-BOILER CERTIFICATE DETAIL

-FUEL & FLUE GAS COMPOSITION

- GAS TURBINE COMBUSTION, PARAMETER, EXHAUST GAS PARAMETER -TYPE OF
HRSG
- OPERATION PARAMETERS AND ACTION DURING ABNORMALITY.
- ARRANGEMENT OF ALL CIRCUIT
-HP ECO 1/2/3 IN SERIES OR PARALLEL? WHY?, WHICH IS BEST.
-SAFETY VALVE
- HOW MANY & WHERE LOCATED?
- HOW TO TEST SAFETY VALVE, ( STEAM TEST, PRESSURE TEST)
- DISCHARGE CAPACITY OF SAFETY VALVE.
- WHAT IS SAFETY VALVE BLOW DOWN.
- HOW DIFFERENTIATE & IDENTIFY SAFETY VALVE OF PARTICULAR CIRCUIT.
-HYDRO TEST
- WHY?
- WHAT ARE THE CAUSES IF PR IS NOT RISING.
- HOW TO PREPARE,WHEN & WHY?
- AT WHICH TEMP, HOT/COLD? WHY.
- HOW TO PRESSURISE, WHICH PUMP IS USED? WHY? PUMP AND MOTOR
CAPACITY.
- UPTO HOW MUCH TIME CAN HOLD BOILER AT ELEVATED PRESSURE? WHY?
- HRSG INTERNAL INSPECTION.
- WHY AND WHAT IS TO BE CHECKED?
- ACTION TO BE PERFORMED/SUGGEST IF ONE SUPERHEATER TUBE FOUND
DEFORMED.

1. AUTO CONTROL LOOP IN POWER PLANT

2. SINGLE & THREE ELEMENT CONTROL
3. SAFETY VALVE TESTING METHODS
4. SAFETY & RELIEF VALVE FUNCTION
5. SUPPLEMENTARY FIRED HRSG BOILER DETAIL & PROTECTION
6. BOILER EMERGENCY
7. BOILER PROTECTION TESTING
8. POWER PLANT THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES EFFICIENCY
9. CFBC BOILER HOT GAS PATH
10.LP CIRCUIT DIFFERENCE IN SUGEN & DGEN
11. PRESERVATION METHOD FOR BOILER
12.TUBE MATERIAL

1. What type of boiler you work on?

2. Difference between CFBC and AFBC? Which is having high efficiency? And why?
3. Parameters of CFBC boiler?
4. Parameters of any boiler other than HRSG?
5. Which fuel you use? GCV of Natural Gas?
6. Efficiency of your plant?
7. What safety precautions to be taken for offering the boiler for inspection to the Boiler
inspector?
8. Parameters of boiler water chemistry for all three drums.
9. How to maintain pH in boiler water?
10. Concentration of trisodium phosphate? Conductivity of water when TSP is dosed?
11. Parameters of DM water downstream of Mixed bed exchanger.
12. What type of safety valve your boiler have?
13. What are popup pressure, reset pressure and blow down. Explain with example.
14. What happens when blow down is more than 6 and less than 4?
15. Difference between safety valve and relief valve?
16. Your role in your plant
17. Emergencies you have handled in past
18. Protections of your boiler.
19. Material of superheater, economiser
20. Difference between SUGEN and DGEN in detail..
Boiler tube - for pressure equipment, used at higher
temperatures
Standards and steel grades,
Tube sizes acc. to EN, DIN, BS, NF A, UNI, STN, ČSN and PN-H standards,
Tube sizes acc. to GOST and TU standards,
Tube sizes acc. to ANSI standards,
Tube sizes acc. to ASME standards,
Precision tube sizes.

Boiler tube is made from heat resisting carbon and low alloyed steels which can withstand the
load at high pressure and temperature. Boiler tube is used for parts of energy type equipment
such as boilers, steam superheaters, steam pipelines, etc. The tubes are supplied as hot rolled
or cold drawn. Specifications, dimensions and the steel grades are shown in a separate
overview.

