Sulfuric acid production standby boiler
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I would like to ask the experts: Our company’s backup boiler for sulfuric acid production (chain furnace) is used very rarely. What are some good methods for protecting this boiler when it remains idle for long periods of time, or what precautions should be taken? We usually fill it with nitrogen to maintain a slight positive pressure for protection.
Steam should be introduced to ensure that the heated surfaces do not absorb moisture and suffer from corrosion.
The coal combustion section and the flue gas outlet should preferably be sealed to isolate air and reduce moisture absorption and corrosion.
Generally, the standard approach is to open the manhole and insert desiccants such as dry lime; however, this makes it troublesome when it’s time to start the boiler again. A backup boiler might not be used even once in a year, yet it’s also impossible to predict when it will be needed, which is really inconvenient. Now, nitrogen is used for protection, but it’s not clear what the ultimate outcome will be. It seems like taking a gamble, but the stakes are too high – if things go wrong, there’s no way to explain it to the boss. I wonder what other professionals do in such situations.