Santosh Kumar: Producl Engineer / BPP FB

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.
,
Tiruchirapalli
- 620 014
Boiler Performance & Proposals / Engineering
CONTRACT PHASE TRANSMITTAL
Cust./Plant
: JPL/O.P.JINDAL
Contract No : 1604-1607
EBPP:CPT:JPL600:64
STPP/RAIGARH
Please find enclosed the following

necessary action at your end.
- 4 X 600 MW
Date:
contract
phase
transmittal
CPT. REV.
NO. / NO.
Cat
for
NO. OF
SHEETS
--------------[Page
revision status]---------------------------1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 012
3 456
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 o 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Page no:
Rev no:
08/09/2010
wise
~'
SIGNATURE
SANTOSH KUMAR V'SHWA~RMA

Producl Engineer / BPP I FB
BHEl TnchV 620 014
1. SRI N.SEKAR
2. SRI L.A.E.FERNANDEZ
3. SRI P.SADAGOPAN
MGR/COMMERCIAL/BLD.24
AGM/C&I/FB/BLD.53
MGR/ITS&S/BLD.2&4
Note:Cat C-Critical CPT

CPT INFORMATION SYSTEM CIS06-Ver.02
Dt 30.03.2006
Dist.List
15.03.2006
GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BOILER OPERATION

JPL / O P JINDAL STPP (RAIGARH) 4 x 600 MW
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Sl. No.
DESCRIPTION
PAGE No.
INTRODUCTION
PERFORMANCE
FILLING AND VENTING
STARTING UP
SHUTTING DOWN
WATER LEVEL
WARMING UP AND EXPANSION
AIRHEATER
SOOT BLOWER
10
STEAM TEMPERATURE CONTROL
11
SUPERHEATER AND REHEATER
12
BLOW DOWN
10
13
TUBE FAILURES
10
14
FURNACE EXPLOSIONS
11
15
FLY ASH EROSION
12
16
INSPECTION
13
17
LAY-UPS
14
18
WATER WASHING TO REMOVE DEPOSITS

FROM OIL FIRING
14
19
WATER IMPOUNDED BOTTOM ASH HOPPER

(As applicable)
16
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Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited
Page No. 1

INTRODUCTION
These General Principles of Boiler Operation are presented to acquaint operators with basic
operation and care of large tangential fired, controlled circulation steam generating unit. Detailed
information regarding operation and maintenance of the specific boiler components and auxiliary
equipment supplied at this installation is provided in other sections of this manual.
Basic rules must be followed in the operation and maintenance of boilers and auxiliary
equipment. Just as important, the operator should familiarize himself with the characteristics of
the actual equipment at this installation. This can only be accomplished by diligently observing,
recording, checking and comparing data and details. Emergency conditions that could result in
unnecessary outages and repairs can be avoided by a proper working knowledge and attention on
the part of the operator.
PERFORMANCE
1.
All steam generating equipment are designed for a specific purpose. When supplied with
feed water at a specific temperature, the unit will deliver a definite quantity of steam at
the rated pressure and temperature. Operating at conditions, which exceed the design
limitations, will shorten the life of the boiler and its components.
2.
The concentration of solids entrained in the steam leaving steam drum will depend to a
great extent upon the quality of the feed water. Suitable make-up water treatment and an
adequate blow down program should be employed to control the boiler water alkalinity,
and the concentration of silica, dissolved solids and suspended solids in the boiler water.
Adequate mechanical deaeration of the feed water should be provided and steps should be
taken to control the level of metal oxides entering the boiler in the feed water. Refer to
the Water Treatment section of the manual.
3.
The quantity of fuel consumed is generally measured and recorded. The method used will
depend upon the nature of the fuel and the equipment available for measuring. A
representative fuel sample should be obtained periodically. The services of a competent
laboratory should be employed to analyze the fuel with respect to chemical constituents,
calorific value, viscosity (liquid fuels) and other physical characteristics that could have
an unfavourable influence on operation and efficiency.
4.
An analysis of the flue gases leaving the boiler is invaluable as an index of complete,
economical combustion. Combustion should be completed before the gases leave the
furnace. The presence of carbon monoxide (CO) in the flue gas indicates incomplete
combustion. The best percentage of excess air to be used to ensure complete combustion
will depend upon the nature of the fuel, design of the fuel burning equipment, as well as
other factors. The most desirable excess air for different rates of evaporation must be
established for the particular installation.
Use of an Orsat is the most reliable means of analyzing flue gases. It should be used as a
check, even when other instruments are provided to furnish this data. For determination of
the percentage CO, CO2 and O2 gas samples should be obtained at the rear pass outlet
upstream of the air heater.
5.
When the heat transfer surfaces are kept clean, the temperature of the flue gases leaving
the air heater and the draft loss through the unit will generally be constant for a given
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Page No. 2