Boiler tube dimensions and tolerances

The tube dimensions range from 10.2 mm to 139.7 mm, from 26.9 mm diameter and the wall
thickness from 2.6 mm and they supplied as hot rolled. The smaller diameter tubes and the
thick wall tubes of larger diameters are supplied as cold drawn and subsequently they are heat
treated. The tubes delivery in this condition happens only if there is an agreement upfront at
the time of ordering the tubes. Based on an agreement it is possible to deliver boiler tubes
with dimensions and tolerances according to the dimensional specifications for precision
tubes. The tube dimensions meet the requirements of the following EN 10216-2, DIN 2448,
BS 3059-1, BS 3059-2, BS 3602-1, BS 3604-1, NF A 49-211, NF A 49-213, UNI 4991, STN
42 5715, STN 42 5716, ČSN 425715, ČSN 42 5716, GOST 8732, PN-H 74252, ANSI
B36.10, ASME B36.10. The detailed dimensional overview is shown in the tables according
to EN, DIN, BS, NF A, UNI, STN, ČSN and PN-H standards, GOST standards, TU
standards, ANSI standards, ASME standards and standards for precision tubes.

Steels for boiler tube

The boiler tubes are made from the following steels according to EN 10216-2: P195GH,
P235GH, P265GH, 16Mo3, 14MoV6-2, 14MoV6-3, 10CrMo5-5, 13CrMo4-5, 10CrMo9-10,
11CrMo9-10, 25CrMo4, T2, T24, T5,T91; ASTM A 106: Grade A, Grade B, Grade C.
Additional steel grades according to DIN 17175, BS 3059-1, BS 3059-2, BS 3602-1, BS
3604-1, NFA 49-211, NF A 49-213, UNI 5462, GOST 8731, GOST 4543, GOST 20072 and
PN-H 74252 and its chemical composition and mechanical properties are shown in a separate
overview.

Length of the boiler tube

Diameter (OD) [mm] Wall (WT) [mm] Length (L) [m]

 OD < 60,3 5–6
OD => 60,3 WT < 7,1 5 – 6 or 10 – 14 after an agreement 22,4
WT => 7,1 5–6
Types of the length of supplied tubes: (a) random, (b) fixed ± 500 m, (c) exact + 15 / - 0 mm.

Boiler tube straightness

Straightness deviation for the whole length of a tube can not exceed value of 0.0015 x L. In
conversion to the 1 meter length it can not exceed 3 mm.

Ends of the boiler tubes

The ends of the tubes are vertical to the longitudinal axis and are without burrs.

Condition of the tubes surface

The tubes condition corresponds to the requirements of appropriate standards, heat treatment
to the way of tube manufacturing and chemical composition of steel.

Marking of the tubes and tube bundles

The tubes with the outside diameter up to 51 mm are marked with a label that is attached to
the bundle. Larger tubes are marked at least at a one end of a tube by the necessary data.

Surface protection of the boiler tubes

While ordering, it is necessary to agree upon the way and means of temporary protecting the
surface of the tubes during transportation and storing. The tubes may be supplied without
temporary preservation of the surface, or with the preservation of the surface with an agreed
upon preservative.

Packaging of the boiler tubes

The tubes are supplied in packages with a circular or hexagonal diameter with weight of 300
to 3500 kilograms. The tubes are bound with a steel band. It is possible to arrange wrapping
to plastic sheet, burlap or to wooden crates.

Testing of boiler tubes

The boiler tubes are tested only with a specified testing.

Test comparison according to DIN 17175 and EN 10216 – 2:
DIN - grade level I EN - testing class
without ultrasound I TC1
with ultrasound III TC2

Unalloyed steel– grade I or III, class TC1 or TC2;

Alloyed steel– level III, class TC2
A precise list of mandatory and optional tests is shown in standards.
 The TR1 quality group is usually tested with nonspecified testing. The TR2 quality group is
always tested with specified testing. The main difference in the mandatory tests between the
TR1 and the TR2 is the fact, that in the TR2 quality the test is done using blow bending test
at the 0°C temperature and as an optional test in this quality it is possible to agree on
nondestructive test as a proof of longitudinal defects.

