Boiler Reliability Study

Reference Case Study

Problem Statement
CFBC boiler Bed Ash chutes and Bed Ash Coolers Chocking and its consequences.

Problem Description
It is common among all CFBC boilers that bed ash chutes chocking with very hard agglomerates.
This phenomenon happen particularly when South African Coal is used. Upon blending with
local or Indonesian coal it was observed very little. But some local coals with high sulfur
contents that make much Iron oxide or having more sodium or potassium base oxides show
more tendency to chock chutes and Bottom ash cooler. When we talk about bottom ash coolers
chocking it also depends it design, mostly Chinese base rotary drum bed ash cooler partially
chocked. De-chocking of these chutes is very tough and risky job lot of injuries observed while
this job in different Plants. Mostly emergency chutes designed in Chinese CFB boilers to drain
bed material in case this type of emergency otherwise bed material level rise up in furnace and
fluidization shall reduce to disappear, this emergency can further trigger bed material low
temperature agglomeration. Once at Olympia Chemical plant it was by operator fault bed was
not drained and all above said consequences observed.

Sr Recommendation for FPCL Frequency Action By

1 This Problem can be happen in FPCL and one time on Often happen Operation/ Coal
Both Boilers also has been observed, But HHI designer this issue. Selection.
has made modification to mitigate this issue.

Reference
Online presentation by Kachchh Lignite Thermal Power Station-Gujrat, INDIA. (URL Link)