rating and percent of excess air. This illustrates the desirability of keeping accurate
records of performance from the start of operation. Operating data should be recorded in
a form that will facilitate the comparison of data taken under similar operating conditions.
When the equipment is new, standards should be established to serve as measures of
satisfactory operation. Then if operating conditions deviate from this established
standard, steps can be taken to determine and correct the cause of the discrepancy.
FILLING AND VENTING
When filling the boiler, open the boiler vents as noted on the Valve Operating Diagram in the
Unit Operating Procedures section of this manual. The boiler should be filled from the bottom
to minimize the introduction of air into the unit. Refer to the boiler circulation pump operating
procedures for specific procedures and observe the following precautions.
1.
Ensure that the boiler circulating pumps have been properly filled and vented.
2.
Open the discharge valves on one boiler circulating pump.
3.
Open the bypass valves around the other boiler circulating pumps.
4.
Establish purge flow to the pumps to ensure that leakage is from the pump motor cavity to
the pump casing.
Fill the boiler unit till the water level is close to the top of the gauge glass to prevent the water
from dropping out of sight when the first boiler circulating pump is started.
If hot water (hot relative to the boiler metal temperatures) is used to fill the boiler, be careful to
feed slowly to avoid severe temperature strains on the drums and headers.
The drum purge and bleed vent, which vents the outer drum shell, should be closed prior to
starting the first boiler circulating pump. The regular drum vents should be closed when the drum
pressure reaches 2.0 kg/cm2 (g). The back pass rear header drains should remain open until all air
is vented from the unit. The unit is usually considered free of air when the drum pressure reaches
2.0 kg/cm2 gauge.
STARTING-UP
In order to detect an incorrect firing condition (may be detected) promptly, ensure that the
instruments used to monitor operating conditions are in good working order before lighting off.
Draft readings, temperature readings, pressure readings and a reliable indication of how much
excess air is being used are a prerequisite to intelligent operation.
Prior to lighting off the unit, the drainable portions (headers, inlet, outlet and connecting links
and piping) of the superheater should be drained through lines free from back pressure and vented
at the outlet. The superheater drains should be closed in accordance with information given on
Valve Operating Diagram for this installation. To protect the superheater elements from
overheating, the superheater outlet vent (starting vent) must remain open to ensure a flow of
steam through the superheater until the unit has gone on the line and is carrying load till HP
bypass is cut in. Refer to Unit Operating Procedures for specific valve operation.
During start-ups, when there is no steam flow through the reheater, residual moisture in the
reheater element must be boiled off. This is accomplished by opening the vents on reheater
headers before the lighting off. Atmospheric drains or vents must be closed prior to raising a
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Page No. 3

vacuum in the condenser. Cold and Hot reheat line drains near the turbine, which connect with the
condenser, should be kept open until the unit is under light load.
During initial firing, prior to carrying load, the firing rate must be controlled to keep the furnace
exit gas temperature below 540 Deg.C until the HP-LP bypass is cut in and steam flow through
the reheater is established. It is recommended that a temperature probe be inserted at the furnace
outlet near the first gas touched superheat/reheat surface to enable continuous measurement of
furnace exit gas temperatures.
During initial start-up of a new unit, the firing rate increase should be relatively slow to allow the
unit to be inspected for expansion movements and clearances. Subsequent startups can be done at
a faster rate possible within the 540 Deg.C furnace exit gas temperature limitation. Always make
firing adjustments manually during this period; never attempt to startup with the combustion
control or feed water control equipment on Automatic.
During the initial start-up of a new unit, binders used in the manufacture of the insulation may be
dissipated as smoke. Refer to the water cooled furnace section of this manual for additional
information.
The boiler circulating pumps must be in good running condition, and alarm devices and
interlocks, provided for protection of the boiler and the pumps should be tested before each
startup.
A controlled circulation boiler is provided with economiser recirculation line which connect the
economiser inlet header with the water wall drum or header. This arrangement provides a means
of supplying water to the economiser during initial firing of the boiler to prevent steaming. The
valves in the recirculation line should remain open until continuous feed water flow is established,
and then the valves can be closed.
Prior to lighting off, check all instrumentation and safety interlocks to be sure they are in good
working order. Verify proper operation of all instrumentation such as gauges, transmitters and
recorders during initial operation.
SHUTTING DOWN
The time required for shutting down the unit and the procedures to be followed will depend on the
nature of the shutdown (normal shutdown to cold, normal shutdown to hot standby or emergency
shutdown) and whether the unit is to be entered for inspection and/or maintenance. Refer to Unit
Operating Procedures for detailed operating recommendations.
The anticipated time of the outage should be considered during the shutting down process in
determining the proper steps for laying up the unit for corrosion protection. Refer to Lay-up
procedures in this manual.
Immediately after the unit is off the line (turbine valves closed) and all fires are out, superheater
and reheater drains are opened as required for the desired pressure reduction. If the unit is
shutdown to cold, the drum vents should be opened when the pressure is reduced to 0.2 to 0.4
kg/cm2 (g) (approximately 102 to 107 Deg.C water temperature in the downcomer). If pressure
parts inspection or maintenance is required, the water temperature should be reduced to 93 deg. C
before draining the boiler.
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Page No. 4

