TIP 0416-19

ISSUED 2009
2009 TAPPI
The information and data contained in this document were
prepared by a technical committee of the Association. The
committee and the Association assume no liability or responsibility
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Recovery boiler sootblowers: the basics

Scope
The purpose of this TIP is to provide a brief description of sootblower components and the mechanisms by which a
sootblower jet removes deposits in recovery boilers.
Safety precautions
A recovery boiler sootblower is connected with high pressure steam piping system and a power supply to drive its
motor(s). Before any work is performed on a sootblower, it is important to the sootblower be put in the zero energy
state. Zero energy state means that (1) the isolation valve is closed and a lock tag is placed in the valve to prevent
the high pressure steam to enter the sootblower, and (2) the power supply to the sootblower is disconnected with a
lock tag placed in the power supply to prevent inadvertent or unexpected start-up or energization of the motor.
Definitions
Poppet valve pressure: The poppet valve pressure is the steam pressure measured at the location immediately
downstream of the valve seat. This is the steam pressure supplied to the feed tube.
Nozzle pressure: The nozzle pressure is often used interchangeably with lance pressure or blowing pressure. It is
defined as the steam pressure supplied to the sootblower nozzles, and is the pressure measured just before the steam
enters the nozzle (Points A shown in Figure 1). Note that the nozzle pressure is always lower than the poppet valve
pressure due to minor losses and the pressure drop in the feed and lance tubes.

A
A
Fig. 1. Nozzle pressure
Reverse and rest positions. The reverse position is the point where the limit switch is triggered to send a signal to
change the carriage forward direction and retract the sootblower lance. The rest position is the point where the limit
switch is triggered to send a signal to stop the carriage retracting movement and park the sootblower.
Helix. The helix is the distance traveled by a nozzle to complete one full rotation (360). See Figure 2.

Fig. 2. Helix
TIP Category: Data and Calculations
TAPPI

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Recovery boiler sootblowers: the basics/ 2

Sootblower: basic principle

Function and operation
The entrainment of fly ash particles from the recovery boiler lower furnace to the convection sections of the boiler is
an inevitable process. The accumulation of these particles in the fireside heat exchanger surfaces may reduce the
boiler thermal efficiency, create a potentially corrosive environment at the boiler tube surfaces and, if the
accumulation is not properly control, it may also lead to costly unscheduled boiler shutdowns due to plugging of the
gas passages.
Sootblowers are by far the most widely used equipment to control the fireside deposit accumulation in recovery
boilers. A sootblower consists of a lance tube with two opposing nozzles mounted near the tip of the lance. During
the deposit removal process, the sootblower lance rotates and extends, through a small opening in the boiler wall,
while blowing high pressure steam directed into the tube banks. After the lance is fully extended, it rotates in the
opposite direction as it is inserted and retracts to its original inactive state. Figure 3 illustrates the cleaning process
of a tube bank by a sootblower.

Lance movement during

retraction

Lance movement during

insertion

Sootblower
Lance
Figure 3. Cleaning process of a boiler bank by a sootblower
Deposit removal mechanism
When a sootblower jet hits a deposit that adheres to a boiler tube, the jet velocity is converted into impact pressure
that is distributed throughout the jet/deposit contact area. To better understand the deposit removal mechanism, we
define a deposit/tube control volume as shown in Figure 4.

Deposit/tube
control volume

Fig. 4. Deposit/tube control volume

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TIP 0416-19

Two main deposit removal mechanisms have been identified; debonding and brittle fracture (1). The deposit will be
removed from the boiler tube by debonding if the weakest link in the deposit/tube control volume is the strength of
deposit adhesion to the tube (Fig. 5a). Brittle fraction occurs when the deposit tensile strength is the weakest link. In
this case, the deposit will be broken into smaller pieces as the jet impacts the deposit (Fig. 5b). The deposit will stay
attached to the tube if the stress imposed by the jet on the deposit is less than both the deposit adhesion strength and
deposit tensile strength (Fig. 5c).

a) Debonding (Sadhesion is the weakest link)

Stensile > Sjet > Sadhesion

b) Brittle Fracture (Stensile is the weakest link)

Sadhesion > Sjet > Stensile

c) Jet fails to remove the deposit

Both Sadhesion and Stensile > Sjet
Fig. 5. Three scenarios of deposit removal attempt by a sootblower
The deposit removal criterion can be written as follows:
Sjet > Sd

(1)

where
Sd

= either Sadhesion or Stensile, whichever is least.