Certified test reports

Certified test reports are issued according to the appropriate TDC standards:
EN 10204 – 3.1 or 3.2
STN, ČSN 42 0251
ASTM A450, A530
Question 1:

What is a flame safeguard system? (from John in KY)

Answer:

Safeguard system is a set of controls used on a boiler to ensure safe burner operation. Primary
functions include:

A safe way of starting and shutting down the burner. This can be accomplished either automatically or
manually.
A flame safeguard system also starts the burner in the proper sequence. For example it will purge the
combustion chamber of gas, light the pilot and then open the main gas valve.
The flame safeguard system will also continually monitor burner operation when the boiler is on-line.
The system will protect the boiler from excessive pressure or temperature conditions
It will also regulate the firing rate according to the demand for heat or steam
Finally, it will standby during down time, waiting for the signal to start the burner once again.

Question 2:

What is meant by Stoichiometric Combustion? (from Pete in Michigan)

Answer

Stoichiometric Combustion is the perfect combination of air and fuel that result in perfect
combustion! Sounds good doesn't it? Unfortunately, it is impossible to achieve in burners that
you would commonly find on a boiler.

So why toss this term about? For the simple reason that it gives us a target in which we might
compare our combustion conditions against. For example if we supply too little air, the
burner will run "rich". This means that not all the fuel was burned. Not only is this inefficient
it also results in sooting that will decrease the heat transfer in the boiler.

Introduce too much air into the process and again, you reduce efficiencies. Not all the fuel is
burned. This is why we strive for the perfect balance - Stoichiometric Combustion.

Want to know more about the calculations to determine how much air is required? Just e-mail
us.
Question 3:

Can you kindly elaborate on just how much air is required to get a good complete
combustion?
Richard C.

Answer

Hi Richard,

Thanks for the question. You are looking for that magical "Theoretical" air. The exact
amount required to completely burn the fuel. The truth is that there has to be "excess air".
According to the John Zink Combustion Handbook, excess air is defined as "the amount of
air needed by a burner which is in excess of the amount required for perfect or stoichiometric
combustion. Some amount of excess air, depending on the available fuel/air mixing energy, is
required to assure through mixing of the fuel and air for complete combustion."

To calculate Excess Air, % use the following formula:

= (Air supplied - Theoretical air) x 100

Theroretical air

The theoretical air required will vary depending on the fuel that is being fired. I found a table
in the ASHRAE 1985 Fundamentals Handbook (pg. 15.8) that lists these values. For example
Natural Gas requires 9.6 lb of cu. ft.air/cu. ft of fuel, Propane requires 24 cu.ft. of air/cu. ft. of
fuel, No. 2 fuel oil requires 12.7 lb of air/gal of fuel.

As for a general rule of thumb...how about 0.9 cubic feet of air for 100 Btu of fuel.
Question 4.

What does "foaming" mean? From Steven N. Riverside, CA

Answer:
Foaming is a condition that occurs in boilers when there are high concentrations of soluble salts,
suspended solids or organic matter. These create foam in the steam space of your boiler that actually
look like the foam on a good glass of beer! Now foam on your beer is acceptable, foam in your boiler
is not.

When these little foam bubbles pop, they create a liquid that, in turn form slugs of water. Not only
does your steam quality suffer, so may your entire system. Remember steam can reach velocities of
over 80 miles an hour. Push a slug of water through at that speed and you can seriously damage
turbine blades, piping systems and actuators.

Question 5.

Please define turndown ratio and tell what the advantages are for a higher turn down.
Are there any disadvantages? From Larry in Texas
Answer:

A good friend of ours by the name of David A. Scearce addressed this very question in a
study he did some years back. Here are some highlights of that report.

First a definition: Turndown ratio is the ratio of maximum fuel input rate to minimum fuel
rate of a variable input burner. Traditionally burners on firetube boilers operate in the 5:1
turndown ratio range depending on fuel and size. High turndown burners are considered those
with ratios of 10:1 or greater.

Advantages of high turndown burners include:

Reduction of standby losses

Limiting thermal cycling
Saves wear and tear of burner components

Disadvantages include:

Initial cost and complexity

Requires more maintenance
Limitations of Boiler/burner system

The limitations include fuel/air mixing requirements, material temperature issues, flame
shape characteristics, flow control limitations and pressure vessel limitations.
Question 6.