Fans and boiler circulating pumps may be operated as required to achieve the desired cooling rate
and uniformity of cooling. Refer to `Unit Operating Procedures for details, such as airheater
protection and boiler circulating pump cooling water requirements.
WATER LEVEL
Before lighting a fire, the operator should check the water level in the upper drum by blowing
down the water column and gauge glass. Usually slowly cracking the drain valve on high pressure
gauges will suffice. A liberal blow down will usually clear the drain valve seats of any foreign
matter. The gauge glass should be blown down several times at low pressure while warming up a
new boiler. Routine checks of the water gauge should be made at least once per shift while a
boiler is in operation.
(Refer to Water Gauge instructions for procedures on checking level). If the action of the water in
the gauge is sluggish when the drain valve is opened or closed, investigate the cause and correct
the condition immediately. To protect the gauge glass, blow downs should be kept to a minimum,
during normal operation.
The water level should be slightly above the recommended operating level before putting a boiler
circulating pump in service. This is necessary to prevent the level from falling out of sight when
the pump is started.
During normal operation the water level in the gauge glass should be observed periodically even
though the boiler may be equipped with a reliable feed water regulator and/or remote water level
indicator.
While steaming, the boiler should be protected from rapid changes in feed water temperature .The
feed water flow to the boiler should correspond rather closely to the steaming rate and should not
be shut off completely while the boiler is being fired.
The recommended water level and operating range is indicated in the Section Steam Drum
Internals. Unless there is information to the contrary, the water level should be carried near the
center of the gauge glass. The gauge glass center line is normally set to indicate normal level
inside the drum at full pressure conditions. If the unit is operated at significantly reduced pressure,
the level indicated at the gauge glass center line will correspond to a lower than normal actual
level inside the drum, due to the difference in temperature between the water in the gauge glass
and the water inside the drum. Any adjustment of the water level should be gradual .If the water
level is too high, carryover or even priming may occur, especially if the steam demand is large
and rapidly fluctuating.
Perhaps the most serious emergency that may be encountered is low water level. As mentioned in
previous paragraphs, the water level must be watched continuously and water gauges should be
checked periodically to ensure proper operation. Protection of water level transmission lines
should be provided to avoid freezing or other damages of these lines. Do not rely solely on high
and low level alarms.
If the water level falls out of sight in the water gauge, due to failure of the feed water supply or
neglect of the operator (except in the case of momentary fluctuations that might occur with
extraordinary changes in load), appropriate action should be taken at once to extinguish the fire.
Any decision to continue to operate, even if only for a short time at a reduced rating, would have
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Page No. 5

to be made by someone in authority, thoroughly familiar with the circumstances that led to the
emergency and positively certain that the water level can be restored immediately without
damaging the boiler and/or boiler circulating pumps.
WARMING UP AND EXPANSION
While the boiler is being brought upto pressure, provision should be made for gradually heating
and adequately draining all cold steam piping from the beginning by opening all drain valves and
by-pass (if stop valves are provided).
During initial firing, periodically check the expansion movements of the boiler and make sure the
casing, headers, piping move freely in respect to the structural steel. Expansion marks should be
installed at suitable locations to facilitate inspection (Refer to Pressure parts expansion
movement diagrams for this installation). Periodic checks should be made during the life of the
unit to determine that expansion movement continues to occur in a normal, uniform manner. All
hangers on the unit and related piping should be checked periodically for proper settings and
functioning.
AIRHEATER
An abnormal increase in draft loss across the gas and or air side of an air heater indicates that
deposits are building up. Every precaution should be taken to keep the gas swept surfaces of the
airheater clean. Operate the airheater soot blowers as frequently as necessary. Water washing
equipment and/or other cleaning devices should be used as necessary to prevent air heater
plugging.
If oil is being fired, make certain the fuel is being burned completely. Watch the temperature of
the gas leaving the air heater, particularly when starting up the unit. Use airheater cleaning device
to remove accumulations of combustible deposits. A sudden and abnormal increase in the gas
outlet temperature would indicate that a fire has developed. In this event, the unit should be shut
down immediately and steps to be taken to quench the fire.
Refer to Airheater instructions in this manual for additional, specific cleaning and fire
protection recommendation.
The exit gas temperature will rise with increasing load and fall with decreasing load. If a log is
kept of the load, the exit gas temperature and soot blowing schedule, the operator will soon be
able to recognize an abnormally high or low exit gas temperature.
If the exit gas temperature is below normal for the load at which the unit is being operated, look
for very low excess air (very high CO2, may be some CO and smoke).
High exit gas temperature may be caused by such conditions as high excess air, dirty water walls,
secondary combustion, a dirty airheater and/or a fire in the airheater.
A steam airheater is provided at the air heater air inlet to assist in the prevention of air heater cold
end corrosion. Refer to section on Airheater Corrosion control.
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Page No. 6

