BOILER OPERATOR`S

COURSE
BY LERRAVALE
ENGINEERING
compiled by R.HOVE
 Course objectives
• 1) To achieve low fuel costs
• 2) To achieve low maintenance costs
• 3) To achieve low downtime and
factory/production loss
• 4) To reduce dangerous and expensive
accidents
• 5) To achieve reduced air pollution
• 6) To achieve a well run boiler plant
 A boiler
• Definition
• A boiler is a pressure vessel designed to generate
steam at a pressure above atmospheric
• Or
• A boiler is a closed vessel in which water, under
pressure is transformed into steam by the application
of heat. In the furnace, the chemical energy in the
fuel is converted into heat, and it is the function of
the boiler to transfer this heat to the water in the
most efficient manner
 A boiler
• INPUTS OUTPUTS
1)feed water Steam

2)Fuel

3)Air

4)Chemicals Effluent
Blowdown

• Refuse
(Ash)
 Boiler types
• 1) Fire tube/shell boiler
• Is one of the of the most basic type of boiler.
• In the fire tube boiler, the fuel is burnt inside a furnace.
• The hot gasses produced in the furnace then pass
through the fire tubes
• The fire tubes are immersed in water inside the main
vessel of the boiler
• As the hot gasses are passed through these tubes, the
heat energy of the water surrounds them
• As a result steam is generated in the water.
Fire tube boiler
 2) Water tube boiler

• Is a type of boiler in which water circulates in

tubes heated externally by the fire
• Fuel is burned inside the furnace, creating hot
gas which boils water in the steam generating
tubes
Water tube boiler
 3) Electric boiler

• Use electricity to operate the heating element

• Electric boilers are energy efficient, no
separate flu or chimney is required meaning
that heat is not lost and they do not require
the burning of fossil fuels to provide heat
• Electric boilers are intended to produce steam
for process industry or other uses such as
drying, heat treating and for central heating in
homes
Electric boiler
 Electrode boiler
• An electrode boiler -is a type of boiler that
uses electricity flowing through streams of
water to create steam
Electrode boiler
 Components of the boiler
• On the boiler
• Tube plates- these are flat plates on both sides of the
boiler which hold the tubes
• Flue- is the inner part of the boiler in which
combustion takes place
• Stay bars- these are solid bars which hold the tube
plates together they are welded on the boiler to
hold the boiler together
• Stay tubes- these are thick boiler tubes welded to
each or to both sides of the tube plates
• Plain tubes- these are tubes expanded on both
sides of the tube plates they are used to
transfer heat
• Smoke boxes- these are blank spaces on both
sides of the boiler from which the flue gases
are diverted into the tubes
• Tell tale holes- these are holes drilled on the
stay bars which act as a signal for the
corrosion of the boiler internals
• Bowling hoopes- these are corrugations in the
flue which are insterted to help the flue
contract and expand
• Man hole- is the access used to enter the
waterside of the boiler
• Mud hole or hand hole- these are inspection
facilities of the boiler internals
 Boiler mountings

• Safety valves –these are valves which are fitted on the

boiler to prevent it from operating above authorized
pressure
• Air release valves- are used to expell air from the boiler on
start up and to break vacuum formation on cooling
• Feedcheck valve- is used to feed the boiler with water
• Blowdown valve- is used to empty or reduce water level in
the boiler or to stimulate circulation during start up
• Sampling valve- is used to draw water from the boiler for
analysis purpose
• Sootblower valve- is used as an online cleaning
device
• Gauge glasses- is used to observe physically the
level of water in the boiler
• Gauge glass corks/ valves- these are valves
used to isolate or drain water from the gauge
glasses
• Pressure gauge- is used to indicate the pressure
in the boiler when in operation
 Feed water

• Water softeners- are plants used to treat boiler

feed water or remove hardness from water
• Hotwell/ feedtank- is a reservoir used to supply
water to the boiler
• Dearator- is used as a reservoir and also to
remove dissolved oxygen in boiler feed water
• Boiler feed pumps- are used to supply the
boiler with feedwater
• Dual/ two switch mobrey (big one)- is used to:
• A) to control the feed pumps
• B) to warn of low water in the boiler
• Single switch mobrey (small one)- is used to:
• A) Shutdown the boiler when the water level
has reached the lowest legal water level
(LLWL) and to activate the siren which
indicates the boiler has been shutdown
 Fuel handling system

