MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

If someone lists out the problems in CFBC technology most probably

bottom ashing through Ash Cooler will position itself in the top slots. As
the life of the boiler is increasing so the nos of problems in ash cooler
also going up year after, but not to bow down before problem
attitude of Hirakud Power people made it unique in CFBC operation.
The history card of Ash Cooler operation tells
the truth. From the inspection we are struggling with its performance
and availability. The problems are plenty, some of them as follows

Clinkerisation inside Ash Cooler.

Pocking hole path chokage.
Mobilising airline leakage.
Water coming out of airline.
Refractory failure in mobilizing line and inside Ash
Cooler.
Red hot of Ash Cooler body.
Insufficient fludisation inside Ash Cooler bed.
Wrong modification of mobilizing path.

Almost in every S/D Ash Cooler mobilising path job finds a good place
for itself. Finally in the last Boiler-2 S/D the repairing of path line carried
out in presence of the refractory people and it is now working well.
Boiler-1 annual O/H could not
be taken in its normal time (June-03) due to many reason and deferred
to 2nd Qtr of 03-04. Power assistance for smelter from grid are
subjected to healthy reservoir level in Hirakud Dam. Keeping all them
in view it was decided to take Boiler-1 for annual shutdown in Aug 1 st
week.
During the month of May-03 the Ash
Cooler were out of normal operation. Not a single Ash Cooler had RVF
in it and normal ash flow to ash Cooler was not taking place with
mobilising command. Slowly service airline operation became the
practice for ash evacuation. The condition further detoriated in the 3 rd
week of May-03. With low GCV coal, ash generation became high and
normal effort for bottom ashing was not enough to tackle the
increasing bed pressure. Loop seal draining was tried but not much
encouraging result could be achieved through this. As the output from
Boiler was not upto expectation, finally it was decided to take outage
on 20th May night owing to high bed pressure. Accordingly planning
was done and power assistance also obtained from grid.
In the night it was decided by the people present in
the shift to take a last chance with the Ash Cooler. Manpower
assistance taken from MMD and nos of pocking rod made. People

starting from Shift Charge Engineer to unskilled labour marched

towards the Ash Cooler with a mission i.e. to reduce the bed pressure
by any means. People could not know when mid night crossed and
dawn arrived. In the morning it was communicated every body that
Boiler is running with satisfactory generation. Again message conveyed
to SLDC that we are not taking shutdown of our Boiler.
New guidelines were rewritten for
Boiler operation for the coming days. The message was pretty clear, if
it is possible for a day then why not till Aug-03. the challenge was too
hard for operation people but the unanimous chorus sounded equally
in high pitch, yes we will do it.
Noone then looked back since then. No regret, no complain, no
resistance, the man in charge of Boiler-1 straight forward used to went
to the Boiler and spend eight hours at the Ash Cooler irrespective of
day and night since then.
The Boiler almost declared dead by the Doctors is still running. The
pioneers to have given live support towards this are