Effective Recovery Boiler Leak Detection with Mass Balance Methods, 2000 Engineering Conference Proceedings

Paul R. Burgmayer, Virginia E. Durham--Early detection of recovery boiler leaks continues to be an important objective of power and recovery operations because of the serious consequences of a water leak into the recovery boiler furnace. The effective use of mass balances for leak detection in boilers requires an understanding of the unique characteristics of a particular boiler—mass balance variation and sources of variation—and the techniques to correct for variation. A leak detection system has been developed that uses chemical and/or water mass balances around the waterside of the boiler. Based upon analysis of mass balance data, including real leaks in recovery boiler economizers, boiler banks, superheaters, and floor tubes, the system has been engineered to automatically compensate for the unique variations in the mass balances of each boiler. As a result, sensitivity and speed of detection are maximized while false alarms and downtime are minimized.