Method for sootblowing optimization

• US 8,447,431 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2008
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Digital Holdings LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: NeuCo Incorporated (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Lefebvre, W. Curt, Kohn, Daniel W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Brian R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sasaki, Shogo
• Application Number:
  US12/261,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20090062961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,664 Days
• Field of Search: 700/266, 700/274, 122/379, 122/390, 122/392, 153161-3181, 422/105, 436/55
• US Class Current: 700/274
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 37/56 Boiler cleaning control devices, e.g. for ascertaining proper duration of boiler blow-down
• CPC Class Codes: F23J 3/023 cleaning the fireside of watertubes in boilers
• CPC Class Codes: F28G 1/16 using jets of fluid for removing debris F28G1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28G 15/003 Control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/12 Condition responsive control

Abstract

A controller determines and adjusts system parameters, including cleanliness levels or sootblower operating settings, that are useful for maintaining the cleanliness of a fossil fuel boiler at an efficient level. Some embodiments use a direct controller to determine cleanliness levels and/or sootblower operating settings. Some embodiments use an indirect controller, with a system model, to determine cleanliness levels and/or sootblower settings. The controller may use a model that is, for example, a neural network, or a mass energy balance, or a genetically programmed model. The controller uses input about the actual performance or state of the boiler for adaptation. The controller may operate in conjunction with a sootblower optimization system that controls the actual settings of the sootblowers. The controller may coordinate cleanliness settings for multiple sootblowers and/or across a plurality of heat zones in the boiler.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting sootblower operating settings for removing combustion deposits in a boiler comprising steps of:

(i) providing said boiler having one or more heat zones, wherein an adjustable cleanliness level and one or more sootblowers having sootblower operating settings are associated with each of said heat zones of said boiler;

(ii) implementing an indirect controller with a system model that relates the sootblower operating settings for the one or more sootblowers of the heat zones to the cleanliness levels of the heat zones, said sootblower operating settings are values for one or more sootblower operating parameters, wherein said sootblower operating parameters include one or more of the following;

(1) jet progression rate, (2) rotational speed, (3) spray pattern, (4) fluid velocity, (5) media cleaning pattern, (6) fluid temperature and (7) fluid pressure;

(iii) providing data values to the indirect controller that are indicative of actual cleanliness levels of the heat zones;

(iv) providing desired cleanliness levels of the heat zones to the indirect controller;

(v) using the indirect controller to determine desired sootblower operating settings to attain the desired cleanliness levels of the heat zones by use of the data values indicative of the actual cleanliness levels of the heat zones;

(vi) using the indirect controller to determine a control move derived from the desired sootblower operating settings; and

(vii) communicating the control move from the indirect controller to said one or more sootblowers of the heat zones.

2. A computer program product, residing on a non-transitory computer readable medium, for use in controlling removal of combustion deposits in a boiler having one or more heat zones, wherein an adjustable cleanliness level and one or more sootblowers having sootblower operating settings are associated with each of said heat zones of said boiler, and the performance of the boiler is characterized by boiler performance parameters that include one or more of the following:

(a) heat rate, (b) capacity, (c) emissions, (d) opacity and (e) net profit, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a computer to;

obtain data values indicative of actual cleanliness levels for said heat zones and provide them to an indirect controller;

provide desired cleanliness levels for said heat zones to the indirect controller;

determine desired sootblower operating settings for said one or more sootblowers of each said heat zone of the boiler using the data values indicative of the actual cleanliness levels to attain the desired cleanliness levels using the indirect controller, said desired sootblower operating settings are values for one or more sootblower operating parameters, wherein said sootblower operating parameters include one or more of the following;

(1) jet progression rate, (2) rotational speed, (3) spray pattern, (4) fluid velocity, (5) media cleaning pattern, (6) fluid temperature and (7) fluid pressure;

determine a control move corresponding to the desired sootblower operating settings; and

communicate the control move to said one or more sootblowers of the heat zones for directing a cleaning medium against surfaces of the boiler.

3. A method for determining desired sootblower operating settings for one or more sootblowers for removing combustion deposits in a boiler, wherein said sootblower operating settings are values for one or more sootblower operating parameters, the method for determining the desired sootblower operating settings comprising:

(i) providing said boiler having one or more heat zones, wherein an adjustable cleanliness level and one or more sootblowers having said sootblower operating settings are associated with each of said heat zones of said boiler, the operation of said one or more sootblowers of said heat zones being characterized by said one or more sootblower operating parameters indicative of how said one or more sootblowers of said heat zones direct a cleaning medium against surfaces of the boiler,

said one or more sootblower operating parameters including one or more of the following;

(1) jet progression rate, (2) rotational speed, (3) spray pattern, (4) fluid velocity, (5) media cleaning pattern, (6) fluid temperature and (7) fluid pressure, wherein performance of the boiler is characterized by boiler performance parameters that include one or more of the following;

(1) heat rate, (2) capacity, (3) emissions, (4) opacity and (5) net profit;

(ii) providing a controller with a boiler performance goal wherein the boiler performance goal is a goal associated with at least one of the boiler performance parameters associated with the adjustable cleanliness level of the one or more heat zone, wherein said boiler performance goal includes one or more of the following;

(1) value for heat rate, (2) value for capacity, (3) value for emission, (4) value for opacity, (5) minimizing a value for one of said boiler performance parameters, and (6) maintaining a range of values for one of said boiler performance parameters;

(iii) providing the controller with data values corresponding to actual cleanliness levels of the heat zones and the boiler performance parameters;

(iv) using the controller to determine the desired sootblower operating settings that satisfy the boiler performance goal by use of at least the boiler performance goal and the data values; and

(v) outputting from the controller the desired sootblower operating settings for said one or more sootblowers for removing combustion deposits in the boiler, said one or more sootblowers directing the cleaning medium against surfaces of the boiler in accordance with the desired sootblower operating settings.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein step (iv) further comprises using a system model that relates the sootblower operating settings to the boiler performance parameters.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said system model is a neural network.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said system model is a mass-energy balance model.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said system model is a genetically programmed model.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein said controller is an adaptive controller.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein said controller is an indirect controller.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said indirect controller receives said data values from a performance monitoring system having at least one performance sensor.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein said controller outputs the desired sootblower operating settings to a sootblower subsystem for operating said one or more sootblowers in accordance with said desired sootblower operating settings.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein said controller is a direct controller.

13. The method of claim 3, wherein said boiler has a plurality of heat zones, and wherein step (iv) further comprises using the controller to coordinate cleanliness levels for the plurality of heat zones to satisfy the boiler performance goal.

14. The method of claim 3, wherein step (iv) includes using the controller to determine the desired sootblower operating settings that satisfy the boiler performance goal by use of the boiler performance goal, one or more operating constraints for said one or more sootblowers, and the data values.