Colloquia

Summary

The research has taken place at the waste treatment facility of Twence in Hengelo, Overijssel. 

This work focus on the optimization of cleaning activities done during operations of the waste-fired boiler. Ash deposits are formed during the burning of waste. These ash deposits pollute the inside of the boiler leading to slagging and fouling problems, such as too high flue gas temperatures and excessive corrosion & erosion of the heat transfer services inside the boiler. 

To clean the inside of the boiler the company uses several cleaning techniques that can be used online, preventing unnecessary and expensive shutdowns. The maintenance and operational costs of cleaning techniques are high and rising over the past year motivating a detailed study in the costs involved and the cleaning effect the different techniques have. 

The research dives into the maintenance & operational costs involved, the operating protocols, effect on parameters such as flue gas temperatures a comparison between Twence and other WtE plants regarding online boiler cleaning. The research shows several improvements opportunities for the company.