Abstract
Ash fouling is one of the significant problems in thermal power plant. It degrades the thermal performance of heat transfer surfaces; hence, soot blowers are initiated in a pre-defined sequence and scheduled to clean the surfaces. Frequent soot blow operation leads to waste of steam, increased maintenance cost and tube erosion. This study aims in developing a simplified method to detect economizer fouling based on the assessment of cleanliness factor. Economizer model that includes the heat capacity of metal between flue gas and feed water is simulated and validated using power plant data. The decrease in efficiency and cleanliness factor with effect of fouling is analyzed. It is observed that a 3% decrease in cleanliness factor in the economizer leads to a 2% loss in its efficiency.
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