To increase steaming rate on a client’s boiler, it was required that the feedwater supply be upgraded. In trying to reach the required output, some of the operational issues identified on the feedwater supply system included supply shortage to the boiler, difficulty governing the drum level, recurrent maintenance work being required on the feedwater pumps, and the inability of the control system to cope with the rapid pressure fluctuations.
Feedwater Capacity Upgrade
Figure 1: Feedwater Piping System Arrangement.
Various methods were employed to correctly identify and address the operational issues, which included, but were not limited to:
- Static, dynamic and vibration stress analyses
- Evaluation of the distributed control system
- Process evaluations
Several conclusions and recommendations were drawn from the work conducted by Babcock that led to a solution that met client requirements and alleviated the operational issues previously experienced by the client, with recommendations for further development.
Figure 2: Static Stress Model at the Pumps.