SOOT BLOWERS
Soot blowers should be operated as often as necessary to keep the external heat transfer surfaces
clean. A high economizer exit gas temperature and/or erratic steam temperature control action
(see note) may be an indication of the need for blowing soot. By recording and comparing this
exit gas temperature at various loads and furnace conditions, a proper soot blowing schedule can
be established. It will be found more difficult to use the soot blowers effectively if, during a
period of neglect, a considerable amount of fly ash or slag is allowed to build up. Never use soot
blowers on a cold boiler. Always be sure that the combustion rate is high enough when blowing
soot so that the fires are not extinguished. Refer to Soot Blowers Instructions for details.
NOTE: The requirements of the steam temperature control system can be used as an indication
of fouling in the furnace, superheater and reheater since desuperheater spray water
quantity and Fuel nozzle tilt movement reflect the changes in tube surface cleanliness.
Proper drainage of the soot blower piping system is very important in preventing pressure parts
erosion. The draining of condensate is ensured by providing a Thermal Drain Valve, which will
open if the temperature falls below the set value and it closes when the temperature raises above
the set value (as is the case when the complete condensate is drained and steam starts flowing).
STEAM TEMPERATURE CONTROL (with Tilting Tangential firing)
The function of the steam temperature control equipment is to maintain design superheat and
reheat temperatures over the specified control range. Care should be exercised to prevent steam
temperatures from exceeding, the maximum values shown in the Steam Temperature Vs Load
curve especially if steam temperature control equipment is programmed to a boiler rating below
the control point. Damage to tubing may result due to localized over heating, caused by poor
distribution of steam flow at low loads, if the maximum values are exceeded.
The steam temperature control system include the following equipments:
a)
b)
Fuel and Air Nozzle Tilts (Reheater temperature control)

Spray water desuperheaters (Superheat and reheat steam temperature control)
Generally, the relationship among the controls is as follows:

Fuel and air nozzle tilts
The fuel and air nozzles can be tilted through a 60 deg. (1 rad) range, from 30 deg. (0.5 rad) upto
30 Deg. (0.5 rad) down. Raising or lowering the flame provides, in effect, a furnace with an
adjustable amount of heat absorbing surface.
The nozzle tilt drive units in the four corners of a furnace should operate in unison
(simultaneously) in response to control signals from the reheat steam temperature controller. An
increase in reheat steam temperature beyond the control set point moves the tilts down, and a
decrease of steam temperature below the set point moves the tilts up in proportional increments.
A change in unit load will produce a change in the superheat and reheat steam temperatures. In
anticipation of this temperature change a load change signal is usually introduced in to the master
temperature controller, either from the steam flow or air flow transmitter. This permits the steam
temperature controller to initiate corrective action, that is, move the tilts up or down or change the
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Page No. 7

desuperheater water flow, before the temperature change occurs, thereby decreasing temperature
fluctuations.
When the nozzle tilts reach their minimum tilt and further reheat steam temperature reduction is
required, control is automatically sequenced to the reheater desuperheaters (see following
paragraph).
Desuperheaters
Reheat desuperheaters are normally provided for emergency use only. They are used to reduce
excessive reheat steam temperature, when nozzle tilt control has reached its lower limit. The
automatic control signal to the spray water control valves is normally from the same source as the
one actuating the nozzle tilt drives.
The superheater desuperheaters are normally provided to maintain the design final superheated
steam temperature. Desuperheater spray water control is generally a 3-element cascade system in
which final steam temperature, intermediate (desuperheater outlet) steam temperature and load
index (steam flow or air flow measurements) are applied to achieve proper and fast control
actions.
Regardless of means provided for controlling superheat and reheat steam temperatures, there are a
number of factors which may produce abnormal steam temperatures. With a new or extremely
clean coal or oil fired unit, it may be necessary to operate for a period of time before normal
deposits build up on the furnace walls. Meanwhile some difficulty may be experienced in getting
the predicted steam temperature.
Abnormally low steam temperature may also be produced by:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Insufficient excess air.

Higher than rated feed water temperature.
Lower than design reheater inlet temperature.
Excessive moisture carryover from the boiler.
A fouled superheater or reheater surfaces (externally or internally)
Leaking desuperheater spray water valves.
Poorly adjusted control equipment.
If the steam temperature is too low, the furnace walls should be cleaned only as necessary and in
steps, using one wall blower, followed by operating for a period and then using another wall
blower at another wall. Cleaning the furnace walls at once may give extremely low steam
temperatures; however, neglecting to clean the furnace may lead to other difficulties.
The superheat steam temperature will drop suddenly and recover if the boiler is priming. The
temperature fluctuations increase in frequency and severity as the total solids or alkalinity in the
boiler water increases.
The following conditions may produce steam temperatures abnormally high for a given rate of
evaporation:
1.
2.
3.
A dirty furnace.
Too much excess air.
Lower than rated feed water temperature.
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Page No. 8

4.
5.
6.
Higher than rated reheater inlet temperature.

