CBW Clyde Bergemann Wesel 10.2007 - Rev.

US Sootblowers

Introduction
z Topics to be discussed:

Overview of Clyde Bergemann Inc.

Basic Description/Operation of US Sootblower.

Detailed Description
- Mechanical Components
- Electrical Components

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Basic Description
z The (US) Sootblower is a long retractable sootblower designed for the
cleaning of boiler heating surfaces.
z The Long Retractable Sootblower efficiently uses the potential energy in
the blowing medium (steam or air) and transforms it almost completely
into kinetic energy by means of venturi nozzles.

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Basic Description
z The blowing element of the long retractable sootblower is the lance tube
with two opposed venturi nozzles arranged at the front end.

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Basic Description
z The lance tube is helically inserted into the flue gas pass, and then
returned to the rest position by means of the gear-motor driven carriage.

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Canopy
z Square rails and angles with bolt-on style gear racks are attached to both
sides of the canopy to provide support to the blower carriage, and
maintain good pinion clearance.
z The bolt-on style gear rack allows for easy removal and installation.
z The design of the canopy intentionally gives easy access to all parts that
require regular maintenance or repair work significantly reducing maintenance
costs.

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Carriage Assembly
z Over heating the gearbox significantly reduces the life of the lubricant and
damages the lubricant seals causing leakage.
z This cooler gearbox design also allows a synthetic lubricant to be used,
which will last the life of the gearbox, making it virtually maintenance free.

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Carriage Assembly
z The blower carriage is a unique design that consists of two separate
components:

Upper gearbox

Lower spindle housing

z This design prevents excessive heat transfer from the hot spindle housing
to the blower gearbox.

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Rack and Pinion Drive

z A roller and pinion are mounted on each side of the output drive shaft
resulting in a balanced design dual rack and pinion drive, which
minimizes wear and tear on the gear racks/pinions.
z Side rollers are mounted on the gearbox to guide the blower carriage on
the rails.
Pinion

Roller

Side Roller

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Drive Shafts
z The Carriage has two output drive shafts.
z The main output drive shaft provides for translation of the carriage.
z A heavy-duty chain is connected to a sprocket on the lower spindle and
provides rotation to the lance.

Translation
Drive Shaft

Rotation
Drive Shaft

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Mechanical Components
z The main drive motor rotates the
main output drive shaft for
translation of the carriage.
z The main output drive is turned by
a worm gear, which results in a
locked-train design preventing
movement of the carriage due to
steam pressure.
z The worm gear also provides
rotation to the rear gear assembly
which allows for rotation of the
chain sprocket.

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Basic Description
z The carriage rides on a balanced dual rack and pinion drive system and is
supported by a long steel canopy.
z Thereby the two blowing jets ensure a full cleaning coverage along the
entire blowing distance.

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Basic Description
z Sootblowers designed to travel >35 feet are equipped with additional
support to prevent damage to the lance and feed tube.

Lance and feed tube support assembly

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Basic Description
z The blowing medium is fed to the lance tube via the poppet valve and the
fixed feed tube.
z The poppet valve is mechanically opened once the venturi have passed
into the boiler and then closes before they reach the boiler wall while
returning to the rest position.

Poppet valve

Fixed feed tube

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Indexing Sootblowers
z To improve the cleaning effect and to reduce erosions, the sootblower is
retracted on a different helical path ("indexed") each time the blower is
operated.
z Indexing is the rotation of the lance tube, w/o forward movement, to
achieve a new helix with each run of the sootblower.
z Indexing allows the lance tube nozzles to clean a slightly different path
(new helix) with every operation of the sootblower allowing 100% of the
boiler tube surfaces to be contacted with the cleaning medium.

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How Indexing is Accomplished

z Indexing is a patented mechanical feature of the Clyde Bergemann
gearbox.
z When the sootblower reaches the end of its forward travel the carriage
actuates the fully inserted limit switch and starts a 0.8 second timer.
z The carriage continues to travel forward and hits the front stop block.
z When the carriage hits the stop block a clutch slips on the drive pinion in
the gearbox which stops forward movement of the carriage but
continues to rotate the lance tube.

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Basic Description
z When the 0.8 second delay timer expires, the carriage retracts to the
rest position.
z By allowing the carriage to engage the stop block and rotates the lance
tube without translation, indexing is achieved and a new helical path for
the nozzles to clean.
z Controlling the amount of time that the lance tube is allowed to rotate is
the key to the operation.
z In order to control the amount of time for indexing the sootblower, the
front limit switch position must be properly installed.

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Basic Description
z The typical amount of indexing is generally set to about 1/8th nozzle
rotation.

