PFI/PFT Boilers:

Rugged, Cost-Effective and

Dependable Under Fire
Since 1867, The Babcock &

Wilcox Company (B&W) has

been designing, manufacturing,

installing and commissioning

the world’s most reliable and

efficient steam-generating

systems and environmental

equipment. B&W also services,

repairs, modifies, upgrades

and replaces existing systems

and associated equipment,

regardless of the original

manufacturer. With boiler

installations operating in more

than 85 countries, B&W has

the experience and flexibility

to meet the ever-changing

needs of both the industrial

and utility markets. B&W is

recognized globally for its

unmatched responsiveness

to customers’ needs.

2
 B&W PFI Boiler
INTEGRAL AIR PLENUM

STEAM DRUM

STEAM COIL
AIR HEATER
FURNACE
SUPER-
HEATER BURNERS

AIR SCREEN TUBES

HEATER

GAS
OUTLET

FORCED-DRAFT
FAN

LOWER DRUM

B&W PFT Boiler

STEAM DRUM

SCREEN TUBES
BOILER BANK

FURNACE

SUPERHEATER BURNERS

GAS OUTLET

LOWER DRUM

3
Proven Design for Dependable Steam Production
Reliable performance
in a wide variety of
industries
B&W’s PFI (Power for
Industry) and PFT (Power
for Turbine) integral furnace
boilers continue our tradition
of excellence with over
275 units totaling more than
78,000,000 lb/hr of steam
capacity worldwide. Our
established reputation for
reliability and proven
performance is continually
enhanced by incorporating
customer feedback in
conjunction with the latest
technological advancements
in our design. Many 1950
vintage PFI/PFT boilers are
still in service today. The
conservative furnace size
and burner spacing of the
PFI/PFT design has proven
itself to be a reliable work-
horse across a wide range
of heating, process and
power markets such as:
• Petroleum and chemical
refineries
• Pulp and paper mills
• Steel mills
• Manufacturing and
processing facilities
• Utility power generation
plants
• Municipalities
• Heating for corporate and
institutional buildings
System components
complement operation
Specifically designed to
complement each other in
operation, all major compo-
nents in the PFI/PFT boiler
system can be supplied by
B&W depending on your
needs:
• Boiler
• Instruments and controls
• Burners, staging ports and
burner management system
• Valves
• Fans
• Motors
• Sootblowers
• Flues, ducts, dampers
and expansion joints
• Platforms and steel
• Additional options
(feedwater pumps, fuel
pump and heating set,
deaerators, chemical
feed systems, economizers,
air heaters, environmental
equipment, steel stacks)

Pre-engineered B&W PFI/PFT boilers are available in a wide range of sizes and operating conditions:

PFI PFT

Steam Flow 100,000 to 700,000 lb/h 350,000 to 800,000 lb/h

(45 to 317 tm) (159 to 363 tm)

Steam Pressure Up to 1150 psig (79.3 bar) Up to 1800 psig (124.1 bar)
Steam Temperature Up to 960° F (516 C) Up to 1000° F (538 C)
Approx. Superheater Steam
40 to 100% (Natural Gas) / 60 to 100% (Oil)
Temperature Control Range
Standard Sizes Available 11 37
Furnace Tube Size / Spacing 2.5 in. OD (6.35 cm) 3.0 in. OD (7.62 cm)
on 3.0 in. (7.62 cm) centers on 3.75 in. (9.53 cm) centers
Superheater Tube Side Spacing 6 in. (15.24 cm) 4.5 in. (11.43 cm)
Generating Bank Gas Flow Horizontal Vertical
Fuels Natural Gas, Refinery Gas, Oil, CO, BFG, COG,
Various Combustible Byproduct Gases and Liquids
Waterside Design Natural Circulation
Type of Support Bottom Support
Setting Design Pressurized Furnace
Type of Superheater Fully Drainable
Installation Indoor – Outdoor

4
Designed and Built From Experience
With the advent of the PFI
boiler in 1958, B&W’s
engineers were the first to
recognize that if boilers
could be designed without
consideration for solid fuels,
they could incorporate many
cost-saving features without
sacrificing quality and
dependability. Accordingly,
B&W incorporated many
innovations which had never
before been integrated in
industrial boilers. These
included membrane wall
setting, maximum shop
assembly of components,
fully drainable superheaters,
minimal use of refractory,
complete bottom support
and integral air plenums.
In the late 1960s, the B&W
PFT was developed in
response to the need for a
rugged and versatile boiler
which would provide high-
pressure, high-temperature
steam, yet would fire practi-
cally any liquid or gaseous
fuel. By pre-engineering all
components which combine
for the various sizes and
operating conditions
required, B&W design
engineers provided substan-
tial savings in installed
cost, as well as a significant
decrease in the time between
the placing of an order for
a PFI/PFT and its initial B&W maximizes shop assembly of components
operation. to save time and money.
B&W’s PFI/PFT boilers
operate on positive furnace draft fan, motor and Without question, the
pressure from a single auxiliaries, along with the PFI/PFT boiler design drives
forced draft fan, eliminating associated operating and maintenance to a minimum.
the need for an induced maintenance costs.

