10 the Analyst Volume 17 Number 4 11 the Analyst Volume 17 Number 4 << Home Boilers can be dangerous if not inspected and main tained. Each year, countless accidents, breakdowns, and shutdowns occur among the approximately 43,000 industri al boilers in the chemical, food processing, paper, rening, and primary metals industries throughout the United States. Boiler breakdowns can cost thousands of dollars in equip ment repairs, as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage and income losses. Accidents also can cause loss of life and structural damage to plants, facilities, and equip ment. Compared to one unplanned plant shutdown, the cost of boiler inspection, maintenance, and repairs is minor. While boiler safety devices are designed to prevent dangerous conditions from turning into disasters, only proper maintenance prevents the development of dangerous operating conditions in the rst place. Proper boiler mainte nance, servicing, and inspec- tion is not only a safety issue, it also can be an economic matter. Downtime can shut down operations and production, and every hour that its stopped can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. No plant wants emergency shutdowns or downtime, and the plant manager doesnt want to be responsible if boilers (or other equip- ment) arent serviced, inspected, and maintained properly. Regular boiler inspection is the law, most often governed by the state, but in some cases governed by a municipality and city. Boilers must be inspected by certied inspectors according to a mandated schedule. Te day-to-day boiler maintenance and service is the responsibility of plant en gineers or plant managers. Remember that most problems dont occur suddenly. Tey develop slowly over a long time. So slowly, in fact, that the maintenance sta can grow accus tomed to the change without realizing it has taken place. Also, regular inspections provide optimal function and energy eciency. Boilers are voracious energy users. Ineciency means wasted energy and increased operating costs. Regular inspections also can extend the life of the vessel. As every plant owner and manager knows, industrial boilers are a major investment, costing upwards of $200,000. Key Boiler Safety Features Boilers have a variety of safety features designed to prevent acci- dents and keep them functioning at optimal eciency. Safety valves are the primary safety feature. Designed to relieve the pressure if other systems fail, every steam and water-heating boiler must have at least one safety or safety relief valve of sucient capacity to match burner output. 12 the Analyst Volume 17 Number 4 << Home Te ability of a safety valve to function properly can be aected by internal corrosion or restricted ow. Internal corrosion typically is the most common cause of freezing or binding in safety/relief valves. Tis is generally caused by slight leakage or simmering caused by an improperly seated valve disk, and is a condition that must be corrected im mediately. Its never recommended that a boiler be operated too close to the safety valve setting because the set pressure can cause the valves to leak slightly, resulting in an corrosion buildup that eventually prevents the valve from operating. Water level control and fuel cutos have separate func- tions, but sometimes are combined in one unit. Tey provide a water level control function and a safety feature of a low-water fuel-cuto device. Piping must be open and free of scale or sludge buildup at all times. Properly installed piping uses cross tees for easy cleaning and inspection. Check low-water fuel cutos periodically for proper operation. Because this test requires boiler water to go to the minimum safe level, qualied personnel should use extreme caution. In addition to periodic tests of the low-water device, ush the oat chamber on the water level control and the low- wa ter fuel cuto thoroughly to remove accumulated sedi- ment. Disassemble, clean, and check both controls annually. Te water gauge glass on a boiler lets you verify the ac tual water level in the boiler. If it is not cleaned and maintained, the sight glass might show there is sucient water when the boiler is actually operating in a low water condition. A stain or coating sometimes develops on the inside of the glass where it is in contact with boiling water. If necessary, replace the glass even if the boiler must be shut down to do so. Te piping leading to the glass gauge can become clogged and should be cleaned and inspected regularly to avoid false water level readings. Stack temperature gauges monitor the temperature of the ue gas. A high temperature indicates that the tubes might be developing a soot or scale buildup. Also, the interior baing might have deteriorated or burned through, allowing hot gases to bypass heat transfer surfaces. Boiler Inspection and Maintenance Continued << Home 13 the Analyst Volume 17 Number 4 << Home Te fuel system, particularly the burner, requires periodic cleaning and routine maintenance. Failure to maintain the fuel system in good working order could result in excessive fuel costs, loss of heat transfer, or even a boiler explosion. Boiler log records are probably the single