[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":804},["ShallowReactive",2],{"site-footer-common":3,"glossary:asme-ptc-4":45,"glossary-related:asme-ptc-4":142},{"id":4,"extension":5,"footer":6,"meta":40,"navbar":41,"stem":43,"__hash__":44},"common\u002Fcommon.yml","yml",{"tagline":7,"links":8,"sections":9},"Acoustic cleaning intelligence for industrial fouling, soot, ash, dust and build-up.",[],[10,19,31],{"title":11,"links":12},"Product",[13,16],{"label":14,"to":15},"How it works","\u002F#product",{"label":17,"to":18},"Cost assessment","\u002F#hero",{"title":20,"links":21},"Company",[22,25,28],{"label":23,"to":24},"What we build","\u002F#about",{"label":26,"to":27},"Careers","\u002F#careers",{"label":29,"to":30},"Contact","\u002F#contact",{"title":32,"links":33},"Resources",[34,37],{"label":35,"to":36},"Blog","\u002Fresources\u002Fblog",{"label":38,"to":39},"Glossary","\u002Fglossary",{},{"links":42},[],"common","YocmZRy1AYfBbpgGVms-zhdiABlF8VTxHx6h4rDmZBA",{"id":46,"title":47,"aliases":48,"body":51,"category":122,"description":123,"extension":124,"meta":125,"navigation":126,"path":127,"relatedTerms":128,"seo":132,"sources":135,"stem":139,"term":140,"__hash__":141},"glossary\u002Fglossary\u002Fasme-ptc-4.md","ASME PTC 4",[49,50],"PTC 4","ASME Performance Test Code 4",{"type":52,"value":53,"toc":116},"minimark",[54,67,72,85,89],[55,56,57,60,61,66],"p",{},[58,59,47],"strong",{}," (American Society of Mechanical Engineers Performance Test Code 4) specifies the standard methodology for fired-steam-generator performance tests. PTC 4 measurements quantify boiler efficiency, individual heat losses (dry gas, moisture, unburned carbon, radiation, etc.) and the contribution of ",[62,63,65],"a",{"href":64},"\u002Fglossary\u002Fconvective-pass-backpass","convective-pass fouling"," to overall performance.",[68,69,71],"h2",{"id":70},"why-it-matters-for-sonic-horn-business-cases","Why it matters for sonic-horn business cases",[55,73,74,75,79,80,84],{},"A PTC 4 test before and after a ",[62,76,78],{"href":77},"\u002Fglossary\u002Fsonic-horn","sonic-horn"," installation quantifies the ",[62,81,83],{"href":82},"\u002Fglossary\u002Fheat-rate","heat-rate"," improvement attributable to the cleaning system. Independent PTC 4 measurements provide third-party-credible evidence of acoustic-cleaning ROI, which is particularly valuable for utility-scale procurement decisions where multiple stakeholders must approve capital spend.",[68,86,88],{"id":87},"related-terms","Related terms",[90,91,92,99,104,110],"ul",{},[93,94,95],"li",{},[62,96,98],{"href":97},"\u002Fglossary\u002Fboiler","Boiler",[93,100,101],{},[62,102,103],{"href":82},"Heat rate",[93,105,106],{},[62,107,109],{"href":108},"\u002Fglossary\u002Feconomiser","Economiser",[93,111,112],{},[62,113,115],{"href":114},"\u002Fglossary\u002Fair-heater","Air heater",{"title":117,"searchDepth":118,"depth":118,"links":119},"",2,[120,121],{"id":70,"depth":118,"text":71},{"id":87,"depth":118,"text":88},"standards-regulations","ASME PTC 4 (American Society of Mechanical Engineers Performance Test Code 4) specifies the standard methodology for fired-steam-generator performance tests. PTC 4 measurements quantify boiler efficiency, individual heat losses (dry gas, moisture, unburned carbon, radiation, etc.) and the contribution of convective-pass fouling to overall performance.","md",{},true,"\u002Fglossary\u002Fasme-ptc-4",[129,83,130,131],"boiler","economiser","air-heater",{"title":133,"description":134},"ASME PTC 4 — boiler