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Basic Description

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SealPackTM
z The SealPackTM is a spring loaded packing cartridge assembly that
provides continuous pressure on the packing gland.
z The SealPackTM seals the packing against the feed tube as it rotates and
travels with the carriage, thus eliminating the need for maintenance
personnel to repeatedly adjust the packing gland.

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SealPackTM
z On a recent study, the SealPackTM extended the life of a set of packing to
18 months of operation on a recovery boiler.
z This significantly reduces the maintenance costs associated with
sootblower packing and will have an even greater effect on a power boiler
application.

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Poppet Valve
z The blowing medium is fed
through an externally adjustable
poppet valve.
z The pressure of each individual
sootblower can easily be adjusted
while in operation, eliminating the
need to shutdown, isolate, and tag
out the blower.
z The supply line pressure can also
be adjusted independent of the
valve opening by using the
SmartControl system, offering
additional control over the
cleaning intensity.

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Poppet Valve Components

Roll Pin
Guide Bushing Washer

Guide Bushing
Valve Stem

Pressure Disk

Valve Plug Nut

Gasket
Valve Seat

Valve Plug

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Poppet Valve Components

Adjustment Nut
Valve Spring

Lock Plate
Weldment

Packing Gland
Packing Nut

Lock Angle

Packing
Lock Nut

Valve stem

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Poppet Valve Operating Mechanism

z When the blower carriage starts inserting, the poppet valve is opened by
the valve latch and arm assembly.
z A pin attached to the carriage actuates the poppet valve.
Poppet Valve Pin

Attachment Bolts

Valve Latch
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Poppet Valve

Optional Center Support Pin

Vent Valve
z The purpose of the vent valve is to scavenge air into the
sootblower when the sootblower is idle.
z The negative pressure boiler will supply the suction pressure.
z The operating pressure of the sootblower seals the opening
during operation.

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Vent
Valve

Verification of Pressure
z A threaded plug is supplied on the opposite side of the vent valve.
z The threaded plug is a standard location for monitoring the blowing
pressure downstream of the seat and for a seal air/scavenging air
connection.
z A pressure gauge can be installed to check the sootblower operating
pressure.
z Clyde Bergemann recommends a permanent installation of a pressure
gauge for ease of pressure verification without working on the
sootblower.

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Wallbox Options
z Depending on the furnace pressure conditions, two types of wallboxes
are available:

Negative pressure

Positive pressure

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Negative Pressure Wallbox

z A negative pressure wallbox is supplied for furnaces with a reliable
negative gas pressure condition.
z A spring loaded floating plate seals the boiler opening sufficiently and
still provides proper lance tube clearance.

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Positive Pressure Wallbox

z For positive flue gas conditions a positive pressure wallbox with sealing
air connection is recommended to avoid gas leaks from the sootblower
wall openings.

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Blower Suspension
z The front plate of the sootblower has two arms extending away from
the sootblower.
z The arms have a threaded hole that line up with the two pivot holes
(bosses) that are located on the sootblower wallbox.

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Blower Suspension
z The rear of the sootblower has a slotted plate that is used to support the
back of the sootblower.
z A pin is inserted through two hanger rods and the slotted plates to support
the rear of the sootblower.

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Electric Motor
z The electric motor is mounted directly to the gearbox.
z The blower carriage assembly is driven by a 2 HP (230/460V, 3 phase,
60Hz, 1800RPM) electric motor.
z The electric motor power is supplied through a four wire S.O. cable that
is guided by the E-Chain trailing device.

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Limit Switch
z The US Sootblower's travel is constrained by a single limit switch on the
carriage.
z The limit switch is activated by a flag bolted on the rear (rest position)
and front (full insert) of the canopy.

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Limit Switch
z The limit switchs motor power supply can be accessed in an electrical
box that is mounted to the side of the sootblower housing.
z The limit switch and motor cables are wired to terminal strips in an
electrical box to facilitate connection at the plant.

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P-Chain

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P-Chain Photos

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Control Panel

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Basic Description
z The blowing pressure of the US Sootblower has to be carefully
monitored to prevent insufficient cleaning (blowing pressure probably
too low!) and to avoid excessive erosions on boiler tubes (blowing
pressure probably too high!).
z With steam being used, it is very important to properly design and
operate the steam supply to avoid condensate blowing which could
cause severe damage to boiler and sootblower.

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Normal Operation
z In the event that certain areas are not sufficiently cleaned, those
responsible sootblowers may be addressed individually.
z Since the sootblowers blowing jets often have an erosive effect if dust
or ash is present, it is recommended to regularly check the surfaces for
erosion, and reduce the blowing pressure if damage is found.

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