Irregular ignition or delayed combustion.
Poorly adjusted control equipment.
If the steam temperature is generally too high, the furnace should be cleaned thoroughly and
completely as often as necessary to keep the temperature down. As slag develops in the furnace,
the heat absorption rate of the furnace will be decreased materially and the steam temperature and
overall performance of the unit will be affected. Continuously increasing steam temperature, with
no change in steam output, indicates progressive fouling of the furnace. If slagging becomes
acute, localized ash accumulations may obstruct portions of the superheater or reheater and
produce high gas mass velocities in the free areas, with overheating possibility. The operators
should develop a suitable procedure for using the wall blowers to deslag the furnace. Soot
blowers will give best results if the ash is not sticky.
Frequent furnace inspection should be made to see that no slag accumulates around the windbox
opening, since unsatisfactory flame conditions can result. Such accumulations, if found, should
be removed promptly.
SUPERHEATER AND REHEATER
Consideration for protecting the superheater and reheater is a controlling factor in determining
how rapidly a controlled circulation unit should be brought upto pressure. The superheater
elements should be heated as evenly as possible, and the maximum temperature of the flue gases
entering the first gas touched superheater elements (the furnace exit gas temperature) should be
carefully monitored and controlled during start-ups.
The furnace exit gas temperatures are normally measured by means of a startup thermocouple
probe traversing about half the width of the furnace. The point of maximum temperature must be
determined each time the firing pattern is changed. The maximum furnace exit gas temperature
should be limited to 540 Deg. C until the HP-LP by pass is cut in and steam flow through the
reheater is established.
To ensure superheater element loops are clear of condensate, provision must be made for adequate
flow of steam through the superheater while starting up. Drain and vent valves in the outlet
headers and /or the main steam line should be opened before the unit is fired and kept open until
the unit is steaming under load (Refer Valve Operating Diagram). The startup vents may be
throttled gradually as drum pressure increases provided sufficient flow through the superheater is
ensured at all times. When the HP bypass is cut in, turbine is synchronized and carrying load, an
adequate steam flow will be ensured; the superheater start-up vents may be closed.
(Before lighting off, reheater vents should be opened. As the pressure in the boiler increases,
residual moisture in the reheater will be boiled off). Reheater drains connected to the condenser
should remain opened until the turbine generator is on the line and under light load. Vents open to
atmosphere should be closed before attempting to pull a vacuum in the condenser.
It is advisable to operate a condenser circulating pump during the early stage of firing the boiler to
prevent overheating of the condenser by hot vapor from the reheater drains.
When the unit is carrying load, the gas temperature near the superheater and reheater surfaces are
quite high. A sudden interruption of cooling steam flow could cause the superheater or reheater
tubes to overheat and subsequently fail. It is imperative that all fuel be tripped immediately when
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Page No. 9

such interruptions of steam flow occur. There will be no flow through the reheater unless the
turbine is operating with steam flowing through it. Safety valves at the outlet of the superheater
provide a measure of protection by opening to establish a flow path through the superheater if
normal steam flow is interrupted. These safety valves are set to POP before the drum safety
valves. Reheater safety valves will open to relieve the pressure trapped in the reheater.
Care must be exercised to avoid carry-over of water and solids to the superheater and turbine.
Steam samples should be taken at frequent intervals to detect evidence of carry-over. Steam
conductivity recorders are commonly used for this purpose. Sampling connections are normally
provided in the superheater connecting tubes, leaving the steam drum. Carryover may be caused
by abnormal high water level, especially if the steaming rate is high. If carry over is suspected,
steps should be taken immediately to investigate and eliminate the conditions causing this
carryover. If the investigation indicates that the carry over is not a result of improper water
condition, the steam drum internals and the water level control and indicating equipment should
be inspected at the first possible opportunity.
Deposits of solid materials in superheaters and reheaters can affect heat transfer and also lead to
corrosion. Superheaters and reheaters containing stainless steel tubing are particularly vulnerable
to stress corrosion cracking in the presence of such chemicals as caustics and chlorides.
Therefore, introduction of solid materials, either through carryover or during filling operations
(Hydrostatic testing, chemical cleaning) must be avoided.
BLOW DOWN
The continuous blow down offers the best means for controlling and maintaining a relative
constant concentration of soluble solids in the boiler water.
The data on blow down should be recorded. The amount of blow down is best determined from a
chemical analysis of water from the boiler since the water treatment system varies for each
individual plant. A competent authority on water conditioning should be engaged to prescribe
suitable water treatment from analysis of the water supply and to furnish the necessary instruction
for blowing down.
Controlled circulation boilers are equipped with furnace lower drum (ring header) drains which
may be used for intermittent blow down service at any time. Never use the pump suction
manifold drains for blow down. These are for draining only, when the unit is out of service.
Unless the valve manufacturers recommendations state otherwise, open the sealing valve (next to
the boiler) and the blowing valve (farthest from the boiler) and close in the reverse order. Never
make the blow down long enough to lose sight of the water in the gauge glass. Check the valves
for leaks occasionally.
TUBE FAILURES
If one or more water carrying tubes in a controlled circulation boiler fail, the best method for
shutting down the boiler depends on the size of the failure, the ability to maintain normal water
level in the boiler and the demands for the service of the boiler.
If the failure is such that the water level can be maintained in the gauge glass by using the normal
make up system and if the load condition requires operation, the boiler can be kept in service until
it is more convenient to take it off the line to make the necessary repairs. Although it is possible
to operate for a considerable period of time under such conditions, there is always a chance the
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Page No. 10

