ASH BUILD-UP IN BOILER BOTTOM ASH HOPPERS

INTRODUCTION:

This Work Instruction identifies the need to exercise great care to avoid
slag formation in the boiler furnace which results in poor heat transfer of
furnace walls, large slabs of fused ash, blocking of furnace bottom opening,
ash build-up in bottom ash hopper, over-loading of clinker grinders, ash
slurry pumps and choking of ash disposal lines. Operating experience has
shown that if slag formation is not controlled it leads the build-up of
bottom ash to a height of 16 18 metres in the furnace bottom forcing unit
shut-down which could last several days. Build-up of this magnitude can
also result in catastrophic failure of boiler support system.

COAL ASH SLAGGING:

Parameters used for evaluating coal ash behaviour as they affect furnace
slagging are:

Ash-fusibility temperatures.
Base/acid ratio
Iron/calcium ratio
Silica/alumina ratio
Iron/dolomite ratio
Dolomite percentage
Ferric percentage

Molten to semi-molten coal-ash slag deposits will not form on clean water-
wall tubes since, upon approaching relatively cooler tube surface, the slag
particles become less adhesive because of rapid cooling in the wall-
adjacent area. Accordingly, coal-ash deposition is a two-stage process. A
primary layer of deposit first forms on the water wall tube surface. The
resulting rise in the surrounding surface temperatures subsequently allows
the adherence of rigid plastic secondary deposits.

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 Mechanism of Coal Ash Slag Deposition:

The following two types or primary deposits are most commonly observed:

i. Primary deposits that result from the setting of the finer fractions
(smaller than 30 microns) of fly ash. This type of primary deposit is loose
in structure and does not provide strong cohesive or adhesive bonds.
ii. Primary deposits that result from the selective deposition of certain
reactive components of the ash (iron, calcium or alkalies). These components can
be present in the deposit in high concentrations as Oxides and/or Sulphur
compounds, leading to the formation of low-melting eutectic mixtures. This type
of deposit is more dense in structure and has stronger cohesive and adhesive
bonds.

During the deposition, there is a transitional stage where the plastic

secondary deposits begin to stick on the primary layer. These secondary
deposits/droplets of low viscosity molten glass are strengthened by time
and increasing temperatures. The temperature at which the secondary
deposits begin to form corresponds to approximately 950 degree C. The
transition from primary to secondary deposits is a function of the
immediate gas temperature outside the deposit.

Deposit Structure and Maximum Thickness:

The rate at which glass droplets fuse together is directly dependent upon
the time available for bonding to develop, and is inversely proportion to the
viscosity of the melt, i.e., the more fluid the droplets are the more readily
they will run together thus strengthening the mechanical bonding in the
deposits, and ultimately thick slabs may built-up, reducing the heat
transfer efficiency of the boiler surfaces.

CONTROL OF SLAGGING:

This section discusses the operational techniques that the operator can
use to control slagging. Although the predominant factors affecting ash
deposition are the amount and composition of coal ash, boiler operating
conditions have also been demonstrated to affect deposition.

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 The Operating variables that influence slagging are :
i. Unit load.
ii. Excess air
iii. Fuel fineness, and
iv. Secondary air distribution and improper distribution of coal due to
eroded coal burner nozzles/nozzle tips/impellers.

Changing any one, however, will not eliminate operating problems

completely. Although the individual variable affects boiler performance,
they must be studied collectively to determine the effectiveness of a given
programme.

