On Line Recovery Boiler Dust Analyzer, 1998 International Chemical Recovery Conference Proceedings

A continuous process analyzer has been developed for recovery boiler conditions. The instrument measures on-line the total particulate concentration and potassium and chlorine contents of the dust from the flue gas. Operation principle of the new instrument and preliminary test results of a prototype unit are described. The construction and operation of the sampling probe and the analyzer have been validated in the measurements this far. Preliminary comparison measurements with standard sampling techniques show reasonable agreement with Recovery Boiler Dust -analyzer. For total particulate concentration measurements the difference between on-line analyzer and standard gravimetric method was ±10-20 %. Difference between potassium and chlorine mass concentration and laboratory analyses of dust was ± 20 -35 %. The main reason for differences in calculated parameters was that the gas flow and the sample flow measurements were not accurate enough during the test period of the prototype. Further comparison measurements are clearly necessary for assessing the new method and a pre-production prototype in different conditions. Applications of the instrument include better process control of boiler operation, quality monitoring of recycled dust and indirect indicator of boiler fouling and plugging. In addition it can be used to monitor removal processes of potassium and chlorine.