Category: Blog

Cokenergy LLC (USA) replaces all the originally installed sootblowers with SPGs for cleaning the Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSGs) for the entire sixteen HRSG fleet until the end of 2019. This was decided by the management after completing an evaluation of a 6-month trial run, where the bare as well as the finned tubes were cleaned to satisfaction.

Based on the good experience with the Shock Pulse Generators for boiler cleaning in the presently decommissioned waste incineration plant Real in Lucerne/CH, the operator of the new built plant Renergia in Perlen has again installed the SPGs of Explosion Power GmbH for cleaning of the first three boiler passes. Such operate to the full satisfaction of the customer since 2015.

The combustion chamber of a waste incineration boiler is exposed to corrosive atmosphere where the temperatures can reach up to 1'400°C. It is obvious that the boiler walls must be protected accordingly.

Explosion Power GmbH installed 4 TwinL SPGs into a Supercritical Pulverized Coal Boiler 660 MWel capacity which operate successfully in support of boiler cleaning and keeping the required flue gas outlet temperature within design specifications (inlet to SCR catalyst elements). For the next phase the Thai power producer intents to install additional 4 TwinL SPGs for saving feed water and steam and for cycle optimization.

There is no way around the problem of corrosion in power plants. Especially the desire for high steam temperatures and the use of different fuels pose new challenges for boiler manufacturers. What is required are boilers that are both economical and durable.

Maximal thermal efficiency with minimal corrosion – that is only attainable when the flue gases reach the final superheater at the temperature sweet spot. In other words: Cooling of the flue gases in the radiation passes must run constantly and in a controlled manner (see Figure 1). This is only possible when the buildups on the walls are controlled during ongoing boiler operation. Five technologies for the cleaning of radiation passes in waste incineration plants have established themselves: shower cleaning, water cannons and wall blowers, rapping systems and the shock pulse generator (SPG). In the following, we briefly explain the working principles behind these technologies.