As the pioneer engaged in the boiler cleaning R&D field, Clyde Bergemann is dedicated to providing advanced, cost effictive solutions for customers to enhance their market competitiveness with new technologies and services. The product advantages, overall R&D strengths and next generation SmartClean technolocy all demonstrate Clyde Bergemann's profound technical accumulation in boiler cleaning area and its forward-looking sight as a leader of such technology.

Clyde Bergemann has been actively presenting its R&D accomplishment in national and world conference of electrical power. We are glad to share our R&D results with customers and other respectful researchers and engineers in this area to further improve boiler cleaning technology. Please feel free to contact us if you have any question and suggestion.

Recently Published Papers

Targeted Sootblowing Using Smart Sootblower
ASME POWER 2006, Atlanta GA

A Smart Sootblower has been developed to meet the increasing demand for advanced boiler cleaning equipment. Utility plants are challenged to burn coals with severe slagging tendency. Slagging condition may be significantly different from pendant to pendant across the boiler. Conventional retractable sootblowers cleans superheat and reheat pendants with even intensity, resulting in over cleaning of some pendants and ˇ°clinkerˇ± buildup in others. Modern instrumentation such as SuperHeat Fouling Monitoring (SHFM) systems and Video Cameras is able to locate the exact spot where the slag is accumulated. With the help of these detention systems, the Smart Sootblower, a multi-mode soot blower, is able to target and adjust clean intensity based on slagging condition, thus minimizing tube leakage and clinker formation. The Smart Sootblower has two motors that independently control translation and rotation motion. This allows the sootblower to change helix for different cleaning in different sections of the boiler. Operators can select zones require aggressive cleaning and zones need less or no cleaning. Integration of SuperHeat Fouling Monitoring (SHFM) system would provide operators the knowledge of fouling condition and enable automatic control of sootblowers for optimal performance. Actualins tallations and data are presented. View Full Text.

DCS Integration of Intelligent Sootblowing
Electric Power 2006, Atlanta, GA

The paper presents automatic closed loop control of sootblowing in power plant boilers using the DCS integration. Ash and slag deposits in coal fired boilers contribute to boiler in-efficiency, capacity reductions, and overheated tubes, which lead to tube failures. Considerable industry research has been done to improve the conventional time based sootblowing using closed loop controls. Heat flux sensor can provide the feedback data of ash deposits for furnace area. The convection pass can be monitored with thermodynamic models and direct readings from strain gauges. A stand-alone system solution uses the feedback data to provide a supervisory closed loop control for an existing DCS based sootblowing control. The Intelligent Sootblowing (ISB) system uses the monitoring data, algorithms and sootblowers to derive a supervisory sequence control for the DCS to initiate most effective sootblowing device, when and where necessary. Industry standard communication protocol provides seamless integration between the ISB system and the DCS. This protocol can be Ethernet, Modbus, Modbus TCP, DH+ or Serial. The paper will describe the existing installations where individual components are in operation for data monitoring/acquisition, and describes an integrated system that could combine all these parts to make an integrated intelligent sootblowing system using DCS based sootblowing controls. View Full Text

Intelligent Soot Blowing Installation Experience at Homer City
Electric Power 2005, Chicago, IL

Homer City Unit #3 had difficulty managing slag build-up after the station switched coal supplies after the construction of an FGD. An Intelligent Soot Blowing System (ISB) was installed to fully automate the soot blowing system. This system utilizes strain gage instrumentation to measure ash deposits on boiler pendants. Boiler loads, steam temperatures, draft, and other data are used to add intelligence to the automatic control system. Experience with this system had demonstrated steam savings while keeping the boiler components cleaner than with traditional soot blowing controls. Reductions in boiler outages due to clinker formation, eroded tubes, and over stressed tubes is an expected benefit from this system. The Homer City installation also includes water cannons to keep the furnace section clean, thus controlling furnace exit gas temperature and slag accumulations. A thermodynamic model is also used at Homer City to set permissive levels for soot blower operation. This integrated system provides a cleaning system that operates only when and where cleaning is necessary. This paper introduces the installation of Intelligent Sootblowing system at Homer City and presents the operational results from the performance test. View Full Text

Outsourcing Soot Blower Maintenance at DP&L Stuart
Electric Power 2005, Chicago, IL

The paper presents the results of a special maintenance arrangement between DP&L Stewart station and Clyde Bergemann. Stewart station is outsourcing all soot blower maintenance. The 4 unit station has 32 retractable soot blowers on each unit, 32 wall blowers, 15 SCR blowers, and 2 air preheater cleaners. A dedicated team is stationed at the plant to perform both preventive maintenance and react to equipment outages. Additional manpower is secured when necessary from local contractors. Weekly performance of the maintenance team is monitored by plant management. The performance of the team is guaranteed with specific availability targets for the soot blower system. This arrangement has freed the limited plant staff for other maintenance duties. View Full Text