• Coal bunker- is a storage facility for fuel

• Coal screw feeder- is used to feed coal on to the boiler coal hoper
• Coal hoper- is used to feed coal on to the stoker
• Stoker- is used to feed coal into the boiler for combustion
purposes
• Ignition arch- is used to ignite coal as it enters the boiler through
the stoker
• Guillotine door-is used to regulate the level of coal fed into the
boiler
• Front peephole- is an opening used to observe the ignition line of
coal as it enters in the boiler, it is also used to observe the flame
angle
• Rear peephole- is used to observe the combustion of
fuel in the boiler
• Rear access door- is used to remove ash and gain
access to the boiler from the rear into the
combustion chamber
• Ashpot- is used to remove ash from the boiler
• FD (Forced Draught Fan)- is used to supply air for
combustion
• ID (Induced Draught Fan)- is used to draw flue gas
from the boiler and discharge it to the chimney
• Cyclone- is used to trap or remove dust
particles from the flue gas as it passes to the
chimney
• Chimney- used to expel flue gas from the
boiler to the atmosphere
• Control panel- is used to house controls and
instruments for the boiler and ancillary
equipment
 Water
Feed water analysis
• Water is the most abundant liquid on Earth
• It exists naturally in three states
• Solid (i.e) ice
• Liquid (i.e) water
• Gas (i.e) vapour
 Impurities
• Water is a universal solvent that is it dissolves
almost all known substances
• As a result it never occurs pure in nature
• Impurities in water are found as either
suspended or dissolved matter
• Dissolved matter will include both salts and
gasses
 Effects of impurities on boilers
• If impure water is used in boilers the following can
occur:
• Deposition of hard scale which will reduce heat
transfer
• Accumulation of sludge which will later deposit as
scale
• Corrosion of boiler metal by oxygen and or other
substances
• Production of poor quality steam because of
foaming and carryover
 Purpose of treatment
• To make the water more suitable for use in the
boilers by:
• Removing or conditioning all scale forming salts
• Removing or conditioning all sludge forming
substances
• Removing or reducing oxygen which can cause
corrosion
• Neutralizing acidic substances if present
• Making the steam produced suitable for use as
process steam
 Scale forming minerals\salts
• The scale forming minerals found in natural
waters are:
• Calcium sulphate (CaSo4)
• Calcium silicate (CaSo3)
• Magnesium silicate (MgSio3)
• Magnesium hydrate (MgO2H2)
• Magnesium carbonate (MgCO3)
• Ferric oxide (fe2o3)
 Methods of water treatment
• There are two methods of water treatment
which include:
• External treatment
• Internal treatment
 Methods of treatment
• External treatment
• This involves conditioning of water outside the
boiler by the use of chemicals.
• External treatment involves a process called
water softening
• Softening i.e the replacement of scale forming
salts by non-scale forming salts
• This can be done by chemical means or by the
use of ion-exchange resins
• Water softening has 2 modes of operation
• i. Service- ie holding impurities eg Magnesiums and
irons
• ii. Regeneration- is the process of using a chemical
solution, known as a regenerant to replace the
unwanted ions that have been added onto an ion
exchange resin during water treatment. The unwanted
ions are flushed and replaced with new ions in order to
refresh the capacity of the exchange medium for reuse
•
 Regeneration
• Regeneration occurs according to a:
• Timer by clock
• Volume- in litres or tonnes of water
• Purity- how clean is the feedwater
 Regeneration stages
• i) Backwash- cleaning of sludge and trapped
materials, it takes 5 to 10 mins and then
• ii) Brine inject- to recharge the resin beads it
takes 30 to 45 mins then
• iii) Slow and fast rinse- rinsing the unused
sodium chloride leaving the resin beads
charged, it takes 5 to 10 mins
• Another method of treating water externally is by
introducing steam to the feedtank
• Steam is introduced into the feed tank for basically two
reasons:
• i) To expel dissolved gasses, especially oxygen from boiler
feed water
• ii) To pre-heat the feed water so as to prevent thermal
stress to the boiler when in operation
• The maximum temperature of the feed water is normally
between 90-93°c depending on the size of your pumps. If
using a deaerator the temperature can reach up to 100°c
• When using a hot well tank the water should not
boil (ie reach 100°c) as this will cause feed pumps to
fail or to carvitate
• Again If the water temperature is too low it has the
following effects:
• i) it allows dissolved oxygen to pass to the boiler
thereby increasing the chances of corrosion or the
dosing of high volumes of oxygen scavenger
• ii) causing thermal stress to the running boiler and
times causing steam pressure to drop
 Methods of treatment
• Internal treatment
• This involves the conditioning of water inside
the boiler by the use of chemicals these
chemicals:
• React with incoming hardness salts to prevent
