SOOTBLOWER OPTIMIZATION .2. DEPOSIT AND SOOTBLOWER INTERACTION

The effects on deposit removal of deposit strength, its thickness, and sootblower jet characteristics were investigated in a scaled laborato ry apparatus using synthetic brittle deposits covering single tubes. A simple quantitative criterion that relates tensile strength of the de posit and the sootblower peak impact pressure required to remove a dep osit by brittle fracture was derived. Brittle deposit failure is a ver y rapid process implying that sootblower effectiveness does not depend on the exposure time in the boiler areas where deposits are brittle. A calculation procedure is presented for estimating the effective clea ning radius of a sootblower for deposit removal.