As expressed in Equation 1 and conceptually shown in Fig. 5, the success of deposit removal process depends on
three key parameters. They are the stress imposed by the jet on the deposit (Sjet), the strength of deposit adhesion to
the tube (Sadhesion), and the deposit tensile strength (Stensile). The magnitude of these parameters determines whether
or not the deposit accumulation in the boiler tubes can be controlled by the sootblowers.
Out of these three parameters, only Sjet depends on the sootblower performance, while the magnitudes of both
Sadhesion and Stensile are controlled by factors outside the sootblower equipment. Sadhesion and Stensile are
influenced by the design of the boiler, operating conditions, and the liquor chemistry. Detailed and more elaborated
discussion can be found in references (2, 3)

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Recovery boiler sootblowers: the basics/ 4

In order to achieve high recovery boiler thermal efficiency and prevent unscheduled interruption due to fouling or
plugging, the recovery boiler system should be designed to ensure that the rate of deposit removal by sootblowers is
greater or at least equal to the rate of deposit accumulation.
Major components
Sootblower major components can be divided into three parts: steam carrying, mechanical, and auxiliary
components. Figures 6 and 7 show the schematic diagram of sootblower major components.
Rest position

Reverse position
Rear
hanger

Sootblower
Beam

Boiler wall

Wall box

Gear rack

Poppet valve

Lance tube

Feed tube
Supplied steam

Nozzles
Front Roller

Carriage

Front View
Lance tube

Front Roller

Fig. 6. Sootblower major mechanical components (side view)

Poppet valve

Carriage

Lance tube

Front Roller

Wallbox
Fig. 7. Sootblower major mechanical components (top view)

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TIP 0416-19

Steam carrying components

As the steam enters a sootblower, it is directed through four components in the following order:

Poppet valve
Feed tube
Lance tube
Nozzles

Poppet valve
The poppet valve serves two purposes: (a) to open and shut the supply steam to the sootblower, and (b) to adjust the
blowing pressure of the sootblower. Note that in the effort to reduce the sootblower operating cost, many pulp mills
have stopped using the poppet valve as a mean to adjust the blowing pressure. Centralized control valve is used
instead to adjust the flow rate (and thereby the blowing pressure), of the sootblowers. For the discussion on how the
sootblower operating cost may be reduced by means of adjusting the steam flow rate through centralized control
valve, please see TAPPI TIP on Recovery Boiler Sootblowers: Practical Guideline.
A schematic diagram of a poppet valve is shown in Fig. 8. The valve stem, valve plug, and pressure control disk are
the moving parts of the poppet valve. The valve seat and the body are the stationary parts. To open the valve, the
valve stem and plug have to be pushed downward against the incoming steam flow. The blowing pressure is
adjusted by means of a pressure adjustment nut, which moves the pressure control disk up or down. The pressure
control disk serves as a flow restrictor. The farther it is moved downward, toward the valve seat, the higher the
pressure drop, resulting in a lower sootblowing pressure.

Pressure
adjustment nut
Valve body

Valve stem
Steam outlet to the feed tube

Pressure control disk

Valve seat
Valve plug

Supplied steam
Fig. 8. Schematic diagram of a poppet valve (externally adjusted)
When a signal to initiate an operation from the control room is received by a sootblower, the motor is energized and
the carriage rotates and moves the lance tube forward into the boiler. At a certain distance during the insertion
process, the carriage engages the poppet valve latch and rotates the lever arm assembly. As the lever arm assembly
rotates, it pushes the poppet valve stem and plug down, allowing the steam to enter the sootblower. Fig. 9 illustrates
the opening mechanism of the poppet valve. Note that there are many different designs of lever arm assembly;
however, the mechanism to open the valve is practically the same.
During the retraction process, just before the sootblower reaches the rest or inactive state, the carriage releases the
poppet valve latch, which in turn pulls the lever arm back to the rest position.

