BoilerUptakeFireandExhaustGasEconomiserFire

August27,20157:36pm | LeaveaComment | Frozee

Auxiliaryboileruptakeorfluegasesnormallypassthrougheconomisersorairpreheatersorfeed
waterheaters.Allthesetypesofheatexchangersarefintype.Hencelargeamountofcarbonorsoot
depositsonthefins.Alongwiththefluegasessomeunburntcarbonparticlesalsogetdepositedon
theeconomisers.Normallydrysootdepositshaveaveryhighignitiontemperature.Butwhenthesoot
getswetwithhydrocarbonvapours,theirignitiontemperaturecomesdowntoaround150degree
Celsius.Thismayresultinboilersootfireorboileruptakefire.Whenanuptakefireissuspected,
neversootblowtheeconomiser.Sootblowwithsteamcausessteamtoconvertashydrogengasand
resultinmetalfire.

PreventiveActions
Regularlyinspectboilerflametoensurecorrectairfuelratioismaintained.Thismakescomplete
combustionwithcleanfluegas.
CarryoutboilerburnerandswirlerroutinesasperPMS.
Regularlysootbloweconomisersandwaterwashperiodicallytoremovesootdeposits.
Usepropergradeoffueloilforboiler.
Fueloilusedforboilertobetreatedwell.
Avoidlowloadoperationofboilerforlongperiod.
Runningboilernearfullloadperiodically,helpsinexpellingoutcarbondepositsadheredinuptake
passagesandreduceschancesofboileruptakefireconsiderably.

Whatisexhaustgaseconomiser(EGE)fireandhowitoccur?
AflameappearattheeconomizercoilduringrunningofmainengineatseawhiletheEGEisputinto
servicewithcirculationwaterpassingthroughthecoils,itiscalledeconomizerfire.
Itisactuallycausebysootfireattheeconomizercoils.
Fortheeconomizercoilsfire,heatisalreadypresentedduetopassingthegasesofmainengine.
Airisavailableduetoexcesssupplyofscavengingairintotheunitcombustionchamber.
Thickdepositofunburntfuel,carbonresidue(soots)arestickingattheeconomizercoils.
Sootsareformedfromincompletecombustionanduseoflowgradefuelandhighcarboncontentfuel.
Atthemanoeuvringtime,themoreincompletecombustionmayoccurandatthattimeleavingfluegas
velocityisverylow,thusunburntfuelcanbeadheringontheeconomizercoils.
Aflameisproducedwhenairandfuelareproportionallymixedinthesufficientheatingtemperature.

WhataretheindicationsofEGEfire?
1.Smokesmellwillgetfromtheeconomizer.
2.Overheatateconomizerbody(externalcasingofuptake.)
3.Heavysmokeandsparkswillemitfromthefunnel.
4.Suddenunexpectedincreaseinuptakegastemperature(Abnormallyhighstackpyrometerreading)
5.Flamevisibleinthesmokeindicator.

HowtopreventEGEfireonships?

1.Togetcompletecombustionoffuel,maintainthemainengine(ME)inoptimumcombustioncondition.(
governor,fuelinjectionpump,fuelinjectionvalve,fuelinjectiontiming,fuelcondition,aircooler,
turbocharger,donotruntoolongMEwithslowspeed)
2.Regularopenup&cleaningsmokesideofeconomiserdependinguponsootaccumulation.(water
washing)
3.Regularsootblowingoperation.Check&maintainsootblowingequipment.
4.Regularoverhaulboilerburner,correctairfuelratio&damper.

Whataretheactionstobetakenduringeconomizerfire?
1.Informtothebridgeandchiefengineer.Takethepermissiontostopmainengine.
2.GraduallyslowdowntheMEandthenstop.
3.Iffirefightingequipmentisfitted,itshouldbebroughtintooperation.
4.Cooldowntheeconomizerbymeansofboundarycooling.
5.Circulationpumpmustberunbut,iflargeamountofwaterlostitmustbestopped.
6.Thereisnoheatsourceandfireisout.
7.Wheneconomizerfireoccursneverdosootblowtoeconomizer.
8.Itcancausehydrogenfireandmeltdownthecoilsstack.Itcancausedeformationandtubebulking
becauseintensiveheatandhighthermalstressformedateconomizercoils.

Whataretheactionstobetakenaftereconomizerfire?
1.Cooldowntoambienttemperature.
2.Opentheeconomizercover.
3.Cleaninsidepartsoftheeconomizer.
4.Checktheanydefectivecoilandrepairfortemporaryusedbyweldingorpluggingthetubes.

Howtoeffectivelyfighttheeconomiserfire?
1.Slowdowntheengine.
2.Shutoffoilburners,draughtfans,dampers&airregister.
3.Raisewaterlevelfullandblowdowncontinuouslysoastomaintaingoodflowofwater.
4.Reduceboilerpressurebyeasinggear.
5.Spraywaterontheexternalcasingoftheuptaketocooltheaffectedarea.
6.Afewtimesstartingandstoppingofmainengineshouldbedonetoblowoutcollectedsootsattheuptake.

Whatisselfperpetuatingfireorhydrogenfireonships?
Whenthefirecausesthemetalitselfburningatabout700C,ifsteamsmotheringsootblowingsystemor
waterjettingsystemhavebeenattempted,thebighydrogenfiremayresult.
Theappliedsteamdissociatesintohydrogenandoxygenandacceleratingthefire.
Oncesuchafirehasstarted,resultingtwokindoffiresmaytakeplacesimultaneously,onekind,iron
burninginsteam,andtheother,thehydrogenburninginanairexothermicway.
Thiscombinedfirebeingselfsupportingandlastinguntilthesupplyofsteamisexhausted.
Theprimaryobjectiveofdealingthefireistocoolthesurfaceandburningmaterialasquicklyaspossible.