failure may damage other tubes. As long as the water level can be maintained in the gauge glass,
the boiler should be shut down in the normal manner, so that the equipment is not subjected to
sudden temperatures changes. The boiler may be cooled rapidly with a circulating pump in
service.
If the water level cannot be maintained in the gauge glass, the boiler should be shut down
immediately. After a shutdown because of low water level, every effort should be made to keep
the water level as close to normal as possible until the boiler is cool enough to drain. If for any
reason it is not possible to maintain normal water level after the fires are out, the boiler circulating
pumps must be shut down. This must be done before the boiler feed pumps are shut down and
before the boiler circulating pumps lose suction, as indicated by differential pressure and motor
amps. With no circulating pumps in service it will be necessary to cool the boiler much more
slowly. Large temperature differentials in the drum are possible with rapid cooling under these
conditions.
A leak in a superheater or reheater element should be investigated at the earliest possible time,
and the unit should be shut down in a normal manner.
These are recommendations only and are not intended to replace the judgment of the operators
responsibility for the operation of the equipment. Keep in mind that prolonged operation with
leaking tubes may result in cutting other tubes and make a major repair out of what would have
been a relatively simple and short one. The time selected to take the unit off the line is solely the
responsibility of the operators as they are the only ones who know the circumstances and the
advantages and disadvantages of keeping the unit on the line.
FURNACE EXPLOSIONS
Furnace explosions are generally a result of the following conditions:
1.
2.
3.
The accumulation of unburnt fuel in the furnace due to incomplete combustion, loss of
ignition or fuel valve leakage.
The mixture of this unburnt fuel with air in explosive proportions.
The application of sufficient heat to raise the temperature of a portion of this mixture to
the ignition point.
Unburnt fuel may accumulate in the furnace in a number of ways, for instance:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Through leaky main fuel or ignition fuel inlet valves on idle fuel compartments.
If the fires are extinguished and the fuel is not shut off promptly.
If the fuel is not burning as fast as it is entering the furnace.
If difficulty is experienced in establishing ignition during startup.
Furnace explosions can be avoided by taking a few precautions such as:

1.
During a start-up, maintain a minimum air flow of 30% of full load air flow, to ensure an
air rich furnace atmosphere and prevent accumulation of explosive mixtures.
2.
Be sure that the main fuel and ignition fuel inlet valves on idle fuel compartments are
closed tightly and do not leak. It is advisable to remove idle guns from the guide pipes, to
avoid dripping.
3.
Watch the fires so that the fuel may be shut off without delay if proper combustion is not
maintained. If the fires are lost, trip all main and ignition fuel immediately. Close all trip
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Page No. 11

and shut off valves. Purge the furnace for at least 5 minutes after shut down with
minimum 30% full load air flow.
4.
Clear oil tanks of water and sludge periodically.
5.
When a boiler has been idle, purge the furnace for 5 minutes with 30% of full load air
flow, before putting ignitors in service. Be sure that the warm up fuel firing rate is high
enough to produce a flame that is not easily extinguished.
Never attempt to light an oil or gas nozzle without the required ignition energy source.
Be sure that steam for the steam atomizing oil guns is dry and the oil is heated and
circulated to give the required viscosity at the nozzles.
Do not use heavy oil/mechanical atomization oil guns for boiling out, lighting off and
warming up. Use light oil/air atomizing or heavy oil/steam atomizing oil guns.
On coal fired units always use the required ignition energy source when placing any
pulverizer in service.
6.
Regularly check proper function of furnace safeguard supervisory system provided,

including interlocks and trips prior to startup and periodically during normal operating
periods.
7.
During outages thoroughly check out, inspect and maintain furnace safeguard supervisory
system provided.
FLY ASH EROSION

Fly ash erosion is the abrasion of metal surfaces by residual ash particles carried in the flue gases.
Erosion normally occurs in areas with localized high flue gas velocities (See Note). The degree of
erosion is further related to the ash content (quantity and composition) of the fuel. Units firing
coal with a high ash content of an abrasive nature are more subject to erosion.
Note:
Areas most commonly subject to erosion are:

Screen tubes, eonomiser and low temperature superheater terminal tubes and bends,
areas around soot blowers and wall deslaggers, gas duct work and induced draft fan (fan
blades and housing).
Boiler design parameters are based on conservative average flue gas velocities and normal coal
ash percentages, to achieve minimum possibility of erosion. However, the possibility of localized
erosion cannot be entirely avoided nor can the degree or location be predicted for each
installation.
It is important that the unit be inspected for indications (See Note) of erosion, especially in areas
mentioned above, whenever the opportunity presents itself but at least during annual outages.
When coal with a high ash content is fired, a definite periodic inspection programme must be
established.
Note:
Indications of erosion are:

Polished surface appearance, gouging holes in duct expansion joints (leaks) and so forth.
Reduction of tube diameters due to erosion can be verified by micrometer readings or
ultrasonic testing of the tube wall thickness.
The effects of erosion can be controlled by protecting the affected areas (pad welding, installation
of removable tube shields, refractory coating for example) or by dispersing the flue gas streams
through the use of plate or wire mesh baffles (See Note).
________________________________________________________________________
Page No. 12