Features and Benefits: Furnace

Welded membrane wall construction provides the gas-tight setting absolutely necessary for all
PFI/PFT boilers. This construction minimizes outages caused by gas leaks. B&W’s membrane
wall panels use large diameter tubes and small membrane spacing. This provides a larger volume
of water in our furnace walls which results in the best combination of heat transfer efficiency,
faster load response and maintenance accessibility.

3 in. O.D. 3-3/4 in.

2-1/2 in. O.D. 3 in. Tubes
Tubes

1/2 in.
3/4 in.

PFI PFT

Furnace membrane walls; front, side, roof and floor Seal at furnace corner

5
Features and Benefits: Furnace (Continued)

B&W takes full advantage of maximum shop assembly

of components. The furnace is shipped to the field in
10 to 15 pieces with all headers shop welded. Even the front
wall is shop assembled, complete with burners and windbox,
saving time and money while assuring high quality control.

A complete boiler bank assembly

is moved into place for installation.

Furnace waterwall cooling includes not only the furnace front wall, side walls, roof and floor, but the
high heat duty screen tubes in front of the superheater as well. This unique boiler feature locates total
water cooling where it can contribute most to keeping maintenance costs down. Each screen tube is a
single flow path between drums to assure proper circulation and cooling.

When B&W designed the PFI/PFT, every effort was made to minimize furnace refractory, a major
maintenance area in boilers. Burners are located together on the furnace front (firing) wall, incorporating
fully water-cooled throats. As a result, there is no troublesome burner tile to point up or replace. The only
baffle used in a PFI is located at the cool boiler outlet zone. The PFT has no hot refractory baffles, only
water-cooled refractory, an alloy plate supported in the hot zone and an alloy plate in the cool zone.

For applications requiring extended steaming capacities, low draft loss or high gas flow conditions, the
PFI can be arranged as a twin furnace by joining two opposite-hand PFIs side-by-side.

Baffle
Baffle

GasGas
Baffle Wall
Baffle Wall
Flow
Flow Baffle
Baffle Baffle
Baffle

Gas
PFI PFI
– PLAN VIEW
- PLAN VIEW Gas
Flow
Flow

Baffle
Baffle Baffle
Baffle Baffle
Baffle

GasGas
Flow
Flow

Baffle Wall
Baffle Wall
PFT - SIDE–VIEW PFT - SIDE VIEW
PFT CROSSFLOW SIDE VIEW PFT LONGFLOW – SIDE VIEW
Gas Gas
Gas
Flow Gas
Flow
PFIPFI - TWIN PLAN
– TWIN PLANVIEW
VIEW Flow
Flow

Typical gas flow through available generating bank arrangements

6
Bottom support provides the most economi-
cal arrangement and requires less headroom in
the plant. Separate supports are located for
the drums, superheater headers and furnace.
Clearances, seals and supports are designed
for known expansions in all directions from the
fixed point.

The forces from normal operating positive furnace

gas side pressures are contained by a system
of buckstays comprised of tie bars and wide
Drum Saddle
flange structural members. This buckstay system Drum Foundation Superheater
Furnace
Supports
accommodates the effects of thermal expansion, Header Supports

temperature and pressure stresses, as well as B&W’s PFI and PFT boilers are bottom supported
wind and earthquake loading appropriate to provide the most economical arrangement.
to the plant location. Because our buckstays
are not welded to the furnace walls, weld tears
Tie
Tie Bar
Bar Pin Tie
Tie Bar
Bar
are eliminated.
Standoff
Standoff
Bar
Bar
Our furnace seal design provides a continuous
gas-tight seal between the tube membrane and
drums. Where inner cased construction is used, a Clips
10-gauge plate is welded to the tie bars instead of
directly to the pressure parts. To maintain casing
above the dew point temperature, the plate
is formed around the tie bar to ensure close
plate-to-tube contact. Buckstay
Buckstay
Support
Support Lug
Lug

End
End Connection
Connection
Recognizing the need to avoid departure from Assembly
Assembly Buckstay
Buckstay
nucleate boiling (DNB), our engineers have
designed the furnace to achieve conservative Buckstay arrangement
heat flux rates. For the same heat input, the PFI/
PFT furnace has a heat flux rate less than half that
of a package-type boiler, making it especially
tolerant of boiler water containing high silica
and organics.

