*STEAM BLOWING

*HYDRALIC TEST
*SAFETY VALVE FLOATING
*RELIABILITY RUN OF
BOILERS
 STEAM BLOW OUT
• Steam blowing of MS
lines/CRH/HRH/SH/RH/Transfer pipe lines
of turbine will be carried out in order to
remove welding slags, loose foreign
materials, iron pieces, rust etc., from the
system.
 Steam Blow Out
• If these materials are not removed, it will
cause damage to turbine- chemical regime
of steam/water circuit caused damage of
tubes- malfunctioning of valves or its
failures.
 Effect of blowing depends on

• 1)     Thermal shock

2)     Removal force of steam
• 3) Cleaning force of steam
 Removal force of steam-

• Blowing mass flow Q flow= √1.25 * Qmcr

√Vmcr/Vblow
• Qmc= mass flow at MCR
• Vmc= velocity at MCR
• Vblow=blowing velocity
 Cleaning force of steam

The necessasity to create in the system, the

steam velocity greater than that is possible
at MCR condition is obvious. These two
velocities are expressed as a ratio “Cleaning
factor” or “ Distribution factor” denoted by
“X”.
 DISTRIBUTION FACTOR
• a)     X=Velocity of steam during
blowing/Velocity of steam at MCR
• b)    X=(Steam flow during blowing / Steam
flow at MCR)² * ( Sp.vol of steam at
blowing / Sp.vol of steam at MCR)
• The recommended value X>1.25 ( between
1.25 and 1.4)
 MCR parameters

Steam flow = 690 T/Hr

MS pressure = 158 Ksc
MST/RH temp = 540º C
 Recommended blowing
parameters
• Dynamic steam pressure = 20 Ksc
• MS temp = 380(not to exceed)
• HRH temp = 450( not to exceed)
• Steam flow = 250 T/Hr
• Corresponding Drum pr. = 40 Ksc
• Furnace load ≈ 39%
 METHOD:
The technique employed is puffing method
of steam blowing is to give thermal shock
to the contour being purged , to dislodge
scale etc., which will subsequently cleared
by the expansion of steam.
 METHOD:
• 1)     Light up the boiler- Raise the pr. 30 to
35 Ksc.
• 2)     Shut off firing.
• 3)     Open Electrically Operated Temporary
Valve(EOTV) in short time ( 10 sec).
• 4)     Thus allowing steam to escape to
atmosphere at high velocity carrying all
loose debris.
 METHOD:
• 5) To prevent undue stress due to sudden
temp. variation, pressure drop allowed in
drum is limited to ts>40º C max,
accordingly EOTV operated.
• 6) Effective blowing is only 15 to 25 min.
with an interval of 18 Hrs.
• 7) 6 to 8 blows/ day at interval of 1.5 Hrs.
 METHOD:
8) Only one blow out / day follows
overnight cooling and recharging the
system every day till the complete cleaning
ensure effective dislodging of scales and
dedris.
     9) Roughly around 15 blow outs carried
out.
 TARGET PLATES:
•     Generally SS plates
•     Copper and Aluminium strips also used.
•     Kept perpendicular to the flow of steam.
•     30*309 mm, thichness 9 mm.
•     Brinell hardness < 90
•     Steam velocity – 258 m/sec
•     Target plates to be introduced just before steam
blowing / light up—to be removed soon after
blowing is completed.
 ACCEPTANCE:
• Completion of blow out is verified with the
indendation on target plates provided in
temporary piping i.e after ESVs and after
Interceptor Valves.
• At least 3 continuous Target plates should
not have indendation of dia.>0.5 mm.
• Dia. < 0.3 mm --- neglect
• Between 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm –not more
than 10.
 SAFETY VALVES

• 1)      “Fail safe” system- Operating high pressures

and safety against pressure rise above the designed
limits.
• 2)      Safety valves mounted on the boiler pressure
parts to safeguard from being unduly stressed in
extreme cases of mal operation.
• 3)      Increase in pressure will be a possible
hazardous explosion.
 RELIEF VALVE:
• The relief valve is a form of safety valve
but usually intended for less severe service
and of less importance from the safety view
point.
• Relief valve is the automatic relieving
device actuated by the static pressure
upstream of the valve which opens further
with an increase in the pressure over the
opening pressure.
 SAFETY VALVE
• Thus a safety valve is an automatic pressure
relieving device actuated by static upstream
of the valve and characterised by the full
opening pop action.
 POP ACTION:

• Pop action is quick opening of the valve.

• The area on which steam exerts pressure

increases as soon as valve leaves the seat.
 TYPES OF SAFETY VALVE:

• 1)     Dead weight SV.

• 2)     Lever with weight SV.
• 3)     Lever with spring SV.
• 4)     Spring loaded SV.
 CHATTERING OF A SV:

• The rapid opening and closing of the SV

is known as chattering.
 BLOW DOWN:
• The blow down of a SV is the difference
between opening pressure and the closing pressure
of the SV. The reason for allowing blow down on
a SV is to prevent chattering of the valve that
would take place if the steam were allowed to
escape freely and there were no upward pressure
on the spring other than that exerted on the bottom
of the valve disc.
• Blow down ratio = (opening pr.--- closing pr.) /
opening pr.
• Blow down ratio ≈ 3.5%
 CODES AND ACTS:

• 1)  ASME governing the design,

mounting and operation of SV.
• 2)  IBR act.
 ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:
1) Boiler having more than 500 sq. ft heating
area should have atleast two SVs.
• 2) SV should be at the end of SH-O/L header.
• 3)  The valve will not obstruct free and full
discharge of steam from boiler.
• 4) Relieving capacity should not be less than
100% of max. designed capacity of the boiler.
Max peak load evaporation of boiler will be
completely discharged with a rise in pr. Of not
more than 10% of SV blow off pr.
 ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS(contd.)

• 5) SV should be without chattering and attain full

lift at a pr. not more than 3% above the set blow
off pr.
• 6) SV shall shut at a pr. Of a) not more than 5%,
b) not less than 2.5% below the SV blow off pr.
• 7) No valve shall be placed between SV and
boiler or on discharge pipe between the SV and
the atmosphere.
HYDRAULIC TEST
• To detect leaks
• To check healthiness of weld
joints
• To detect valve passing
• 1.5 TIMES OF OPERATING
PRESSURE.
• CHECK FOR MECHANICAL
COMPLETION.
• REMOVE ALL LOOSE
CONSTRUCTION
MATERIALS.
• INSPECT WW,SH,RH,Eco etc.,
• Rate of raise 2ksc/min upto
100ksc and above 100 ksc,
1ksc/min
• Holding time half an hour.
 RELIABLE RUN OF A BOILER
(OPTIMISATION)
• 1)           Heat rate improvememt
• 2)           Exit flue gas reduction
• 3)           Nox reducton
• 4)           Sox reduction
• 5)           Reduction in loss of ignition
• 6)           CO reduction
• 7)           Improved unit availability- less forced
outages
 RELIABLE RUN OF A BOILER
(OPTIMISATION) contd.,
• 8) Clean furnace walls- less slagging
• 9) Reduced SH and RH sprays
• 10) Reduced localised tube over heat,
damage and tube failures
• 11) Reduced soot blowing
• 12) Reduction in RSD cleaning
• 13) Reduced Air heater choke.