Superheater Waterwall Economiser Tube Leakage may be detected by Acoustic Instruments to avoid secondary damage to Boiler

Detect Boiler Tube Leakage Early to avoid secondary Damage. Super heater Water Wall Economiser Tube Leakage may be detected by Acoustic Instruments to avoid secondary damage.BTL may damage boiler tubes, refractory, structure beams and choke Air heater tubes so it must be watched carefully.



There must be constant vigil on possibility of Boiler Tube Leakage because small negligence may result into heavy leakage to pressure parts of Boiler, its refractory’s and even to its Structure Beams etc. We must constantly watch furnace vacuum which must be maintained -10 to -20 mmwl. If furnace vacuum is disturbed then we must physically inspect boiler for hissing sound of leakage of steam. Nowadays some Acoustic Instruments also available which may detect steam leakage from boiler tube. Feed water flow is another parameter which must be watched carefully to judge boiler tube leakage. Any increase of feed water flow and decreasing of de aerator level must be seriously examined.




There are several type of boiler tube leakage such as Super Heater Leakage, Water Wall Leakage and Economiser Tube Leakage, all type of boiler tube leakage are seriously dangerous for Boiler. In some cases I have seen that Economiser leakage not taken seriously and unit allowed running for some time which resulted into chocking of Air Heater Tube which resulted into pressurisation on Boiler Furnace.