best method to ensure a boiler is properly maintained. Te logs provide a continuous record of operation, maintenance, and testing. Because operating conditions change slowly over time, a log is the best way to detect signicant changes that might otherwise go unnoticed. Boiler log success is deter mined by how vigilant you are in regularly updating it. Efciency and Performance Tips A boiler accounts for much of a plants energy budget, and even a small decrease in eciency can cause a sharp increase in energy costs. Tere are several key factors that inuence boiler eciency. Optimal air-to-fuel ratio is impor tant because a boiler requires just the right amount of oxygen to ensure ecient combustion. Excess air consumes energy because it is being heated un necessarily and released up the stack. If there is too little air, not all the fuel burns and this also wastes fuel. Te unburned fuel continues to move through the sys tem, and leaves behind soot. Additional ly, too little air might cause a build up of carbon monoxide and smoke. Analyze the ue gas to measure the amount of oxygen and the stack gas temperature to calculate eciency. Make adjustments to optimize the excess air and incoming air temperatures. To measure the ratio, use a comput er-based distributed control system (DCS), which automatically reduces oxygen levels as needed, optimizing the air-to-fuel ratio. Treat feedwater before pumping it into a boiler. Raw water can cause corro sion or sediment buildup, both of which reduce eciency. Impurities waste energy because they necessitate routine blowdowns. Te cleaner the water sup ply, the fewer blowdowns that are needed. Clean heat transfer surfaces to re move the soot buildup that acts like an insulator, and diminishes the ecien cy of heat transfer between combus tion gas and steam generation. Heat loss can waste a huge amount of energy. To minimize heat loss, install an economizer to recover waste heat from the stack. Te heat can then preheat the feedwater. Be sure to have the boil er cleaned and tuned before installing an economizer to obtain an accurate mea surement of stack gas temperature. Additional heat can be extracted from the ue gas (below 300 F) by use of a condensing economizer. A stack temperature gauge indicates the temperature of the ue gas. Te lower the ue gas temperature, the more ecient the system. Approximately 1 % of boiler thermal eciency is lost for a 40 F increase in stack temperature. Collect condensate from steam traps for reuse as feedwater. Tis reduces boiler operating costs and usually is more cost-eective than using fresh utility water. It takes less fuel to convert recovered condensate into steam than the cooler fresh utility water. Te tem perature of recovered condensate is high (160 F to 200 F), whereas the fresh water temperature usually does not exceed 80 F. Boiler Inspectors Can Educate You Ask your boiler inspector for more information about how your boiler functions and tell them about any problems you are experiencing. Teir extensive knowledge and practical ex perience can help you learn everyday procedures to ensure a long lifespan and safe vessel operation. Boiler Inspection and Maintenance Continued 14 the Analyst Volume 17 Number 4 << Home General Tips for Optimum Boiler Safety and Maintenance It is important that you regularly observe and check on the status of a variety of boiler components. Some basic and general tips include: Test for proper functioning of controls, including the pressure gauge, low-water cuto devices, thermometers, temperature controls, gauge glass, and pressure relief valve. Test drains and blowos to ensure theyre functional. Check the fuel system for leaks and ensure that fuel lters and strainers are replaced regularly. Ensure that shut-o valves are leak-tight. If unsure, perform a leak tightness test. Ensure that the valves in instrument lines are functioning properly. Open the boiler vent valve or top tri-cock to vent air and ll the boiler with treated water to its proper level. Check that the expansion tank is properly lled. Verify that vent valve on gas-red boilers is operating as required and that the vent is not clogged. Verify that the ame scanner or sensors are properly connected and functioning. Check instruments and safety devices for proper setting. Ensure that the water pressure regulator functions as required. Ensure the recirculation pump works as required. Conrm that there are no signs of overheating, corrosion, or erosion. Check that heating system isolation valves are functioning properly. Verify that there are no leaks from any part of the boiler or external piping. Have a qualied contractor repair cracked surfaces immediately. Bulges or other deformities indicate defective controls, safety devices, or improper burner operation. Test safety valves on a regular schedule. Replace leaking safety valves. Inspect low-water fuel-cuto control for proper sequence and operation. Verify that it shuts o the fuel supply to the boiler as required. Stephen Kleva is CEO and president of Insparisk, LLC in Glendale, N.Y. He can be contacted by phone at (888) 464-6772 or by email at skleva@insparisk.com. Boiler Inspection and Maintenance Continued