Analysis

Software modules as intelligent units continuously analyse and interpret data in real  time.

They provide recommendations for the Cleaning Manager concerning WHERE, HOW and WHEN to clean.

Due to different process conditions within the boiler, the furnace and the convective  area require their own analysis units. With two correspondingly specialised analysis  centres, the SMART Furnace and the SMART Convection, Clyde Bergemann ensures optimum evaluation of each deposit situation. This addresses the needs of an intelligent boiler cleaning system.

The task of the software module SMART Furnace is to continuously monitor and assess the deposit situation in the furnace and to determine suitable and demand-oriented cleaning actions. The core tasks of SMART Furnace are the following:

• Continuously monitoring the slagging situation in the furnace                                                    
• Continuous validation of measurement data
• Analysis of slagging status
• Determination of a suitable and demand-oriented cleaning strategy for the furnace

• The division of the boiler into zones represents an important basis for the precise detection of the position of the slagging within the heating surface
• Analyses are conducted for each zone to determine the respective status of slagging
• The measured heat fluxes and/or surfaces temperatures are converted into coordinates which represent the position and intensity of the slagging
• Areas of the boiler which may not be cleaned, such as the burner and secondary air feeds, are taken into account in zone distribution
• On this demand-oriented basis, SMART Furnace generates selective cleaning requirements
• Selectable "closed loop" mode for assessing a conducted cleaning operation by evaluating direct sensor measurement values

• Demand-orientated, selective and automatic On-load furnace clean in prevention of uncontrollable deposits
• Improved heat absorption in the evaporator
• Reduced furnace exit gas temperature
• More flexibility in the use of different fuel qualities and compositions
• Lower influence on process due to targeted and reduced furnace cleaning
• Structured and easy-to-follow visualisation of the measured values in the evaporator
• Continuous monitoring and analysis of the thermal strain on the evaporator wall heating surfaces

SMART Convection is the module for the continuous monitoring and evaluation of the deposit situation in the convection part of steam generators and the determination of suitable and demand-oriented cleaning actions. The core tasks of SMART Convection are the

• Continuously monitoring the slagging situation in the convection part
• Continuous validation of measurement data
• Analysis of slagging status
• Determination of a suitable and demand-oriented cleaning strategy

• SMART Convection receives the information from TDM, Matrix Clean and SHFM, and converts it into corresponding cleaning parameters so that only necessary sootblowers are identified and demand-driven execution parameters are defined
• All parameterised cleaning actions have the status of a recommendation which is forwarded to the CLEANING MANAGER for cleaning and the final decision

• Demand-oriented, selective and automatic On-load furnace cleaning in the convective part
• Prevention of uncontrollable deposits
• Improved heat absorption in the convective part
• Reduced flue gas temperature after ECO
• More flexibility in the use of different fuel qualities and compositions
• Additional information on the steam generation process, e.g. flue gas temperature profile along the flue gas path
• Reduced consumption of cleaning media
• Lower influence on process due to targeted and reduced cleaning in the convective part
• Structured and easy-to-follow visualisation of the steam generator

Thermodynamic modelling in real time

With Thermodynamic modelling (TDM) the entire power plant process is illustrated and thermodynamically balanced. TDM works with current process and measuring data, mainly from water/steam circuit and the flue gas flow.

• Out of a components library, all needed power plant components are selected, from the fuel and air supply to the flue gas path and the water-steam circulation, and the associated process parameters are entered
• All relevant plant components are initially brought into relationship with one another in a model on the basis of the design data
• To use the model during operation, signals lists from the DCS are used
• TDM reads the necessary process and measurement values for each calculation step fully automatically and in real-time

• Illustration of the plant-specific processes and interrelationships
• Validation and plausibility check of the measuring system data
• Determination of missing measured values and/or additional process parameters, e.g. flue gas temperatures between the heating surfaces
• Calculation of heating surface effectiveness
• Software for intelligent on-load boiler cleaning

The Matrix Clean is designed for use in horizontal mounted heat exchanger bundles and analysis the different fouling situation of the heat exchangers in the convective part of the boiler.

• All necessary information are is available to select required sootblowers and define demand-driven cleaning parameters
• The activation of a complete group of sootblowers is no longer needed
• As the deposit situation is analysed selectively, it is possible to determine for each cleaning action single sootblower levels, single sootblowers and even cleaning parameters for every single sootblower travel

• Demand-oriented,  selective and automatic On-load cleaning of the convective part
• Prevention of uncontrollable deposits

The SHFM, Super Heating Fouling Monitor, is designed for the process specific characteristic of vertical heat exchangers. The task of SHFM is the localisation of deposits in vertical heat exchangers.

• The SMART Gauge sensors mounted on the hanger rods of vertical hanging superheaters send the weight data that has been directly measured to the SHFM software module for analysis
• Increasing deposits are indicated by an increase in weight and localises areas of heavy deposits
• SHFM forwards this information to SMART Convection
• SMART Convection defines the required cleaning parameters and identifies the relevant sootblowers and forwards this information to the CLEANING MANAGER

• The result of the direct weight measurement can be transferred 1:1 to the position of the deposit within the superheater
• As the system recognizes the results from each cleaning action, a self-learning process is set up