performance test code","ASME PTC 4 specifies the standard methodology for steam-generator performance tests. Used to quantify boiler efficiency, heat losses and heat-rate impact of fouling.",[136],{"title":137,"url":138},"ASME — PTC 4","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.asme.org\u002Fcodes-standards\u002Ffind-codes-standards\u002Fptc-4-fired-steam-generators","glossary\u002Fasme-ptc-4","ASME PTC 4 (boiler performance test)","JDbNep06kngLeVcD14BfNXJht0JPg1uDbtn9kr8dPb0",[143,391,507,627],{"id":144,"title":98,"aliases":145,"body":149,"category":129,"description":370,"extension":124,"meta":371,"navigation":126,"path":97,"relatedTerms":372,"seo":379,"sources":382,"stem":389,"term":98,"__hash__":390},"glossary\u002Fglossary\u002Fboiler.md",[146,147,148],"industrial boiler","utility boiler","steam generator",{"type":52,"value":150,"toc":365},[151,179,183,301,305,334,336],[55,152,153,154,156,157,161,162,165,166,170,171,165,175,178],{},"A ",[58,155,129],{}," is a closed vessel in which fuel chemical energy is converted to steam by transferring heat into water flowing through tube banks. Industrial and utility boilers serve electricity generation, district heating, process steam, ",[62,158,160],{"href":159},"\u002Fglossary\u002Fwaste-to-energy","WtE",", ",[62,163,164],{"href":159},"biomass"," and ",[62,167,169],{"href":168},"\u002Fglossary\u002Frecovery-boiler","pulp-and-paper"," operations. All of them foul; the only variables are ",[172,173,174],"em",{},"how much",[172,176,177],{},"with what",".",[68,180,182],{"id":181},"boiler-families","Boiler families",[184,185,186,202],"table",{},[187,188,189],"thead",{},[190,191,192,196,199],"tr",{},[193,194,195],"th",{},"Type",[193,197,198],{},"Fuel",[193,200,201],{},"Notes",[203,204,205,220,234,248,261,275,286],"tbody",{},[190,206,207,214,217],{},[208,209,210],"td",{},[62,211,213],{"href":212},"\u002Fglossary\u002Fpc-boiler","PC boiler",[208,215,216],{},"Pulverised coal",[208,218,219],{},"Dominant utility design",[190,221,222,228,231],{},[208,223,224],{},[62,225,227],{"href":226},"\u002Fglossary\u002Fcfb-boiler","CFB boiler",[208,229,230],{},"Coal, biomass, RDF, lignite",[208,232,233],{},"Tolerates wider fuel range; lower NOx",[190,235,236,242,245],{},[208,237,238],{},[62,239,241],{"href":240},"\u002Fglossary\u002Fbfb-boiler","BFB boiler",[208,243,244],{},"Biomass, sludge, low-grade fuels",[208,246,247],{},"Bubbling fluidised bed",[190,249,250,255,258],{},[208,251,252],{},[62,253,254],{"href":168},"Recovery boiler",[208,256,257],{},"Black liquor (kraft pulp mills)",[208,259,260],{},"Combines chemicals recovery with steam",[190,262,263,269,272],{},[208,264,265],{},[62,266,268],{"href":267},"\u002Fglossary\u002Fhog-fuel-boiler-bark-boiler","Hog-fuel boiler",[208,270,271],{},"Wood waste, bark",[208,273,274],{},"Common at pulp mills as side boilers",[190,276,277,280,283],{},[208,278,279],{},"Gas \u002F oil boiler",[208,281,282],{},"Natural gas, fuel oil",[208,284,285],{},"Lower particulate, less fouling",[190,287,288,291,294],{},[208,289,290],{},"HRSG",[208,292,293],{},"Gas-turbine exhaust",[208,295,296,297],{},"See ",[62,298,300],{"href":299},"\u002Fglossary\u002Fheat-recovery-steam-generator","heat-recovery steam generator",[68,302,304],{"id":303},"where-sonic-horns-sit","Where sonic horns sit",[55,306,307,310,311,161,313,161,317,165,321,324,325,329,330,333],{},[62,308,309],{"href":77},"Sonic horns"," installed across the convective pass — between ",[62,312,130],{"href":108},[62,314,316],{"href":315},"\u002Fglossary\u002Fsuperheater","superheaters",[62,318,320],{"href":319},"\u002Fglossary\u002Freheater","reheater",[62,322,323],{"href":114},"air heater"," — dislodge ash and soot continuously, supplementing or partially replacing steam ",[62,326,328],{"href":327},"\u002Fglossary\u002Fsteam-sootblower","sootblowers",". The benefit shows up as ",[62,331,332],{"href":82},"heat rate"," recovery, deferred outages and longer intervals between water washes.",[68,335,88],{"id":87},[90,337,338,342,346,350,356,360],{},[93,339,340],{},[62,341,213],{"href":212},[93,343,344],{},[62,345,227],{"href":226},[93,347,348],{},[62,349,254],{"href":168},[93,351,352],{},[62,353,355],{"href":354},"\u002Fglossary\u002Fwaterwall","Waterwall",[93,357,358],{},[62,359,109],{"href":108},[93,361,362],{},[62,363,364],{"href":77},"Sonic horn",{"title":117,"searchDepth":118,"depth":118,"links":366},[367,368,369],{"id":181,"depth":118,"text":182},{"id":303,"depth":118,"text":304},{"id":87,"depth":118,"text":88},"A boiler is a closed vessel in which fuel chemical energy is converted to steam by transferring heat into water flowing through tube banks. Industrial and utility boilers serve electricity generation, district heating, process steam, WtE, biomass and pulp-and-paper operations. All of them foul; the only variables are how much and with what.",{},[373,374,375,376,377,130,378,131,78],"pc-boiler","cfb-boiler","bfb-boiler","recovery-boiler","waterwall","superheater",{"title":380,"description":381},"Boiler — industrial steam generator types and acoustic-cleaning needs","A boiler is a vessel that converts fuel chemical energy into steam by heating water. Coal-fired, biomass, oil, gas and recovery boilers all foul; sonic horns clean heat-transfer surfaces.",[383,386],{"title":384,"url":385},"Wikipedia — Boiler","https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FBoiler",{"title":387,"url":388},"Babcock & Wilcox — Sootblower and Boiler Cleaning Terminology","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.babcock.com\u002Fhome\u002Fabout\u002Fresources\u002Flearning-center\u002Fsootblower-and-boiler-cleaning-terminology-principles-and-applications","glossary\u002Fboiler","pamAnZGo_UeIedDHhYrfv0nP3GCXkNTGi0a197n4b5Q",{"id":392,"title":103,"aliases":393,"body":397,"category":129,"description":494,"extension":124,"meta":495,"navigation":126,"path":82,"relatedTerms":496,"seo":498,"sources":501,"stem":505,"term":103,"__hash__":506},"glossary\u002Fglossary\u002Fheat-rate.md",[394,395,396],"boiler heat rate","plant heat rate","heat-rate degradation",{"type":52,"value":398,"toc":489},[399,404,408,411,450,457,461,464,466],[55,400,401,403],{},[58,402,103],{}," is the fuel energy consumed per unit of electrical energy generated, measured in BTU\u002FkWh (US) or kJ\u002FkWh (everywhere else). Lower heat rate equals higher thermodynamic efficiency. Heat rate is the central economic KPI of every coal-fired and gas-fired power plant — a 1% rise in heat rate at sustained load costs the operator 1% more fuel per MWh forever.",[68,405,407],{"id":406},"heat-rate-and-convective-pass-fouling","Heat rate and convective-pass fouling",[55,409,410],{},"Heat rate degrades from many causes. The fouling-driven contribution is normally split between:",[90,412,413,421,428,439],{},[93,414,415,420],{},[58,416,417,419],{},[62,418,109],{"href":108}," fouling"," — feedwater pre-heat falls, steam-cycle efficiency drops",[93,422,423,427],{},[58,424,425,419],{},[62,426,115],{"href":114}," — combustion-air pre-heat