1. What is the general construction for furnace refractory and the common defects
found.

2. Does the laying/installation of refractory bricks vary much from "similar to laying
pavers"? I'm interested in marine boilers in particular.

Howard

Answer:

1. Howard, For boilers, refractory is generally a harden brick type material orcastable cement
that is designed to handle extreme heat. At one time this refractory had asbestos as the main
component, but this has changed. I have included a link below to the Refractories Institute
who will have more detailed information on the components of refractory. Some of the things
we look for when servicing refractory in a boiler is for loose or broken tile along with flaking
or chipping of refractory surfaces. These we repair immediately.
www.refractoriesinstitute.org

2. Re-bricking a boiler may be a little more difficult especially in firetube (marine) designs.
The reason for this difficulty is found in the circular furnace. Make sure you have the right
replacement brick and you follow the manufacturers instructions. Depending upon the
manufacturer you may also have an inner door and a rear door that will require pouring new
refractory. Remember, if you are doing refractory work, make sure the old refractory does not
contain any hazardous material and that you have all the closing gaskets needed in order to
close the boiler when you are finished. Let me know if we can answer any other questions for
you.

Best Regards,
Question 7:

I observed that some industrial plants having small package boilers do not
practice deaerator system. What should be the boiler rating requirement to have
deaerator.

thanks,
Joey
Philippines

Answer

Dear Joey,
Thank you for your question.
We suggest using a deaerator when:

1. Your boiler plant operates over 75 psig

2. Any boiler plant with limited standby capacity
3. Boiler plants that use 25% or more cold make-up water
4. Any boiler plant that relies on continuous boiler operation

Remember the deaerator is a preventative maintenance tool. It really should be used in every
boiler application with the exception of a hot water heating system that uses absolutely no
make-up water.

Hope that helps,

Question 8:

I have a steam boiler and need to install a Boiler Feed system, how do I make sure that I
have the right size tank?

Eddie W., Somerspoint, NJ

Answer

Eddie, general rule of thumb is to have at least ten minutes worth of water available at all
times. Here is what you need to know to figure this one out. The size of your boiler (bhp) the
fact that one bhp = 34.5 lbs./hr. and that one gallon of water weighs about 8.337 lbs. Take all
of these facts and plug them into the following calculation:

BHP (Boiler Horsepower) X 34.5 / 8.337 / 60 X 10 = gallons of water needed

So, if you have a 500 bhp boiler your formula will be as follows:

500 x 34.5/ 8.337 / 60 x 10 = 345 gallons But wait, you can't operate a tank completely
flooded so you will have to include a 1.5 safety factor. This will take you to about 517
gallons, so a 500 gallon tank will work.

Maybe an easier way is to plan for 1 gallon storage for every boiler horsepower.
500 bhp = 500 gallon tank
300 bhp = 300 gallon tank

But, be careful! Depending upon your particular process you may need a bigger tank.
Especially if you are using your steam for process and large slugs of water are returned in an
unpredictable manner! When in doubt call us.

Question 9:

Is it legal to weld on a boiler burner? fire tube boiler 150 hp. The air deflectors have
cracked and either need welding or replacing.

m.schneider

Answer

Hi Mark,

Boiler pressure vessels require an A.S.M.E. certified welder. The burner does not, but be
careful. Changes in the burner cause changes in performance and combustion. Safety of the
weld is also a concern. Your safest bet would be to replace the cracked part. Any time work is
done on a burner the combustion and safety controls should be checked as soon as possible
after completion of the work.

If you provide us with your burner/boiler information we can help you locate what you need.
Also, a digital picture is great when trying to figure out what part is actually need. I am
betting what you are calling air deflectors is actually the burner's diffuser.

We provide complete burner/boiler service, parts and training in and (far) around the
Pittsburgh area, if you ever need help just give us a call. 412-257-8866

Very Best Regards,

Question 10:

My question is, if my boiler has very high conductivity and or Alkalinity, can the boiler
be safely blown down while it is under load? (Bottom blowdown).

Thank you,

Orville
Answer

Hi Orville,

Continuous surface blow down should be used to control boiler conductivity. The surface of
the boiler water will have the highest concentration of dissolved solids along with any oil.
The continuous surface blow down will be a very small flow that gets tweaked daily based on
your chemical sample results. You did not mention the size of your boiler but a 1/2" throttle
valve is usually sufficient and a 3/8" throttle valve will probably work also.