them from forming hard scale
• The chemicals are dosed directly into the
boiler
 Internal treatment
• The chemicals used in internal treatment
include:
• i) An Anti Scalant
• ii) An Oxygen Scavenger
• iii) An Anti Acid
 Internal treatment
• An anti scalant
• Is used to react with scale forming salts e.g
calcium, magnesium and silica to prevent scale
building up on the heating surfaces, boiler
tubes and boiler internals
• An oxygen scavenger
• Is used to react with oxygen to prevent
corrosion of boiler tubes and boiler internal
heating surfaces
• An anti acid
• Is used to keep or prevent the boiler water from
becoming acidic. (Acidic water will corrode or react
with boiler tubes and heating surfaces or waste away
boiler internal surfaces).
• Safety precautions taken when handling chemicals
like sulphuric acid and caustic soda include:
• Wear correct PPE ie leather gloves, rubber gloves,
safety gloves, safety goggles, face shield, apron and
safety shoes and at times a musk
• To test the acidity of boiler water a pH scale is
used :
Ph Meter
• Under normal conditions boiler feed water
should be maintained at a pH of between 9.5
to 11.5 on the pH scale
• If the caustic level is low on boiler water, the
pH may go below 7 which may result in boiler
water becoming acidic, thereby attacking
boiler tubes and boiler internals
 Chemical dosing
• There are two methods of chemical dosing
that is:
• Manual dosing- the chemicals are dosed
directly into the boiler by hand.
• Pump dosing- the chemicals are dosed by a
pump that introduces chemicals into the
system each time fresh water is fed to the
boiler.
• If the dosing pump fails the chemicals are
administered or dosed into the feed tank or
hotwell tank manually
• Chemicals are dosed everytime the dosing
tanks runs low (when using dosing pumps) or
• Every shift (as instructed by the laboratory or
chemist).
 Boiler Blowdowns
• Definition
• Blowdown is the removal of water from boiler
• Its purpose is to control boiler water parameters
within prescribed limits to minimize scale,
corrosion, carryover and other specific problems
• Blowdown is also used to remove suspended
solids present in the system
• These solids are caused by feedwater
contamination by internal treatment
 Blowdown uses
• To control TDS (Total Dissolved Solids)
between 2500-3500ppm
• To drain the boiler when level is too high
• To empty the boiler
• To stimulate heat transfer during startup
 Boiler blowdowns
importance of blowdowns
• Reason
• Blowdowns are very important aspect of boiler
operation
• They are meant to compliment the work of
chemicals used in the treatment of boiler water
• They are in most cases the only way of removing
precipitated sludge from the boiler
• They also remove “spent” chemicals from the boiler
especially when sulphates are used as oxygen
scavengers
 blowdowns
• They are used to control TDS within limits
• Check the TDS of your boiler water on a daily
basis
• Notes
• Too much blowdowns waste fuel, water and
chemicals
• Too little blowdowns will result in the excessive
build up of TDS and the accumulation of
chemicals dosed into the boiler
 blowdowns
• Boiler manufactures will lay down correct
blowdown procedures
• These must be followed all the time taking into
account that this is a tool to help in the provision
of a good chemical programme
• Short intermittent blowdowns are preferable to a
few long blowdowns because:
• They do not deplete the boiler of used chemicals
• They do not subject the boiler to thermal shock
 cont
• They do not cause big fluctuations in steam
production
• They are more effective in controlling TDS
• They maintain the TDS in a narrow band
• A TYPICAL SINGLE BLOWDOWN SHOULD LAST
JUST 10 SECONDS OR REDUCE THE BOILER
WATER LEVEL BY ONE INCH (1”)
 Procedure for blowdown
• Open the blowdown valve slowly until fully open
• Blowdown boiler until feed pump start, and close the blowdown
valve
• Where the boiler is fitted with a modulating valve, blowdown
boiler and check that the valve opens and close the blowdown
valve
• Blowdown boiler at least once per shift or at least once per day
• Blowdown down boiler as per instructions from the laboratory
or chemist depending on the level of TDS
• The control limit of TDS is between 2500-3500ppm(parts per
million)
 Boiler fuels
• 1) Solid fuels
• Coal
• Wood
• Bagasse
• Cotton husks
• 2) Liquid fuels
• Diesel
• Paraffin
• Tar
• 3) Gaseous fuels
• Blast furnace gas
• Coke oven gas
 Choice of coal
• Coal brought to the surface from the mine
consists of a mixture of sizes from large lumps
to dust
• The mixture is graded into its various sizes
after crushing by passing it over screens of
smaller mesh
• These are different sizes that can be burnt on
the industrial travelling grate stoker
Type Nominal size Descripton
Pea coal 25mm-6mm Mainly pieces between
19mm and 6mm in size,
with some bigger pieces
and some dust
Mixed small 25mm-dust A mixture of pea coal and
coal dust
Grains 13mm-6mm More evenly sized- 13mm-
6mm with a few bigger
pieces and very little dust
