BOILER COMMISSIONING

BOILER AND AUX. COMMISSIONING

COMMISSIONING :It is the later stage of erection and starting stage of operation. It includes 14 days of continuous operation with 72 hrs of full load operation.

INTRODUCTION TO COMMISSIONING
Commissioning Activities before taking over a plant.
Purpose To check that plant is supplied as per design Quality of erection and commissioning Plant operates reliably, safety & design performance. Finding out reason for any failure to achieve the design performance.

Boiler Side Commissioning Activities

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Hydraulic test of boiler Air and Gas tightness test. Trial Run up of equipments. Trial Light-up of boiler. Alkali Boil out. Thermal flow test. Chemical Cleaning of Boiler Acid cleaning. Passivation. Steam blowing. Safety valves setting.

1. Hydraulic test of Boiler

It is done to check the integrity of joints.

Procedure: Fill the boiler with DM water of pH 10.0 made with TSP (Na3PO4) and hydrazine (200ppm), keeping vents open and drains closed. After filling, close the vents.
Pressurize the boiler up to 1.5 times the design pressure of the boiler at the highest point with the help of a reciprocating pump installed at the ring header.

Acceptance Criteria: Rate of pressure drop after stopping the pump must be less than 1 Kg/Cm2 per minute..

2. Air and Gas Tightness test

For Furnace: Smoke bombs are placed first in the bottom of first pass and later in the second pass through manholes. Escaping smoke indicates points of leakages. Attend and repeat the test.

For Ducts: Introduce smoke bombs through bottom manholes. Attend the leakages found and repeat the test.

For ESP: Isolate the ESP and pressurize it by installing a variable speed
blower to the bottom of one of the hopper. The blower must be equipped with a differential manometer for air flow measurement. Maintain the pressure of the ESP at +230mmwcl. Measure quantity of air flow required to maintain this pressure. If Air flow required is less than 1% of the rated flow through ESP, than ESP is accepted otherwise search for leakages and attend. Repeat the test.

Equipments includes APH, ID, FD & PA Fans, Mills, Seal air fans, Scanner air fans etc.

3. Trial Run of Equipments

Commissioning of motors: Pre Start Checks: Freeness of rotor Tightness of foundation bolt Earthing connections (2 independent connections) Earthing resistance <=1 ohm PI IR 2 IR Power cable connections Insulation resistance (IR value) Lubrication of bearings Electrical protection relays Emergency push button (EPB) Lub Oil system line up.
600 60

Continued

Trial Run of Equipments

Commissioning of motors: Post Start Checks: Energize the supply and check-

Direction of rotation Starting Current Starting time (time taken to drop from starting current to no load current) Phase currents Bearing temperature Bearing vibration Winding temperature
Continued

Commissioning of Equipments: Alignment and coupling to be checked Process side requirements are to be fulfilled Interlocks and protections to be checked Afterwards, Start the equipment Check and record the parameters Equipment LT Motor LT Equipment HT Motor HT Equipment Trial run duration 4 Hours 4 Hours 8 Hours 8 Hours

Trial Run of Equipments

COMMISSIONING OF FD/PAFANS
CHECK FOR THE FREENESS OF FAN ROTOR.
CHECK FOR THE INDICATION OF RTD AND

VIBRATION PICKUPS. CHECK THE OPERATION BLADE PITCH IN CONTROL ROOM AS WELL AS IN LOCAL. CHECK FOR THE OPERATION OF DISCHARGE DAMPER/GATE.

