SootOpt^®

SootOpt dynamically determines boiler cleaning actions that optimally balance the unit’s heat rate, reliability, and NOx objectives. A closed-loop optimization software application, SootOpt directs existing soot blowing control systems to take action in real-time to best meet the unit’s overall heat rate, reliability, and emissions goals.

SootOpt works in conjunction with existing soot blowing controls and instrumentation – from simple PLC-based controls to advanced ISB systems. SootOpt uses adaptive modeling and expert rules or heuristics to optimize the activity of these systems with respect to their effect on multiple simultaneous global performance objectives. The expert rules also ensure that all applicable unit-specific constraints are considered. Within the boundaries defined by these rules, SootOpt’s adaptive neural network models identify the equipment and actions most effective for achieving the plant’s efficiency, reliability, and emissions objectives, and bias control activity toward those objectives. The neural models constantly learn from and adapt to changes in boiler operations, so that model quality remains high as conditions change.

Benefits include:

• Improves heat rate by minimizing attemperation sprays and exit gas temperatures, and better controlling reheat and superheat steam temperatures.
• Improves reliability by avoiding soot cleaning activities that cause tube erosion and excessive thermal shocking, and by avoiding plugging and fouling events.
• Reduces NOx by correctly proportioning heat transfer and reducing “hot spots” that result from ineffective cleaning.
• Reduces opacity violations by better managing the time between cleaning events and consistently applying rules for cleaning zones associated with opacity events.

To learn more about total boiler optimization, click here.

To view the product brochure, click here.