Duff 6mm-dust
• Pea coal and grains yield the best results and
are easy to handle and fire
• Mixed small yields a slightly lower efficiency
(2-3% lower) due to increased carryover of
dust through the boiler
• Dust requires a specialized firing technique
yields a slightly lower efficiency than the other
sizes and the maximum output of the boiler is
reduced
 Combustion
• It is broadly defined as any chemical reaction
accompanied by fuel ,heat and oxygen.
• The combustion process takes place in a
controlled manner in some form of combustion
chamber after initiation of combustion by some
means
• The most convenient source of oxygen supply is
that of the atmosphere which contains oxygen
and nitrogen and traces of other gasses.
 Combustion
• The air for combustion consist of:
• Oxygen- 21%(supports combustion)
• Nitrogen- 78%(stabilizes combustion)
• Other gasses- 1%(products of combustion)
 Combustion
• In order to achieve complete combustion or
fuel to be burnt to completion there should
be:
• Time
• Turbulence
• Temperature
• (The three T`s of combustion)
 Combustion
• Temperature- temperature required for a
particle of fuel to be burnt to completion
• Turbulence- the mixing of a fuel particle with
air to achieve complete combustion
• Time- refers to time taken for a particle of fuel
to be burnt to completion
 The job of the boiler operator
• The job of the boiler operator is to maintain correct
steam pressure at all times by operating the boiler and
ancillary equipment safely and efficiently.
• Responsibilities
• Preliminary checks before lighting up the fire and raising
steam pressure
• Maintaining steam pressure safely and efficiently
• Banking the fire in the boiler
• Starting up from the bank
• Handling the boiler properly in case of emergency
• Shutting down the boiler
• Placing the boiler on stand by conditions
• Diagnosing problems and following the correct
remedies
• Filling in the daily log sheet and log book
 Job Description
• 1. Maintain constant steam supply and pressure to the
factory or processing plant
• 2. Operates all machinery, component parts and
controls related to the boiler plant safely and efficiently
• 3. Recognizes mal-operation of the machinery and
component parts and knows when and how to take
corrective action
• 4. Opens and closes valves to their correct position,
following safety precautions on all component parts
and related ancillary equipment
• 5. Maintains correct water temperature and levels in the
hotwell tank or dearator
• 6. Adds the required chemicals to the dosing tanks when
necessary or as stipulated by the chemist or laboratory
• 7.Maintains correct levels of chemicals in the chemical
tank
• 8.Maintains a constant supply of coal to the boiler coal
hopper and sees that the coal does not segregate
• 9.Prepares and lights up the fire
• 10. Raises steam pressure without causing uneven
stress to the boiler
• 11. Operates the boiler with no smoke blowing into
the boiler house with no smoke blowing from the
chimney and no coal being wasted
• 12. Observes and makes sure that the water levels
shown in the gauge glasses are correct
• 13. Blows down gauge glasses every shift
• 14. Test the mobreys for correct function by blowing
them down every shift
• 15. Controls combustion efficiently
• 16. Observes the ignition and fire conditions from the
front and rear peep holes on a continuous basis
• 17. Regulates under grate dampers according to the
length of the fire bed
• 18. Analyses flue gases and makes the necessary
adjustments to the coal bed depth and stoker speed
• 19. Makes sure and observes that coal is burnt to ashes
before it reaches the end of the stoker
• 20. Removes the ash from the boiler in the ash trough
• 21. Removes the ash that builds up in the flue
under the stoker
• 22. Sootblows the boiler every shift
• 23. Empties the grit trough everyday
• 24. Carries out the boiler blow downs as
recommended by the chemist or laboratory
• 25. Test the safety valves weekly
• 26. Cleans the boiler surroundings and boiler
house
• 27. Fills the log sheet every hour
• 28. Reports all defects to the relevant
maintenance department
• 29. Works under supervision of a person
appointed in charge of the boiler house
• 30. Delegates work to the assistants appointed
to assist him in the boiler house
• 31. Assist maintenance staff when necessary
• 32. Diagnoses faults, either by sound, touch or
visually and follows correct remedies
• 33. Makes a situational report to the boiler
attended who is to relieve him and carries
observational checks with him before handing
over shift
 OPERATION PROCEDURES
SHELL BOILER OPERATION
• OPERATION MODES
• Manual Control
• This means control is carried out by manual regulating
control units on the boiler
• Panel or remote control
• This means control is carried out from the controls
panel by regulating switches and knobs
• Automatic control
• This means boiler is controlled by instruments through
electro mechanical means
PART ONE: PRELIMINARY CHECKS BEFORE LIGHTING UP
THE FIRE AND RAISING STEAM PRESSURE

