Kraft Recovery Boilers – Sootblowers
When black liquor is burned, a significant quantity of ash is produced. Some of the ash accumulates on the boiler tube surfaces, reducing the boiler heat transfer efficiency. Eventually, the boiler flue gas passages can become plugged, and as a consequence, the boiler has to be shut down and washed with water to clean out the passages. This unscheduled shutdown interrupts production and incurs financial costs to the mill. In order to maintain the uninterrupted operation of the recovery boiler, sootblowers are installed at strategic locations on the boiler to help remove fireside deposits and prevent the flue gas passages from plugging.
Request a demoCourse Details
Learning Objectives
• Describe the purpose of a sootblower
• List and describe three fireside deposit sources
• Explain the operation of a typical recovery boiler sootblower
• Identify and describe the major components of sootblowers
• Describe the maintenance considerations associated with sootblowers
• Identify and describe some of the safety hazards and safe work practices associated with sootblowers
Specs
| Course Level | Intermediate |
| Languages | English, Portuguese, French, Polish, Russian |
| Compatibility | Audio, Video |
| Based on: | Industry Standards and Best Practices |
Key Questions
What is the primary purpose of sootblowers in a boiler?
The primary purpose of sootblowers is to remove ash and deposits which accumulate on the fireside of heat transfer tubes inside a boiler.
How do sootblowers clean a boiler?
Sootblowers work by discharging high velocity jets of high pressure steam into boiler.
Do sootblowers run continuously?
There are usually several sootblowers on a boiler. No single sootblower runs continuously.
How does a retractable sootblower work?
In a retractable sootblower there is a lance which is held outside the boiler until the sootblower is activated. Once activated, the lance slowly enters, discharging steam, and then withdraws from the boiler.
What is the best schedule for sootblower operation?
The best schedule for sootblower operation depends on the boiler. Insufficient sootblowing results in loss of boiler efficiency, but excessive sootblower operation will result in increased costs due to wasted steam.
Sample Video Transcript
The accumulation of ash particles from the recovery boiler lower furnace on the convection sections of the boiler is inevitable. Sootblowers are commonly used to control the fireside deposit accumulation in recovery boilers. The type of sootblower typically used in a recovery boiler is called the retractable sootblower. It consists of a lance tube with two opposing nozzles mounted near the tip of the lance. During the deposit removal process, the sootblower lance rotates and extends through a small opening in the boiler wall while blowing high-pressure steam into the tube bank. After the lance is fully extended into the boiler, it rotates in the opposite direction and retracts to its original position outside the boiler.
Course Applies To
Demos + Pricing
Learn more about our courses, get pricing, and see our platform.