The PFT’s design allows furnace height to vary

independently of the boiler height. Therefore,
Seal
Seal
a taller boiler bank is not required for a taller Weld
Weld
furnace.
Roof
Roof
Tubes
Tubes
Sidewall
Sidewall

3/8
3/8in.
in.Dia.
Dia.
RND
RNDBarBar

Roof seals provide a continuous gas-tight seal.

7
Features and Benefits: Superheater
The superheater incorporates B&W’s proven multi-
pass design for high steam velocities, assuring
equalized cooling steam distribution in all circuits.
This minimizes the need for high alloy steels, even in
areas of highest temperature. Because the super-
heater is positioned in a partial radiant heat zone, the
steam temperature characteristic of the PFI/PFT
is nearly flat from about half load and higher.
This affords close control of process heating
requirements or turbine operation over a wide
load range while minimizing attemperation
requirements.
Fully drainable superheaters, specially designed
by B&W for PFI/PFT boilers, do not trap hydrowater
or steam condensate. Compared to pendant
superheaters that must be boiled clear, B&W’s
drainable design saves valuable time during startup
while minimizing the chances of over-heat during
the pressure-raising stage.
Features and Benefits: Drums and Circulation
B&W PFI/PFT boilers are designed with extra-large steam
drums fit with the best available steam separating internals
for high steam purity and positive circulation. Because the
intent is to provide the driest steam possible for process or
turbine, as well as the most solid recirculating water head,
all PFIs and PFTs are equipped with B&W Cyclone Steam
Separators and two stages of downstream scrubbers.
B&W Cyclone Steam Separators provide the highest
steam purity and ensure positive circulation.
8
The PFI/PFT superheater circuits are completely
welded from header to header. All bends are
precisely die formed; no cast or forged bends are
used. Tube materials and thicknesses may be
customized for special applications.
The PFI/PFT superheater also benefits from its
positive bottom support. This allows only minimum
differential expansion relative to furnace floor tubes.
Lateral tube supports maintain gas lane spacing
and limit vibration. Headers are located in their own
vestibule, well out of the flue gas stream, and the
superheater incorporates a convenient outlet con-
nection at the operating-floor elevation.
The PFT superheater elements are spaced closer
together (4-1/2 in. center-to-center) compared with
the PFI (6 in. center-to-center). This means that the
PFT can accommodate more rows of surface for
the same boiler width, making it a favorite for high
steam temperature requirements.
DrySteam
Steam
Steam
Steam andand
Water from
Water
Risers from
Risers
Baffle
Baffle
Water
Steam-Free Water
Even when load changes and transient
conditions are wide and frequent, B&W’s Saturated Connections
PFI/PFT steam drum internals and water
circuit design have been developed to Steam Sampling
assure positive circulation across the
entire load range. The circulation design
of the PFI/PFT has been developed so that
all high heat absorbing tubes are carefully
Secondary Drypan
arranged as vertical upflowing circuits, Scrubber

and downcomer circuits are specifically Primary

Scrubber
located in the low gas temperature region Cyclone
Separators
of the boiler.
Normal Water Level

1in.
Incorporating the use of B&W’s Cyclone
Feedwater
Separator steam drum internals comple- Distribution
Pipe
ments the circulation design by providing Continuous
Blowdown
excellent steam purity and steam-free
Chemical
recirculated water that assure adequate Feed

circulation flow to satisfy the design

conditions at all loads. The design of the
boiler’s circulation system with the Cyclone
Separator steam drum internals minimizes Downcomers Riser Tubes

the drum water level swings that can occur

with high-capacity boilers. With appropriate
controls, the ample steam drum volume Specially designed steam drum internals
with B&W internals can be designed to enable rapid load changes.
handle a wide variation in load change.

When superheaters or special processes

are required, steam with less than 1 ppm
solids can be obtained. Turbine blades are
kept cleaner and costly superheater tube Seal Weld
failures caused by solids carryover are (Over 1500 psi
significantly reduced. The drum internal’s Design Pressure)
design also allows free end flow to minimize
turbulence and end-to-end level fluctuation.