• Preparing a boiler for lighting up

• A) On the boiler
• Check there is water in the boiler (test the
water level in the gauge glasses)
• Check that the main steam stop valve is closed
• Check that the air release valve is open
• Check that the blow down valve is closed
• B) Boiler controls and ancillaries
• Check that the ID and the FD dampers are closed and
are free to move from minimum to maximum
• Check that the guillotine door is level and can be
adjusted from minimum to maximum
• Check that there is no ash in the flue under the stoker
and in the ash pot
• Check that the water softener is working correctly
• Check that there is enough water in the hotwell tank or
dearator
• Check that the chemical dosing tanks are at
the right level
• Check that the feed pump inlet and discharge
valves are open
• Check that the feed check valve is closed
• C) On the fuel handling system
• Check that there is enough coal in the bunker
• Check that the fuel feeder or coal screw is in
good order by starting it and stopping it
• Check that there are no foreign objects like
nails and stones on the coal intake system
• D) On the ash handling system
• Check that the ash trough and grit trough are
sealed with water and clear any ash
• E) On the control panel
• Switch on the main power isolating switch
• Start the stoker and check that it is running well
and stop it
• Coal bed thickness should be 80mm deep and
1m long
 PART 2: LIGHTING UP THE FIRE AND
RAISING STEAM PRESSURE
• On start up the length of the coal bed should
be 1m long and the depth should be 80mm
thick
• Light up the fire and wait for about 5 mins for
the fire to bite into the coal
• When the fire has burnt back to the guillotine
door start the stoker and run in the coal to
about 50mm from the guillotine door
• Start the ID and FD fans
• Each time the fire burns back to the guillotine
door start the stoker stop, start process until the
fire is burning steadily at a distance of 25 to
50mm from the guillotine door
• When the air release valve starts to blow start
the feed pump and carry out the first blowdown
• Blowdown the boiler every 30mins until the
bottom part of the boiler is too hot to touch
• This is done to prevent thermal stress
• When pressure reaches 150kpa:
• Close the air release valve
• Blow through the gauge glasses
• Blow down the mobreys
• To avoid uneven stress to the boiler, do not
allow boiler pressure to rise by more than
250kpa/hr
• When pressure is 50kpa below authorized working
pressure open the main steam stop valve to allow
steam to flow to the factory. Do it slowly
• It is important to carry out boiler blowdowns on
start up to prevent thermal stress
• It is also important to raise boiler pressure by no
more than 250kpa/hr to avoid subjecting the boiler
to maximum pressure before opening the main
steam stop valve for the same reason stated above
 PART 3: MAINTAINING STEAM PRESSURE
SAFELY AND EFFICIENTLY
• Maintaining pressure safely and efficiently means:
• Safety to the boiler plant
• Safety to the operating personnel
• Efficiently (efficiency)
• Efficiently refers to the efficient use of coal or fuel
Refers to the use of fuel
• Refers to steam generation
• We should always operate as TIMM
• T- Think safety
• I- Improve efficiency
• M-Minimise losses
• M- Make profit
 Objectives of this module
• A) To prevent boiler tubes from fouling too
quickly
• B) to prevent wasting fuel
• C) to prevent unnecessary damage to boiler
and ancillary equipment
• D) To stabilize the processing system
PART 1:Monitoring the combustion process
by:
• A) Checking the ignition line which should be
25 to 50mm from the guillotine door through
the front peephole
• If the ignition line is burning by more than
50mm from the guillotine door the fire is said
to be running away
• If the ignition line is shorter than 25mm from
the guillotine door the fire is said to be
burning back
• B) By checking through the rear peephole for the following:
• i) the length of the firebed which should be 300 to 400mm
from the end of the stoker
• The fire bed should not burn in a V shape
• The color of the flame should be bright orange to red
• NB if the fire bed is burning by more than 400mm from the
end of the stoker the fire is said to be a short fire
• If the fire bed is burning is burning by less than 300mm from
the end of the stoker the fire is said to be a long fire
• If the fire is burning off in a V shape segregation is taking
place
• C) by analyzing flue gas: the carbon dioxide
content should be 11 to 12% and the oxygen
content should be 5 to 7%
• The flame angle should be at 45° from the
guillotine door
• In burning coal there are 3 stages that are
observed on a travelling grate
• A) the ignition zone- (coking zone-where tar,
volatile gasses, methane and Sulphur are
released
• B) the burning zone- (were heat is generated,
fixed carbon is burned
• C) the ash zone
 Part 2: ANCILLARY EQUIPMENT
• During this period do the following:
• Blow through the gauge glass to check for correct function
• Blow down the mobreys, to clean the steam and water
passages and to test them for correct function
• Blowdown the boiler to maintain correct TDS
• Check and empty the ash trough
• Check and clear the ash in the flue under the stoker
• Check and clear the ash in the grit arresters
• Check the temperature of the water in the hotwell tank
and levels of the water indicated
• Check and test the combustion efficiency
• Check the chimney emissions
• Clean the boiler house regularly
 Part 3 Blowing through the gauge glass
• The gauge glasses are blown down to clear the steam and water
connections and the glass column
• Procedure
• A) Isolate the gauge glass:
• Close the water valve
• Close the steam valve
• Open the drain valve
• B) Blow through
• Open the water valve and blow through for 10 seconds and close it
• Open the steam valve and blow through for 10 seconds and close
it
• C) Re-commission it
• Close the drain valve
• Open the water valve and the water level will
rise to the top
• Open the steam valve and the water level will
settle to the correct level
• It should be done every shift
 Blowing through the mobreys
• It is necessary to blow through the mobrey controls in
order to clean the steam and water passages and to test
them for correct function
• Procedure
• Dual mobrey
• Crank to 2½ position to close the sequencing valve and wait
for 5 secs, thereby blowing through the water connection
• Crank fully to close position and wait for another 5 secs
