness of heating surfaces, determined in real time. The elaborated methodology of calculations and the algorithm that determines the optimal configuration of the blowers operation has been implemented and tested on a boiler with a capacity of 380 t/h. The indicator defining the degree of cleanliness of a given heating surface is calculated using available measurements of process parameters based on the epsilon-NTU method. The calculations are carried out in the DCS system for each surface individually (air and water heaters, evaporator, superheaters). During the standard operation of the boiler, the adopted methodology was verified, having analysed the usefulness of the tool to assess the boiler cleanliness under operating condition.