Inside the combustion chamber of a coal-fired power plant there is a constant downward rain of ash. This material is cooled in a wet ash remover, discharged and collected in an ash hopper. Due to both the discharge and evaporation, water is continuously lost in the process. Since the wet ash remover is at the same time the air seal for the combustion chamber, the water level must reliably be detected and the water replenished when necessary.
Up until recently at a certain coal-fired power plant, the required level measurement was carried out with a bubbler system. However, this method was susceptible to blockage and frequent damage through abrasion. Measurement outages and the resulting plant shutdowns forced the operator to initiate an elaborate maintenance plan. Each maintenance operation meant shutting down the boiler, removing the measuring equipment, installing a replacement and recalibrating the system.
For that reason, the operator made a request for a robust, reliable and service-friendly level measuring system.
The solution
A Vegabar 52 pressure transmitter was installed for level measurement in the wet ash remover. Its ceramic measuring cell is highly resistant to the abrasive ash and with its front-flush process fitting, the sensor is optimally protected against build-up. The measuring cell of the instrument provides up to 150-fold overload resistance, meaning that even the pressure shocks resulting from the flushing out of the process connection cannot damage the sensor.
This measuring system is always functional; plant shutdowns for repairs are a thing of the past and costly measures for preventive maintenance are no longer necessary. No spare parts have to be kept, which frees up staff and increases the efficiency of the entire plant.
The benefits
The operator of this power plant is now assured of higher safety levels at the boiler through a functional measuring system in the ash remover at all times. The plant is operating more efficiently and no preventative maintenance plan is required, which in turn has led to significant savings in spare parts inventory.
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