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COMMISSIONING OF FD/PA FANS

CHECK WHETHER ALL PROTECTIONS AND

PERMISSIVES ARE IN SERVICE. CHECK FOR THE CLEANLINESS OF DISCHARGE DUCT AND ALL OTHER INTERCONNECTION OF DUCTS. CHECK FOR THE CLEANLINESS OF SUCTION CHAMBER. CHECK FOR BLADE CLEARANCES FROM THE FAN CASING.
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COMMISSIONING OF FD/PA FANS

CHECK FOR THE AVAILABLITY OF COOLING

WATER. CHECK WHETHER LUB OIL COOLERS ARE CHARGED FROM WATER SIDE. TAKE THE TRIAL RUN OF FAN AFTER GETTING CLEARANCES FROM VERIOUR CONCERNED DEPARTMENTS. BRG TEMP,VIBRATION READINGS TO BE RECORDED ON HOURLY BASIS.
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4. Trial Light up of the Boiler

Prerequisites: Insulation of pressure part should be complete Insulation of ESP and ducts should be complete

Fuel oil firing system must be available

At least one ID, FD fan, APH, Scanner Air Fan must be available FSSS is required to be commissioned Control room should be ready with the all boiler side required parameters

Continued.

Trial Light up of the Boiler

Steps: Fill boiler with DM water of pH 9.6 with 200ppm Hydrazine. Run APH, ID fan, FD fan, & Scanner air fan.

Purge the boiler

Light up with 2 oil guns in AB elevation. Keep Eco recirculation and Startup vent open

Extend furnace temperature probes (FG temp at RH inlet <540oC)

Saturation temperature rise in drum should be <110oC Observe top-bottom Dt of drum (should be<50oC) Observe locally for the uniform expansion of boiler at Drum (LHS and RHS) Ist pass -16 mts and 7 mts IInd pass 29 mts Continued.

Trial Light up of the Boiler

Steps (Continued From Previous slide): At 2 kg/Cm2 pressure, close drum vents, ECO vents and SH air vents. At 6 kg/Cm2 pressure, close SHH drains

Go gradually up to 40 kg/Cm2 pressure in drum.

Inspect and record boiler expansions at 5 kg/Cm2 intervals. Box up Boiler at 40 kg/Cm2 pressure

At 6 Kg/CM2 drum pressure, open SHH drains.

At 2 Kg/Cm2 pressure, open drum vents, ECO vents and SH air vents. Stop APH when FG temp at APH temp is below 120oC. Stop Scanner air fan when temp is equal to ambient temperature.

Chemical Cleaning of Boiler

Steam from new boiler contains dissolved and suspended impurities which are required to be removed to make the steam turbine-worthy. It is done by Chemical cleaning of boiler. The major source of these impurities is the tube manufacturing process and storing environment. As boiler tube are hot extruded, these contain oil and grease, dust, mill scales, rust, sand or silica, welding slag and loose foreign particles etc. First Step in chemical cleaning is cold water flushing in which boiler is filled with cold water up to normal level and then flushed

5. Alkali Boil Out

Purpose: To remove oil and grease from the steaming surfaces including drum, down-comers, bottom ring header, water walls and riser tube. Steps: Fill the boiler up to normal level with DM water containing 1000 ppm TSP and 200 ppm Hydrazine. Light up the boiler. Gradually go up to 40 Kg/Cm2 drum pressure. After this, kill fire and open the bottom ring header drains (4 numbers) for one minute each and then close. Make up lost water from the system, again light up the boiler and go up to 40 Kg/Cm2.

Repeat this process hourly for 24 hrs. Ensure to take drain samples for oil, phosphate and NaOH (these parameter concentration should nil)
After 24 hrs, box up the boiler and allow to cool naturally. At 1.5 kg/Cm2 pressure, drain hot.

6. Thermal Flow test

Take out all Drum internals and drum safety valves. Arrange temporary tank with DM water connections as per figure. Connect several pumps taking suction from the tank and discharging to Bottom ring header and ECO inlet. Connect drum and ECO vents to the return of temporary tank. Down-comers opening is restricted by placing orifices plates inside the drum. SH supply tubes plugged by hydrostatic expansible rubber plugs from inside the drum. Fill the tank.

Select circuit to be tested. ( Water walls or economizer, refer the fig.)

