06operation Rev1

Asiakirjan nimi - Name of Document Tunniste - Identification Rev.
OPERATION CFBT-582-1 1
Osasto - Department Kohde - Subject Sivu - Page
Power Generation RAPP PB3 PROJECT 1 (30)

Systems CFB MULTIFUEL BOILER
TABLE OF CONTENTS
6. OPERATION ......................................................................................................... 2
6.1 Steam generation .................................................................................................. 2
6.2 Operation control ................................................................................................... 3
6.2.1 The operator's assignments in the control room .................................................... 3
6.2.2 The field operator's most important assignments during his round in the boiler .... 3
6.2.3 Control of boiler water quality ................................................................................ 8
6.2.4 Control of boiler water circulation......................................................................... 11
6.2.5 Taking of steam samples..................................................................................... 12
6.2.6 Flue gas fan ......................................................................................................... 13
6.2.7 Control of the burners .......................................................................................... 13
6.2.8 Control of the fluidized bed during operation ....................................................... 14
6.3 Operating failures ................................................................................................ 19
6.3.1 Leak in pressurized parts..................................................................................... 19
6.3.2 Serious process failures ...................................................................................... 21
6.3.3 Black-out.............................................................................................................. 25
6.3.4 Failures at fluidized bed firing .............................................................................. 26
6.3.5 Failures in sootblowers ........................................................................................ 27
6.3.6 Failures in fans .................................................................................................... 28
6.4 Occupational safety ............................................................................................. 28
6.4.1 General................................................................................................................ 28
6.4.2 Safety arrangements of the auxiliary systems ..................................................... 29
6.4.3 Extinguishing steam system ................................................................................ 29
6.5 Special requirements with different fuels ............................................................. 30
6.5.1 Bark firing ............................................................................................................ 30
6.5.2 Coal firing ............................................................................................................ 30
1 2005 - 08 - 30 Tuomo Keinonen

0 2005 - 02 - 10 Tuomo Keinonen
Muut. Pvm Laatinut Pvm Tarkastanut Pvm Hyväksynyt
Rev. Date Prepared by Date Reviewed by Date Approved by
KLY-1 1997-05 P:\582-RAPP-PB3\int\Kayttoonotto\koulutus\Training Manuals\Folder
1\06operation_rev1.doc
This document is the exclusive intellectual property of Kvaerner Power Oy and is furnished for the sole purpose of operating and maintaining of the specific project, and re-use of the document for any other project or
purpose is prohibited. The document or the information shall not be reproduced or copied, or disclosed to a third party without prior written consent of Kvaerner Power Oy.
© Kvaerner Power Oy, Tampere, Finland 2005

6. OPERATION
6.1 Steam generation
The boiler output demand is determined by the mill steam

consumption.
Load change rate
At changes of boiler steam generation make sure that the following

controls
• steam pressure (PIC-1195)

• steam temperature after boiler (TI-1190)
• drum level control (LIC-1088)
remain exactly in their respective ranges. Therefore the guideline

mentioned below must be followed at load changes:
• The maximum rate of boiler load change with coal firing (change
in live steam flow), when full pressure and temperature have
been reached (in the load range of 90 - 181 kg/s) is 4,5 – 9,1
kg/s/min and (5%) of the existing load.
• The maximum rate of boiler load change with bark firing (change
in live steam flow), when full pressure and temperature have
been reached (in the load range of 90 - 139 kg/s) is 6,3 – 9,8
kg/s/min and (7%) of the existing load.
• The maximum length (allowed) of load change in continuous

operation within the load range 50-100% (50-77% with bark) is 3
min with above mentioned speed .
Flue gas excess oxygen should not be let to vary too much even in a
change situation. The variation in the total air amount should
correspond to the change in the amount of fuel burned. The change
rate is not allowed to be such that it’s effect cannot be followed and
corrections made in time.

6.2 Operation control
There are two ways of observation
1. by instrumentation in the control room and

2. direct observations in the field.
In a modern boiler plant the former is indisputably more

comprehensive, but the field operator's observations and measures
are of vital importance in securing a successful total plant operation.
6.2.1 The operator's assignments in the control room
In the control room the following quantities and methods, among

other things, may be available for the operator in controlling the
boiler operation daily:
• measured and calculated quantities in the display terminals

• trends from the above-mentioned
• periodical laboratory analyses: boiler water, steam, condensate
water, feedwater, ash analyses and other such control analyses,
fuel counters
• alarms of measurements, exceeding of limit values, damages,
etc.
• alarm printer, which prints out all messages and alarms to be
examined later on.
The operator must check that the alarm printers (if applicable)
always work properly.
6.2.2 The field operator's most important assignments during his round in the boiler
The field operator must make a thorough inspection round at least

twice a shift and always after boiler start-up. During this round he
must take the following inspection measures, among other things:
1. Inspection of drum level control
• cleanness of water-glasses (LI-1089 and LI-1093) and purge if

necessary
• comparing the indications of local water-glasses with each other
and with the indications of the control system (LIS-1088 and LIS-
1094).

