RECOMMENDED PROCEDURE FOR ALKALI BOIL OUT

1.0 Objective:

Once the boiler light up is carried out, preoperational cleaning is taken up in which alkali boil
out forms the first activity.

Alkali Boil out at an elevated pressure of 40 Kg/cm 2 (Drum Pressure) is carried out prior to
acid cleaning to meet the following objective:

It prepares the surfaces for ensuring acid cleaning.

It mostly converts the entire interior scale to magnetic oxide that could be easily
dissolved by acid solvents used during acid cleaning.

It loosens the binding or the scale to parent metal.

Loose metal oxides are removed from the system leaving a lesser quality of oxides for
acid digestion.

Surface cracks are developed over the scale layer, benefiting better acid penetration
and effective cleaning in shorter time.

As the total time for acid injection, retention and draining is restricted to a maximum
of 6 hours, partial removal of oxides and better surface preparation help in achieving the
pickling operation in the recommended time limit.

Removal of oil, greases, dirt and any preservative organic coating is ensured. This
helps in accomplishing effective acid cleaning and surface exposure.

2.0 Procedure

2.1 Scope

The scope of cleaning during this operation includes a portion of feed line, entire evaporative
system of the boiler and the economizer.

2.2 Technique

Alkali boil out at a pressure of 40 Kg/cm 2 is carried out using a combination of Tri-sodium
Phosphate (concentration 1000 ppm as Na3 PO4 12H2O) and Di Sodium Phosphate Hepta
Hydrate (concentration 500 ppm as Na2 HPO4-7H2O).

2.3 Preparation

Boiler should be ready in all respects for light up and raising the drum
pressure to 40 Kg/cm2.
 All the drum internals including the secondary steam separators are in
position as per the drawings.

Boiler drain header may be connected to storm water drain suitably with
temporary line and well supported.

Permanent gauge glass is to be replaced by a temporary gauge glass.

Adequate DM water and specified chemicals as per the requirement should be

made available after ensuring their quality by testing of samples.

HP dosing system should be operational with concentration boiler chemicals

charged into the supply tank.

Sampling points for drum water samples should be made available.

Quantity of D.M. water 900 MT to be made available.

Following chemicals to be made available: TPS 300 Kg; DSP 150 Kg.

2.4 Process

1. Fill the boiler with dematerialized water upto the bottom of the drum.
2. Mix the required quantity of Na3 PO4 & Na2 HPO4 with DM water in small increments
and prepare a homogeneous solution in a 200-liter drum.

3. Add the total quantity of chemicals into the steam drum through the drum manhole,
close the manhole and raise the water level to minimum visibility in the gauge glass.

4. Light up the Boiler as per O & M instructions and slowly raise the drum pressure in
increments of 5, 10, 20, 25, 30 & 40 Kg/cm 2. Monitor and record the expansion
movement of the boiler by the expansion markers already provided at different
locations. If any obstruction is noticed stop increasing boiler pressure and remove
the obstruction.

5. Maintain the drum pressure at 40 Kg/cm2, with minimum possible firing rate adjusted
and with boiler startup vent valve full open, for two hours for better digestion of the
impurities by the chemicals.

6. Put out the fire and issue blow down through low point drain by opening the valve,
for one-minute duration. Ensure that the drum level does not fall below the visibility
limit of the gauge glass.

7. Make up the drum level and again light up the boiler to raise the pressure to 40
Kg/cm2 with the same firing rate for next two hours. The blow down as described
earlier is repeated.
8. After every blow down operation, collect drum water sample and analyze for
phosphate, pH value and oil level content. Replenish phosphate concentration
through HP dozing system as much as possible to maintain half of the initial sample
result.

9. The process of boiling out for two hours and blowing down is repeated till the oil
content in drain sample shall be no longer detected (> 5 ppm or traces) in two
consecutive samples or till 8 blow down are completed, whichever is later. A
minimum of 12 hours of boil out is a must in any case. Repeat the boil out with
additional chemicals, if oil level is found high.

10. Kill the boiler fire after the completion of boil out operations and allow for
natural cooling. Hot drain the boiler when the drum pressure touches 2.0 Kg/cm2.

11. Fill the boiler upto the minimum drum level and back flush the super heaters
into the drum, raising level up to normal. Drain the boiler continuing the super
heater back flushing with hydrazine DM water with pH 10 and hydrazine 200 ppm.
Similarly fill and drain the boiler several times till the alkalinity in super heater and
boiler drain water is less than 25 ppm.

12. The hand hole pipes in the ring header are cut as a preparatory work for acid
cleaning. Clean the ring header through these connections with a high-pressure
water jet.