blowing through the steam connection
• The feed pump should start
• The low water bell should ring
• Crank back the sequencing valve to the half way
position blowing through the water connection
and wait for 5 secs
• Crank the sequencing valve to fully open
position
• The feed pump should stop
• The low water bell should stop ringing
• This is a test that the dual mobrey is working
correctly
• Single mobrey
• Procedure
• Crank the sequencing valve by 2½ turns to the closed
position and wait for 5 secs, thereby blowing the water
connection
• Crank the sequencing fully to the closed position, thereby
blowing the steam connection and wait for another 5 secs
• The siren should sound and
• The ID fan, the FD fan and the stoker should stop(boiler
shutdown)
• This indicates that the single mobrey is functioning correctly
• Crank back the sequencing valve to the half
way position and wait for another 5 secs and
crank the sequencing valve to the fully open
position and:
• The siren should stop ringing and
• Then the boiler can be restarted
• This indicates the single switch mobrey is
functioning correctly
• If the mobrey controls are not blown through
often they may get blocked by sludge and
sediment which may cause the following:
• Feed pump failure to pump
• Low water alarm failing to sound and
• The siren failing to come on resulting in failing
to warn the boiler operator of low water level
and in a serious case causing damage to the
boiler
 Part 4: Shift Routines
• A) Sootblowing
• Soot blowing is an online boiler tube cleaning,
using steam
• Procedure
• - Raise steam pressure to 700kpa or above:
• Open the rear sootblower isolating valve and
open the drain valve to expel all the condensate
for about 5-10mins, this allows all the
condensate to drain then close it
• Open the rear soot blower and close it-carrying this
procedure 3 times
• Close the rear soot blower isolating valve and open
the drain valve on the soot blower line
• The front sootblower is carried out in the same
manner but again make sure the pressure is above
700kpa
• Sootblowing should be carried out once per shift
• Production may have to be reduced or stopped
during this operation
• B) Testing safety valves
• To test the safety valves lift the test levers and the
valves should blow off
• This test should be carried out at least once per
shift
• To check for correct operation of safety valves:
• Close the main steam stop valve, or let the pressure
rise above authorized working pressure the safety
valves should blow off to the atmosphere.
• C) Boiler feed pumps
• Should be changed over at least once per week
• D) Clinker formation on the side of the ignition
arch
• Clinker is formed when coal burns and cools
suddenly on passing the sides of the ignition
arch
• This should be removed using a gentle sawing
action using a slice bar
• Correct steam pressure- is pressure required
by the processing plant
• Design pressure- is pressure determined by
the manufacturer
• Authorised working pressure- is pressure
determined by the regulating authority
• Maximum pressure- is pressure determined by
the condition of the pressure vessel
 Banking a fire in the boiler
• Definition: means leaving a heap of unburnt
fuel when the boiler is going to be off for 18
hours or less
• Objectives
• Save fuel
• To prevent thermal stress on start
• Save time
 Procedure
• Banking should start 30mins before production
stops
• Shorten the fire bed by reducing the fire bed
thickness to 60mm every 8 turns of the stoker
movement indicator disc
• Slow down stoker speed to minimum
• Once the fire bed has been burnt short stop the
ID and FD fans and allow the ignition arch to
cool down by between 5-10mns
• Stop the stoker
• Raise the guillotine door to 120mm
• Open the coal cut off door and spill plate and run
in the stoker for 5 mins
• Stop the stoker
• Using a long rake, rake the burning coals (60mm
deep) onto the unburnt coals (120mm deep)
• Run in the bank to 450mm from the guillotine
door
• Close the guillotine door
• Close the ID and FD dampers
• Close the undergrate dampers
• Raise water level by 100mm above operating level
• Close the main steam stop valve
• Clear all the ashes in the flue under the stoker
• Clear the ash pot
• The boiler is now under banked condition
 Starting from banked fire
• Procedure
• Open the guillotine door fully
• Open the coal cut off door and drop some coal on
it and close it
• Using a small rake push the unburnt coal to cover
the exposed part of the grate
• Lower the guillotine door on to the coal bed
• Drop some coal to seal the gap
• Revive the fire bed by starting the ID and FD fans
• When the fire is burning lively stop the FD Fan
• Open the guillotine door fully
• Using a rake, rake the burning coal back to the
guillotine door
• Lower the guillotine door on to the coal bed
• Drop in some coal to seal the gap
• Restart the FD fan and start the stoker
• Check the ignition line from the front peephole
and observe that the fire does not runaway
• Do the stoker start stop process until the fire burns continuous
within 25-50mm from the guillotine door
• Open the front and rear undergrate damper to help the fire
burn back strongly
• Blowdown the mobreys and gauge glasses to test for correct
function
• Raise the guillotine door by 20mm until it reaches the correct
level for the coal being used
• When the pressure is within 50kpa from the operating level
• Open the main steam stop valve slowly
• NB Always make sure it is safe to open steam to where it is
needed
 Emergency procedures
• Definition
• It is an undesirable event which can result in
the damage of the boiler or ancillary
equipment and at times injury to the
operating personnel
 1:Power failure
• Event
• The ID and FD stop the stoker stops
• The feed pump also stop
• Possible damage
• Collapsed flue and boiler tubes due to lack of
water
• Damaged guillotine door due to fire burn back
• Damaged stoker due to stand still
 Procedure
• Close the main steam stop valve, to conserve water in
the boiler
• Remove the stoker movement indicator disc and cover
• Remove the shear pin
• Fit crank handle and drive stoker forward by 8 turns to
move the fire from the guillotine door
• Check with supervisor on the length of the power
failure
• If power is restored within 30mins, restart boiler as
normal
• If power is not restored within 30mins, place
boiler under banked position
• Record the event in the log book
2:Loss of water in boiler and boiler trips out