falls, boiler efficiency drops",[93,429,430,438],{},[58,431,432,435,436,419],{},[62,433,434],{"href":315},"Superheater"," \u002F ",[62,437,320],{"href":319}," — outlet temperatures fall, turbine efficiency drops",[93,440,441,449],{},[58,442,443,444,448],{},"Forced ",[62,445,447],{"href":446},"\u002Fglossary\u002Fattemperator-desuperheater","attemperation"," loss"," of margin",[55,451,452,453,456],{},"A typical poorly-maintained coal-fired unit carries 2–4% heat-rate penalty from cumulative fouling. Aggressive cleaning, including ",[62,454,455],{"href":77},"sonic horns"," on convective surfaces, can recover 1–3% of that — equivalent to USD 1–5 million annual fuel saving for a 500 MW unit.",[68,458,460],{"id":459},"how-heat-rate-recovery-is-monetised","How heat-rate recovery is monetised",[55,462,463],{},"Heat-rate recovery is the headline business case for sonic-horn retrofits on coal and biomass boilers. The savings flow directly through fuel cost; payback periods of 12–24 months are routinely quoted.",[68,465,88],{"id":87},[90,467,468,472,476,480,485],{},[93,469,470],{},[62,471,98],{"href":97},[93,473,474],{},[62,475,109],{"href":108},[93,477,478],{},[62,479,115],{"href":114},[93,481,482],{},[62,483,484],{"href":64},"Convective pass \u002F backpass",[93,486,487],{},[62,488,364],{"href":77},{"title":117,"searchDepth":118,"depth":118,"links":490},[491,492,493],{"id":406,"depth":118,"text":407},{"id":459,"depth":118,"text":460},{"id":87,"depth":118,"text":88},"Heat rate is the fuel energy consumed per unit of electrical energy generated, measured in BTU\u002FkWh (US) or kJ\u002FkWh (everywhere else). Lower heat rate equals higher thermodynamic efficiency. Heat rate is the central economic KPI of every coal-fired and gas-fired power plant — a 1% rise in heat rate at sustained load costs the operator 1% more fuel per MWh forever.",{},[129,130,131,497,78],"convective-pass-backpass",{"title":499,"description":500},"Heat rate — the fuel-efficiency metric used by every coal and gas plant","Heat rate is the fuel energy required to produce one unit of electrical output, measured in BTU\u002FkWh or kJ\u002FkWh. Fouling on convective surfaces directly degrades heat rate.",[502],{"title":503,"url":504},"Wikipedia — Heat rate (efficiency)","https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FHeat_rate_(efficiency)","glossary\u002Fheat-rate","OgQ7351DfpLtBl2D9AWNTCFTk4exqZE2ZLpWrVGyJWA",{"id":508,"title":109,"aliases":509,"body":512,"category":129,"description":614,"extension":124,"meta":615,"navigation":126,"path":108,"relatedTerms":616,"seo":618,"sources":621,"stem":625,"term":109,"__hash__":626},"glossary\u002Fglossary\u002Feconomiser.md",[510,511],"economizer","feedwater economiser",{"type":52,"value":513,"toc":608},[514,532,536,539,556,559,563,568,572,580,582],[55,515,516,517,519,520,523,524,526,527,529,530,178],{},"An ",[58,518,130],{}," is the tube bank in a boiler's ",[62,521,522],{"href":64},"convective pass"," that recovers residual heat from the flue gas by preheating boiler feedwater. It sits downstream of the ",[62,525,320],{"href":319}," and upstream of the ",[62,528,323],{"href":114},"; economiser performance directly affects boiler ",[62,531,332],{"href":82},[68,533,535],{"id":534},"fouling","Fouling",[55,537,538],{},"Two failure modes dominate:",[90,540,541,547],{},[93,542,543,546],{},[58,544,545],{},"Ash bridging"," between tubes — gas can no longer pass freely; ΔP across the economiser rises",[93,548,549,555],{},[58,550,551],{},[62,552,554],{"href":553},"\u002Fglossary\u002Flarge-particle-ash","Large-particle