2. Inspection of the local temperature and pressure measurements

of the boiler
• drum pressure (PI-1099)

• pressure in the feedwater (PI-1072) and live steam (PI-1194)
lines.
3. Inspection of the feedwater pumps (283P001...P003 and P018)
• control of the cooling water flow

− rotation of signal balls
− temperature measurement of the water pipes by hand
− check of the flow measurement numerical value
• check of box water temperature measurement
• inspection of the oil amount in the pump bearings
• comparison of the running sound and vibrations of the pump
• inspection of all local pressure measurements.
4. Observation of the sounds which can be heard from the boiler
• slight hissing sounds are generally a sign of leaks in seals.

These must be eliminated as soon as possible.
• unusual loud noise can be a sign of a disturbance in the water
circulation or a leak in the boiler.
5. Observation of make up water pumps.
• inspection of the oil amount in the bearings

• comparison of the running sound and vibrations of the pump
• inspection of all local pressure measurements
6. Observation of boiler chemical feeding
• make sure that chemical feeding takes place without

disturbances in the way prescribed by the water laboratory in
view of the operational situation each time.
7. Control of the evenness of the sample flow in the sampling lines
• flow control and sampling according to the given instructions.

8. Observation of the oil burners
• keep the oil lances clean and furnished with unbroken seals
retracted (taken out) during fluidized burning
• make sure that in the seals and hoses there are no oil or steam
leaks
• check that the signal lamps in the local control box are unbroken
• check that the air registers of the burners are locked in correct
position
• check from the sight glasses in the boiler that the shape of the
flame is correct (the nozzles are not plugged), the flame does not
touch to the burner cone (in the cone there is coked oil) and oil
does not spatter on the boiler walls nor the bottom.
NOTE! The nozzles should be cleaned regularly to ensure the

operation of the burners.
• check the pressure of atomizing steam and air

• keep the burner level clean; rubbish in a litter basket, solvents in
their places, and be sure to remove oil leaks because of the risk
of fire
• if the burners are not in operation, make sure that the damper on
the burner is almost totally closed (the air dampers right position
will be check during commission period ).
• when atomizing steam is used ( with heavy oil )
− check that the condensate removal of atomizing steam line is
in operation
− check that the steam is superheated (TIA-1664)
9. Observation of the running of the fans
• comparison of the running sound and vibrations of the fans

• follow-up of the vibrations and surface temperature of the
bearings by hands
• unusual vibration and "growl" which might be heard from the air
ducts are a sign of stalling of the fan; be sure to remove this
immediately by changing the load level of the fan for a moment.

10.Vent and drain
• Make sure that the double valves in all of the vents and drains
are both closed
• Make sure that the drum level emptying motor valve HS-1228 is
not in use and control valve HIC-1229 is closed, emptying valve
is allowed to use only when drum pressure is below 40 bar
• Check that the lines have not remained leaking after operation.
11.Observation of the fly ash removal equipment
• remove some ash manually to establish that the equipment

operates properly
• if the temperature of the equipment does not rise then (no ash
flow), cleaning of the system is needed
• check that no standing ash has accumulated on the horizontal
parts of the ash hoppers (clattering with a hammer, for example).
12.Follow-up of coarse ash removal
• Whether the amount of coarse material removed is sufficient, is

judged from the amount of stones on the bottom ash container.
• The surface temperature of the removal chutes (TIA-1897... TIA-
1900, TIA-1907... TIA-1910 and TIA-1917... TIA-1920) for coarse
material must rise a little after the removal cycle if the flow is
even.
• If the temperature is not rising , normally 150 oC, it tells that the
chute is empty and there is a blockage.
• If the removal chute is full of sand, above the guillotine valve the
sound which is heard from it (by clattering with a hammer, for
instance) is muffled. If it is empty , the sound is clear and purge
air must be used to open the blockage in the upper part of the
chute.
13.Observation of loopseal compressors
• comparison of the running sound and vibrations of the fans

(283K009 AND 283K010)
bearings by hands
• in hot conditions only one compressor is needed

14.Observation of limestone and sand handling systems
• check that there are no leakages in the limestone transport

pipelines
• checking the operation of limestone feeding air compressor
(283K014), like loop seal compressors
• checking that there are no leakages in sand feeding pipe
15.Observation of fuel systems
• checking that all the screws or drags of the conveyors moves

freely without any extra noise
• check that there is no unusual wearing in conveyors
• checking leakages in the conveyors
• checking that all the access doors are closed during normal
operation
16.Oil station
• comparison of the running sound and vibrations of the pumps

bearings by hands
• checking that there are no leakages in oil piping
The field operator must inform the operator and shift engineer
immediately about the defects or unusual changes observed by him
during his round, so that they can take appropriate measures.

