AUXILIARY BOILER

OPERATION
GROUP NI GOLING
 OPERATING MODES

There are many different modes of boiler plant operation. The one normally
dealt with is "normal operation'" when the plant is generating steam (vapor) or
heating water (fluid) and all the operator need do is monitor it in the event
something goes wrong. The other modes of operation require an operator act to
change the condition of the plant. No book can provide a specific set of
instructions to perform those activities because every boiler plant is different.
The following are guidelines to use for writing your own procedures if they
don't exist and to check them in the event they do.
 VALVE MANIPULATION

The fact that piping systems are normally built with generous safety factors,
it is consider that the operation of valves are one of the most critical skills in
boiler operation. Boiler operator are bound to discover the piping in the plant is
shaking around and making banging sounds that may cause to blow apart. The
normal hammering in needed to be stop in a reasonable period of time. Those
bang-ing and shaking incidents are due to improper operation of a valve.
Sometimes the problem isn't involved in operating the valve, it's because it
didn't work or was left in the wrong position. One such incident happened after
start-ing up a new boiler plant. When manipulating valves on steam piping it's
important to remember that a cold line is either full of air or water, it's rare for it
to contain a vacuum.
 When shutting down a steam system the space occupied by the steam has
to be filled with something when the steam condenses, either air or water.
Water setting in any piping system will descend to the lowest level if allowed.
Air can compress in piping to preclude admission of steam or water. Air can
be trapped high or low in a steam system depending on the pressure and it can
create pockets where piping is suddenly heated as the air is displaced. Some
air is desirable in water systems to serve as a cush-ion to absorb the shock of
sudden changes in flow. There's always a standing length of piping at the top
ofany water system, it’s there to trap air for that purpose.
 Modern plumbing systems use a special fitting with a seal so the air
can't be absorbed in the water to lose the cushion. The first step in filling a
system is opening vents and drains. They're never empty, usu-ally they're
filled with air and it's necessary to get it out.When shutting down a system
the vents must be open so the liquid can drain out and the air can fill the
space left by condensing steam. It's always important to open some vents
first so a little steam can escape proves that the valve is open. Once the
main steam valve is close the piping system pressure will drop quickly and
a vacuum could be generated before you get a vent or drain valve open. It is
safe to open vent first, On large systems it may take several vents and
drains to admit air fast enough to prevent pulling a vacuum. Anytime the
column of water in the piping gets over 35 feet it can create a vacuum as
steam.
Filling any large system, whether with
water or steam, should be done with a
valve installed. Normally it's a small
valve mounted on the side of the shut-
off valve but it can also be piped as a
bypass or even consistof a simple drain
and hose bib where you should con-
nect a hose from the supply to fill the
water piping.

Warm Up By-pass Valve

 NEW START-UP

Preparing for Operation

Be certain the safety shutdown push-buttons,switches, valves, and other
devices are in place and op-erational.
• Check all electrical circuits for shorts and groundsbefore energizing them.
• Make sure all equipment and piping is electrically grounded before
admitting.
• Energize all electrical circuits before ad-mitting fluids into the plant to
ensure they can be powered up.
• Test all electrical emergency trips and shutdown devices.
• De-energize circuits before admitting fluids.
 FILL SYSTEMS
Fill the system slowly, whenever possible use by-pass valves even though the
filling may be slower than desired. The person attending to the valves controlling
fluid entering the systems should not leave that post and close the valves
immediately upon instructions of, or any sounds from the observer. After the system
has filled after 3 hours, operate the vent valves again to bleed off any air that may
have been trapped and then migrated to the vents. When filling systems with
compressible gas use testers and bleed the system at the high or low points
accordingly, allow the systems to reach supply pressure or controlled pressure
slowly while diligently looking for leaks. Compressed gases including air, will
expand ex-plosively if the container ruptures so your plan should provide for small
increases in pressure with hold points at regular intervals to check for leaks and any
signs of distortion of the vessel or piping that could be caused by the pressure. A
hold point is when you have reached a certain time or condition in an operation
where you planned to hold everything while checking that the procedure is
happening as planned and all safety measures have been taken.
 START MAKEUP SYSTEMS

