POWER June 2021 - 28

CONNECTED PLANT
Smart Condition Monitoring of
Flue Gas Analyzers in Power Plants
A web-based condition monitoring solution can help power plant operators quickly
identify emissions gas analyzer problems, enabling timely corrections. The technology
can also allow experts to monitor multiple sites remotely, adding flexibility to
operations.
John Calame
lectricity, water, and heat are such
a part of our everyday lives that
we only notice them when they're
gone. Energy suppliers ensure that we
have a consistently high quality of life
with these utilities. Modern waste incineration
plants not only recycle waste, but
also generate electricity and heat with
low CO2
E
emissions. Gas analyzers are
used to ensure environmentally friendly
energy production.
The pollutants produced during combustion
are filtered out with a complex
gas cleaning system. An energy supplier
with many locations in Europe monitors
its emissions with gas analyzers
from SICK. The SICK analyzers are critical
components in the environmental
compliance equation. Hot wet extractive
measurement technology is utilized
for this aggressive incineration process,
which is laden with particulate and acid
gases. A partial gas stream is taken from
the exhaust gas and fed into the analyzer,
which measures substances such
as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide,
carbon dioxide, moisture, ammonia, and
acid gases with precision down to microgram
concentrations per cubic meter.
The aim is to minimize downtime, because
legislators in different countries
impose strict emission requirements before
approving a plant. For example, if the
emission measurement system fails, the
operator is threatened with large fines, or
officials could even shut down the plant.
This makes high availability of analysis
equipment even more important.
Regular maintenance work ensures
availability of the analyzers and therefore
the emission measurement system.
Consistent monitoring of the
individual device components and operating
parameters allows for easy replacements
to the corresponding parts
in time. This makes it possible to comply
with the statutory measures for air
pollution control with 97% emission
28
1. A web-based condition monitoring solution can help power plant operators identify gas
analyzer problems quickly, allowing technicians to make corrections within the time limits established
by regulators. Courtesy: SICK
measurement availability.
This process is often referred to as
condition monitoring, specifically for gas
analyzers. This large European supplier
mentioned above uses condition monitoring
in its waste incineration plants. As
a result, the company can significantly increase
the availability of its plant to better
plan maintenance work in advance,
helping to reduce maintenance costs.
Increased Plant Availability
To help both the user and the service
provider plan maintenance in a more
targeted manner and react even better
to potential failures, the energy supplier
uses a predictive maintenance solution
to supplement its routine inspections,
which are very time-sensitive. This
digital service identifies critical condition
changes quickly and proactively.
This means service technicians can arrive
on time and with the right spare
parts. In many cases, the cause can be
diagnosed remotely and the problem
solved immediately, eliminating costly
plant shutdowns.
This is why the operating entity relies
on a web-based condition monitoring solution
(Figure 1). The physical monitoring
box has an application-specific software
package for the browser application that
allows for simple monitoring of historical
data, alarms, and the overall performance
of the analyzer.
www.powermag.com
The current status of different assemblies
is monitored through visualization
and evaluation of vital parameters,
such as supply voltage, and lamp and
reference energy. An alarm is generated
to indicate abnormalities, making
it possible to react quickly and systematically.
Vital parameters visualized in a
histogram give an overview of the data
in the progression. Drifts and trends of
relevant parameters (such as cell flow,
internal pressures, and temperature)
as well as leaks or process-related contamination
are easy to identify to help
detect possible wear or device malfunction
in the early states. The automated
alerting function therefore shortens the
response times in the event of damage.
On the dashboard, the service employee
at the energy supplier can monitor
in real time the condition of the gas
analyzer and its functions or trace back
in the history. Evaluation of the data history
makes it possible to predict the service
life of device components. Should
the monitoring app (Figure 2) predict a
malfunction, preventative action can be
taken to prevent device downtime.
If predefined limit values are exceeded,
an email with this information is
automatically generated and sent to responsible
parties. Field service experts
can also proactively provide concrete
recommendations for action when maintenance
is required.
POWER | June 2021

http://www.powermag.com

POWER June 2021

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