• Event
• Boiler water level has reached lowest legal water level
(LLWL)
• The ID and FD and stoker trip out/stop
• The low water siren and low water lamp on
• The feed pump running
• Possible damage
• Collapsed boiler flue due to water starvation
• Damaged guillotine door due to fire burn back
• Damage stoker due to stand still
 Procedure
• Close the main steam stop valve immediately
• Remove the stoker movement indicator disc and move
forward 8 times away from the guillotine door
• Change over to the other feed pump if this fails
• Call the supervisor
• Between the two of you try to restore water level
within 15mins
• If water level is not restored within 15mins remove fire
from the boiler
• Record the event in a log book
3:Extra low water and boiler fails to trip out

• Event
• Boiler water at LLWL
• ID and FD fans running
• Low water level siren not sounding
• Possible damage
• Damage boiler flue and tubes due to water
starvation
• Damage to guillotine door due to collapsed boiler
flue
 Procedure
• Stop the ID and FD fans
• Close the main steam stop valve immediately
• Close the feed check valve
• Close the coal cutoff door and spill door
• Open the guillotine door fully
• Remove the fire from the boiler
• Record the event in a log book
 4:Shear pin breaks
• Event
• Stoker stops
• ID and FD fans running
• Possible damage
• Damage to guillotine door due to fire burn
back
• Damage to stoker due to stand still
 Procedure

• Stop the stoker motor

• Remove the stoker movement indicator disc
• Remove the broken shear pin
• Crank forward the stoker manually
• If the stoker moves fit in a new shear pin
• If the stoker is jammed and fails to move forward stop the ID and
FD fans
• Close the coal cut off door
• Open the guillotine door fully
• Push the coal and fire off the dead plate to 450mm from the
guillotine door
• Notify your supervisor and record the event in a log book
5:Safety valves blow continuously
• Event
• Steam pressure above authorized working
pressure
• ID and FD fan is running
• Stoker running
• Possible damage
• Wear and tear of the safety valve seats
 Procedure
• Lower the firing rate by reducing the ID and FD
settings
• If the safety valves continue to blow stop the fans
• If the safety valves continue to blow and pressure has
dropped by 100kpa from authorized working pressure
• Check that they are seated properly
• Lift the test valve levers
• If the safety valves fails to close report to your
supervisor and record in a log book
 6:Gauge glass broken
• Event
• Water and steam gushing out of the broken glass
tube
• Possible damage
• Injury to boiler operator
• Procedure
• Isolate the broken gauge glass as follows
• A) Close the water valve
• B) Close the steam valve
• C) Open the drain valve
• D) Report to your supervisor and record the
event in a log book.
• NB it is against the law to operate a boiler with
one gauge glass
 7:Blowdown valve jams in the open
position
• Event
• Water gushing out of the boiler
• Possible damage
• Boiler flue could collapse due to loss of water
• Procedure
• Close the main steam valve immediately
• Stop the ID and FD fans and the stoker
• Remove the fire from the boiler
• Record the event in a log book
Damper control fails on automatic control

• Event
• Damper control motor fail
• Procedure
• Change over boiler control to manual control
 Shutting down boiler on normal
circumstances
• Objectives
• To avoid wasting fuel
• To avoid sudden cooling of the boiler
 Procedure
• 30 minutes before steam demand stops altogether do as
follows:
• Reduce stoker speed to minimum
• Close the coal cut off door
• Reduce coal bed thickness by every 8 turns of the stoker
movement indicator disc until it is down to 25mm
• When the last coal is about to pass under the guillotine door,
• Stop the ID and the FD fans
• Close the main steam stop valve
• Speed up the stoker to clear the grate
• When the grate is clear, stop the stoker
• Raise the guillotine door fully and remove any
clinker build up on the sides of the ignition
arch
• Clear the ashpot
• Raise water level to 100mm above normal and
close the feed check valve
• Switch off power on the control panel
• The order of starting the stoker, FD and ID
• Start the ID fan, followed by the FD fan and the
stoker last
• The ID fan is started first in order to create
suction in the furnace
• The FD fan is then started so as to supply air for
combustion and to balance the draught
• The stoker follows last to supply fuel, so that
combustion continues to take place
 Placing the boiler on standby
• Definition
• Boiler standby means putting a boiler in a
position which allows it to resume operation
within 30mins
• Procedure
• Stop the ID and FD fans
• Reset the stoker speed to minimum
 Diagnosing problems and following the
correct remedies
• Objectives
• To prevent a problem from degenerating into an
emergency
• 1) Runaway fire
• A run away fire is a fire bed igniting at a distance
greater than 50mm from the guillotine door
• Causes of run away fire
• a) Stoker speed too high
• b) Suction in the furnace being too high
• c) Coal bed too low for steam demand
• d) Coal bed with low volatile content
• e) Coal size too big/small with a lot of dust
• f) using smalls coal which is too wet
• g) Undergrate damper not set according to the
length of fire
• h) Coal segregation
 Remedies