Once all pressure testing is completed, begin op-eration of the systems in

an orderly manner. Water soft-dealkalizers, etc. should be placed in
servicecondition water to be fed to a boiler system. Providemeans to drain
water until water suitably conditioned for the boiler is produced. If the
installing contractor wassloppy you'll find yourself flushing mud, short pieces
welding rod, and lunch bags containing leftovers out ofthe line and flushing
will become a major project. I can remember one job where we had to cut the
pipe caps offthe bottom of drip legs to get the large rocks out.
 ESTABLISH LIGHT-OFF CONDITIONS
The combustible range is so narrow that it really is difficult to
establish conditions to create a fire in a furnace. On fixed fire boilers
check the instructions for any measure-ments that will help you
establish the proper air flow orconditions for the combustion air. On
modulating boilers set the air flow at a low fire condition. If there is
no other means of determining where to set the air flow, start at
maximum on fixed fire units and 25% on modulating units. Set up
your manometer on a ten to one slope so every inch on the ruler is a
tenth of an inch inactual pressure. Position the end of the tubing at
the inlet of the forced draft fan or air inlet then fill the manometer
with water until the level is at zero. Run the fan to high fire
maximum and record the reading on the manometer. Recall that
pressure drop is proportional to the square of flow so the
measurement when you are at 1/4flow (25%) will be 1/16 of the
reading at high fire. Manometer
 FILL BOILER AND TEST LOW WATER CUTOFFS
Before starting a fire in the boiler, fill it with water to a low level in the gauge
glass, about an inch. Make sure the vent valve on the top of the boiler is open so
air can get out to let the water in. When the water is heated from cold to boiling it
will have swelled so much that the level will rise to over the middle of the glass.
In unusual boilers it's sometimes necessary to drain some water before the boiler
reaches operating temperature because the boiler has a large volume of water
compared the room for expansion in the steam drum. When the water level is
visible in the gauge glass iť's time to test the low water cutoff. The cutoffs should
be tested without operating any bypass buttons or similar provisions to ensure
they operate properly. Be sure to test the low water cutoff properly; simulate a
loss of water due to evaporation by draining the water column or cutoff chamber
slowly so the water level drops gradually to the cutoff setting. If it doesn't shut
the burner controls down, don't continue the start- up until it's fixed.
 PROVE COMBUSTION AIR FLOW

After the boiler is filled with water it's time to start a burner cycle which
always begins with establishing and proving air flow through the burner and
furnace. In most boilers, proof typically consists of a fan motor starter
interlock contact and an air flow switch. Too often I see boilers with simple
windbox pressure switch used to prove combustion air flow. It's contacts
will close when the fan runs and open when the fan is shut down because a
pressure switch simply compares pressure at the point of connection and
atmospheric pressure. Air flow should be proven by a means that's
independent of such conditions.
 PURGE THE BOILER
Purge the Boiler Once air flow is proven, a purge is a constant flow of air through
the boiler that must occur long enough to ensure any combustible material is swept out
the stack so it can't be ignited by the starting burner. On an initial start-up some math
has to be done to determine the purge timing and the flow rate may have to be
established. Your state law and fre- quently insurance company requirements dictate
the flow rate and timing of a purge.
A purge must be proven before you start timing it and the purge conditions must be
proven during the entire purge period. Purge proving is one thing very few systems do
well and you should assure yourself that the system on your new burner really proves a
purge air flow exists. The boiler operator should be the final authority on purge air
flow and ensure the automatic system's acceptance of the condition is correct. On small
boilers the typical proof is a fan running and the controls at high fire position. As the
boiler size increases, a device to monitor flow should be provided and one that
measures air flow. A proven purge is imperative for safe boiler operation.
 COMMON REQUIREMENTS FOR SINGLE AND MULTIPLE BURNER:

• Single burner boilers can be purged at • Multiple burner and coal fired
the maximum combustion air flow boilers purge air flow requirements
rate unless they are coal fired. vary but the basic rule is 25% of full
• Single burner fire tube boilers must load air flow.
purge for sufficient time to displace • Multiple burner and coal fired
the volume of the setting four times. boilers must purge for sufficient
• Single burner water tube boilers must time to displace the volume of the
purge for sufficient time to displace setting five times and for at least five
the volume of the setting eight times. minutes.
 OPEN FUEL SUPPLY, PROVE LIGHTOFF CONDITIONS