6.2.3 Control of boiler water quality
1. Operating principle of deaeration
Mixed demineralized water and condensate is pumped into the feed

water tank through the deaerator. The deaerator is integrated to the
feed water tank (283T001) so that the water is first sprayed in a part
of the steam space (pre-deaeration) and then in the second stage
the steam is injected to the water (final deaeration). See also Stork
instructions.
As a process, deaeration takes place as follows:
During start-up water is heated to the temperature of about 130 oC

by leading low pressure steam below the water level of the feed
water tank through a perforated pipe and by distributing the steam
evenly over the whole length of the feed water tank.
Deaeration of feedwater takes place under pressure and the water

temperature in the feedwater tank must be about 130 oC.
Water is kept in this temperature by distributing steam at 3,5 bar (a)

via control valve (PICA-1005) under the water level of the the tank.
The water is at its boiling point and from the upper part of the
feedwater tank, uncondensed gases are led outside via silencer.
Efficient deaeration requires:
1. Deaeration steam must be oxygen-free and it is used according

to control PICA-1005 and vent steam amount is affecting to the
amount of coming steam flow.
2. A necessary amount of steam, and gases with it, must be

removed evenly from the feed water tank, depending on oxygen
content in make-up water/ condensate mixture
3. Water must be at boiling point.
From the upper part of the feedwater tank (above the spray nozzles)
uncondensed gases are led outside via silencer. Most of the oxygen
harmful to boiler is removed with these gases. Rest of oxygen must
be removed by chemical dosing to the feedwater.

To determine the efficiency of the deaerator, a water sample for

oxygen analysis must be taken in the feedwater tank. After thermal
deaeration, oxygen content is abt. 5 ppb.
2. After-dosing chemicals
When the oxygen has been removed thermally, DEHA, hydrazine or

corresponding chemical is dosed under the water level of the feed
water tank. This chemical binds the residual oxygen by reacting with
it.
E.g. the reaction of hydrazine
N2H4 + O2 → 2 H2O + N2
Hydrazine Oxygen Water Nitrogen
The water leaving the feedwater tank should be oxygen-free.
The feed amount of the chemical used, hydrazine for example, must
be such that when reacting with oxygen there is a small excess of it
(0.2-0.5 mg/l).
The dosing of chemicals have two purposes
a) Oxygen removal
b) Hydrazine is dissolved in boiler water and ammonia (NH3) is
produced as one disintegration product. Ammonia is a volatile
alkali, which alkalises steam and condensates.
Phosphate (mono-, di- or trisodiumphosphate or corresponding

ammonium phosphates) is dosed into the feedwater pipe after
attemperator spray water joint (2831008 and 1009 must be open).
The action of the phosphates in the boiler water is twofold.

a) As an unvolatile alkali, phosphate alkalises the boiler water.
b) Phosphate reacts with residual hardness, i.e. Mg++ and Ca++
salts, flocculating magnesium and calcium phosphates, which
are removed by continuous blowdown.
Amine (NH4OH) is also dosed to the feedwater tank .
Also amine is fed to control the pH of the boiler water.

3. Boiler water quality requirements
Different properties are required of boiler water quality, depending

on the pressure class of the boiler. The trend is that the higher the
pressure in the boiler, the cleaner boiler water must be, so that
sufficiently clean steam could be produced. The point of use also
makes requirements in terms of cleanness of steam and, through it,
of boiler water. The following quality requirements are made of 140
bar boiler feedwater and boiler water:
Feed- Boiler
water water
pH 8.8-9.2 9.2-9.7
Conductivity at 25 C mS/cm < 0.2 < 40
p value mval/kg < 0.05
Hardness ppb <3
Fe mg/kg < 0.02 < 0.5
O2 mg/kg < 0.01
Cu mg/kg < 0.003
SiO2 mg/kg < 0.02 < 0.35
Na + K mg/kg < 0.01 <8
PO4 mg/kg 2-6
TDS mg/kg < 0.2
Since small amounts of unvolatile matters (salts) enter the boiler

continuously with feedwater, these are concentrated in boiler water
and the quality of boiler water becomes poor. To eliminate this
problem, continuous blowdown (HIC-1224) is kept open all the time
(normally abt. 1-2% of the steam output). In this way the quality of
feedwater can be kept within correct limits and prevent unnecessary
foaming in the drum and, consequently, deposits due to salts on the
inner surfaces of the superheater tubes.

6.2.4 Control of boiler water circulation
In their daily operation, the personnel at the boiler plant must do the
following checks and take the following control measures, among
other things, which are necessary for undisturbed operation.
1. Follow-up of the water balance
The operator must follow the difference between the amount of

water fed into the boiler (FIC-1069, FI-1138 and FI-1168) and that of
steam leaving the boiler (FI-1200). If the amount of water fed into the
boiler is continually larger than the amount of steam leaving the
boiler, check for leaks in the boiler.
2. Check of the safety equipment of the boiler
• Check from the local water-glasses (LI-1089 and LI-1093) on the

drum in each working shift that the indication of the drum level is
correct.
• Make sure that the safety valves of the boiler (2831015, 2831016
and 2831078) are in working condition, the safety valve is not
allowed to be locked.
• Check at least twice a year that the pressure measurement of

the drum (PI-1098) and the main steam line (PI-1195, PI-1196
and PI-1197) are correct by zero-point check and comparing it
with the indication of the other gauges connected to the same
pressure.
3. Control of the temperature in the superheaters
The operator must always make sure that the highest permissible
material temperatures of the superheaters are not exceeded in
operation even in change situations. The rise of the O2 content in the
flue gas raises the superheating temperatures heavily.

