Maintenance of industrial boilers
Maintenance of industrial boilers
The maintenance process is essential to achieve optimal operation of all equipment, especially boilers, in industrial process facilities to avoid unnecessary incidents and stops that affect plant production. Especially at a time complicated by rising energy prices and high climatic challenges, an optimal set-up is required to maintain the competitiveness of companies.
MANDATORY PERIODIC INSPECTIONS AND TESTS OF THE BOILER
What is the maintenance of an industrial boiler?
A Level
The periodicity of these inspections is annual. The inspection of the boiler is carried out with regard to the Regulation of pressure equipment. It does not require OCA intervention.
Chores:
- Verification of the existence and updating of the documentation corresponding to the maintenance and operation of the boiler, as well as the quality of the water in the steam and superheated water boilers
- Opening of doors and registers for cleaning and visual inspection of the smoke circuit and the parts under pressure
- Functional test of the boiler operating elements and safety devices
- Maintenance test of the boiler location conditions and safety instructions
- Checking the tightness of the gas circuit
- Visual inspection of the pipes and equipment that use the boiler fluid
- Burner check, with complete equipment review and combustion analysis and adjustment
B Level
The periodicity of these inspections is triennial and requires the intervention of the OCA. In addition to what is indicated for A Level, a complete inspection of the documentation and the condition of the boiler is carried out.
Chores:
- Verification of the documentation of the boiler and the installation plate in periodic inspections
- Inspection of the boiler elements
- Visual inspection before and after cleaning
- Supplementary tests
- Deformations
- Weld seams
- Thickness measurement by OCA
- Accessories and safety valves
- Pressure gauges and thermometers
- Fireplace and flue
- Refractory review
- Electric circuit
- In fire-tube boilers: check of shafts and tie rods; Reinforcement gussets; Tubes, tube plates and manifolds; Smoke boxes
- In water-tube boilers: checking of structure and fixing of tubes to drums and collectors and tube bundles or coils
- Operational and safety tests in the company of the OCA: Regulation and sealing of safety and relief valves
- Checking the regulation automatisms
- Security automation
- Burner check, with a complete equipment overhaul and combustion analysis and adjustment
C Level
The periodicity of these inspections occurs every six years. In addition to what is indicated for B Level inspections, the hydrostatic test is carried out in industrial boilers.
Chores:
- Documentation check
- In fire tube boilers, inspection and non-destructive tests are carried out by means of penetrating liquids or magnetic particles on:
- All the welds joining the hearth with the back or tubular plate of the hearth chamber
- All the welds of the hearth tube
- 50% of the junction of the back plate with the tubes of the first pass, in the case that the fuel is gaseous, and 10% for the rest of the fuels
- The entire joint of the bolts to the hearth chamber and to the rear tubular plate, in the case that the fuel is gaseous, or 50% in the rest of the fuels
- In water-tube boilers, except those with thermal fluid:
- All the welds connecting the tubular bundles to collectors, superheaters or superheaters
- Burner check, with complete equipment overhaul and combustion analysis and adjustment
