System and methods for detecting, monitoring, and removing deposits on boiler heat exchanger surfaces using dynamic pressure analysis

Abstract

A boiler system includes a boiler having at least one internal surface on which a deposit may form. The boiler system further includes at least one cleaning implement coupled to a high-pressure fluid supply for carrying a high-pressure fluid into the boiler. The cleaning implement is configured such that the high-pressure fluid impacts the surface. The boiler system also includes at least one pressure measuring device coupled to the high-pressure fluid system. The pressure measuring device is configured to measure at least one of the pressure or flow rate in a high-pressure fluid supply, and the measured pressure and/or flow rate indicates presence or absence of the deposit on the surface.

1 . A boiler system comprising:
 a boiler having at least one heat exchanger, the at least one heat exchanger having a surface on which a deposit may form;   at least one cleaning implement having a tube for carrying a high-pressure fluid into the boiler, the tube being fluidly coupled to a high-pressure fluid supply and configured to discharge the high-pressure fluid such that the high-pressure fluid impacts at least one of the heat exchanger surface and/or internal boiler wall surface; and   at least one pressure measuring device coupled to the high-pressure fluid supply, the pressure measuring device being configured to measure the changes in at least one of the pressure or flow rate in the high-pressure fluid supply resulting from the impact of the high-pressure fluid with a deposit,   wherein the measured pressure of the high-pressure fluid indicates presence or absence of the deposit on the at least one of heat exchanger surface or internal boiler wall surface.   
     
     
         2 . The boiler system of  claim 1 , wherein the measured pressure of the high-pressure fluid supply indicates at least one of a location of the deposit or an amount of the deposit on the at least one of heat exchanger surface or internal boiler wall surface. 
     
     
         3 . The boiler system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pressure measuring device is located in at least one of a high-pressure fluid line carrying the high-pressure fluid supply to at least one cleaning implement or a high-pressure fluid line carrying the high-pressure fluid supply to more than one cleaning implement. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The boiler system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pressure measuring device is in fluid communication with the high-pressure fluid in the cleaning implement. 
     
     
         6 . The boiler system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pressure measuring device is selected from the group consisting of a pressure transducer, a flow rate measurement device, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The boiler system of  claim 1  wherein the cleaning implement is selected from the group consisting of a sootblower and a water cannon. 
     
     
         8 . The boiler system of  claim 1  further comprising a vibration measuring device. 
     
     
         9 . A method of detecting a deposit on a surface disposed within a boiler system, the method comprising:
 moving a cleaning implement coupled to a high-pressure fluid supply relative to the surface;   impacting the surface with a high-pressure fluid discharged from the cleaning implement;   measuring at least one of a pressure or flow rate in the high-pressure caused by the impact of the high-pressure fluid at a location on the at least one of the pressure or flow rate; and   analyzing the measured pressure to detect the presence of the deposit at the location.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 controlling a flow characteristic of the high-pressure fluid discharged from the cleaning implement at the location of the surface in response to the measured at least one of the pressure or flow rate.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the flow characteristic is selected from the group consisting of an amount of high-pressure fluid discharged from the cleaning implement, a flow rate of the high-pressure fluid, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9  one of  claims 9  to  11 , wherein the step of measuring a pressure further comprises:
 dynamically measuring pressures in the high-pressure fluid supply caused by the impact of the high-pressure fluid with the surface at each of a plurality of locations, 
 wherein the step of analyzing the measured pressure further comprises analyzing the measured pressure in the high-pressure fluid supply caused by the impact of the high-pressure fluid with the plurality of locations on the surface, the method further comprising: 
 generating a map of the locations of any detected deposits on the surface. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 controlling a flow characteristic of the high-pressure fluid discharged from the cleaning implement while moving the cleaning implement relative to the at least one heat exchanger surface based on the map of detected deposits.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the flow characteristic is greater for a location of the surface having a greater amount of deposit than for a location of the surface having a lesser amount of deposit. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the pressure is measured with at least one pressure transducer coupled to at least one of the high-pressure fluid supply, the cleaning implement, a high pressure fluid line supplying high-pressure to at least one cleaning implement, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the impacting of the surface with high-pressure fluid removes at least a portion of the deposit at the location on the surface, the method further comprising:
 measuring a first pressure at a first time point caused by the impact of the high-pressure fluid at the location of the surface;   measuring a second pressure at a second time point caused by the impact of the high-pressure fluid at the location of the surface; and   comparing the first pressure to the second pressure to determine changes in the amount of the deposit on the surface at the location.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the greater the measured pressure in the high-pressure fluid supply when impacting the surface at the location on the surface, the greater an amount of the deposit at the location on the surface. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the surface is selected from the group consisting of a heat exchanger surface, an internal boiler wall surface, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the cleaning implement is selected from the group consisting of a sootblower and a water cannon. 
     
     
         22 . A method of analyzing a surface of a boiler system, the process comprising:
 passing a cleaning implement coupled to a high-pressure fluid supply through a boiler in a first pass and contacting a surface in the boiler with a high-pressure expelled from the cleaning implement;   receiving a first signal indicative of a pressure in a high-pressure fluid supply in the boiler system; and   in response to the signal exceeding a threshold, determining the existence of a deposit on the surface of the boiler.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 identifying the position of the cleaning implement when the signal exceeds the threshold; and   determining a position of the deposit in the boiler based on the position of the cleaning implement when the signal exceeds the threshold.   
     
     
         24 - 30 . (canceled)