If there is a sudden drop in the steam demand (emergency stop of

steam turbine, etc.), the pressure tends to rise and at the same time
the level in the drum tends to rise as well. In that case the start-up
valves (HS-1192 and HIC-1193) must be opened as soon as
possible, so that the level would not rise as far as the maximum
interlock limit. The start-up valve must be used to secure the steam
flow through the superheaters.
NOTE! Fuel feeding must also be reduced immediately, so that

evaporation is reduces and it is possible to control the
situation
6.2.5 Taking of steam samples
Sampling probes are installed in the pipes for saturated and

superheated steam. They are perforated tubes, which take a
representative steam sample of the flow profile. The steam is led into
the sample cooler, where it is condensed and cooled so that
handling is possible. Samples are taken of the condensate flowing
through the cooler for laboratory analyses.
Note that the samples must flow continuously from the cooler. If
interrupted for some reason the sample flow is made to run again
and no sample for analysis is allowed to be taken until after one hour
from the start-up at the earliest.
For on-line pH and conductivity measurements, in the sample

tapping center there are installed measuring cells, from which the
signal is connect to the system. pH is measured direct from the
sample flowing through.
For conductivity measurement before the measuring cell there is a

cation exchanger, through which the steam condensate is led. In the
ion exchanger the following reaction takes place:
E. g.: NaCl + R-H+ → R-H+ + HCl

resin

The ion exchange is carried out because if NaCl (sodium chloride),

which is an impurity, comes along with the steam, the change in
conductivity caused by it is not easy to observe. When the ion
exchange is carried out, i.e. the sodium of sodium chloride is
converted into hydrogen; the corresponding amount of hydrochloric
acid (HCl) is obtained. The change in conductivity caused by free
acid is drastic and easily indicated. The masses of the ion exchanger
have a color indicator, which tells the wearing down of the mass and
compensation required.
6.2.6 Flue gas fan
The flue gas fans (283K002 and 283K003) keep a slight

underpressure (abt. 0.10 kPa underpressure) in the upper part of the
furnace (PIC-1276). In normal operation the inverter control takes
care of keeping the pressure at the design value. At very small loads
it is possible to use only one flue gas fan but when operating at over
50 % load both fans must be used.
6.2.7 Control of the burners
The start-up burners should be used only when rising the bed
temperature in start-up or if there are disturbances in solid fuel
feeding. Burners are allowed to use only when boiler load is below
50 %.
If the burners are not in operation oil has to be circulated to keep the
lines warm and at readiness (abt. 0.15 kg/s when using heavy fuel
oil).
In the control of the burners the operators should take all matters
related to safety into consideration daily as follows:
• Flame control equipment is in working condition (check daily

when burners are used )
• There are no leaking points in the oil piping
• Pressure measurements are in order
• The shape and the color of the burner flame are normal and the
flame does not touch the burner opening cone
• The ignition and extinguishing sequences operate normally.

6.2.8 Control of the fluidized bed during operation
1. General
The fluidized bed consists mainly of sieved natural sand (granular

size 0,2 - 0,7 mm), which is fluidized with primary air. Bed material
contains also fuel ash and limestone particles (if used). During
combustion the fuel is ground, dried and ignited by the bed material
and the combustion is stabilized by the high heat capacity of the bed
material. Thanks to thorough mixing and good heat transfer
properties the bed temperature is practically constant in different
points of the bed.
The combustion of coal and bark in the fluidized bed is

fundamentally very simple, because the calorific value is usually
appropriate in view of the temperature at circulating fluidized bed
combustion. The most important factor for the operation of the
fluidized bed , the bed temperature, sets naturally at 800-900 °C and
combustion requires no special local control if the fuel quality
corresponds to the design values.
The most important factors for successful fluidized bed combustion

are as follows:
• Fuel distribution between feed points is even (specially with coal
combustion )
• Fluidizing air flow to the bed is even and big enough to get stable
solid circulation in the furnace
• Fuel flow to the bed is even
• Bed temperature remains within abt. 800-950 °C, depending on
the fuel to be used.
• The granular size of the bed material remains suitable for
achieving stabilized fluidization.
• The bed is sufficiently high but not too high (abt. 550 mm).
• The air/fuel ratio is always in accordance with the design values
depending on the load.
2. Feeding sand to the bed
The initial filling of fluidized bed sand to the boiler is performed using
the sand screw, elevator and rotary feeder. During filling the
fluidizing air fan must be operated at low capacity to help the
distribution of the sand.