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Recovery boiler sootblowers: the basics/ 6

There are three different poppet valve designs:

Poppet valve latch

Lever arm assembly

Fig. 9. Poppet valve opening mechanism

1. Internally adjusted. This design requires the blowing pressure to be adjusted in an iterative fashion. First, the
sootblower has to be put out of service before any pressure adjustment is made. Once the sootblower is out of
service, the operator would need to remove a small lock pin plug, located at the side of the valve body, and rotate the
pressure control disk manually to the desired position. The sootblower is then put back in service, and the pressure
setting is verified. Should the blowing pressure is too high or too low, the operator will have to follow the same
procedure, discussed above, until the desired pressure is achieved.
2. Externally adjusted. Unlike internally adjusted valves, an externally adjusted valve is equipped with a pressure
adjustment nut located outside the valve, as shown in Fig. 8. The blowing pressure can be adjusted without the need
to put the sootblower out of service. To adjust the blowing pressure, (i) install a pressure gauge on the poppet valve,
(ii) run the sootblower, (iii) observe the pressure at the gauge, and (iv) rotate the pressure adjustment nut to the
desired poppet valve pressure.
3. Low pressure poppet valve. This is the latest poppet valve design to date. It is mainly used in boilers that
implement the low pressure sootblowing system (4). The valve is designed with a large valve seat and generally is
not equipped with a pressure control disk. The blowing pressure is controlled by means of control valve or an orifice
installed in the flange between the poppet valve and the supply steam piping.
The externally adjusted valve is the preferred design versus an internally adjusted valve, since it significantly
reduces the time required to adjust the blowing pressure and it does not require the sootblower to be put out of
service during the pressure adjustment process.
Feed tube
The feed tube is a stationary tube connected to the poppet valve with the main function is to deliver the steam to the
lance tube, refer to Fig. 6. The standard material for feed tube is stainless steel with an outside tube diameter (O.D.)
of either 23/8 in. (60.3 mm) or 2 in. (70 mm).
As the steam exits the feed tube and enters the lance tube, it pressurizes the gap between the feed and lance tubes.
Packing housing, which is an integral part of the carriage (discussed in Carriage and gear rack section), is the main
component that prevents steam from leaking to the back side of the lance tube.
Feed tubes are available in three different types of finishing:
1. Hardened surface finishing. This is surface treatment is applied to the outer part of the feed tube to make the
surface hard and scratch-resistant. A scratched feed tube promotes rapid deterioration of the packing performance,
and shortens its service life.

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2 .Insulated. The main purpose of insulating the feed tube is to improve the service life of the packing by protecting
it from the high steam temperature. The insulation material is usually installed on the inner part of the feed tube.
This insulation is needed particularly for sootblowers with conventional packing made out of materials that are
susceptible to high temperature environments. The insulation, however, makes the inner diameter of the feed tube
smaller, resulting in a higher pressure loss.
3. Non-insulated and non hardened. In this case, the feed tube is installed with a bare stainless steel tube material
(typically SS304).
Maintenance tip: It is important that the carriage and the gear rack are aligned properly. The misalignment between
the carriage and gear rack causes the feed tube to bend and scratch, which in turn, shorten the packing life.
Lance tube
The lance tube is the main component that supplies the sootblower nozzles with high pressure steam and directs the
jets toward the boiler tubes. During the cleaning process, the lance extends into the boiler and forms a structure
similar to a cantilevered beam. Hence, the lance has to be designed to have sufficient strength to support its own
weight in a high temperature environment.
To avoid the overheating of the lance tube during the operation, the steam, which also acts as a cooling medium,
needs to be supplied continuously to the lance. The minimum amount of the steam required to prevent the
overheating of the lance is called minimum cooling flow. The minimum cooling flow of a lance tube depends on the
material, the length of the lance tube, the steam and flue gas temperatures.
The majority of sootblowers installed in recovery boilers are equipped with lance tubes having an outside diameter
(O.D) of 3 in. (88.9 mm). However, there is an increasing trend to replace them with a larger size tube, 4 in. (101.6
mm) OD. The larger lance tube will reduce the pressure drop and increase the nozzle efficiency, thereby, improve
the jet cleaning power.
Maintenance tip. Lance tubes are typically made of Cr-Mo alloy steels, such as T11, which has good material
strength to support its weight at elevated temperatures while the lance is inside the boiler. However, it may be
susceptible to corrosion if the flue gas from the boiler is allowed to enter the lance tube through the nozzles. To
prevent lance tube corrosion, it is important that recovery boiler sootblowers are equipped with a scavenging air
system. The scavenging system continuously supplies pressurized air into the feed and lance tubes, while the
sootblower is inactive state, to create a barrier that prevents the flue gas from entering the lance tube. It is important
that the scavenging air system be properly maintained and the air pressure is set to at least 10 in.WC (or a flow rate
of 27 SCFM per sootblower).
Nozzle
The main function of a sootblower nozzle is to convert the high pressure steam inside the lance tube into a highvelocity jet. An ideal nozzle is defined as a nozzle that fully expands the blowing medium from the pressure inside
the lance tube to the outside ambient pressure; thereby, converting the lance pressure completely into velocity
(100% efficiency).
In order to fully expand the pressure inside the lance and accelerate the steam to a supersonic velocity, a convergentdivergent type of nozzle is used (Fig. 10). In the convergent section, the steam is accelerated to a speed of sound.
The divergent section then accelerates it further to a supersonic velocity.
A 100% nozzle efficiency (ideal nozzle), however, can only be achieved in a laboratory or a wind tunnel settings
where both the inlet pressure to the nozzle and the ambient conditions are carefully set and maintained according to
the design of the nozzle. In practice, it is impossible to achieve 100% nozzle efficiency; however, research in the last
several years has advanced our understanding of sootblower jet dynamics, and as a result, it is made possible to
design a sootblower nozzle with efficiency in the range of 90%, which is a significant improvement to its
conventional nozzle counterparts.