The bottom blow down is done at least daily (more often depending on boiler water
conditions) to blow out scale and mud from the bottom of the boiler. If possible you should
lower the firing rate of your boiler when you do the bottom blow down then return to normal
firing rate after the blow down.

Question 11:

Our 1,200,000 lb/hr steam boiler normally operates at around 3% excess O2

or 15% excess Air. If it operated at 3% excess O2 what would be the approximate % boiler
efficiency loss?

Ellis

Answer

Ellis,

The term Boiler efficiency is a generic term that could mean many things. The best definition
of your boiler's efficiency is the fuel-to-steam efficiency. After all you are paying for the fuel
to produce the steam!
There are two pieces of information that you will need. The first is the stack temperature.
Simply put, the lower the stack temperature the more heat you are transferring within the
boiler. The second bit of information you will need is the amount of CO2 in the flue gas.
High CO2 readings with no CO and very little O2 throughout your entire firing range indicate
good burner control.

You are going to need some simple equipment to check your fuel-to-steam efficiency. This
includes a flue gas analyzer, a stack thermometer, a room thermometer, charts for heat loss in
the stack for the fuels you are firing and a correction chart for radiation and convection
losses. (ask your boiler supplier for these charts if you do not have them)

Here is an example:
Stack Temperature = 340 degree F.
Room Temperature = 80 degree F.
Gas analyzer reports CO2 = 10% and CO = 0
Subtract room temp from flue gas temp. 340 - 80 = 260 deg. F.
From the Hays Chart, at 260 deg. F. and 10% CO2 you find a stack loss of 15.6% exiting the
stack.
Add for radiation and convection losses (available from your boiler manufacturer). We will
assume 1% in this example. So 15.6% = 1% = 16.6%
Now subtract that from 100% efficiency
100% - 16.6% = 83.4% Fuel-to-Steam efficiency.
Question 12:

How do you calculate boiler turndown. Is there a formula?

Answer

Boiler Turndown is a comparison of the Maximum Input of the boiler compared to the
Minimum Input that the boiler will properly operate.

To calculate your actual Turndown you need to know what your actual input is at Maximum
and Minimum firing rates. The easiest way to do this is meter the fuel usage be it either a
flow meter on the fuel oil supply or a gas meter on the natural gas supply line.

Lets do an example:

Assume that at Maximum Input we clocked the Natural Gas meter and found that the meter
clocked 1000 cubic feet (pressure corrected) per hour.

Note: You do not need to have the boiler at Maximum Fire for and hour. You can take the
reading over a few minutes and correct to one hour.

So, 1000 cubic feet/hour X 1050 btu/ cubic foot = 1,050,000 btu/hr at maximum input

Minimum Input meter clocked is 100 cubic feet/hour

100 cubic feet/hour X 1050 btu/cubic boot = 105000 btu/hr at minimum input

1,050,000 = 10 giving us a 10 to 1 turndown in this case.

105,000 1

My assumptions: Natural Gas but value = 1050 btu/cubic foot

Question 13:

Why are manholes elliptical in shape ( advantages ) ?

Larry - Manitoba, Canada

Answer

Larry,

Manways on boilers are elliptical because the cross section of a man is elliptical; well most
men are. Most manways these days are 12" X 16". A 12" X 16" opening is significantly
smaller than a 16" round hole. A smaller opening means smaller surface area of the backing
plate so the smaller plate will have less over all force acting upon it.
Question 14:

Can you tell me the proper way to install flexitaulic hand hole and manhole cover
gaskets? Thank you ! Brooks Young. I am working on Johnston firetube boilers 165 psi
22k steam per hr.

Answer

Hi Brooks,

1. Make sure all seating surfaces are clean, this usually requires wire brushing.

2. Make sure threads on the nuts and bolts/studs are clean and nuts turn freely over the length
of the threads.

3. The tricky part is to make sure the gasket is centered on the backing plate and the backing
plate is centered in the manhole or handhole. Tighten (evenly where there is more than one
bolt/stud involved) making sure the backing plate and gasket stay centered. Once you are sure
everything is properly in place and snugged torque to the proper torque spec. for the size of
the bolt/stud and materials that you are using or manufacturers recommendations if you have
them.