During normal operation sand is added to the bed if the bed height is
decreasing. The bed height is followed by means of the pressure
difference measurement in the furnace and bed height calculation.
3. Control of the fluidized bed temperature
The fluidized bed temperature tends to rise the higher, the higher is
the calorific value, the larger the fuel particle size and/or the volume
weight of the fuel are. If the bed temperature remains below 880 °C
in steady-state condition, additional cooling is not absolutely
necessary.
Increasing primary air amount
The fluidized bed temperature is controlled by means of increasing

primary air flow and/or using recirculation gas. The increase of
primary air flow increases the solid circulation which improves the
heat transfer to the heating surfaces and cools the bed zone. In the
automation system there is a fluidizing air/secondary air ratio; by
changing this ratio the bed can be cooled without changing the total
air flow.
Use of recirculation gas
The use of recirculation gas increases the fluidization velocity as well

and it makes the bed more substoichiometric.
The recirculation gas fan is started, when the three highest average
bed temperature measuring point reaches the set value 880-900 °C.
The control of the circulation gas flow to the bed is automatic when
the recirculation gas fan is set to automatic and dampers for
circulation gas are in REMOTE (R) position and the bed temperature
on automatic.
The recirculation gas system is divided in two sections and they can
be controlled separately if temperature rises in certain part of the
bed (FIC-1307 and FIC-1308 ).
950 °C can be allowed as the maximum value of the bed

temperature. For control it is, however, better to start recirculation
gas fan at abt. 880 °C, because then temperature rise can be kept
under control.

Increasing the amount of recirculation gas can be used also to

increase full superheating range at lower loads in coal combustion if
furnace temperature allows that.
The upper limit interlock stops the fuel feeding if the bed temperature
rises >980 °C (average of 3 maximum). Interruption of the fuel
feeding decreases the bed temperature after all.
After unintentional stop of fluidized bed combustion (due to an

interruption in fuel feeding, for instance) try to keep the bed
temperature as high as possible, so that firing could be continued
quickly after the interruption. The fluidizing air fan is stopped when
the bed has been burned empty (no fuel is left in the bed) and the
bed temperatures have started to fall clearly. This prevents bed
cooling. Feeding of secondary air is also decreased and later
stopped.
4. Fluidized bed combustion with one fuel feeding line
The boiler can also be operated at fluidized bed combustion when

only one of the fuel feeding lines is in operation. In this case the
fluidized bed material spreads the fuel over the bed area and keeps
the bed temperatures reasonably well in the acceptable range.
In one line feeding, however, the following matters must be taken

into account:
• O2 content must be increased to improve mixing and avoid
burning in the cyclone
• The value of the fluidizing air/secondary air ratio is increased, to
mix the bed better.
• If the bed temperature decreases the fluidizing air flow must be
decreased (may happen at low boiler load).

5. Ash removal
The ash which is produced at combustion of solid fuels is mostly

ground into fine powder and is removed as fly ash from the boiler,
whereas the stones and other material too coarse for fluidization
coming with the fuel remain at the bottom of the bed. Thus coarse
material removal through the bottom is necessary. The bottom ash
removal demand essentially depends on the impurities mixed in the
fuel and also on the coal ash behavior. Also some coals may contain
coarse ash, which is not removed with flue gas.
Natural sieving takes place in the fluidized bed so that the

unfluidized coarse material sink to the bottom of the fluidized bed
and can be removed through the ash chutes to bottom ash
conveyors and further to bottom as sieve and ash silo.
6. Control of fluidized bed condition
For the control of fluidized bed condition there are the following
means available:
• Visual examination through sight glasses
• Measurement of the bed pressure difference (PDI-1294 and PDI-
1295) and bed height calculation
• Bed temperature measurements 12 pcs (TI-1281...1292).
• Observing the size of bottom ash
Control of bed height
During operation bed height can be controlled by the measurement

of the bed pressure difference. The pressure difference of the bed in
fluidizing condition is in direct proportion to bed height. 10 cm of
sand in static condition corresponds to a pressure drop of about
1.5 kPa. The bed height can be determined during operation by
measuring pressure drop over furnace and calculating the bed
depth.
The pressure drop of the grate can normally vary between 1 - 4 kPa
and pressure drop of the bed between 7 - 10 kPa. Operation with a
bed as low as possible is the most advantageous to save electric
power consumption but too low bed, however, fluidizes unevenly and
has a small heat capacity.

The recommended bed height in static condition, measured from the

fluidizing air nozzle level, is 400 - 600 mm.
If the bed height calculation approaches the lower limit, sand has to
be added. If, again, the height approaches the upper limit, a
corresponding amount of sand is removed through the bottom.
NOTE! In the automation system there is a formula which

calculates the bed height from the pressure difference
measurements. This helps the operators to determine
the amount of make-up sand.
Too coarse bed material
The coarse material coming with the fuel changes the bed material
coarser gradually, and this can cause temperature differences in the
bed. That can be avoided by regularly removing bed material
through the bottom ash chutes and by adding a corresponding
amount of new sand if needed.
CFB requires fine bed material as a circulating heat transfer

medium. When the amount of circulated material decreases the heat
transfer diminishes and bed temperature will increase. The bed
becoming coarser can be seen in temperature differences in various
parts of the bed. If the temperatures with a normal fluidizing air flow
tend to differ more than abt. 50 °C from one another, it is a sign of
insufficient fluidization and accumulation of coarse material by the
measuring point indicating a temperature lower than the other.
In coarse material removal the following matters must be taken into

account:
• Removal must be continuous at suitable intervals according to
the bed condition (3 times a shift for 15 -30 s., so that each
guillotine damper is used by turns).
• The coarseness of the removed material must be followed.
• Removal is intensified in the areas of the bed where coarse
material is accumulated
• Attention must be paid to the quality of the fuels (stones and iron
pieces shall be removed before boiler as well as possible).

