Method and System for Sootblower Flow Analyzer

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and a system for optimizing steam or other cleaning medium used during soot removal in a boiler in which energy is generated by fuel combustion, with accompanying production of soot, and heat energy is transferred from the product gases to a heated medium via heat exchanger tubes on which the soot collects, by; monitoring the mass flow rate of the cleaning medium, determining which set of sootblowers are in operation, calculating appropriate high flow alarm set point and low flow set point for each particular sootblower, notifying an operator whether the sootblowers are operating within the setpoints so that appropriate action can be taken to the set of sootblowers. In addition, the invention performs leak detection by monitoring for a system bottled up situation and notifies the operator when a steam leak is detected.

1 . A method for increasing the efficiency of boiler operation by improving the sootblower operation, comprising:
 determining which sootblowers are in service;   operating each sootblower to collect flow data and adjust sootblower to within specification;   monitoring the cleaning medium flow through said sootblowers by utilizing a mass flow measurement device and adjusting the said sootblowers to within specifications;   producing an indication of the sootblowers in operation and the mass flow rate of the cleaning medium used in the set of sootblowers;   monitoring of the cleaning medium pressure measuring device and controlling to within a particular pressure change;   entering collected data and calculating high and low flow setpoints for a particular soot blower or set of sootblowers based on a set of sootblowers operating and the cleaning requirements;   providing a means to notify a boiler operator of said mass flow rate and whether said mass flow rate extends outside the range defined by said high flow set point and said low flow set point with notification of a high alarm and low alarm;   monitoring said mass flow rate of said cleaning medium during the cleaning of a boiler; and   adjusting said sootblowers to operate below said high flow set point and above said low flow set point.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , including;
 providing leak testing by stopping all sootblowers;   blocking in the physical drains in the closed position;   applying a slight pressure in the boiler; and   providing a means to notify a boiler operator when a leak of cleaning medium is detected.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the means to notify a boiler operator of said mass flow rate and whether said mass flow rate extends outside the range defined by said high flow set point and said low flow set point includes a visual indication as well as an audible alarm in a control room. 
     
     
         4 . The method as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the means to notify a boiler operator includes a visual indication as well as an audible alarm if a leak is detected within the sootblower operation. 
     
     
         5 . The method as defined in  claim 3 , wherein a distributive control system is used in calculating said high flow set point and said low flow set points and providing a means to notify a boiler operator of said mass flow rate and whether said mass flow rate extends outside the range defined by said low flow set point and said high flow set point. 
     
     
         6 . The method as defined in  claim 3 , further including the step of a boiler operator manually making adjustments to said set of sootblowers based on the mass flow rate extending outside the range defined by the high flow set point and low flow set point. 
     
     
         7 . The method as defined in  claim 3 , wherein the pressure change is controlled to a small percentage of the system operating pressure. 
     
     
         8 . A system for increasing the efficiency of boiler operation by improving the sootblower operation, comprising:
 a set of sootblowers installed on a boiler to be utilized in cleaning a boiler;   a mass flow measuring device;   a pressure measurement device and a pressure regulating valve maintaining a certain system pressure;   a flow transmitter;   a temperature measurement device and a temperature transmitter;   physical drain valves located near the bottom of said boiler;   a cleaning medium line providing cleaning medium to said set of sootblowers and a manual isolation valve upstream of said pressure measurement device and a pressure regulating valve;   said mass flow measuring device installed on said cleaning medium line near the top of said boiler and upstream of the boiler and downstream of the pressure measurement device;   said temperature measuring device installed upstream of said mass flow measuring device and downstream of said pressure measurement device such that the cleaning medium can be monitored;   a means for receiving the temperature and pressure readings of the cleaning medium from said flow transmitter, said pressure differential and said temperature transmitter and entered into a flow model to be manipulated with software to calculate the mass flow rate;   said flow model to determine if a blower from a flow group is on and if one or two blowers are on within that group of blowers and to calculate a high flow set point and low flow set point and to generate a high and low alarm based on the readings relative to the set points from the pressure measurement device and mass flow measuring device; and   a display for communicating to a boiler operator the mass flow rate, the high flow set point, the low flow set point and a notification when said mass flow rate extends beyond the range defined by the low flow set point and the high flow set point.   
     
     
         9 . A system according to  claim 7 , including:
 a capability to block in the boiler by closing the physical drain valves and to apply a slight pressure to test the boiler for leaks in the sootblower system; and   a leak detection alarm for when said sootblowers are not in service and system is tested and identifies a leak.   
     
     
         10 . A system according to  claim 7 , including:
 a mass flow measuring device with a pressure based flow meter measuring a differential pressure;   
     
     
         11 . A system according to  claim 8 , wherein the cleaning medium used is steam and the certain system pressure is maintained at 600 psig +/−5 psig. 
     
     
         12 . A computer program product, residing on a computer readable medium, for use in improving the effectiveness of a sootblower operation by monitoring the mass flow rate, the computer product comprising instructions for causing a computer to:
 receive data corresponding to the pressure, change in pressure and temperature of the cleaning medium used in the sootblowers and the active status of each sootblower;   identify if a blower flowgroup is on and if one or two sootblowers are on within that group of blowers;   calculate the mass flow rate of the cleaning medium based on the change in pressure, temperature and pressure readings;   calculate a high flow set point and a low flow set point for the cleaning medium flow;   generate a high and low flow alarm when the mass flow extends outside the range defined by the low flow set point and the high flow setpoint; and   generate outputs for the system displays to be communicated so that an action can be taken regarding said set of sootblowers.