ash"," dropping out of the gas stream onto economiser hoppers — bridges and pluggage in the hopper itself",[55,557,558],{},"The first reduces gas-side heat transfer and forces gas channelling around the blocked area; the second causes hopper extraction to fail and back-pressures the gas path.",[68,560,562],{"id":561},"sonic-horn-duty","Sonic-horn duty",[55,564,565,567],{},[62,566,309],{"href":77}," mounted on the economiser shell and hopper are particularly effective because economiser deposits are dry, friable and respond well to acoustic dislodging. Plants commonly report 1–2% boiler-efficiency recovery after horn installation on heavily-fouled economisers.",[68,569,571],{"id":570},"economiser-scr-adjacency","Economiser-SCR adjacency",[55,573,574,575,579],{},"On units with an upstream ",[62,576,578],{"href":577},"\u002Fglossary\u002Fhigh-dust-low-dust-tail-end-scr","high-dust SCR",", the economiser receives the same large-particle ash that the SCR is designed against. LPA screens between SCR and economiser are common; sonic horns help keep both surfaces clean.",[68,581,88],{"id":87},[90,583,584,588,592,596,600,604],{},[93,585,586],{},[62,587,98],{"href":97},[93,589,590],{},[62,591,484],{"href":64},[93,593,594],{},[62,595,434],{"href":315},[93,597,598],{},[62,599,115],{"href":114},[93,601,602],{},[62,603,554],{"href":553},[93,605,606],{},[62,607,364],{"href":77},{"title":117,"searchDepth":118,"depth":118,"links":609},[610,611,612,613],{"id":534,"depth":118,"text":535},{"id":561,"depth":118,"text":562},{"id":570,"depth":118,"text":571},{"id":87,"depth":118,"text":88},"An economiser is the tube bank in a boiler's convective pass that recovers residual heat from the flue gas by preheating boiler feedwater. It sits downstream of the reheater and upstream of the air heater; economiser performance directly affects boiler heat rate.",{},[129,497,378,131,617,78],"large-particle-ash",{"title":619,"description":620},"Economiser — final tube bank that preheats feedwater with flue-gas heat","An economiser is the final tube bank in a boiler's convective pass that recovers heat from the flue gas by preheating feedwater. Ash bridging in the economiser is a routine cleaning challenge.",[622],{"title":623,"url":624},"Wikipedia — Economizer","https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FEconomizer","glossary\u002Feconomiser","kh4Q3Eo9CNl35_b843VUXSI8fDZuiLZqLyB__NSzVH4",{"id":628,"title":629,"aliases":630,"body":634,"category":129,"description":788,"extension":124,"meta":789,"navigation":126,"path":114,"relatedTerms":790,"seo":795,"sources":798,"stem":802,"term":115,"__hash__":803},"glossary\u002Fglossary\u002Fair-heater.md","Air heater (APH)",[631,632,633],"air preheater","APH","air heaters",{"type":52,"value":635,"toc":782},[636,647,651,694,698,710,740,744,750,752],[55,637,516,638,640,641,643,644,646],{},[58,639,323],{}," — also called an ",[58,642,631],{}," (APH) — is the final heat-recovery device in a boiler's ",[62,645,522],{"href":64},", recovering low-grade heat from cooling flue gas to preheat the combustion air. APHs lift overall boiler efficiency by 5–10 percentage points and are critical to heat-rate performance.",[68,648,650],{"id":649},"aph-types","APH types",[184,652,653,662],{},[187,654,655],{},[190,656,657,659],{},[193,658,195],{},[193,660,661],{},"Description",[203,663,664,675,686],{},[190,665,666,672],{},[208,667,668],{},[62,669,671],{"href":670},"\u002Fglossary\u002Fljungstrom-air-preheater","Ljungström \u002F regenerative",[208,673,674],{},"Rotating matrix of heat-exchange baskets cycling between gas and air sides",[190,676,677,683],{},[208,678,679],{},[62,680,682],{"href":681},"\u002Fglossary\u002Ftubular-air-preheater","Tubular",[208,684,685],{},"Fixed tube bundle with flue gas through tubes, air around them",[190,687,688,691],{},[208,689,690],{},"Plate-type",[208,692,693],{},"Cross-flow plate exchanger; smaller industrial duty",[68,695,697],{"id":696},"the-cold-end-problem","The cold-end problem",[55,699,700,701,435,705,709],{},"The APH cold end is the coolest point in the flue-gas path before the ",[62,702,704],{"href":703},"\u002Fglossary\u002Felectrostatic-precipitator","ESP",[62,706,708],{"href":707},"\u002Fglossary\u002Fbaghouse","baghouse",". Two related failure modes dominate:",[90,711,712,726],{},[93,713,714,720,721,725],{},[58,715,716],{},[62,717,719],{"href":718},"\u002Fglossary\u002Fammonium-bisulphate","Ammonium bisulphate (ABS)"," fouling on boilers with upstream ",[62,722,724],{"href":723},"\u002Fglossary\u002Fselective-catalytic-reduction","SCR",": sticky deposits plug Ljungström baskets and tubular APH tubes",[93,727,728,734,735,739],{},[58,729,730],{},[62,731,733],{"href":732},"\u002Fglossary\u002Fcold-end-corrosion-dew-point-corrosion","Cold-end corrosion"," below the ",[62,736,738],{"href":737},"\u002Fglossary\u002Facid-dew-point","acid dew point"," — sulphuric acid condenses and attacks baskets and tubes",[68,741,743],{"id":742},"why-sonic-horns-are-routinely-specified-on-aphs","Why sonic horns are routinely specified on APHs",[55,745,746,747,749],{},"ABS fouling is the single most common reason plants install ",[62,748,455],{"href":77}," on the cold end. Continuous low-amplitude vibration prevents ABS from consolidating between water-wash campaigns, extending the campaign interval from quarterly to annual and avoiding capacity-derate excursions.",[68,751,88],{"id":87},[90,753,754,758,763,768,773,778],{},[93,755,756],{},[62,757,98],{"href":97},[93,759,760],{},[62,761,762],{"href":670},"Ljungström air preheater",[93,764,765],{},[62,766,767],{"href":681},"Tubular air preheater",[93,769,770],{},[62,771,772],{"href":718},"Ammonium bisulphate",[93,774,775],{},[62,776,777],{"href":732},"Cold-end corrosion \u002F dew-point corrosion",[93,779,780],{},[62,781,364],{"href":77},{"title":117,"searchDepth":118,"depth":118,"links":783},[784,785,786,787],{"id":649,"depth":118,"text":650},{"id":696,"depth":118,"text":697},{"id":742,"depth":118,"text":743},{"id":87,"depth":118,"text":88},"An air heater — also called an air preheater (APH) — is the final heat-recovery device in a boiler's convective pass, recovering low-grade heat from cooling flue gas to preheat the combustion air. APHs lift overall boiler efficiency by 5–10 percentage points and are critical to heat-rate performance.",{},[129,791,792,793,794,78],"ljungstrom-air-preheater","tubular-air-preheater","ammonium-bisulphate","cold-end-corrosion-dew-point-corrosion",{"title":796,"description":797},"Air heater (APH) — final flue-gas heat-recovery device before the stack","An air heater (also air preheater, APH) recovers low-grade heat from flue gas to preheat combustion air. Cold-end fouling and corrosion are the dominant operational challenges.",[799],{"title":800,"url":801},"Wikipedia — Air preheater","https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FAir_preheater","glossary\u002Fair-heater","3pBQ2ZyiQ7VOKuf9rxsx43EFarkhgykVhd2amXg0TMY",1782613754284]