SUCCESS STORIES
Achieving CFB Boiler Maintenance Goals Integrated Global Services, Inc. (IGS), the international provider of surface protection solutions headquartered in Virginia (USA) improved a pulp mill’s operation thanks to repair and maintenance of the eroded surface areas.
T
his pulp mill in South Eastern United States operates a CFB boiler
that they had some issues on the roof of their CFB boiler. They had
unit built in 1989. The boiler was recently upgraded from the
an emergency outage and called a thermal spray vendor to apply a
viewpoint of operating mass flow rate to the 450,000 lbs/hr. The fuel
product with a low velocity arc spray.”
type for this particular unit is a combination of biomass sludge, some
“I was somewhat surprised by the choice of product specified by the
tire derivatives as well as some plastics. This type of fuel has led to
thermal spray vendor, because the roof area in a CFB boiler usually
the issues at hand – erosion causing tube leaks and numerous forced
receives high erosion. The specified product, a high nickel chrome
outages. As a result, the mill had a number of goals that they would like
material, is usually applied in the waterwalls of a PC-fired boiler for
to achieve, including:
corrosion protection” continued Paul.
• Increase reliability of their CFB boiler by reducing the number of tube
Integrated Global Services (IGS) offered to do an erosion test using
leaks so that it would better facilitate them to meet the requirements
their bed ash to compare the IGS 5xxx series material and the
of a 20-year PPE agreement.
previously applied material against uncoated carbon steel. The results
• Increase outage cycles from a current 12-month to an 18-month
showed the IGS 5xxx material to be five times more erosion resistant
turnaround.
than the product that the previous thermal spray vendor chose to
• Reduce the number of mechanical repairs that used to be needed
apply on the roof.
every outage.
IGS HVTS application in 2018
Path to reliability
Paul said: “I think they saw that an improved process and improved
Paul Strauss, IGS Boiler Maintenance expert said: “Back in 2017, I had
material could help the mill meet their goals and IGS was subsequently
the opportunity to meet with the pulp mill’s engineering manager,
awarded the 2018 project and we mobilized to site in May of 2018.”
operations manager, and maintenance manager. And I found out
IGS completed the HVTS (High Velocity Thermal Spray) application on
© IGS
© IGS
Previous vendor’s coating.
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N. 41 - 2022 APRIL - ipcm® Protective Coatings
© IGS
A tube leak.
IGS HVTS cladding applied with a top coat as a wear indicator.
