POWER November 2014 - 48

EMISSIONS
There had always been certain occasions
when multiple sootblowers (in different areas
of the boiler) were blown nearly simultaneously.
This was known to cause short-duration
furnace draft pressure excursions and
steam pressure decays. The furnace draft
pressure caused a temporary reduction in
airflow, which affected combustion, and the
steam pressure decay caused megawatt setpoint
control issues. After discussion with
Siemens, the optimizer was configured to incorporate
a short delay between any consecutive
blower initiations.
Less Work, More Efficient
Several positive operational results were realized
at Hawthorn Unit 5:
■ EEGT/SCR inlet flue gas temperatures
were reduced by about 10F on average.
This increased boiler efficiency and eliminated
most load reductions due to catalyst
temperature concerns.
■ Superheat and reheat steam temperatures
were maintained closer to their desired
setpoint, and large excursions were significantly
reduced, increasing reliability.
■ Superheat attemperation spray flows were
lower by about 20 klb/hr to 40 klb/hr on
average, and reheat attemperation spray
flows were lower by about 15 klb/hr on
average-a significant efficiency gain.
■ Generally, calculated cleanliness of various
boiler surface areas is the same or better.
■ There are about 5% to 10% fewer sootblowing
operations on the whole, reducing
media usage and auxiliary power
consumption.
■ Plant heat rate has improved by an estimated
1%.
The payback of sootblowing optimization
technology can typically be measured
in months, with a strong likelihood of seeing
immediate positive results. KCP&L's
implementation on Hawthorn 5 has increased
boiler efficiency and reduced sootblowing-related
load constraints. Blowing
operations have been reduced while maintaining
boiler cleanliness, so there is less
damage to the tubes and less energy wasted
on unnecessary sootblowing operations.
Prior to this technology, the reheat spray
valves would frequently run wide open,
reducing cycle efficiency and allowing the
reheater tube temperatures to increase-
potentially resulting in long-term damage
to the boiler surfaces.
Looking at the future of the optimizer
from a performance and life-cycle cost standpoint,
KCP&L is pleased with the results so
far. Currently, the performance engineer at
KCP&L is spending less time on sootblowing,
with improved results. The optimizer
continues to be used for over 95% of the
plant operating hours since it was commissioned
in 2012.
" When we're talking about optimization, we
look at it as the true future of all coal plants, "
says Dominic Scardino, Hawthorn plant manager.
" We're not planning on building more coal
units at this time, so it's important to be proactive
in maximizing the value of the existing
units. We're actively trying to implement operational
excellence at our plants to maximize the
value of these critical assets. This is good for our
rate-payers and our community. "
Following a successful pilot of the sootblowing
optimizer at KCP&L's Hawthorn
Unit 5, the team is now working on placing
optimizers at other plants in the fleet, including
two units at LaCygne. ■
-Neel Parikh is a principal engineer
with Siemens Energy Inc. Peter Rogge is a
plant performance and combustion engineer,
and Kenneth Luebbert is a supervising
engineer, both with KCP&L.
2014
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* Nearly 8,100 plant management and support
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Generation (MWh)
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48
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POWER November 2014

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