Augmented Intelligence in Thermal Power Plant Operations

Boiler Efficiency and Cleanliness

In today’s dynamic energy landscape, coal-fired power plants are tasked with operating at varying loads while contending with fuel-quality fluctuations and air quality control demands. Amidst these challenges, traditional soot blowing methods, aimed at removing soot deposits, often present obstacles to optimal plant performance. This article explores the significance of smart soot blowing optimization systems in enhancing thermal power plant efficiency and operational effectiveness. That said, there are numerous techniques outside this article’s purview that are (Multivariable control, neural network etc.) available to enhance boiler combustion control by optimally biasing fuel and air distribution to reduce emissions and improve heat rate.

Traditional soot blowing patterns, while aiming to maintain cleanliness and prevent hard-to-remove buildup, can lead to suboptimal plant operation. Inadequate soot blowing can impede heat transfer from flue gas to steam, resulting in reduced boiler efficiency. Conversely, excessive cleaning can cause heating surface erosion, unit outages, and increased spray flows, further diminishing efficiency.

Traditional Soot blowing Approach

The conventional approach to soot blower activation, often reliant on operator experience or boiler manufacturer recommendations, falls short in addressing the dynamic operating conditions of modern power plants. Continuous soot blowing at fixed intervals or based on individual operator judgment can lead to process parameter fluctuations and inconsistent cleaning patterns, hampering operational efficiency. For example, unnecessary soot blowing of the water wall area would typically lower superheat steam temperature and adversely affect unit heat rate.

What is new?

To overcome these shortfalls, Smart Soot blowing System, a rule-based expert system can help leverage dynamic heat transfer control in Boilers. This system integrates multiple sensor inputs / calculated variables such as Steam path temperatures, Gas path temperatures and Pressure drops, Heat absorption rates in various boiler sections and Tube bundle weights (if available) to determine and activate automatically what soot blowers to blow and when. By dynamically controlling the distribution of energy within the boiler, the smart soot blowing system effectively maintains boiler cleanliness based on thermal criteria, optimize energy distribution, and improve overall cycle efficiency.

With the implementation of the smart soot blowing system, operators are relieved from the burden of continuous soot blower monitoring and sequence control. This has led to gaining operator acceptance and contributing to the reduction of process alarms associated with soot deposits in many power plants world-wide.

The Smart Soot blowing System has led to significant improvements in thermal performance, reduced soot blower steam consumption, and minimized soot blower tube erosion. By automating soot blowing activities and optimizing energy distribution, the system has contributed to enhanced boiler efficiency, superheat steam temperatures, and overall heat rate improvements, aligning with the goals of modern power plant operation.

What's the bottom line

Smart soot blowing system can deliver up to 0.5% heat rate benefits. For example, for a 500 MW coal-fired unit operating at 70 per cent PLF, 0.5 per cent heat rate reduction of appx. 10 kCal per kWh can save Rs 50 million in the annual coal cost. The integration of smart soot blowing optimization systems in thermal power plants represents a key enabler towards achieving thermal power plants operational excellence and efficiency. By leveraging advanced automation, dynamic control, and feedback mechanisms, these systems enable power plants to navigate the complexities of varying loads and operational influences while enhancing energy distribution and mitigating the adverse effects of soot deposits.

Schneider Electric’s Comprehensive Advanced Process Control provides cutting-edge automatic control solutions like the ones described in this article to help manufacturers address even the most complex manufacturing challenges and extract maximum value from their processes. Here is some information to know more.https://engage.aveva.com/coal-fired-power-plant-heat-rate-improvements-neural-networks-intelligent-soot-blowers