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Recovery boiler sootblowers: the basics/ 8

Steam inlet
Supersonic Jet

convergent

divergent

Fig. 10. Convergent-divergent nozzle.

Mechanical and auxiliary components

Carriage and gear rack
The carriage consists of one or two electric motor(s), a gearbox and a packing housing. The electric motor is the
main drive that moves the lance tube forward and backward during the cleaning cycle. The motor converts electrical
energy into rotation motion, which is then used by the gearbox to rotate and move the lance tube along the gear rack.
Since the lance moves together with the carriage, while the feed tube stays stationary, the carriage has to be
equipped with a packing set to prevent the steam from leaking through the gap between the feed and lance tubes.
The packing set is located inside the packing housing, which is an integral part of the carriage.
Maintenance TIP: It is important that the gear rack is sufficiently lubricated and properly aligned with the carriage
travel path. Misalignment of the rack may damage the carriage. Carriage and gear rack should be lubricated only
with non-greasy type of lubricant. This is to prevent dust, abrasive or corrosive materials to accumulate in the rack.
Limit switch
When the lance tube has been fully inserted inside the boiler, a signal to change the motor direction and retract the
lance is sent to the carriage by means of limit switch. The limit switch is also used to inform the carriage when it
should stop retracting and park the sootblower to the rest position.
A limit switch is an electromechanical device that sends a signal transmission to the carriage when its mechanical
leg is physically pushed by a lever arm (Figure 4.6)
There are two possible limit switch arrangements:
1. Two limit switches with one lever arm. This arrangement requires two limit switches: one is mounted in the rest
position and the other is mounted in the reverse position. The lever arm, which is used to trigger the switches, is
attached to the carriage and travels together with it (Fig. 11).
2. One limit switch with two lever arms. In this arrangement, the limit switch is attached to the carriage while the
lever arms are stationary mounted in the rest and reverse positions (Fig. 12)
Front roller
The main function of the front roller is to support and direct the lance tube to the centerline of the wallbox as it is
inserted into or retracted from the boiler (Fig. 13)
Maintenance TIP. To minimize friction in the front rollers, a sufficient amount of lubricant must be constantly
maintained. Refer to the sootblower manufacturers manual on how to properly lubricate the front rollers and use

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TIP 0416-19

only the lubricant that can withstand the hot and hostile environments in recovery boilers. Roller should also be set
according to the suppliers recommendation to prevent excessive friction between the rollers and the lance tube.
Rest position

Reverse position

Carriage is in retraction
process. Signal sent to
stop the carriage

Carriage is in insertion
process. Signal sent to
retract the lance
Lever arm
Switch mechanical leg
Limit Switch

Fig. 11. Two limit switches and one lever arm

Reverse position

Rest position

Carriage is in retraction
process. Signal sent to
stop the carriage

Carriage is in insertion
process. Signal sent to
retract the lance
Limit Switch
Switch mechanical leg
Lever arm
Fig. 12. One limit switch with two lever arm

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Recovery boiler sootblowers: the basics/ 10