• a) Stoker speed too fast

• Stop the stoker
• Reduce stoker speed
• Adjust the coal bed to suit the demand
• b) Suction in the furnace being too high
• Stop the stoker
• Adjust the ID and FD fans to achieve a balanced
draught
• And to achieve a flame angle of 45⁰
• C) coal bed too low for steam demand
• Stop the stoker
• Adjust the coal bed to suit steam demand
• D) bad coal with low volatile content
• Stop the stoker
• Adjust the ID and FD fans to achieve a flame
angle slightly greater than 45⁰
• E) Coal size too big/ small with a lot of dust
• Stop the stoker
• Dampen the coal so that dust particles stick to bigger particles
• f)using smalls coal which is too wet
• Increase the coal bed thickness
• G)undergrate damper not set according to the length of the fire
• Stop the stoker
• Adjust the undergrate damper to suit the length of the firebed
• H)coal segregation
• Stop the stoker
• Dampen the coal so that bigger particles and dust stick together
• Fire burns back into the coal hoper
• Definition: a fire is said to be burning back when
it is igniting at a distance of less than 25mm from
the guillotine door
• Causes
• A) incorrect setting of speed of stoker
• B) a broken shear pin
• C) Furnace pressure being too high
• D) coal with very high volatile content
• Remedies
• A)Incorrect setting of stoker speed
• Set the stoker speed to suit the steam demand
• B)Broken shear pin
• Replace the broken shear pin immediately
• If the stoker is jammed push the fires to 450mm from
the guillotine door
• C) Furnace pressure being too high
• Adjust the ID and FD damper to achieve a flame angle
of 45⁰
• D) Coal with too high volatile content
• Adjust the furnace suction to achieve a flame
angle slightly less than 45⁰
• Chain grate running hot
• Causes
• A)Longfire/red coal falling at the end of the
stoker
• B)accumulation of ash under the stoker
• C)neglecting to remove ash in the ashpot
• D)blocked boiler tubes
• Remedies
• A) longfire
• Maintain a firebed of between 300 to 400mm from the end of
the stoker
• B) Accumulation of ash in the flue under the stoker
• Remove the ash that accumulates under the stoker regularly
• C) Neglecting to remove ash in the ash pot
• Remove or empty ashpot at 15 minutes interval
• D) Blocked boiler tubes
• Sootblowing
• Stop the boiler and clean boiler tubes
• Low steam pressure due to a short fire
• Definition: A short fire is a bed which burns
off at a distance above 400mm from the end
of the stoker
• Causes
• A)Low stoker speed
• B)Low coal bed thickness
• C)A sudden high demand for steam
• Remedies
• A) low stoker speed
• Increase stoker speed to suit steam demand
• B) low coal bed thickness
• Raise coalbed thickness to suit steam demand
• C) a sudden high steam demand for steam
• Adjust stoker speed to match demand
• Humping chain grate
• Causes
• A) a hot chain grate
• B) incorrect chain grate tension
• Remedies
• A) a hot chain grate
• Shorten the firebed
• Soot blow boiler tubes
• Check that there is no ash in the flue under the stoker
• Incorrect chaingrate tension
• A loose chaingrate will hump as it passes the
front drive sprockets, wearing out the hopper
side support
• A tight chain will cause drive links to break
• Remedy
• Notify the supervisor or mantainance
department
• NB; Retension stoker only when cold
• Black smoke issuing from the chimney
• Causes
• A) Grit trough not sealed properly
• B) dirty boiler tubes
• C)coal with very high volatile content
• D) too much coal and too little air
• E)sudden reduction in steam demand
• F) Uneven steam demand with sharp rises and
sharp drops
• Remedies
• A) make sure the grit trough is sealed properly
• B) soot blow boiler tubes once per shift
• C) increase the photohelic set points to minus 30-40kpa
• Increase furnace pressure to achieve a flame angle less than
45degrees
• D)adjust the ID and FD dampers to suit coal bed thickness
• E) try to communicate with production department
effectively
• F) change over boiler controls from panel to manual control
• Clinker formation
• Clinker is a formation of incomplete
combustion of coal which sticks on the ignition
arch or side of the stoker
• Remedy
• Clinker is removed by using a slice bar.
Normally applying a gentle sawing action to
avoid damaging the refractory on which the
clinker sticks
• Longfire
• is a firebed which burns off less than 300mm from the
end of the stoker. Longfire is recognized by red coals or
burning fuel falling at the end of the stoker
• Causes
• Stoker speed too fast
• Too thick a coal bed
• Remedies
• slow down the stoker speed
• Reduce the coal bed thickness
• Short fire
• A short fire is a fire bed which burns off by more than
400mm from the end of the stoker
• It is recognised by fresh coals falling at the end of the stoker
• A short fire will normally cause steam pressure to drop
• It may also cause the chimney to smoke.
• Causes
• Too slow stoker speed
• A sudden high demand for steam
• Low coal bed thickness
• Remedies
• Raise the coal bed thickness to suit the steam
demand
• Adjust the stoker speed to match the demand
Handing over and taking over shift
Go through the boiler plant with the oncoming
operator as follows:
• Check boiler water level
• Check ash accumulation in the flue under the stoker
• Check that the ashpot is empty
• Check the temperature of the grate
• Check water levels in the hotwell tank or dearator
• Check chemicals dosing tanks
• Read through the log sheet or log book together
To prolong life of the stoker,
guillotine door, ignition arch,
undergrate dampers
• Stoker
• Do not allow the stoker to run hot when in
operation
• Remove and replace broken links
• Do not allow the stoker to run with a hump
• Avoid long fires on the stoker
guillotine door
• Prevent fire to burn back under it or behind it
• Make sure it moves freely up or down
• When in operation maintain an ignition line
between 25-50mm from it
 ignition arch
• Do not knock off or chip off clinker formation on it
• Allow it to cool down gradually on shutdown
• Allow it to gain heat gradually on start up
• undergrate dampers
• Always adjust them to suit the length of the fire bed on the
stoker
• Leave them in the open position when there is a banked fire
on the stoker
• Report to your supervisor if they get sluggish or difficult to
move
 Thank you
and best wishes