XD Solutions / Ensuring The Efficiency Of Boiler Systems

Whether as water tube boilers, shell boilers, for thermal output air cleaning or for marine boiler systems: anyone who installs a boiler nowadays can resort to technologies which consume far less energy and pollute the environment less than was the case 15 years ago. Nevertheless, the combustion technology on industrial burners with a service life of 30 to 40 years has to be updated two to three times on average. Because the statutory emissions limit values are getting more and more strict, especially for NOx. For this reason, emissions values are determined on boilers and burners during commissioning, maintenance and for high-precision emissions measurements (e.g. as preparation for an official measurement).

The cost-effectiveness of the system and the setting of the burner can be clearly assessed on this basis. In addition, it is ensured that the system complies with the legally established maximum values for flue gas loss and emissions.

Customer Challenges:

When analysing the burner’s behaviour, the focus of attention is often on fuel supply, atomisation, control behaviour and emissions values.

However, experienced service engineers know that optimum air supply is crucial for a wide adjustment range, stable combustion, and the best emissions values. This means it is vital to ensure that blowers, air ducts and controls are coordinated with one another.

There is therefore an optimum fuel to air supply ratio for every combustion process. The combustion plant operates with a stable flame, optimum efficiency, and lowest emissions in this range. The challenge for service engineers lies in determining the optimum air ratio and setting the system on that basis.

The details of how the differences in terms of the fuel-air mixture can be best set vary according to the boiler manufacturer, type of fuel and control plan. Some burners control the quantity of air which is taken into the boiler, others the quantity of fuel and still more allow the setting of both parameters. In any case, it is important to know the exact oxygen content in the process to ensure reliable and cost-effective operation.

XD Solutions: testo 340 and testo 350 flue gas analysers

The testo 340 and testo 350 flue gas analysers enable all relevant gases to be analysed and the combustion process to be adjusted so that the best possible ratio of fuel to combustion air quantities is achieved.

Like the testo 350, the testo 340 checks compliance with the statutory emissions limit values. The level of combustion efficiency of the burner can be optimized on this basis. Comprehensive documentation of the readings, along with reports that can be created in a user-defined format with a comment function in conjunction with the testo easyEmission software make changes on the system traceable.

Benefits

Efficient service measurements with the testo 340

• Self-cleaning effect in the special hose (PTFE): condensate and dirt particles do not adhere
• Easy setting: the hose extension (up to 6.8 m) means you can see the boiler display even in measuring locations which are a long way away
• No downtimes due to pre-calibrated and exchangeable gas sensors
• Measuring range extension (factor 5): unrestricted measurement of high concentrations (CO up to 50,000 ppm)

High-precision emissions measurements with the testo 350

• Integrated gas preparation for precise (dry) results even in the case of unsupervised long-term measurements
• Bluetooth connection allows comfortable work even in the case of long distances (up to 100 m with no obstructions) between the Control Unit and measuring location
• Suitable for official emissions measurements (country-dependent)
• Measuring range extension (factor 2, 5, 10, 20 or 40 times): unrestricted measurement of high concentrations (CO up to 400,000 ppm with factor 40)