ASH MEASUREMENT AT NRG HUNTLEY USING HIGH TEMPERATURE STRAIN GAUGES
ASME POWER 2005, Chicago, IL

The paper presents the results of a unique method of ash measurement at the NRG Huntley station. High Temperature strain gauges were installed in the boiler penthouse. The gauges were located on rods that support the superheater pendants. Output from the gages measure ash accumulation and soot blower effectiveness. Output from the system is utilized in the soot blower control system to optimize blower operation. The system will allow less steam to be used for soot blowing while keeping the superheater clean at all times. This is valuable to the plant as a switch to 100% PRB coal is made. The paper will present details of the installation. View Full Text

SOOT BLOWER LANCE TUBE CORROSION IN RECOVERY BOILERS
2004 International Chemical Recovery Conference

An investigation was conducted to determine the cause of the internal corrosion of a number of soot blowers lances installed in two recovery boilers. It was found that the corrosion was the result of flue gases entering the inside of the lance tubes and forming an acidic condensate that in turn rapidly attacked the material. Acidic condensate is formed from the condensation of (acidic) flue gases that contained high concentrations HCl and SO2. The problem was rectified by making improvements to the low pressure air system that ensures the continuous purging of the soot blower lances to keep the flue gases out. The experience highlights the importance of a properly functioning purge air system for soot blowers. View Full Text.

Superheater Fouling Monitor System
Electric Power 2004

A novel use of strain gage technology is demonstrated at TVA's Cumberland Fossil plant under an EPRI/TVA project. Strain gages are being used to sense slag deposits in the superheat sections by measuring weight increases as the deposits grow. The deposits have on occasion gone undetected and grown in size large enough to detach and fall causing extensive damage to the lower slopes. These large "clinkers" have resulted in forced outages for repair, and costs into the millions of dollars for each outage. Previous measurement methods have had limited success in detecting deposits early enough to remove them before they cause damage. This novel approach for strain gage technology holds promise to assist in early detection of the deposits and consideration as a supplement to Intelligent Sootblowing (ISB) technology. View Full Text

Implementation of Intelligent Sootblowing
Electric Power 2004

The paper presents a strategy to implement a comprehensive automatic control of soot blowing in power plant boilers. Considerable industry research has been done on the need to control and optimize the soot blowing in coal fired boilers. Deposits in boilers contribute to boiler in-efficiency, capacity reductions, and overheated tubes, which lead to tube failures. Large clinker formations can fall and break the bottom tubes. An integrated system will clean the furnace based on feedback from heat flux sensors. The convection pass can be monitored with thermodynamic models and direct reading strain gages. With an integrated system the cleaning system would operate only when and where necessary. The paper will describe the existing installations where individual components are in operation, and describe an integrated system that could combine all these parts to make an integrated intelligent sootblowing system. View Full Text

Performance Tests of Water Cannon Furnace Cleaning Systems
Electric Power 2003

Clyde Bergemann has installed water cannon furnace cleaning systems in over 60 utility power plants. This paper presents the results of performance and start up test from a number of those plants. These tests quantified the changes in furnace exit gas temperature, unit output, effect on steam flow, boiler efficiency, NOx production, and other plant parameters due to furnace cleaning with water cannons. Special testing of a new technology utilizing strain gages to identify fouling of convection pass elements is also presented. Data from special instrumentation such as HVT probes and emissivity instruments is included in the analysis along with data from permanent plant instruments and heat flux monitors. A special technique of utilizing the heat flux monitor as an indicator of thermal impact is described and results are presented. Most of the water cannon installations use heat flux sensors as a feedback mechanism to determine the timing and frequency of cleaning. These instruments can also be configured to infer the thermal impact of the water spray on the furnace wall tubes.

Most coal fired power plants are no longer burning the fuel that the boiler was originally designed for. In many cases the current fuel is vastly different than the design fuel. This is especially the case with boilers that have converted to Powder River Basin (PRB) coal. Often the change in coal is accompanied with increased slag formation and deposits in the furnace. Cleaning the furnace with water cannons can improve the heat absorption of this section of the boiler and return it to near the design conditions of cleanliness. View Full Text

Installation and Operation Experiences with the Clyde Bergemann SmartCannon System at Alabama Power's Plant Miller
Electric Power 2003

After the transition to Powder River Basin coal during the mid-1990's, Alabama Power Company's Plant Miller began experiencing problems associated with the water lance sootblowing system due to the higher sootblowing requirements of the sub-bituminous coal. The water lances were set to run cyclically without input on actual cleanliness, visual or otherwise, of the waterwalls, leading to the possibility that the water lances could spray water directly on a clean tube section, intensifying thermal quench cracking and reducing the useful life of the tubes. Additionally, the increased sootblowing requirements caused a shortage of the condensate water supply. These problems directed plant engineers to seek an alternate cleaning method for the furnace waterwalls. In response Alabama Power contracted with Clyde-Bergemann Inc. (CBI) in 2001 to install and commission the SmartCannon waterwall cleaning system on Miller's Unit 1. The SmartCannon system uses heat flux sensors to determine the need and location for sootblowing frequency. To obtain a better understanding of the technology and potential benefits, Southern Company and EPRI sponsored the demonstration. This paper describes the experiences and findings to date regarding the installation and operation of the water cannon system. View Full Text