Water velocity must be 1.5-2 m/s through the tube. More than one pump is required to be taken in service for it.
Continued

Thermal Flow test

X

To SH Header

Rubber Plugs

DRUM
Temporary Orifice Plates

WaterWalls DownComers
f 406 f 63.5

ECO

NRV
X

Dog House

DM water

Bottom-Ring Header

TANK
X

Aux. Steam

Continued
Arrangement for Thermal Flow Test

Thermal Flow test

Perform The thermal flow test for each tube of the selected circuit using a Land Flow-meter by heating the tube with gas torch and record all the results. Cut the chocked tubes and replace.
Land Flow meter is essentially a clock. Start and stop of this clock is devised by temperatures which are preset. Probe of the land flow-meter has a magnetic attach point. Suppose after heating, the land flow-meter starts at 75oC (if the higher preset temperature is 75oC) and stops at 35oC (if the lower preset temperature is 35oC). The time taken between these two will be the output of Land Flow-meter (in seconds). Longer time taken to cool down between given temperature limits indicates chocking in that particular tube. Caution: Higher Temperature preset must be sufficiently lower than B.P. of water and lower preset temperature must be sufficiently higher than the ambient temperature.

7. Acid Cleaning
Acid cleaning is done to remove rust, mill scales, welding slag, stray iron pieces etc. from the economizer, drum, down-comers, Bottom Ring Header, water wall and risers.
X

To SH Header

X X
DRUM
Temporary Orifice Plates

Rubber Plugs

DownComers
f 406

WaterWalls
f 63.5

The Arrangement for the acid cleaning is very similar to thermal flow test. But to protect the Super heater circuit from Acid, SH circuit is filled with DM water containing Hydrazine (200ppm) and pH10 at 5 Kg/Cm2 pressure.

EC O NRV
X

Acid Storage Tank DM water

Dog House

Bottom-Ring Header

TANK
X
X

Aux. Steam

Neutralizing Pit

Arrangement for Acid Cleaning

Continued

Acid Cleaning
There are two methods available for acid cleaning. 1. Soaking method: In this, boiler is filled with acid solution (about 6% HCl) and then allowed to remain stand still for a particular period of time. Afterwards boiler is drained.

2. Hot Acid cleaning: This is the preferred method. In this method, hot acid solution is circulated through the circuit to be cleaned and concentration of this acid solution is maintained throughout the cycle.
Continued

Acid Cleaning (Hot Acid Circulation Method)

Take 30% HCl in acid storage tank. Fill the temporary tank with DM water.

Select the circuit to be cleaned (water walls or economizer).

Run as many pumps to maintain velocity in pipes around 1.5-2 m/s. Add Auxiliary Steam to the tank to maintain its temperature 65-70oC.

Add Rhodine (inhibitor) to make 0.1% solution.

Add Acid to the tank to keep concentration of 6% at the pumps inlet. Take hourly samples for analysis of Fe and Acid. 3 readings with same Fe means no more debris to clean Stop Circulation.

Continued

Acid Cleaning (Hot Acid Circulation Method)

Reactions:

6HCl 6HCl

2FeO 2FeCl3 Fe2O3

2H 2O H 2 3H 2O

2FeCl3

Release Hydrogen generated periodically from the vents. Drain solution to neutralizing pit containing Ca(OH)2 under Nitrogen.

Continued

Acid Cleaning
Next Step after Acid Circulation is Citric Acid rinsing.

Take water at 70oC.

Make a solution of 0.2% citric acid. Circulate till conductivity becomes equal at inlet and outlet.

Drain under Nitrogen.

Note: FeCl3 precipitates as Fe if pH goes down, Hence citric acid is used for rinsing in place of DM water.

Continued

Acid Cleaning
Next Step after Citric Acid rinsing is Sodium Carbonate rinsing. Take water at 70oC. Make a solution of 1% of Na2CO3.

Circulate till concentration becomes equal at inlet and outlet.

Drain under Nitrogen.

Now the Boiler is free from any dust, rust, oil, loose iron particles, welding slag etc.

