AES Hawaii Combustor Entry Procedure

Rev 5 (11/7/2010)

Purpose: To address and mitigate the risks associated with entering the
combustor, cyclones, loop seals and backpass. Please note that all steps
must be completed and documented prior to permitting personnel entry into
the boiler internal areas as indicated. Do not open doors to cyclones, loop
seals or backpass until appropriate safety steps have been taken.

The following steps should be followed during a normal boiler shutdown to allow for
the safest possible conditions upon entry.
1. Prior to shutdown:
a) Run up screw coolers to reduce bed inventory
b) Continuously soot blow the back pass.
c) Adjust furnace draft setpoint to -1.5 in.w.c., run up PA fans.
d) Back out fuel and verify the continual rise of excess O2 to minimize unburned
carbon in ash.
e) MFT boiler on lower combustor temp
.

Signed/ Dated:____________________________

2. After MFT:
a) Utilize system fans to cool and circulate ash while running bottom ash screws
removing as much ash as possible.
b) Run SA fans until combustor temperatures are lower than air heater outlet air
temperature.
c) When opening regularly closed manways ensure the manway closure list is used
(initially used for opening).
d) Pull cyclone inlet roof plugs and open cyclone inlet manway doors to remove ash
on inlet floor with air lances without making entry (see section 6).
e) Inspect inlet from manway making sure there is no loose refractory or significant
ash left on the shelf. (see section 6)
f) Continue running PA Fans as long as cooling is necessary.
g) Start second loopseal blower and run as long as possible to aid in fluidizing at
loopseal. Open HP air dump to PA duct to avoid lifting safeties on loopseal
blower.
h) Watch for significant drop in cyclone downcomer temp when HP air breaks
through loopseal (cooler air flowing from combustor thru return legs and up thru
loopseal into lower section of downcomer)
i) Open back pass doors (in the vicinity of the airheaters to cool FD air) to aid cool
down. Monitor cool down rate to prevent damage from thermal stresses.
Temperature decrease limits are 200 F per hour in the combustion chamber and
100 F per hour for steam drum metal temperatures. Use caution when opening or
closing doors while fans are operating, due to high differential pressure.

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j) DO NOT OPEN air side air heater or windbox manways prior to shutting down
(LOTO) all fans.
k) Pull crossover roof plug and install Copus blower for cooling. (see section 6)
l) After combustor inside air temperature has begun to drop, combustor manway
doors can be opened to aid cooling. If negative draft is confirmed through
combustor refractory brick plugs, plugs can be removed.
m) Shut down PA fans when no more ash can be removed. Run loopseal blowers for
at least 30 seconds after PA fans are shut down.

Signed/ Dated:____________________________

3. Prior to Entry of Combustor, Cyclones, Loopseal or backpass:

a. Isolate, lock, tag and try the ammonia system to verify system will not
start. Vent off ammonia system to ensure entrapped vapors do not enter
the combustor spaces when occupied.
b. Isolate, lock, tag and try all limestone injection systems to verify the
system will not start.
c. Isolate, lock, tag and try the fly ash and bed ash re-injection systems to
verify they will not start.
d. Isolate, lock, tag and try all start-up burner systems to verify the burners
will not operate.
e. Isolate, lock, tag and try all coal feeders to ensure the feeders will not
start.
f. Isolate, lock, tag and try the Primary, Secondary Air fan and Loop Seal
Blowers to ensure they will not start.
g. Isolate, lock, tag and try all portions of boiler feedwater system supplying
boiler.
h. Isolate, lock, tag and try Backpass Sonic Horns.
i. Open front wall coal feeder gates and front covers on coal feeders to aid in
cooling.
j. Back ID Fan down using inlet damper to establish a negative draft safe
and comfortable for entry into combustor, cyclones, and backpass. Place
damper in local control and danger tag (separate tag out) in that position.
k. Verify all cyclone differential pressure indications are equal or nearly
equal to 0 in.w.c..

Signed/ Dated:____________________________

4. Confined Space Entry Permitting and entry. NOTE: It is important to follow the
sequence of described below to safely open doors and check spaces for accumulated
ash.

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a. While opening all doors use appropriate Personal Protective Equipment to

protect against hot ash and steam, expect differential pressure inward
toward the cyclone and take care not to be exposed to injury from doors or
equipment being sucked inward. Draft should be reduced to where forces
on doors are easily overcome without mechanical advantage.
b. Follow confined space program guidelines to issue permit and make entry
into Cyclone Inlets and Cyclone Outlets. Wearing appropriate fall
protection to install scaffold rails, perform final cleanup of remaining
cyclone inlet/outlet ash, make thorough inspection of roofs to ensure there
is no loose refractory or ash that can fall into cyclone or combustor.
c. Backpass entry permits may be issued as soon as all LOTO has been
completed and temperature permits. Entry should be made from top of
convection cage first proceeding down as areas above are verified to be
free of hazards.
d. Open Cyclone Transition Manway doors. Confirm that negative draft is
present, remove plugs and confirm cyclone is clear of ash at and above
this level.
e. Open Loopseal doors. Make sure negative draft is felt while removing top
bricks. If ash level is above top bricks it must be removed using vacuum
system prior to proceeding. Remove top bricks when level permits.
f. As soon as temperature permits safe entry issue permit for transition
manway. Install cyclone transition platform/ plug so that loopseal is
protected from overhead material
g. Follow confined space program guidelines to issue permit and make entry
into loopseals for ash removal with vacuum system.
h. Make visual confirmation that ash level is below all loopseal return legs
prior to issuing combustor entry permit.
i. Once both loopseal have been visually inspected from the manway doors
and it has been verified ash is not built up over the return leg inlets
proceed with combustor entry permit.
j. As soon as air temperature (~140 deg. F) and atmospheric conditions
permit (after all steps listed above have been completed) confined space
entry permit may be issued for entry into the combustor.
k. Enter combustor with caution looking for any loose ash or refractory that
may fall. Immediately upon entry shine flashlight up loopseal return legs.
Loopseal roof should be visible. If any loopseal is plugged with ash
entrants must exit and confined space permit shall be terminated until ash
can be safely removed.

Signed/ Dated:____________________________

5. Refractory and some tubing/piping surfaces will not reach ambient temperature for
several days. As scaffold gets erected continuous inspections must be performed on
overhead areas to ensure that thermal contraction during cooling does not dislodge

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refractory that can injure entrants below. Long sleeve shirts and gloves shall be worn
by all entrants.

6. Single Point Entry Combustor only, combustor tube leak repair. With the realization
that combustor entry only for combustor tube leak repair requires limited access to
only the combustor, this section will address this scenario only.
a) Follow the above procedure except for the following changes.
1) Item 2.d, delete in its entirety, this reflects the fact that minimal
amount of ash falling into the loopseal will not affect combustor
work.
2) Item 2.e will be revised to read pull cyclone inlet manway roof
plug and inspect the inlet through the roof plug opening.
3) Remove 2.j in its entirety.

7. Personnel Protective Equipment for ash removal: Anytime the potential exists for
exposure to hot ash and/or hot flue gas the individual will be required to wear the
following additional PPE.
a) High temp gloves
b) Long sleeve welding leathers or similar
c) Face shield with painters hood or similar
d) Minimum half face respirator, full face will provide additional protection
e) If standing on hot surfaces the wooden strap on foundry shoes will be worn

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