Water tubes entering the drums are rolled

into specially grooved seats to provide
more holding power and seal integrity as
demonstrated by over ten million rolled
joints worldwide. Tube joints operating Drum
above 1500 psig (103.4 bar) are seal Generating Tube Expanded
welded for additional seal integrity. Bank Tube into Grooves

Rolled tube joints and grooved tube seats provide

excellent holding power and seal integrity.

9
Features and Benefits: Burners and Environmental Equipment

Designed primarily for natural gas and oil firing,
the PFI/PFT is also used for incinerating a wide
range of liquid and gaseous waste fuels, and as
a heat recovery boiler for gas turbines. With
multiple burners and suitable controls, self-
sustaining fuels can be fired individually or in
combination.
The burner wall is large enough to accommodate
a wide range of burner types and configurations
including those of B&W’s design or others.
A portion of the combustion air can be introduced
through sidewall ports located downstream of
the burners to promote staged burning for lower
NOx emissions. Recirculated flue gas may be
introduced into the combustion air stream for
additional NOx control. The completely water-
cooled firing wall absorbs additional heat from
the gas, thereby limiting thermal NOx formation.
For the same input, the PFI/PFT furnace has
about six times the volume of a package-type
boiler which better accommodates long flame
lengths typical of today’s low NOx oil and gas
burner technology.
B&W is responsive to ever-tightening requirements
on airborne emission limits. Given the variety of
fuels that can be burned in the PFI/PFT, B&W will
support your air emission requirements with add-
on technology for control of acid gas, particulate
and other specified compounds.

Special Features Set the PFI/PFT Apart From Others

The integral air plenum concept designed into B&W’s PFI assures that installation at the plant
is vastly simplified. The “straight-through” arrangement of the PFI/PFT boiler with a regenerative
air heater is the most common because it is the most functional. However, because the plenum
(integral duct-flue surrounding the rear, top and front of the PFI) can be internally baffled to
accommodate almost any duct inlet or flue outlet, an unlimited number of both air heater and
economizer arrangements are possible. The PFT air duct is routed under the furnace floor. Both
plenum arrangements make operation easier and minimize space requirements.

A lower drum heating coil can be supplied to maintain the boiler in a hot standby condition,
substantially reducing re-start time from a matter of hours to a matter of minutes. Thermal sleeve
connections, which eliminate stress from differential expansion, are standard.

A lower drum heating coil will

reduce re-start time.
Coil
Coil Support
Support
Brackets
Brackets

Lower Drum
Lower Drum

Heating Coil
Heating Coil

Steam
Steam
In
In
Condensate
Condensate
Out
Out
Thermal
Thermal
Sleeve
Sleeve

10
Special inspection doors for pressurized
operation allow observation of both com- Competitor’s Design
Competitor’s Design Babcock&&Wilcox
Babcock Wilcox Design
Design
bustion conditions and cleanliness of
heat-absorbing surfaces. Safety is provided
by a special interlock that assures that Header
Header
3/8 in.
In.
3/8
compressed air is properly aspirating at the Maximum
Maximum
aperture before the door is opened.

Economizers and air heaters are available

for increased efficiency. Pre-engineered
arrangements of extended surface or bare-
tube economizers, as well as regenerative or
tubular air heaters are offered to meet varying Seat
Seat Seat
Seat

fuel, space and economic considerations.

Sootblowers are properly located for effective MasterHand

Master HandHole
Hole(MHH)
(MHH) Fitting
Fitting
cleaning of the superheater and generating MHH fitting is seated tightly MHH fitting is un-seated when
bank heat transfer surfaces. Sootblower to header when weld cools and weld cools and contracts,
contracts, leaving weld stressed eliminating stress build-up
bearings, wallboxes and tube openings are and vulnerable to cracking. in the weld.
standard on all PFI/PFT boilers, regardless of
fuels fired.
Master hand hole (MHH) fitting
PFIs firing oil or other ash-containing liquids
have boiler banks arranged for effective lane
blowing via rotating-type sootblowers. Molten
oil ash normally will run off superheater tubes
making sootblowers in this area unnecessary. Flexible Block Membrane Wall
Flexible Block Membrane Wall
Where a particular ash makes liquid-to-solid Insulation
Insulation
transition at the entrance to boiler banks, Insulation
Insulation
retractable sootblowers can be located at this Support
SupportTine
Tine
area. The PFT has wide cavities within the boiler
bank to accommodate the number of soot-
blowers necessary to handle especially tough
cleaning requirements.