Note: NEVER EVER TRY TO TIGHTEN A MANWAY OR HANDHOLE WHILE THE

BOILER IS HOT AND PRESSURIZED! THE MANWAY OR HANDHOLE COULD
MOVE CAUSING YOU TO BE SPRAYED WITH HOT WATER AND/OR STEAM!!!!!!!!

Hope this helps!

Question 15:

Dear Ramendran,

After major refractory replacement: Castable must be air-cured for a minimum of 24 hours.
Some moisture will remain, so firing will have to be done at "low fire" rates on an
intermittent basis so as to hold the stack temperature (as shown on the stack thermometer) to
not over 150 F - that is to say, below the boiling point of water, since the generation of steam
within the refractory material would destroy the strong bond, cause spalling, flaking and
cracking.

After initial firing of a repaired read door, the door metal will become exceptionally warm or
hot. This is due to water conduction of heat. This condition will exist until such time as all
moisture has been driven out of the refractory.

The following heat curing schedule is recommended:

Operate burner for brief intervals at low fire, bringing the reading of the stack thermometer
up to 150 F and hold this for six hours. The raise the stack temperature at a rate of 50 F per
hour until normal operating temperature is reached and hold this for another 6 hours. The
boiler may now be operated in the normal manner or shut down if desired.

The securing bolts around the heads should be tightened periodically as the temperature is
equalized and when the boiler is at high fire. The tightness of the sight glass retainer should
be checked and the retainer and sight glass should be examined for gas leakage. The air line
from the front head of the boiler should be checked for possible blockage.
Question 16

What are the disadvantages of boilers being cycled frequently? I saw a system of 3 boilers
which are cycled every 10 minutes. Running a single boiler would meet their heating
requirements. Is it advisable to cycle boilers so frequently or is it better to turn down the other
2 boilers and operate only one?

Answer:

Situations that require an absolute continuation of heat without any interruption even for a
short period of time requires the additional boilers to be fired frequently so they remain hot
and ready to go. A cold boiler takes time to properly warm-up and be placed in service.

If a loss of heat for 1/2 hour to 1 hours would not cause any problems then running only one
boiler is the preferred method. In your case I would run only one boiler at a time. Have one
boiler in standby fired every few hours just to keep warm and the last boiler completely off
and isolated.

Now, everyone has their own opinion. The above is based on my experiences in the boiler
field. Boilers that are turned on and off are heated/cooled/heated/cooled, this can shorten the
life of the boiler refractory, cause condensation of flue gas, shorten motor starter contact life
among other things. A boiler will last the longest with the least failures if its kept hot and
cycled off as few times as possible.
Question 17

I am having problems with chemical carry over and the site glasses are blowing out. This is a
laundry operation that is running Monday through Friday in the am only. The site glass
assembly is McDonald Miller. Can you explain what can cause this problem ? Thanks, Dave
Elkhart, Indiana

Answer:

The most likely cause for your chemical carryover is that your Total Dissolved Solids are too
high (Boiler water Conductivity is another way to express TDS). TDS is controlled by your
surface blow down and should be controlled to the recommendations of your chemical
supplier (normally 4000 micro-mho plus/minus 400).

Another possibility for chemical carryover is that you are dropping too big of a load too fast
onto the boiler which drops boiler pressure suddenly causing the boiler to suddenly boil
excessively and carrying over into the steam line. This is a bit harder to fix but can be done.

Now, the gauge glass problem! I am assuming you have the hollow tubular 5/8" in gauge
glass. These never hold up well on a high pressure boiler. They tend to erode from the top
and start leaking steam. As long as you stay with the 5/8" tubular gauge glass you will have
this problem. To eliminate this problem you need to change your gauge glass to a prismatic
type gauge glass that uses a thick flat glass that is sandwiched into a strong metal housing. It
will not fail! Our Parts Department will be happy to quote a prismatic gauge glass assembly
to you. We will need the Center to Center dimension and pipe size of your gauge glass
connections. We need to know the MAWP of your boiler also.