6.3 Operating failures
Leaks in a boiler plant are always things to be taken seriously. The

measures to avoid damages are more formal than in connection with
other operating failures. Sometimes there is no time to "interpret" the
things but the measures have to be taken merely on the basis of a
possibility. To make things easier, a table of some failures, their
appearance and repair measures is presented on the following
pages.
6.3.1 Leak in pressurized parts
Failure Indication Measures in the order they are

taken
• Visible leak a) Check up to situation and

1. Leak in feedwater line
decide continue or shut down
Small leak:
2. Leak in economizer • Failure in furnace draft, a) Contact the foreman for
increased draft losses in shutdown decision
the eco
• Sounds of water jet b) Prepare for stopping of

fluidized bed combustion
• The feedwater amount is c) After stopping fuel feeding,

much larger in relation to cool the bed if needed
the amount of steam
coming out
Big leak:
• Water in II pass ash
conveyor
NOTE! A big leak risks
feedwater inlet into the
remaining part of the boiler.
a) Start "Emergency shutdown"
b) Contact the foreman for

shutdown decision


taken
3. Leak in boiler piping • As previous. As previous. If, in case of a big

leak, there is a risk of water
flowing into the furnace, act in
such way that minimum amount
of water has an access into the
hot sand bed.
4. Superheater leak • Draft failures Small leak:

a) Consult the shift foreman
about shutdown
• Sound of leak b) Stop solid fuel feeding and

start shutdown and bed
cooling
• Disproportion between Big leak:

feedwater and steam flows
(In case of a big leak
smoke and steam
penetrate into the boiler
room)
a) Start "EMERGENCY
SHUTDOWN"
b) Consult your foreman for

further measures
5. Leak outside the flue • Water or steam through the a) Contact the shift foreman to
gas path (no indica- insulations into the boiler locate the leak point as soon
tions of internal leaks) room as possible.
• Sound of leak b) Intensify the monitoring of

water feeding and gas-side
phenomena
• Disproportion c) Depending on the leak point

feedwater/steam flows and extent start shutdown

6.3.2 Serious process failures

taken
1. Failure in the flue gas • Flue gases penetrate a) Reduce the fuel flow
flow (fan or draft into the boiler room
control; plugging)
If the failure continues:
a) Start "Emergency
shutdown"
b) Contact the foreman for

further measures
2. Failure in temperature • In one or several a) Try to add cooling (spray

control of superheated measuring points the water flow) manually in to
steam steam temperature is the part in question
higher than the maximum
allowable.
(this is marked in the b) Compare the measurement
measuring instruments results to check if there is
and is considerably any measurement error.
higher than the alarm (trends)
point, the values are
found on the temperature
chart of the superheaters)
If the temperature exceeds the

maximum safe temperature:
c) Reduce boiler load
d) Change fuel distribution

between feeding points or
between front and rear wall
lines


taken
3. Failure in water supply • The drum level starts to a) Try to help level control
to the boiler fall down to the lower manually
interlock limit
b) Start one more feedwater

pump
c) Shut down the boiler
4. Serious failure on the • Oil leak (ignition gas leak) a) Stop the burners where the
burners leak appears
b) Close manual valve to the

burner
5. Fire in fuel conveyors • Smoke or its odor into the a) Check where the fire is
boiler room from the
conveyors
b) Perform initial extinction
with steam in points which
have an extinction steam
connection or with a water
hose. (Check that water for
fire fighting has no access
into the hot sand bed)
c) Empty the conveyor from

burning material
d) Alarm fire brigade if

necessary
NOTE. If the fire is in

conveyors inside the boiler
house, stop feeding from the
silo and feed fuel from the
conveyors into the furnace in
order to minimize the fire load


taken
6. Melting of fluidized bed • Bed temp. manages to a) Contact the shift foreman
sand exceed 1100°C for measures
• The bed is not fluidized b) Cool the bed, so that the

evenly sinter can be removed
• A "lava raft" is visible c) Be careful when entering

through the sight glass the boiler
→ risk of carbon monoxide

→ gas measurement before
measures are taken
→ bed can be hot inside
7. Blockages in fuel • Fuel feeding is not even a) Stop the conveyor line in
conveyors or it ceases totally question
b) Check where the blockage

exists
c) Use safety switches
d) Remove the cause of the

blockage
NOTE When opening NOTE

access doors or When using water in the
maintenance openings, it conveyors it shall be ensured
must be remembered that that water doesn’t enter into
there is an over pressure in the hot furnace
furnace and hot sand and
gases may come out
→ protection is needed


taken
8. Blockages in bottom • Chute is cold after a) Use pressurised air purge

ash removal equipment removal sequence and/or
echoes empty
a) Contact the shift foreman
9. Drum level control • Drum level rises towards a) Try to help level control
does not function the upper level interlock manually
(+250 mm/5 min delay)
b) Check that the level

measurement is correct
c) If necessary, put feedwater

pump control to zero.
NOTE.
The access of water into
superheaters must be
prevented by all means.
10. Blockages in the fly • Failure message of the a) Check the rotary feeders,
ash conveying units conveyor drag conveyors and
elevator
• Blocking
b) Check the speed switches
c) Clean the conveyors if

needed.
11. Bed material • Bed pressure drop a) Stop the fuel feeding
accumulates in the decreases significantly
cyclones
b) Put the loopseal fluidizing
air flow to maximum

