Boiler Inspection Services

Operating a boiler that is not optimised, or tuned, can result in one or more problems including:

• fallout of pulverised fuel, blocked pipes, or high mill pressure
• erosion of mill, pipes and burner components
• poor burner ignition, and flame instability and dislocation
• incorrect primary and secondary air-to-fuel ratios
• increased nitrous oxide production
• increased levels of unburnt carbon
• increased excess-air requirements
• increased erosion between furnace and boiler exit
• reduced boiler efficiency
• localised furnace problems that can include inappropriate superheater and reheater temperature profiles, increased slagging and greater water-wall wastage.

HRL provides datum testing to enable plant operators to understand their potential to improve boiler performance and availability, and reduce maintenance. Testing may involve different plant including pulverisers, classifiers, fuel splitters, air-supply systems, burners, furnaces and complete boilers. hrl: can undertake tuning where existing plant infrastructure can be adjusted to improve performance.

HRL's design services can help optimise proposed plant modifications, or in developing additional infrastructure to improve the performance of plant components. HRL has worked with leading equipment manufacturers to provide:

• online measuring of pulverised-coal flow distribution
• online measuring of pulverised-coal particle size
• online measuring of burner performance and flame temperature
• online measuring of furnace and boiler exit gas composition (including distribution across ducts) balancing pulveriser-fuel distribution efficiently.

HRL draws on its expert modelling capabilities when undertaking system design and in developing custom solutions. Those capabilities include state-of-the-art tools such as Steam Master/Pro (boiler/turbine), Fluent (3D flow/combustion) and Aspen (process).

HRL works closely with clients to provide services or design work to meet budget and capital expectations, and to provide incremental improvement.

The benefits clients enjoy as a result of using HRL combustion optimisation services include:

• improved boiler efficiency
• reduced carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions
• reduced fly ash carbon content
• reduced wear in fuel and boiler components leading to reduced maintenance
• reduced slagging and fouling
• reduced auxiliary power consumption.