Note:
Extreme care must be exercised when installing baffles not to create new areas of erosion
or to shift erosion from one area to another.
The method of control and/or correction depends on the degree and location of the erosion and
can only be established after thorough evaluation of the local situation and some experimentation.
The effectiveness of correction methods must be checked. In the event of extreme or unusual
erosion problems, this company or its representative should be consulted.
INSPECTION
Whenever the boiler is shutdown, and the furnace is cool enough to enter, make an external
inspection of the boiler, water walls, superheater, reheater, economiser and airheater. Clean the
firesides where necessary and examine all tubes for evidence of corrosion, erosion, swelling,
warping, blistering, burning and cracking.
Swelling of superheater tubes indicates overheating which may have been caused by bringing the
boiler up to pressure too quickly, failure to vent the superheater sufficiently while the boiler is
being brought-up to pressure, or scale on the internal surfaces due to carry over of water from the
boiler. Slight warping is not serious if steps are taken at once to determine and eliminate the
cause.
Check the condition of the furnace setting and check the casing and doors for leaks.
Periodic inspection should be made to examine the watersides of the boiler unit. When entering
the boiler for internal inspection during freezing weather, care must be taken that no water
remains trapped in piping or above valve seats. In particular, gate valves in vertical piping (such
as boiler circulating pump suction valves) should remain open during the outage to prevent
damage to the valve seats due to freezing. Some condensate will remain in non-drainable
superheater and reheater pendant loops. Some source of heat must be provided to prevent
freezing.
CAUTION
If the unit has been bottled up with a nitrogen blanket, the nitrogen must be purged before
personnel may enter the drum. Nitrogen will not support respiration. Open both drum manholes
and use an air mover to purge the drum off nitrogen.
Before entering the drum, make sure that all valves in drum connecting piping (feed water,
auxiliary steam, chemical feed, blowdown, drains, sampling, gauge glass drains and such) are
closed tightly and properly tagged so that they will not be opened inadvertently. Remove the
manhole covers and check the drum internals for tightness and cleanliness.
Check the drum for corrosion and pitting. Oxygen pitting is a common form of corrosion that can
be found in boilers, usually in the steam drum above the normal water level, but also found in
tubes and waterwall drums.
Remove a sufficient amount of handhole pipes from each boiler and water wall header for
inspection of the internal tube surfaces. Wash down the unit to remove any sludge.
Remove and check for cleanliness of orifices of the wall tubes in the waterwall drums (ring
header).
Inspect and if necessary clean external heating surface of the economiser.
See that the heating surfaces of the airheater are clean. Corrosion, if present, would appear in the
cooler portion of the heater, particularly where soot and fly ash are allowed to accumulate. Make
________________________________________________________________________
Page No. 13

a thorough inspection of the firesides and clean as required. Check for misalignment of the soot
blowers.
Check fuel firing equipment (Such as nozzles, ignitors, oil guns, scanners, linkage, dampers) for
cleanliness, any deterioration and proper operation. Check out and exercise, where practicable,
control valves, relays, lights and interlocks through the connected control system.
Annual inspection should cover the equipment completely and include an internal and external
examination of the entire unit.
LAY-UPS
When the unit is shut down for stand-by and draining of the boiler is not required for maintenance
or repairs, the boiler metals must be protected against corrosion. Refer to Lay Up Procedures in
this manual
WATER WASHING TO REMOVE DEPOSITS FROM OIL FIRING

Firing oil with high ash content leads to troublesome ash deposits on the waterwall, superheater
and reheater surfaces. The ash contains varying amount of vanadium, alkalines, sulphur, and other
objectionable elements. It is composed of insoluble residue along with a bonding binder which
adheres to the waterwall, superheater and reheater surfaces. This densely bonded mass may not be
completely removed by normal cleaning devices such as soot blowers. Periodic water washing of
these surfaces may be required to loosen the binder and flush out the insoluble residue.
Excessive ash on the waterwalls, superheater or reheater have an adverse effect on boiler
operation. When this accumulation plugs the passes in the superheater or reheater, operation of
the unit is seriously hampered. Operating the unit with plugging is detrimental because:
1.
Full load operation may not be possible due to increased pressure losses from plugging.
The increased pressure losses increase the head on the ID Fan, resulting in reduced
capacity.
2.
Laning through the superheater and reheater can result in overheating elements in the
open lanes.
3.
Normal cleaning by the use of soot blowing is not possible due to the plugged passes.
This leads to acceleration in the rate of plugging.
4.
Boiler efficiency will be lost due to reduced effectiveness of coated heat transfer surface.
The need for water washing is indicated by increased pressure losses through the boiler. Other
indications are reduction in steam temperature, increase in exit gas temperature, reduction in
capacity, or, the buildup observed in a visual inspection.
Requirements for water washing are:
1.
An outage of sufficient duration to permit adequate cooling, preparations, thorough

cleaning, and drying of the unit before returning to service.
2.
A supply of water with provisions for maintaining the desired pressure and temperature.
3.
Means for removing the wash water effluent from the boiler and its disposal.
4.
Suitable lances for washing between the elements in the superheater and reheater sections.
These can be made from sections of 1/4 (6 mm) or 3/8 (9 mm) pipe. Drill 1/8 (3 mm)
________________________________________________________________________
Page No. 14

