A PILOT PLANT STUDY OF LOW EXCESS AIR COMBUSTION--ITS EFFECT ON FIRESIDE PROBLEMS IN OIL-FIRED BOILERS

Fireside problems in oil-fired marine boilers, including high-temperature ash deposition and high- and low-temperature corrosion, decrease efficiency and availability of the unit and often result in increased maintenance and repair costs. These problems are associated with impurities in the heavy residual fuel oil. These impurities include vanadium, sodium and sulfur. The first section presents an extensive review and technical evaluation of available information on fuel oil combustion and related fields to determine what benefits can be expected by operating oil-fired boilers with controlled, low excess air combustion, and how such a combustion process can best be designed and controlled. The second section presents the results obtained from eight tests that were run on a pilot plant firing a troublesome residual fuel oil to determine the effect of low excess air combustion on the fireside problems. The results show that significant reductions in both high- and low-temperature corrosion were obtained when the heavy oil was burned at a level of 1 to 2% excess air. In addition, the high-temperature ash deposition rate was decreased and the deposits that formed were softer and more easily removed than those formed when firing at normal (7 to 8%) excess air.

• Corporate Authors:

  Babcock and Wilcox Company

  Research and Development Division
  Alliance, OH  United States 
• Authors:
  • Sedor, P
• Publication Date: 1967-5-15

Media Info

• Pagination: 175 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Boiler tubes; Boilers; Combustion; Corrosion; Equipment maintenance
• Old TRIS Terms: Boiler maintenance; Boiler tube corrosion; Combustion control; Combustion gases
• Subject Areas: Maintenance and Preservation; Marine Transportation; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00027043
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: BW-7787 Final Rpt
• Contract Numbers: MA-3444
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 14 1973 12:00AM