Abstract: A pyrometer for use in measuring temperatures in a furnace, has a lens-tube for supporting an optical head in a port of the furnace for viewing an interior of the furnace along a line of sight. The optical head converts infrared radiation to electrical signals. A photometer circuit connected to the optical head processes the electrical signals and a scaling circuit connected to the photometer circuit scales the electrical signals. An output circuit connected to the scaling circuit receives the scaled electrical signals and produces output signals for display or control of the furnace. A power supply connected to the scaling circuit powers the photometer, scaling and output circuits. Calibration in the scaling circuit scales the electrical signals to be most sensitive to a wavelength of middle infrared radiation to which at least one gas component in the furnace is semi-transparent, for measuring the temperature of the at least one gas component.

Abstract: A pyrometer for use in measuring temperatures in a furnace, has a lens-tube for supporting an optical head in a port of the furnace for viewing an interior of the furnace along a line of sight. The optical head converts infrared radiation to electrical signals. A photometer circuit connected to the optical head processes the electrical signals and a scaling circuit connected to the photometer circuit scales the electrical signals. An output circuit connected to the scaling circuit receives the scaled electrical signals and produces output signals for display or control of the furnace. A power supply connected to the scaling circuit powers the photometer, scaling and output circuits. Calibration in the scaling circuit scales the electrical signals to be most sensitive to a wavelength of middle infrared radiation to which at least one gas component in the furnace is semi-transparent, for measuring the temperature of the at least one gas component.

Abstract: A pyrometer for use in measuring temperatures in a furnace, has a lens-tube for supporting an optical head in a port of the furnace for viewing an interior of the furnace along a line of sight. The optical head converts infrared radiation to electrical signals. A photometer circuit connected to the optical head processes the electrical signals and a scaling circuit connected to the photometer circuit scales the electrical signals. An output circuit connected to the scaling circuit receives the scaled electrical signals and produces output signals for display or control of the furnace. A power supply connected to the scaling circuit powers the photometer, scaling and output circuits. Calibration in the scaling circuit scales the electrical signals to be most sensitive to a wavelength of middle infrared radiation to which at least one gas component in the furnace is semi-transparent, for measuring the temperature of the at least one gas component.

Abstract: A PLC based parameter sensing sootblower having a retractable lance tube that is extended and retracted by a drive motor. A PLC sensing circuit is used to sense when the lance tube is fully extended and/or fully retracted. The PLC sensing circuit can be configured to sense drive motor current, power, torque or other drive motor characteristics to determine when the lance tube has come to a hard stop upon extension. The PLC sensing circuit then calculates an approximate time window in which the lance should be fully retracted. The parameter sensor is configured to sense the drive motor current, power, torque or other characteristic only during the time window to determine when the lance tube is fully retracted while ignoring any motor load variations outside of the designated time window.

Abstract: A system for determining the cleanliness of a boiler having a plurality of tube banks by obtaining a temperature profile of the boiler heat transfer surfaces includes extending an extension arm, such as a soot blower lance, near the tube banks of the boiler. A separate temperature reading is taken at intervals along the length of the extension arm by utilizing either a plurality of infrared non-contact temperature sensors or a plurality of optical fibers. Each separate temperature reading enables a temperature profile to be determined along the length of the extension arm which, in turn, allows deposit accumulation on the tube banks to be determined.

Abstract: A sootblower for cleaning heat exchanger surfaces in a boiler. The sootblower includes a carriage assembly supported by a frame and adapted to cause translational and rotational movement of a lance tube to insert and retract the lance tube into and out of the boiler. The lance tube includes nozzles which project a blowing medium against the heat exchanger surfaces in the boiler. A mechanism is provided to articulate the sootblower so that the angular orientation of the lance tube can be altered with respect to the heat exchanger surfaces in the boiler. The articulating mechanism permits the carriage assembly to advance and withdraw the lance tube in and out of the boiler along a different axes thereby enabling greater cleaning coverage of the heat exchanger surfaces.

Abstract: A retractable chemical injection device especially adapted for introducing a chemical reactant solution into a large scale combustion device such as a fossil fuel fired boiler. The device incorporates a lance tube mounted to a elongated frame located outside of the combustion device which enables the lance tube to be extended into and retracted from the combustion device flue gas stream. The lance tube carries a plurality of axially distributed discharge nozzles enabling the chemical reactant entrained in an injection carrier to be ejected from the nozzles. The injection device provides for atomization of the chemical reactant solution before the mixture passes into the lance tube which provides the beneficial effects of cooling the lance tube and providing a uniform distribution of the chemical solution to the distributed discharge nozzles.

Abstract: An apparatus and method by which deposits are removed from the heat exchange surfaces of heat exchange element in a boiler. According to the present invention, a heat exchange medium flowing through the element at a first temperature has injected into it a fluid at a second temperature. The injection of the fluid and the temperature difference between the fluid and the medium causes a pressure wave to be produced in the heat exchange element at a specific location whereby the pressure wave in the medium causes mechanical vibration of the element. The result is that ash, scale, soot and other deposits are fractured, loosened and removed from the surfaces of the element.

Abstract: A nozzle assembly for a sootblower used to project a fluid cleaning medium against internal surfaces of a combustion device. The nozzle block assembly of this invention incorporates a converging/diverging throat configuration having a truncated center plug in the flow nozzle which provides improved jet flow characteristics within the limited nozzle length available in the sootblower environment. Various techniques for supporting the truncated plug of this invention are disclosed.

Abstract: A nozzle assembly for a sootblower used to project a fluid cleaning medium against internal surfaces of a combustion device. The nozzle block assembly of this invention incorporates a converging/diverging throat configuration having a truncated center plug in the flow nozzle which provides improved jet flow characteristics within the limited nozzle length available in the sootblower environment. Various techniques for supporting the truncated plug of this invention are disclosed.