Each operating variable is considered as follows :

i) Load :

The higher the load, the higher the heat input to the furnace and the
greater the potential for slagging. Load reduction can reduce the potential
for slagging but this is not always possible, because the rated output may
be necessary to meet electrical generation. Changes in excess air, fuel
fineness, and secondary air distribution are less drastic methods for
minimising slagging.

ii) Excess Air:

If slagging is a problem with high iron coals, furnace deposits can be

reduced drastically by increasing the amount of excess air. As a rule-of-
thumb, the higher the fusion temperature, the drier the slag in the furnace,
and the easier it is to remove.

iii) Fuel fineness:

Slagging conditions often can be improved by control of the pulveriser

fineness. Since coarse particles take longer to burn, they are more prone
to producing slag. High retention on +50 meshes often increases slagging
tendencies. Effort should be made to restrict it up to 2.0

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iv) Secondary air distribution :

Basically, the objective is to provide a good mixing of fuel and air so

combustion is efficient, and local zones with reducing atmospheres are
avoided. In Units with tangential firing, for example, slagging sometimes
can be reduced by increasing secondary air flow to fuel compartments.

v) PF Velocity:

PF Velocity distribution in Pulverised Fuel Pipes: Following actions can be

taken to control this :

a. Orifices can be installed in PF pipes in all Units.

b. PA flow is to be reduced to 60 65 T/Hrs. through IGV control and
putting of Orifices in PA fan suction.
c. Regular Dirty Air Flow tests must be carried out.

d. PF velocities are to be kept near 27.8 m/sec.

vi) Radiant S/H Metal Temp. :

Based on operational experience at different Power Stations, it has been

established that when temperature of Radiant Metal Super heaters are kept
restricted to 4600C, the slagging tendency in boiler is much less. Although there is
no manufacturer recommendation for this, the limit of 460 0C has been adopted by
the Station as a safeguard against clinkering. All efforts are to be made to contain
the maximum Radiant S/H temp. below 4600C.

vii) Other operational measures :

Failure to remove deposits at the proper time may result in a chain reaction of
deteriorating events. For example, excessive furnace slagging can result from not
using the wall blowers at proper intervals. This condition imposes higher gas
temperatures in the convective section of the furnace because of the reduced rate
of heat absorption.
Using additional, selective soot blowing operation, ash deposits on the furnace
walls can be minimised. Waiting too long between operations can seriously
hamper the effectiveness of soot blowers. Observation of furnace conditions at

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 least twice per shift helps eliminate unexpected problems. Because the soot
blower system is so important for reliable, full capacity operation of a coal-fired
unit, this equipment must be maintained in good operating condition.

THE MEANS OF PREVENTING ASH BUILD-UP :

Ash build-up can be prevented by :-

i. Inspecting the flow of bottom ash which should be recorded once in each
shift by Field Engineer. Any abnormality should be reported to Shift Charge
Engineer.
ii.
iii. Ensuring that the inspection ports/view glasses are easily accessible and a
clear view maintained.
iv.
v. Inspecting the bottom ash hopper through view glasses just after de-ashing.
vi.

i. Emptying of hopper must be ensured, if de-ashing is intermittent. Also, the

furnace bottom must be inspected after de-ashing. Where de-ashing is
continuous, as in submerged scraper conveyor (SSC), both the furnace and
bottom ash hopper must be inspected at least twice in a shift. Observing
that if any slag deposits / ash build-up occurs, it is removed immediately by
poking / flushing with a high pressure water jet through poking hole /
manholes.
ii. Identifying any difficulty in detecting slag formation in the furnace due to
limited visibility, the amount of slag can be judged by the amount of light or
luminescence coming from the furnace into the bottom hopper and by the
frequency of large pieces of slag falling into the bottom ash hopper.
iii. Inspecting furnace immediately if unmanageable slag formation is suspected and
introduce oil burners. If massive slag deposits are observed, unit load should be
restricted to the minimum, preferably with oil support; all efforts must be made to
remove slag in a running condition.

In addition the following techniques should be considered :-

i. If required, clinker grinders may be by-passed and clinker dumped on boiler
floor to be manually removed later.
ii. If all actions fail to remove/dislodge the massive slag deposits, the unit
should be shut-down and slag deposit removed. In no case should unit is
to be run with uncontrolled and unmanageable slag deposits or
without bottom ash evacuation.
iii. While shutting down the Unit, sufficient care needs to be taken to avoid
overheating boiler tubes due to slag deposits.

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vii.