Service life of gasifier bricks
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What is the service life of a gasification furnace? Last edited by Tianya Langji on 2009-2-3 21:06]
Does the poster need to know the service life of gasifier bricks? Generally, corundum bricks used abroad have a longer lifespan, reaching over 2 years, but they are very expensive； Domestic corundum bricks generally last for over half a year.
There are now many manufacturers in China capable of producing refractory bricks, and these bricks generally last for more than half a year. We usually replace them once a year; the number of slag outlet bricks that need to be replaced is higher, around two or three sets. This mainly depends on the type of coal used – higher operating temperatures result in a shorter lifespan for the bricks.
The service life of furnace top bricks, furnace body bricks, and slag outlet bricks varies; some last a few months while others last 1 year
How many types of furnace bricks are there in the water-coal slurry gasification process? What is the function of each type, and what materials are they made of? I have seen 3 types: one white, one black, and one green! I just don’t know where they’re used and what material they’re made of
The white ones are called alumina hollow sphere bricks; they serve an insulating function and are located in the layer closest to the steel shell! The black one is the chromium-aluminum-zirconium brick, which is on the fire-facing side, that is, the working layer. There are no green ones; they should be red bricks! The red one is called chromia corundum brick; it’s used for support!
Regarding the service life of refractory bricks, it varies depending on the location and the material used! The taphole bricks last 3-4 months, the furnace top bricks last 6 months, while those of the furnace body, being longer, last about a year! Process operations have a significant impact on the service life!
The lifespan of refractory bricks mainly depends on the temperature inside the furnace, the degree and location of wear, as well as the quality of the refractory bricks. By avoiding quality issues with refractory bricks (with the hope that in the near future it will be possible to obtain products of foreign-quality refractory bricks at domestic prices), and while ensuring coal conversion efficiency, furnace temperature, and smooth slag discharge, the structure of the furnace can be optimized to achieve better parameters for the gasifier, such as a higher height-to-diameter ratio. Therefore, more research is needed into the thermal simulation of gasifiers.
Indeed, the quality of refractory materials is an issue! In fact, at present, the quality of foreign products does not have a significant advantage over domestic ones. In the past, since the industry was in its infancy, the products were not very stable. In recent years, the technology of domestic manufacturers has become mature! Sinosteel Refractories Co., Ltd. and Luoyang Refractories Research Institute are quite good! They are now committed to further improving product quality and developing new products!
The refractory bricks in the Ende powder gasification furnace at our facility are still in good condition; they haven’t been replaced yet despite three years of operation. It mainly depends on whether the daily operational procedures are followed properly
I hope to see a significant improvement in the quality of refractory bricks in China. But why do fire bricks used abroad have a longer service life than those used in China? What is the difference between, for example, the technologically advanced fire bricks from France and those made in China? Is it due to different materials used, or perhaps different additives?
Domestically, the products of Luoyang Refractory Materials Factory, Luoyang Refractory Materials Research Institute, and Xinxiang Refractory Materials Factory have, through years of improvement, achieved a quality level comparable to that of French and American products, with better cost-performance ratios. However, at present, only 6.5MPA and below are mature. For larger installations, a furnace of 8.7MPA grade needs to be selected after comprehensive consideration, and further research on refractory bricks is required. GE already has the necessary technical research and products; considering China’s capabilities in technology reverse engineering, it plans to cooperate with local manufacturers for production in order to reduce costs.
This mainly depends on the composition of the feed material, the quality of the refractory bricks, their location, as well as the operating conditions. Generally, the cylinder bricks in plants that use water-coal slurry as feed need to be replaced about once a year, while those in plants using oil as feed require replacement much more frequently