B&W's worldwide staff of field service engineers are at your service, whether for routine maintenance or emergency repairs. Our skilled network of on-site experts can help bring your boiler to its highest possible level of efficiency, regardless of its size, type or manufacturer.
Our maintenance and repair services include:
- Consultations
- Inspections and condition assessment
- Outage management
- On-site engineering and evaluation
- Code compliance
- Mechanical and structural evaluation
- Chemical cleaning
- Laboratory analyses
- Engineering studies
- Air heater maintenance
Consultations
Technical analysis, quality replacement parts, and expert construction services are but a few of the many ways our field office can meet your boiler maintenance needs. Consulting services can be provided on a per diem basis or through comprehensive program proposals for other needs such as:
- outage project management
- Service Specialists, B&W's steam generation technical experts
- material expediting support
- equipment calibration and start-up support services
- operational adjustments after equipment component replacement
- performance testing
- as-built documentation
Inspections and condition assessment
To maintain a reliable and efficient boiler, it is necessary to periodically inspect and evaluate its condition. A variety of factors can contribute to metal deterioration and failure, including erosion, corrosion, thermal fatigue, short- or long-term overheat, exfoliation, hydrogen embrittlement, differential expansion, rapid boiler cycling, improper feedwater or boiler water treatment, furnace metal wastage or slag falls.
B&W offers a variety of condition assessment services to identify problems or potential problems with your plant equipment.
Outage management
Outages require long-term and short-term planning. Always with the primary goal of finishing the outage on time, we begin outage planning with a thorough boiler check-up from which the maintenance scope is identified. Engineering programs and bid packages are prepared, support materials and replacement parts are puchased, and maintenance labor needs and schedules are developed. Much of this preparation can be done through our Field Managed Programs (FMP) by our principal service engineers and our resident service engineers, who are expertly trained to customize a program that meets your needs.
On-site engineering and evaluation
Operational and maintenance problems sometimes must be identified and addressed while the unit is on line and taking load swings. The benefits of these studies may be: capacity increase, improved response to load changes, better temperature control, less excess air and improved efficiency, less gas-side pressure drop, less slagging (on coal-fired units) and more reliability.
Code compliance
In the U.S., the ASME Pressure Part Code sets the standard for safe and reliable specifications that operating companies rely upon for new equipment. However, for operating equipment, the standard is the National Board Inspection Code (NBIC). Though closely related, the two are not the same. Our field engineers ensure compliance with both. New replacement parts must be in compliance with the code in effect at the time of manufacture, and repair procedures, especially in regard to pressure part metallurgy and weld procedures, must be in compliance with the NBIC.
Mechanical and structural evaluation
Boiler components operate under heavy stress. This stress can be caused by accumulated pressure inside the tubes, headers and drums (pressure parts); the support structure; thermal expansion; vibrations and/or pulsations. Over time and numerous start-up and shut-down cycles, some of the mechanical arrangement may shift and some of the hanger rods and support structure may become excessively loaded or unloaded. Shear welds may become torn, and expansion joints may become jammed. These unsafe overload conditions can result in component failure. The boiler is a thermally expanding/contracting structure, and overload conditions do occur. Our structural specialists can help you make a prompt evaluation of your boiler's structure.
Chemical cleaning
Any suspended solids, such as undissolved rock grains or metal, or any dissolved solids, such as salt, will stay inside the boiler unless removed through continuous or periodic blowdowns while the unit is on line. Off-line procedures include physical brushing, or "turbining," which can be used in older, straight tube boilers, or "chemical cleaning, which is required by today's boiler designs. This type of cleansing is not a simple procedure, and caution must be exercised. In almost all cases, the internal deposit must be analyzed and tested with applicable solvents. Knowledge of the chemical reactions to difficult deposits and of local and state environmental laws is critical.
Laboratory analyses
Laboratory analysis is often required to identify proper solvents for effectively cleaning boiler tubes. Other tests may be required for metallurgical analysis of failed pressure parts, weld material or overheated metal; boiler water chemistry; feed water quality; combustion products and environmental concerns. A fuel analysis is required if a quality efficiency test is to be conducted. If your unit is coal-fired, an ash analysis is required as well. B&W's research engineers and lab technicians can provide valuable data to help you solve chemical- and metallurgical-related problems.
Engineering studies
A replacement boiler component's physical charteristics can be improved by raising the temperature use limits, metallurgy or strength. Its functional characteristics can be improved by redesigning the size, spacing or surface characteristics, which can lead to improved heat transfer, lower pressure drop or increased capacity. Computer models of ducts, windboxes and furnace sections are made to evaluate flow conditions, combustion and heat transfer. Data from the existing boiler can validate the model, and proposed changes can be easily evaluated.
Air heater maintenance
Air heaters are important to a boiler's efficiency and performance. They are also one of the most difficult components to maintain because of the adverse conditions in which they operate. Rotating components must be checked for wear, seals checked to control leakage, and baskets checked to identify corrosion. Our air heater service specialist can help you plan and execute your next outage; from identifying the planned outage maintenance punch list, to final seal adjustment and recommended operating procedures.
For more information, please contact us.