6.3.3 Black-out
Electric supply to the boiler plant is designed in such a way that

some critical equipment is connected to the back-up systems so that
the boiler can be controlled safely in all situations. Take care that at
a power cut the boiler is not damaged and doesn’t cause any danger
to people and the environment.
In a black-out the following equipment will stop:

• flue gas and air fans
• ESP
• cooling water pumps
• make-up water pumps
• feedwater pumps
• conveyors
• compressors
• burners
• oil pumps
A black-out also causes the following:
• The flue gas duct opens and the secondary air dampers (FIC-
1297 ...FIC1300) also open. In this situation the draft in the stack
makes the natural ventilation of the boiler possible.
In black-out situation take the following measures:
• Control the drum level, if necessary, through remote water

glasses (LI-1090).
• Control flue gas removal from the boiler.
• If black-out is expected to be long close main steam valve (HI-
1198), start-up valves (HS-1192 and HIC-1193) and continuous
blow-down valve (HIC-1224) so that boiler pressure is
maintained as well as possible.
After a black-out check separately that each system and equipment

is ready for start-up.

6.3.4 Failures at fluidized bed firing
1. Failures at fuel feeding
Stones, iron objects, too wet fuel and other such impurities may
cause malfunction of conveyors.
The fuel chutes are equipped with blockage switches which stops
the equipment upstream
When removing blockages the operators must:
• inform the operator in the control room
• prevent the device start by turning the safety switch off or

removing speed switch from equipment
• use auxiliary equipment if necessary
• pay attention to the device operating instructions and to general

safety instructions
• after completion of the work close all maintenance doors and

remove fuel residues from the platforms.
NOTE ! Below rotary feeders (283E082...283E091) there is a risk of

hot gas and sand flow from the furnace when opening
access door.
If there are unusual swings in the boiler steam generation, instability

in fuel feeding can be suspected. In that case check the following:
• Are there local blockages in the conveyors?
• Is the discharging of the fuel silo even?
• Is the fuel quality uniform?

2. Conditions for trouble-free firing
General (not dependig on fuel):

• Fluidizing air flow is sufficient to fluidize the bed.
• Fuel flow into the bed is stable and constant.
• The size of the bed material is suitable for achieving stable
fluidization.
• The bed is sufficiently high but not too high (400 - 600 mm).
• Air/fuel ratio, depending on the load is in accordance with the
design data.
Normal firing
• The bed temperatures do not deviate much from each others
(< 50°C). At normal firing the bed temperatures vary from 800 °C
to 950 °C.
• Capacity (pressure control PIC-1195) is controlled by changing
the fuel and air flows.
• Slight pressure variation in the furnace (normally ± 150 Pa).
• O2 stable ( 3,5 ± 1%)
Failures at firing
• Draft and O2 vary unreasonably = disturbances in fuel feeding.
• Fluidization unstable, big bed temperature differences (over
100 °C) = coarse material in the bed or firing takes place close to
the minimum fluidization point.
• Low bed temperature (<700oC) = too wet fuel or boiler load too
small.
• High bed temperature = too coarse bed, too low fluidizing
velocity, not enough recirculation gas
6.3.5 Failures in sootblowers
a) The sootblower does not travel the whole distance, causing:

• steam blowing continues and cannot be stopped before the
sootblower has come out to the limit switch.
• the sootblowing program stops until the sootblower has returned
to the starting limit.
• the sootblower must be taken out (retracted).

b) Decreasing of steam pressure and temperature results the

sootblowing program stoppage and the operating sootblower
comes out. The program starts a new heating/drain cycle
automatically.
6.3.6 Failures in fans
When the control fails or there is an operational failure, the air or flue
gas fan can stall if there is not enough flow through the fan. After
stalling the fan capacity must be decreased by closing inlet vane or
setting inverter to minimum. When the situation has stabilized and
the fan has returned to its operating curve, the control can be
switched on again.
NOTE ! If one fluegas fan trips or one fluidizing air fan trips the
boiler capacity is limited to 40 % of load
6.4 Occupational safety
6.4.1 General
A boiler plant has been designed as safe as possible for the

operator. Though the design is precondition for safe boiler operation,
the operator is, however, the most decisive factor as to his own
safety. He can affect his safety best by following the operating and
maintenance instructions for the plant and the safety instructions on
each individual job site carefully.
When working in the boiler plant remember that during operation

most of the substances like oil, steam and condensates, are hot
(over 100 °C), so be very careful when opening equipment and
piping. Wear safety gloves and mask. The use of protective
equipment is particularly important when oil burners are cleaned.
NOTE ! Before starting maintenance to the boiler parts be sure

that pressure is released and equipment is not hot.

