Sudden breakdown led to close cooperation – Fjernvarme Fyn
A classic sales meeting and a sudden operational shutdown marked the beginning of a good and close collaboration between Hans Buch A/S and Fjernvarme Fyn.
The Challenge
When our Product Manager visited Denmark’s 3rd largest district heating company, Fjernvarme Fyn, in the fall of 2018, it was to show what Hans Buch A/S could offer beyond the spare parts they already purchase from us.
The timing of the visit was perfect – even though it didn’t seem so at first glance. On this particular day, Fjernvarme Fyn was down due to a boiler shutdown. A shutdown that required everyone’s time and attention to get the plant back on its feet. At Fjernvarme Fyn, there was therefore no time for much else than dealing with the shutdown that day. With one foot out the door again, our Product Manager and Fjernvarme Fyn’s Operations Manager Kenneth Jepsen nevertheless started talking about the products and solutions Hans Buch A/S could offer. One product, in particular, caught interest on this day: Soot blowers from Clyde Bergemann.
The shutdown had occurred due to a blockage in the boiler, preventing flue gas from passing through the tube wall (see images below).
A shutdown like this requires 85 hours of boiler downtime and is estimated to cost around 1.5 million DKK. Approximately 15,000 DKK per hour due to the inability to incinerate waste during the period.
With so much money at stake, Fjernvarme Fyn needed to optimize their plant and improve operations. This marked the beginning of a good and close collaboration between Hans Buch A/S and Fjernvarme Fyn.
The Solution
It didn’t take long before our Product Manager and Kenneth agreed that soot blowers were needed to solve the boiler shutdown challenge. However, it shouldn’t be just any soot blowers, but rather soot blowers from our supplier Clyde Bergemann. One of the world’s largest suppliers in the field with extensive experience in both initial installation and plant upgrades. In addition to their vast experience in the field, our Product Manager could tell Kenneth about Clyde Bergemann’s solution Smart Helix Blower.
A solution that, in addition to keeping the superheaters clean of ash deposits while the boiler is in operation and extending service intervals, can be programmed to shoot steam between the tubes in the superheater, so the tubes are not hit and thus last longer.
The Benefits Speak for Themselves
With a solution like this, Fjernvarme Fyn would avoid having to shut down two, three, or four times a year, as was previously the case. Therefore, there was little doubt at Fjernvarme Fyn when they heard about the solution, which would also pay for itself if they could just avoid one or two stops over 1-2 years. The benefits of the solution spoke for themselves:
- Balanced heat transmission
- Extended service intervals
- Reduction in downtime period
- Increased thermal output due to effective boiler cleaning during full operation
See more in the video below.
The Solution in Action
With the overall framework for the solution in place, only one thing was missing before Fjernvarme Fyn could say a final yes. They needed to see the solution in action. The trip therefore went to Germany to look at similar installations at power plants.
During the trip, our Product Manager and the rest of the group had the opportunity to see the solution at customers with similar boiler and operating conditions. Additionally, the trip offered expert advice from Clyde Bergemann and experience sharing on plant optimization. All in all, a trip that convinced Fjernvarme Fyn that it was the right solution for them.
Three Important Elements in Adapting the Solution
The choice of solution was in place, and strategies for implementing the solution were laid out. However, before the soot blowers could be installed, it was necessary to consider three important elements in adapting the solution:
- Where the jets should hit and the distance between them, so they don’t blow directly on the tubes.
- How much pressure should be on the soot blowers.
- How they could cover as much as possible.
Fortunately, Clyde Bergemann has skilled employees who, based on a drawing of the plant, could see and mark where the dust would settle and how the soot blower should be programmed to be most effective.
Based on the drawing, Fjernvarme Fyn could install the soot blowers correctly and program them to effectively remove ash deposits from their boiler.
“Through close collaboration, we have found a solution that has helped us optimize our operations. Hans Buch has been involved throughout the process, and at no point did we have anything forced upon us that we didn’t need. They helped us find exactly what we needed to solve the challenge with our operational shutdown.”
Kenneth Jepsen, Operations Manager, Fjernvarme Fyn
The Result
Thanks to a close collaboration between Hans Buch A/S and Fjernvarme Fyn, Fjernvarme Fyn has now gained more operational hours from their plant. The optimized solution works exactly as intended, and ash deposits are kept down. This is also noticeable in the daily workflow at Fjernvarme Fyn, where since the installation of the soot blowers, there has only been one planned stop.
“This solution has been a joint project between Fjernvarme Fyn and Hans Buch, where I have been able to contribute my knowledge and draw on a skilled and competent supplier to find the best and most optimized solution for Fjernvarme Fyn.”
Product Manager, Hans Buch A/S
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