Wash-water troughs and drains are standard

on every new PFI/PFT boiler to facilitate off-
line water-washing.

Master hand hole (MHH) fittings are strategi-

cally located in water and steam headers
where access is required. The MHH fitting
weld is designed to avoid cracking associated
with stress build-up in the seat. Protective
Protective
MetalLagging
Metal Lagging

Indoor or outdoor operation are both made Self-Attaching

Self-Attaching Speed Nut
Speed Nut
possible by the all-metal lagging construction withTine
with Tine Bent
Bent Over
Over
which presents a good appearance, is quite
durable and requires minimal maintenance. Membrane wall with block insulation and lagging
enables indoor or outdoor installation.

11
B&W’s manufacturing facilities maintain
the highest quality standards.
B&W’s extensive, worldwide
Total Scope Supply experience allows us the
and Services flexibility to easily meet
diverse project requirements –
anything from a knock-down
boiler to an entire steam
island. We can package your
boiler system with properly
sized, quality auxiliaries to
match your needs and our
standards of excellence.
12
Stringent quality control
standards
At B&W, quality assurance
is integral to our design,
engineering and manufac-
turing processes. To ensure
all codes and specifications
are met, B&W uses stringent
quality control procedures
and sophisticated testing
apparatus. Rigid standards
have been established for our
material suppliers as well.
B&W’s commitment to
quality is evidenced by our:
• Advanced technology –
B&W builds quality into
its products during every
process and stage.
• Strength in size and
capacity – facilities,
manpower and global
presence provide you
with a complete range
of fabricating processes.
• Outstanding responsive-
ness – B&W is equipped
and structured to meet
your delivery needs and
requirements.
Manufacturing and
safety excellence
B&W PFI/PFT boilers
are designed, engineered
and manufactured at our
West Point, Mississippi,
USA facility. This plant is
ISO-9001 registered, ASME
code approved and is in
compliance with AWS code
requirements. B&W’s West
Point plant also maintains an
outstanding safety record and
has been awarded the OSHA
Star Status in the Voluntary
Protection Program.
Manufacturing and safety
excellence are a continuous
goal for B&W.
Worldwide responsive
service and manufac-
turing support
B&W’s network of domestic
and international sales repre-
sentatives and field service
engineers assures you of a
prompt response – whether
servicing and upgrading your
existing system or specifying
new equipment. We can
provide services ranging
from routine inspection and
controls tuning to capacity
increase engineering studies,
low emissions conversions, or
new digital control systems.
To meet the needs of the
global market, we also
design, engineer and manu-
facture PFI/PFT boilers in
accordance with all B&W
standards through various
international operations and
licensees.
Support services
B&W believes that customer
satisfaction and trust is built
by maintaining close contact
with the customer after the
sale. In addition to equipment
supply, B&W offers compre-
hensive support services
including:
• Field service engineering
• Inspection and maintenance
services
• Engineered upgrades or
custom modifications
• Long-term service
alliance programs
• Training programs
• Operating instructions
• Spare parts manuals
• Start-up and commissioning
services
• Replacement part ordering
by phone or Internet
24 hours a day
Reliable single-source A network of B&W field service engineers is available for
supplier customer support long after the sale is completed.
B&W’s proven expertise in
boilers, burners and controls
makes us a reliable and
responsive single source for
PFI/PFT boilers and auxiliary
equipment. From engineering
and manufacturing to field
construction, start-up and
operation, B&W knows how
to make it all work together
for maximum operating
efficiency and dependability.
13
The Babcock & Wilcox Company – we’re
the original. We’ve been generating powerful
solutions in the design, construction and
servicing of steam generating systems since
1867. So put our experience and capabilities
to work for you today. Insist on us by name.

For more information, or a complete listing

of our sales and service offices, call
1-800-BABCOCK (222-2625), send an e-mail
to info@babcock.com, or access our Web site
at www.babcock.com.

The Babcock & Wilcox Company

20 S. Van Buren Avenue
Barberton, Ohio, USA 44203
Phone: (330) 753-4511
Fax: (330) 860 -1886

Babcock & Wilcox Canada Ltd.

581 Coronation Boulevard
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada N1R 5V3
Phone: (519) 621-2130
Fax: (519) 621-9681

The information contained herein is provided for general

information purposes only and is not intended or to be
construed as a warranty, an offer, or any representation
of contractual or other legal responsibility.

Generating Powerful Solutions is a service mark of

The Babcock & Wilcox Company.

© 2004 The Babcock & Wilcox Company. All rights reserved.

A McDermott company.

E101-3186 3MD4J