In connection with inspections of the fluidized bed or removal of

sintered sand note the following:
• make sure that inside the furnace there is no carbon monoxide
(gas analyzer)
• do not work alone
• when the superheaters and refractores are cooling down, slag
may fall (be sure to wear a safety helmet inside the furnace).
• sand below the sintered surface may be burning hot and it may
include unburned fuel which can produce carbon monoxide
6.4.2 Safety arrangements of the auxiliary systems
The start-ups and stops of the boiler and its auxiliary equipment are
furnished with interlocks to guarantee safety. In certain cases the
interlocks can be bypassed from the control system or locally. The
interlocks bypass must be reported in control room documents.
Alarms, which are visible in the DCS screen, inform exceeding of the
permissible operation values. In this case the operators must take
appropriate measures to return to the normal situation.
NOTE: The upper limit interlock of the drum level is +250 mm and
the lower limit interlock -250 mm. Both interlocks function
according to 2/3 principle. Drum level safety device LS-
1092 has a high level interlocking +300 mm and low level
interlocking –300 mm. For testing the drum level interlocks
the safety device can be bypassed from a separate key
switch (during bypass the drum level must be monitored
manually on line).
6.4.3 Extinguishing steam system
The conveyor equipment inside the boiler house is furnished with

extinguishing steam piping for fire situations.
By opening the manual valve (2831288 or 2831289) in low pressure

steam header the bark silos can be filled with steam.
The fuel feeding lines are furnished with motor valves (HS-1479...
HS-1483) which automatically purge feeding lines when started after
longer shut-down.

6.5 Special requirements with different fuels
6.5.1 Bark firing
Due to bark chlorine content and high superheating temperature

bark shall be fired together with coal. It is recommended that about
10% of fuel heat input shall be from the coal.
6.5.2 Coal firing
Coal has high heating value and it’s density is also high. The volatile
content is low and combustion of coal takes long time, even several
minutes. The particle size of coal should be within certain range to
keep the bed temperature reasonable. Coal particles are heavy and
they fall into the bed.
NOTE! It is very important to keep the coal particle size in given

range because too big particles cause problems in bed
temperature control.
The fuel distribution between feeding points is very important to

avoid temperature differences in the bed.
NOTE! If operated with one fuel feeding line only (not normal
operation) the boiler capacity must be limited and fluidizing
air amount increased.

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Asiakirjan nimi - Name of Document Tunniste - Identification Rev.

Osasto - Department Kohde - Subject Sivu - Page

Power Generation RAPP PB3 PROJECT 1 (30)

1 2005 - 08 - 30 Tuomo Keinonen

Osasto - Department Kohde - Subject Sivu - Page

Power Generation RAPP PB3 PROJECT 2 (30)

6.1 Steam generation

The boiler output demand is determined by the mill steam

Load change rate

At changes of boiler steam generation make sure that the following

• steam pressure (PIC-1195)

remain exactly in their respective ranges. Therefore the guideline

• The maximum length (allowed) of load change in continuous

Osasto - Department Kohde - Subject Sivu - Page

Power Generation RAPP PB3 PROJECT 3 (30)

6.2 Operation control

There are two ways of observation

1. by instrumentation in the control room and

In a modern boiler plant the former is indisputably more

6.2.1 The operator's assignments in the control room

In the control room the following quantities and methods, among

• measured and calculated quantities in the display terminals

The field operator must make a thorough inspection round at least

1. Inspection of drum level control

• cleanness of water-glasses (LI-1089 and LI-1093) and purge if

Osasto - Department Kohde - Subject Sivu - Page

Power Generation RAPP PB3 PROJECT 4 (30)

2. Inspection of the local temperature and pressure measurements

• drum pressure (PI-1099)

3. Inspection of the feedwater pumps (283P001...P003 and P018)

• control of the cooling water flow

4. Observation of the sounds which can be heard from the boiler

• slight hissing sounds are generally a sign of leaks in seals.

5. Observation of make up water pumps.

• inspection of the oil amount in the bearings

6. Observation of boiler chemical feeding

• make sure that chemical feeding takes place without

7. Control of the evenness of the sample flow in the sampling lines

• flow control and sampling according to the given instructions.

Osasto - Department Kohde - Subject Sivu - Page

Power Generation RAPP PB3 PROJECT 5 (30)

8. Observation of the oil burners

NOTE! The nozzles should be cleaned regularly to ensure the

• check the pressure of atomizing steam and air

9. Observation of the running of the fans

• comparison of the running sound and vibrations of the fans

Osasto - Department Kohde - Subject Sivu - Page

Power Generation RAPP PB3 PROJECT 6 (30)

10.Vent and drain

11.Observation of the fly ash removal equipment

• remove some ash manually to establish that the equipment

12.Follow-up of coarse ash removal

• Whether the amount of coarse material removed is sufficient, is

13.Observation of loopseal compressors

• comparison of the running sound and vibrations of the fans

Osasto - Department Kohde - Subject Sivu - Page

Power Generation RAPP PB3 PROJECT 7 (30)

14.Observation of limestone and sand handling systems

• check that there are no leakages in the limestone transport

15.Observation of fuel systems

• checking that all the screws or drags of the conveyors moves

• comparison of the running sound and vibrations of the pumps

Osasto - Department Kohde - Subject Sivu - Page