8. Passivation (Ist Step)

The purpose of Passivation is to create a passive or chemically inert layer of magnetite upon the steaming surfaces of boiler.

DM water of pH 9.6 and containing 200 ppm hydrazine is circulated into the boiler at 70oC for 24 hours (Using similar arrangement of acid cleaning) and drain afterwards. Inspect the formation of a passive layer of magnetite (Fe3O4)
Continued

Passivation (IInd Step)

Normalize the boiler for steaming. Drain Super heater Remove SH Plugs.

Remove orifices from the down-comers.

Remove temporary tank and piping. Put drum internals. Put drum safety valves. Fill boiler with DM water of pH 9.6 with 300 ppm hydrazine. Light up the boiler Go up to 40 Kg/Cm2 drum pressure. Box up the boiler and hold up to 24 hours. Drain at 90oC. Inspect for the formation of magnetite layer.

9. Steam Blowing
Steam blowing of Main Steam lines, cold reheat lines, Hot Reheat lines, Superheaters, Reheaters and transfer pipe lines of turbine will be carried out in order to remove welding slag, loose foreign material, iron pieces, rust etc. from the system. The technique employed in puffing method of steam blowing is to give a thermal shock to the contour being purged, to dislodge the scales etc., which will be subsequently cleared by the expanding steam. The procedure is to raise the boiler pressure to a pre-determined value, shut off firing and at the same time open the electrically operated temporary valve, thus allowing the steam to escape to atmosphere with high velocity carrying with it the loose debris. Steam Blowing is done in different stages depending on one type of turbine & its Steam Oil circuit. In case of 210 Mw &-MW turbine the Steam blowing is accomplished in six stages.

Continued

Steam Blowing

Continued

Steam Blowing
Precautions: Drum level to be maintained carefully. The time for opening as well as closing of the electrically operated temporary valve should be as short as possible. The temporary discharge piping should be well supported to withstand the reaction forces during blowing. The boiler pressure during blowing out operation should be kept within the design pressure of reheater and related piping, temporary piping, fittings and flanges. The gas temperature at furnace outlet will be restricted to be within 535C (1000F) to safeguard reheater tubes. pH of water to be maintained more than 10 all the time. After completion of steam blowing, permanent drain piping should be routed using TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding to avoid welding slag and subsequent problem in draining the system during operation.

10. Safety valve setting

Pre-commissioning checks: 1. Inspection of the valve. 2. Ensure correct welding of valves to pipe line. 3. Piping works complete after steam blow. 4. Proper support for safety V/V exhausts. 5. Tightness of bolts on valves. 6. Drain from safety valve body and exhaust Tray properly laid. 7. Insulation provided wherever necessary. 8. Silencer being fixed.
Continued

Safety valve setting

REQUIRED STATE OF UNIT 1 2 3 One set of ID, FD fans available One set of AH available HFO pressure system with heaters is available

4
5 6 7

Oil burners available

HP/LP dosing system available Dearator available Two BFPs available

8
9

Boiler protections associated with fans, APH, FSSS are checked

FRS available for operation
Continued

Safety valve setting

Light up the boiler as per normal procedure. Check that all ERVs are in off position. At the pressure of 132.4 KSC (80% of lowest set value) gag all the safety valves except the one which has the highest pressure setting. At the pressure of 143.2 KSC (80% of the 179 KSC) hand operate the valve three times, each lift lasting for 30 sec, and check the operation of valve. The lever must be operated by a rope of at least 6 mts in length to protect the operator from evaporating steam and dirt. Continue raising the pressure gradually up to the floating pressure of the valve or until the valve lifts, but the pressure must not be raised above 1.5 KSC more than the correct set pressure. Record the pressure at which the valve lifts. As soon as the valve lifts, start decreasing the pressure by opening the start up vent and lowering the firing rate and note the reset pressure & temperature of the steam. Drum safety valves, SH safety valves, RH safety valves setting done one by one in decreasing order of pressure. Afterwards, ERVs setting is done.

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