Abstract: The boiler cleaning apparatus and method provides for cleaning the exterior surfaces of a heat exchanger. The apparatus and method include tools and steps, respectively, for temporarily spreading tubes with a wedge and holding open the tubes with a block to form and gain access to tube lanes. Once access to a lane is attained, a nozzle assembly having an outlet for blowing high velocity cleaning fluid is selected from a group of nozzle assemblies. The selected nozzle assembly will have an outlet for blowing fluid in a direction that effectively cleans the tubes adjacent the opened lane. After the tubes are cleaned the tool for holding the lane opened is removed and the process is repeated for another lane.

Abstract: An economizer for a heat recovery steam generator utilized to improve the efficiency of the Rankine cycle by preheating the water that flows to the evaporator section. The economizer multi-pass sections include up-flow tubes only. This arrangement greatly reduces thermal stresses on the tubes by ensuring that each individual tube in any fluid-flow pass operates at the same or similar temperature. The design of the invention does this by causing all tubes in any fluid-flow pass to have the same upwards fluid flow direction and similar fluid flow velocity. No unstable backflow (i.e. flow in the reverse direction) occurs in any of the tubes. Heated down-flow tube sections are totally eliminated in this design. Respective jumper pipes are provided to conduct the water from the top of an economizer panel to the bottom of an adjacent panel.

Abstract: The boiler cleaning apparatus and method provides for cleaning the exterior surfaces of a heat exchanger. The apparatus includes tools for temporarily spreading and holding open a tube bank to form and gain access to tube lanes. Once access to a lane is attained, a nozzle assembly having an outlet for blowing high velocity cleaning fluid is selected from a group of nozzle assemblies. The selected nozzle assembly will have an outlet for blowing fluid in a direction that effectively cleans the tubes adjacent the opened lane. After the tubes are cleaned the tool for holding the lane opened is removed and the process is repeated for another lane.

Abstract: An economizer for a heat recovery steam generator utilized to improve the efficiency of the Rankine cycle by preheating the water that flows to the evaporator section. The economizer multi-pass sections include up-flow tubes only. This arrangement greatly reduces thermal stresses on the tubes by ensuring that each individual tube in any fluid-flow pass operates at the same or similar temperature. The design of the invention does this by causing all tubes in any fluid-flow pass to have the same upwards fluid flow direction and similar fluid flow velocity. No unstable backflow (i.e. flow in the reverse direction) occurs in any of the tubes. Heated down-flow tube sections are totally eliminated in this design. Respective jumper pipes are provided to conduct the water from the top of an economizer panel to the bottom of an adjacent panel.

Abstract: A hot gas seal for a conduit penetrating the wall(s) of a vessel such as a heat recovery steam generator unit. The seal includes three serially-arranged, independent insulation segments or pillows. The pillow adjacent the vessel casing and the center pillow employ metal sheets to sandwich insulation therebetween. The center pillow travels laterally with the conduit. The third or outer pillow terminates in a split seal ring having a containment structure attached thereto.

Abstract: A retractable sootblower for avoiding and dislodging accumulated soot and ash. The sootblower includes an elongate housing and a blowing tube or blowing tube assembly reciprocable in the housing. The blowing tube is extended and retracted by pressurized gas. Pressurized gas is also applied to the sootblower. An internal gas channeling arrangement couples the pressurized gas to the blowing tube when the blowing tube is extended. The pressurized gas is thus discharged from the blowing tube when the blowing tube is extended. Additional structure is provided for rotating the blowing tube as it moves from the retracted position to the extended position.

Abstract: An assembly ties together a plurality of boiler tubes to increase their mechanical stability and maintain a uniform spacing between adjacent tubes. A tie bar has a plurality of periodically spaced fingers extending from a cross member to form openings between adjacent fingers with in which the boiler tubes tightly fit. A retainer projects orthogonally from ends of some of the fingers. A locking bar has wedges spaced along one edge which engage the retainers clamping the boiler tubes between the fingers of said locking bar. Stops and brackets attach to the boiler tubes to support the fingers and cross member, thereby holding the tie bar in place during assembly.

Abstract: A valve-controlled pneumatic actuator is used to actuate a movable cleaning head to remove soot, ash or other sediment from tubes, headers and other internal parts of a heat exchanger of the type used in coal gasification plants. A rotary sootblower tube is coupled to a stationary inlet tube in a chamber of the heat exchanger vessel where a hot, highly pressurized and dirty gas circulates. Both the actuator and the stationary inlet tube are fixed to the vessel so that seals for moving parts are avoided. In one embodiment, the blowing tube extends in the inlet tube to a free end, and in another embodiment the opposite end is mounted to rotate around a stub tube. The blowing medium is provided in a jet or blast through nozzles in the blowing tube to loosen soot in the internal parts of the heat exchanger. The blowing medium is also used to power the actuator.

Abstract: A boiler for generating steam by the recovery of heat from a hot gas stream including an enclosed pressure vessel, a baffle dividing the interior of the vessel into upper and lower compartments, one or more upper headers in the upper compartment, a bundle of water tubes supported from the upper headers and extending into the lower compartment, one or more lower headers supported by the lower ends of the water tubes, and a shroud structure in the lower compartment of the boiler extending about the perimeter of the bundle of water tubes.