FURNACE CLEANING USING WATER CANNONS
Electric Power 2002

The necessity to keep power plants at top performance is more important that ever in the changing electric utility environment. Top performance means economical performance and compliance with environmental regulations. One method to achieve this by many U.S. coal fired power plants was conversion to Powder River Basin (PRB) fuel. PRB coal has a number of attractive attributes. It is relatively low in cost, has low sulfur content, and there is a reliable supply. PRB coal has higher moisture, lower energy content, and different ash composition than eastern bituminous coal. The ash composition can result in deposits on furnace walls that are difficult to remove and impact plant operation. This is true to some extent for all coal fired boilers. Initially developed in Europe, the water cannon can remove ash deposits and help coal fired plants achieve top performance. The first U. S installation of a Water Cannon furnace cleaning machine was at a 550 megawatt Texas power plant burning PRB coal 5 years ago. Since that time over 60 units in North America have installed these devices to clean the furnace area of deposits. The units represent more than 30,000 megawatts of generation. In Europe there are over 80 plants are equipped with water cannons. This paper will describe how these systems work and review the impact of installation of water cannons and the justification used by utilities for their installation in North America. View Full Text

SLAG MONITORING USING STRAIN GAGES AT GEORGIA POWER PLANT BOWEN
2003 INTERNATIONAL JOINT POWER GENERATION CONFERENCE

Georgia Power Plant Bowen is a 4 unit plant. Unit 1 is a 700 MW plant with a Combustion Engineering boiler. A slag monitoring system was installed on the leading side of the reheater pendant. Monitors were also installed on portions of the economizer. The key element of the system is strain gages that are installed on the rods that hang the pendant and economizer from the building steel. Monitoring of the gages was done during the restart of the unit from a major maintenance outage. Data from the system will be presented. The amount of deposits and their location is the intended output from the system and this data will be presented. The long range goal of the system is automatic operation of soot blowers based on the output from the monitoring system. View Full Text

PERFORMANCE OF WATER CANNONS AT LABADIE
2002 International Joint Power Generation Conference

Amerens Labadie station consists of 4 coal fired 600 megawatt size generating units. Unit 1 installed water cannon furnace cleaning devices during a spring outage this year. Water cannons were selected to clean the deposits that result from combustion of Powder River Basin (PRB) coal at the Labadie power plant. This paper describes the evaluation of methods of cleaning furnace walls and the selection, installation, and startup experience with water cannons. Cleaning the furnace results in an increase in boiler efficiency that is translated into improved heat rate and improved cost of plant operation. Benefits from water cannon installation are described along with the problems encountered. PRB fuel combustion results in tenacious deposits that inhibit heat transfer on furnace walls. PRB coal typically has a lower ash fusion temperature than bituminous coals which leads to ash slag formation in furnaces
that have been changed to PRB from the fuel the boiler was originally designed for. Often the deposit from PRB fuel is of a minimal thickness, however the reflectivity of the deposit creates a high barrier to radiant heat transfer. High Furnace Exit Gas Temperature (FEGT) indicates poor heat transfer in the furnace area and this increases the formation of slag in convection passes. Cleaning of furnace surface is critical to maximizing the heat absorption of the furnace and reducing the FEGT. The increased clean capability of the water cannons compared to existing wall blowers will be compared in this paper. View Full Text

EXTENDING RECOVERY BOILER RUNTIME THROUGH
THE TEMPERATION OF STEAM AT THE SOOT BLOWER
TAPPI Engineeing Conference, Miami, 1998

Recent advances in soot blower nozzle design have enabled doubling of the jet Peak Impact Pressure (PIP) while maintaining the same blowing pressure in the soot blower. Two main factors that determine the removal of brittle deposits are the PIP of the jet and the strength of the deposit. Due to the flue gas path and geometry of the generating bank it is not unusual to see localized deposit accumulation in this section of the boiler. Left unchecked these deposits sinter to form a strong brittle deposit. During the sintering process these deposits gain strength, and in some instances can even render improved nozzles ineffective. View Full Text

Steam Saving in Recovery Boilers
10th Latin American Recovery Congress, Concepcion, Chile, 1996

Under typical recovery boiler sootblower operating conditions, the emerging steam jet is severely under expanded, i.e. the nozzle exit pressure is substantially greater than that of the surrounding atmosphere. This results in a shock wave being set up downstream of the nozzle which deprives the jet of valuable mechanical energy for deposit removal. New nozzle designs provide full expansion under current operating conditions in recovery boilers. View Full Text

There are many more published papers, internal technical reports and test reports available in Clyde Bergemann. We are looking forward to hearing from to further discuss problems, and solutions and questions you have. Please contact us at ssd@clydebergemann.com.