The high-temperature drying of Boiler No. 2 at Binzhou Company began as scheduled

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The high-temperature drying process for Binzhou Company’s No. 2 boiler commenced as scheduled. Author/Source: WeiHua Group; Date: 2020-11-23; Clicks: 23. On November 20, heavy snowfall occurred in Xinminyuan, Binzhou, with temperatures dropping to minus 3 degrees. Yet at the site of the thermal power plant’s No. 2 boiler, activity was intense and there was a lot of noise. Once the leaks in the main air ducts were fixed, the boiler fans were started up. At 4:58 a.m., at the control panel for starting the No. 2 boiler, under the supervision of the leaders in the water treatment workshop and with the oversight of process technicians on-site, the boiler operator pressed the ignition button. Along with the sound emitted by the high-frequency ignition device, a fierce flame erupted in the main combustion chamber. There was great excitement in the control room, and everyone present wore smiles for the first time in a long time. Thus, the “medium-high temperature drying process and cleaning of the boiler itself” for No. 2 boiler began. As the number of users operating the subsequent units in the ethylene glycol project continues to increase, and in order to ensure an adequate supply of gas for these units, it is the firm belief of all those working in the steam and water sector that the two boilers are sufficient to meet the operational requirements of the entire ethylene glycol plant; therefore, starting up Boiler No. 2 and connecting it to the grid according to the scheduled timeline is a priority. Starting from 2 p.m. on November 17, when the chemical cleaning of Boiler No. 2 was completed, the workshop’s process, equipment, and safety personnel worked closely together. With the strong support of the participating construction units—Northwest Electric Power Construction Company No. 1, Longjing Environmental Protection, and Thirteenth Chemical Construction Company—they worked tirelessly for three days and nights to complete a series of tasks that were essential for starting up Boiler No. 2. These tasks included resetting the 18 cleaning ports, installing the internal components of the steam drum, ensuring the pipes were properly connected, conducting on-site flaw detection inspections, testing the fans in operation, performing system sealing tests, and replacing the expansion joints in the main air ducts. The process technicians actively got started on the commissioning preparations, carrying out various verification tasks at three levels: valve verification, interlock testing, leak detection using bag fluorescent powder, preliminary dust coating of the system, subsystem debugging, and DCS interlock verification. The organization provides safety and technical instructions to the young workers, enabling them to become familiar with the control points and key aspects of this high-temperature furnace operation. This ensures a stable, efficient operation with proper process control, as well as strict compliance with environmental standards during the operation. At 19:00 on the 20th, Boiler No. 2 had reached the ignition water level. Circulating fluidized bed boilers have a complex construction structure, occupy a large area, and contain a high amount of moisture. After construction is completed, it is necessary to dry the boiler strictly in accordance with the properties of the materials used. High-temperature drying helps to remove all the crystalline water from the materials, allowing an organic chemical structure to form on their surface, thereby achieving wear prevention and increased durability. The quality of furnace drying is an important factor affecting the safe operation of the boiler itself. To ensure the safe and smooth completion of the high-temperature furnace drying process for Boiler No. 2, in accordance with the overall arrangements made by the project command center for the ethylene glycol project, the Production Department of Binzhou Company, together with the Water and Steam Plant, carefully organized and meticulously planned the process. Detailed discussions and arrangements were made regarding safety, environmental protection, quality, and schedule for the high-temperature furnace drying and the cleaning of the boiler itself. The Water and Steam Plant also developed a detailed plan for high-temperature furnace drying, which was then distributed to the operating teams for implementation. As of the time of writing, both natural gas guns for Boiler No. 2 have been put into operation, and the operators are strictly following the workshop’s regulations to control the heating rate and curve of the boiler during drying.