Coal Power

With over 30 years of experience applying power boiler cladding around the world, IGS has developed innovative solutions to extend the life of the existing CFB, BFB, Grate and PC-Fired boilers and to provide reliable, long-term pressure part protection with significant cost and time savings to our customers. A combination of proprietary alloys and unique application technology allows us to provide both erosion and corrosion solutions to components within the power boilers.

Coal and Lignite Fueled Boiler Cladding

Coal-fueled power plants are the most widespread electricity-generating technology, providing the world’s main source of energy. Although there is a growing focus on renewable energy provision, the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that fossil fuels will still account for more than 70% of the energy market in 2035.

Coal-fired boilers frequently exhibit erosion, corrosion, or a combination of both that subsequently damages these assets. The two most common types of boilers are fluidized bed boilers and pulverized coal-fired boilers. In this section, we will explore common issues arising in this equipment, and how IGS can solve them. We offer services for CFB, Pulverized coal, FGD (Flue Gas Desulfurization) Units, Economizers, Soot blowers, and SCR (Selective Catalytic Reactors). With our decades of global experience in this area, we likely have a proven boiler cladding solution for you.

Image: Boiler Ash Analysis Helps IGS to Select the Best Boiler Cladding

Corrosion of Coal-Fired Boilers

CFB Boiler Fireside Corrosion-Erosion

CFB boilers operate by combusting fuel in a fluidized bed of non-combustible particles. As these bed material particles recirculate in the furnace, they cause wastage of the furnace waterwall and evaporator panels. This corrosion-erosion mechanism is an unavoidable consequence of this boiler design. The wastage develops frequently at refractory to waterwall/evaporator interface, field weld joints in the furnace, and around the cyclone inlets. We provide HVTS® metal-based coatings to mitigate corrosion-erosion of waterwall panels of circulating fluidized bed boilers.

Outside of the tube wastage, several components require regular maintenance to keep the units running optimally. These include vortex finders, loop seals, expansion joints, bed nozzles, and tube replacement.

For more information on our mechanical and refractory solutions, click here.

Pulverized Coal Boilers’ Metal Wastage

Pulverized Coal (PC) Boilers generate thermal energy by burning pulverized coal injected through a combustion air stream to the burners in the firebox. As this coal combusts, compounds such as Sulfur react with the surrounding iron-based materials to cause metal wastage. Common issues include:

boiler waterwall fireside corrosion
lower slope erosion
upper nose arch erosion
sootblower erosion
corrosion assisted thermal fatigue
fouling/slag build-up

With our metal alloy boiler cladding, we prevent fireside corrosion of PC-fired boilers, as well as erosion and thermal fatigue.

Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD)

Economizer

We provide corrosion-resistant cladding for boiler economizer tubes.

Sootblower Erosion

Our highly erosion-resistant materials and Cetek® anti-slagging technology address sootblowing environments in pulverized coal boilers. Utilizing our experience in high erosion applications, we spray proprietary materials on-site that withstand the aggressive conditions associated with air and steam soot-blowing.

Selective Catalyst Reactor (SCR)

IGS designs, engineers, manufactures the longest-lasting large particle ash (LPA, or “popcorn ash”) filtration systems in the world. Typical filtration screens protecting catalysts within SCR systems have proven to be short-lived and unreliable, resulting in frequent clogging of the catalyst with LPA, decreasing NOx reduction performance. In contrast, IGS’s patent-pending NoNOx™ Components have been in service for years in some of the most aggressively run SCR systems in the world, having maximized catalyst maintenance cycles, reducing the likelihood of unplanned downtime, and significantly reducing the lifetime cost of SCR systems.

The IGS Boiler Cladding Solution

For each of the pieces of equipment in a power plant listed above, IGS has developed innovative and proven solutions to address metal wastage issues. With a full variety of services like Mechanical and Refractory Services, High Velocity Thermal Spray, Catalyst Protection Options and boiler deslagging technology, IGS provides life extension solutions that minimize the customer’s operating costs, and maximize asset value. We understand that the combination of material, application technology, and a skilled workforce is paramount to providing the very best solutions to boiler protection.

We custom engineered our HVTS® boiler cladding to provide fit-for-purpose erosion and/or corrosion benefits depending on your specific application and performance objectives.
IGS Maintenance teams are a highly skilled non-union workforce to focus on the key equipment in power boilers which include both mechanical and refractory services.
The IGS Environmental team has developed patented technology to protect the SCR’s from large particle ash (LPA). In combination with air cannons, sonic horns, and secondary screens we provide a 95% Clean SCR Guarantee.
IGS’ line of ceramic technology provides anti-slagging technology which lowers the flue exit gas temperature (FEGT) and improves the heat rate of the boiler.