When the purge system is working properly you can open manual fuel shut-off valves
to bring fuel up to the safety shut off valves. The piping should be checked to ensure the
fuel is up to the safety shut off valves and there are no leaks before proceeding. After that
final check you can install the oil guns or gas guns that you intentionally left out so no fuel
could get into the boiler. It's a good habit to get into, always remove the guns when the
boiler is not to be fired and you can readily remove them. It's better for a leak to appear at
the front where you can see or smell it than to quietly create an explosive condition inside
the boiler. Once a purge is complete modulating boilers should be positioned for light-off.
Because most boilers light off at low fire we commonly refer to this as the low fire
position, not the light-off position. You should be aware that light-off position and low fire
do not have to be the same. Once a burner is operating it can usually remain stable at firing
rates lower than rates required to achieve a smooth light-off. Where loads can require a
boiler to operate at very low firing rates on occasion, and it's more desirable to keep a
boiler going, separate minimum low fire and light-off positions may be established.
 ESTABLISH AN IGNITOR
Establish an Ignitor With low fire (actually light-off) position deter- mined iť's time to
actually get a flame going in the burner. Except for very small boilers that involves the
operation of an ignitor. Most boilers will be equipped with a gas-electric ignitor. Small
boilers frequently use nothing more than an electric spark to light the fire, that's because
their burner is the size of an ignitor or smaller. You can also run into some with oil-
electric ignitors and a few with high energy electric ignitors and other unique methods.
The bulk of boilers use a gas electric ignitor and well stick to that mode. Since ignitors
use an electric arc to start the gas or oil fire it's appropriate to make certain the flame
sensor doesn't think the electric arc is a fire. Begin by closing all the manual fuel shut-off
valves including the ones that supply fuel to the ignitor. Next, go through several partial
ignition cycles to see if the spark is detected. On multiple burner boilers we also have a
"burner ignition cycle" which includes waiting then trying to light that burner. If the
flame scanner "picks up" your burner supplier has a problem and you shouldn't continue
to operate the boiler until the problem is fixed. Sometimes you can correct the difficulty
by re-sighting the scanner but if you do you should perform this check regularly to ensure
the adjustment hasn't failed to prevent sensing a spark as a flame.
 START REFRACTORY DRY OUT
The life of refractory in a boiler is almost entirely dependent on how it was treated
on the initial start-up. By performing a controlled, slow warm-up of the boiler you can
ensure a long life for the refractory. It requires some temporary wiring and relay in most
cases, in place of the main fuel to keep the ignitor going. Operating on ignitor will
provide a very slow warming of the boiler, so slow that it may seem like iť's doing
nothing give it a day if you do it. Only when it's apparent that the ignitor cant bring the
temperature up anymore. Remove any temporary wiring to restore normal ignitor
operation and allow main burner operation. A critical temperature during refractory dry-
out is 212° F because at that point you start making steam out of any water that's in the
refractory. The steam, expanding rapidly, can erode the refractory as it seeps out into the
furnace. If you raise the temperature rapidly through that temperature the steam
generation can be so great that it creates pressure pockets in the refractory to force it
apart, creating voids and cracks that will be repair items for years to come. That's why
long-term operation on ignitor can be beneficial to a new boiler, drying out that
refractory so slowly that erosion, cracks and voids are dramatically minimized.
 ESTABLISH MAIN FLAME
Having spent a day or two on initially drying the refractory and testing
ignitor operation we're ready to light that main burner. This is not a time to be
faint of heart or careless and quick. Although most small boilers come factory
tested so you have some reason to believe it's set right for main flame ignition
that's no guarantee. On many boilers you'll find that particular burner
rangement is being fired for the first time ever, so no- body knows what the
right settings are. I frequently operators slowly opening the burner manual
shut-off valve after the automatic valves open as a burner starts; that's because
they saw the technician do the same thing on the initial start-up. Ill explain later
why you shouldn't do that but now, on initial start-up, that's what you have to
do. I say you can't be timid or quick in this operation because you don't want to
create a flammable mixture that doesn't light right away. If you open the
manual valve too slowly you will allow so little fuel in that the mixture at the
burner will always be too lean to burn. However, the fuel can settle or rise and
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 ESTABLISH LIGHT-OFF CONDITIONS
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