Roller
Fig. 13. Front roller set at an angle Roller
Wallbox
The main function of a wallbox is to prevent the hot flue gas, fume and carryover particles from escaping the boiler
through the openings designed for sootblower operation. This can be achieved by continuously supplying the
wallbox with pressurized air (seal air); hence creating an air wall that prevents the flue gas from leaking through the
lance/wall sleeve gap. The seal air is important especially for positive pressure boiler (a boiler which has pressure
greater than the atmospheric pressure).
The wallbox is also used to direct a small amount of jet steam into the lance and wall sleeve. This jet is used to clean
both the lance tube and the wall sleeve during sootblower operation. It is important that the steam supplied to this
wallbox is free from excessive condensate. Plugging of the wall sleeve may occur if the condensate is mixed with
the fume in the wall sleeve or on the surface of the lance tube to form a hard-to-remove material.
Sootblower beam
The sootblower beam provides rigid support and protection for all sootblower components. Since some of the
components require regular maintenance or may need repair work, the body of the beam should be designed to allow
easy access to all of the components.
The sootblower beam is generally installed with a negative blower slope. The purpose of the slope is to force the
condensate, from the residual steam, to flow toward the nozzles and exits the lance via small holes located near the
tip of the lance. The condensate in the feed and lance tubes not only can create a corrosive environment, but may
also adversely impact the boiler tube during the cleaning process.
Fig. 14 illustrates a negative slope with an exaggeration to better clarify the concept. Note that the wallbox may
move downward due to boiler thermal expansion. Hence, the setup of the housing in a cold condition should account
for boiler thermal expansion so that proper blower slope can be achieved when the sootblower is operated in a hot
condition. Typically, the blower slope is set to around -0.4o for proper drainage of the condensate.
Boiler on cold
condition
Blower slope

Thermal expansion
causes the wallbox
moves downward

Boiler on hot
condition
Fig. 14. Blower slope

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Sootblower control system

There has been significant development in recovery boiler control hardware in the past seventy years. The three
phases of development are pneumatic control, electronic control, and microprocessor-based control. Distributed
Control System (DCS) is now the most widely used control system for recovery boilers and other pulp mill
processes. In a DCS, the controller elements are not central in location, but they are distributed throughout the
system. A DCS may comprise a hierarchy of controllers from single-loop to multi-loop and interactive
microprocessor-based controllers.
Sootblower operation is usually controlled through the DCS, as part of the package originally supplied to pulp mills
along with other recovery boiler control units. A basic control system will allow the operator to set the sootblowing
sequence, which determines how often a particular sootblower will be run. Sootblowers can be run either one at a
time, two, or even six at a time with a delay time between sootblower operations. The delay time is incorporated into
the control system to prevent collision between two sootblower operating at the same level, but opposite to each
other (one in the left and the other is in the right side of the boiler).
In the past several years, the advancement in sootblowing strategies has enabled many mills to achieve better
cleaning performance and reduce the steam consumption. Most strategies, however, can only be implemented by
means of advanced control system. If the strategy to be implemented is not part of the original package supplied
with the recovery boiler DCS system, the mill will have an option to incorporate the algorithm to either the existing
DCS-based sootblowing control system or Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) program.
Since the upfront cost to re-program the existing DCS system is generally high, many mills prefer to implement the
strategies through a PLC. The PLC can then be integrated into the existing DCS system. In this case, even though
the algorithm is written in and control by the PLC, the operator can still interact and monitor the sootblowing
activity through their existing DCS.

Literature cited
1. Kaliazine, A., Cormack, D.E., Ebrahimi-Sabet, A., Tran, H.N., Mechanics of Deposit Removal in Kraft
Recovery Boilers. 1998 International Chemical Recovery Conference Proceedings, Tampa, FL, USA (ICR98641).
2. Mao, X.S., Lee, S., Tran, H.N. Effects of Carryover Liquid Content and Particle Size on Deposit Removability in
Kraft Recovery Boilers, 2007 International Chemical Recovery Conference Proceedings, Quebec City, QC, Canada
3. Tran, H.N., Fouling of Tube Surfaces in Kraft Recovery Boilers, 40th Anniversary International Recovery
Boiler Conference, Porvoo, 2004
4. Tran, H.N., Tandra, D.S., Jones, A.K., Development of Low-Pressure Sootblowing Technology, 2007
International Chemical Recovery Conference Proceedings, Quebec City, QC, Canada

Keywords
Soot blowers, Recovery boilers

Additional information
Effective date of issue: April 27, 2009
Working Group:
Alarick Tavares, Chairman, Georgia Pacific
Danny S. Tandra, Clyde Bergemann, Inc.
Honghi Tran, University of Toronto
Andrew K. Jones, International Paper
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