or 3/16 (5 mm) holes in the end of the pipe cap or along one side of the pipe to direct the
water on the area being cleaned.
The boiler should be cooled to prevent temperature stresses in the pressure parts from the wash
water. If the unit is cool enough for workmen to stay inside the furnace, it is cool enough to
permit washing. It is preferable that the refractory retains some heat to aid in drying (from inside)
at the completion of the wash.
The quantity of wash water flow will vary, but means should be available to supply up to (50
gpm) 3.15 liters/s. A simple direct contact heater (injecting steam directly into the water) can be
made to control temperature. Since the ash binder becomes more soluble with increasing
temperature, the wash water should be heated to 40 to 45 Deg. C. At this temperature the bare
lance can be handled, making the washing easier. Generally, higher pressures are desirable to
dislodge deposits. The minimum pressure should be 21 kg/cm2.
Some treatment of the water can be beneficial but is not required. A wetting agent, makes the ash
deposits more soluble .Inhibitors are available to reduce the corrosive attack on metal parts by
wash water made acidic from dissolved elements in the ash. Also, caustic or soda ash can be used
to neutralize the wash water.
Drains are provided in boiler furnace and in fly ash hoppers in rear pass. The drain openings
should be cleaned out before the water washing commences. A suitable means to dispose of the
wash water should be provided before the washing commences.
It is desirable to blank off any windbox compartment openings from the furnace side before water
washing, to avoid wetting metal parts of the windbox.
Means should be provided to prevent contact of Airheater with a wash water effluent, which may
cause plugging of the airheater elements.
When washing, use large quantities of water to flush out the insoluble material and to dilute the
acid forming elements in the ash. Rods or bars can be used to dislodge the more tenacious
accumulations on the superheater or reheater elements. Care should be taken to avoid damage to
tubing when using such rods or bars. It is extremely important, once washing is started, to clean
the surfaces down to bare metal. Otherwise, corrosion is encouraged: the deposits which remain
accelerate plugging when the unit returns to service.
The amount of time required to water wash a boiler, will of course, vary with the nature of
deposits and preparations made for water washing. The minimum time experienced is about 8
hours. However, continuous washing should be planned, on an around-the-clock basis, until the
boiler surfaces are clean.
As soon as the boiler is washed, it should be dried out immediately. This will prevent corrosion
of metal parts. Under no circumstances may the unit be allowed to stand wet for any appreciable
time. Dry-out should consist of firing the boiler at a very low rate, just to maintain a steam
pressure of 3.5 to 7.0 kg/cm2 (g) for 8 hours. Then when the unit is dried out, it can be put back
into service.
If water washing is scheduled for an extended outage (more than one week), it should be done at
the beginning of the outage and the unit should be dried out thoroughly to prevent corrosion
caused by deposits absorbing moisture from the air during the outage.
There are a number of companies that now provide fireside cleaning service commercially. They
provide pumping units with available pressures and various nozzles which operate on portable
tracks for firesides jetting.
________________________________________________________________________
Page No. 15

WATER IMPOUNDED BOTTOM ASH HOPPER (As applicable)
Ash level in the bottom ash hopper shall be monitored periodically through S panel peep holes
and bottom ash view holes. After each deashing of bottom ash hopper complete evacuation of
hopper shall be ensured. Also after each wall blowing cycle during normal operation of the unit
the bottom ash hopper deslagging cycle shall be started. In case of any problem in the bottom ash
evacuation / clinker grinder operation the unit load shall be reduced suitably.
Always ensure the over flow water temperature at the bottom ash hopper at less than 60 Deg.C to
avoid steaming, by suitably ensuring make up water flow.
Unit load shall not be raised in case of any problem in operation of ash hopper evacuation system.
BHEL do not recommend full accumulation of ash in the bottom hopper as the boiler is not
designed for taking this load and this is not a desirable operating condition for the safety of the
unit.
________________________________________________________________________
Page No. 16

Santosh Kumar: Producl Engineer / BPP FB

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Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.

Please find enclosed the following

SANTOSH KUMAR V'SHWA~RMA

Note:Cat C-Critical CPT

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BOILER OPERATION

FILLING AND VENTING

WARMING UP AND EXPANSION

STEAM TEMPERATURE CONTROL

SUPERHEATER AND REHEATER

FLY ASH EROSION

WATER WASHING TO REMOVE DEPOSITS

WATER IMPOUNDED BOTTOM ASH HOPPER

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BOILER OPERATION

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BOILER OPERATION

Open the discharge valves on one boiler circulating pump.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BOILER OPERATION

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BOILER OPERATION

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BOILER OPERATION

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BOILER OPERATION

Fuel and Air Nozzle Tilts (Reheater temperature control)

Generally, the relationship among the controls is as follows:

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BOILER OPERATION

Insufficient excess air.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BOILER OPERATION

Higher than rated reheater inlet temperature.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BOILER OPERATION

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BOILER OPERATION

Furnace explosions can be avoided by taking a few precautions such as:

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BOILER OPERATION

Clear oil tanks of water and sludge periodically.

Regularly check proper function of furnace safeguard supervisory system provided,

FLY ASH EROSION

Areas most commonly subject to erosion are:

Indications of erosion are:

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BOILER OPERATION

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BOILER OPERATION

WATER WASHING TO REMOVE DEPOSITS FROM OIL FIRING

An outage of sufficient duration to permit adequate cooling, preparations, thorough

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BOILER OPERATION

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF BOILER OPERATION

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