Method and apparatus for controlling soot blowing using statistical process control

A soot blowing process control system for controlling a soot blower located in a heat exchange section, the system comprising:

• a computer processor communicatively connected to the soot blower;
• a computer readable memory;
• a first routine stored on the computer readable memory and adapted to be operable on the computer processor to operate the soot blower according to an operating sequence for a first period of time;
• a second routine stored on the computer readable memory and adapted to be operable on the computer processor to determine heat absorption data of the heat exchange section during the first period of time;
• a third routine stored on the computer readable memory and adapted to be operable on the computer processor to determine a heat absorption statistical value from the heat absorption data;
• a fourth routine stored on the computer readable memory and adapted to be operable on the computer processor to evaluate the heat absorption statistical value to determine a change in operating parameters of the operating sequence;
• and
• a fifth routine stored on the computer readable memory and adapted to be operable on the computer processor to implement the change in the operating parameters of the operating sequence.

A detection unit for use in detecting permanent slagging in a soot blowing process having a soot blower located in a heat exchange section, the detection unit comprising:

• a computer processor communicatively connected to the soot blower;
• a first routine stored on a first computer readable memory which executes on the computer processor to operate the soot blower according to a plurality of operating sequences, each of the plurality of operating sequences characterized by one of a plurality of operating parameters;
• a second routine stored on a second computer readable memory which executes on a processor to determine a plurality of changes in the rate of heat absorption within the heat exchange section as a result of the first routine operating the soot blower according to each of the plurality of operating sequences;
• a third routine stored on a third computer readable memory which executes on a processor to determine a plurality of statistical values, each of the plurality of statistical values representing a statistical measure of a change in the rate of heat absorption within the heat exchange section as a result of the first routine operating the soot blower according to one of the plurality of operating sequences;
• a fourth routine stored on a computer readable memory which executes on a processor to determine a correlation value representing a correlation between the plurality of statistical values and the plurality of operating parameters;
• and
• a fifth routine stored on a computer readable memory which executes on a processor to use the correlation value by comparing the correlation value with a threshold value to detect permanent slagging in the soot blowing process.