HRL Technology Group Pty Ltd ABN 89 609 887 327 info@hrl.com.au hrl.com.au

Melbourne Level One Unit 4 677 Springvale Road Mulgrave VIC 3170 Phone +61 3 9565 9888 Fax +61 3 9565 9879

Morwell Tramway Road Morwell VIC 3840

Phone +61 3 5132 1500 Fax +61 3 5132 1580

Queensland Unit 2 33-37 Rosedale Street Coopers Plains QLD 4108 Phone +61 7 3423 4300 Fax +61 7 3345 5937

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Planttroubleshootingandsolutionsforenergy-intensiveindustries

Usingasuiteofprocesssimulationtoolstoidentifythesourceofplantperformanceproblemsandtoprovidecost-effectivesolutionstothoseproblems.hrl:providestroubleshootingservicesandsolutionstopowergenerators,miners,mineralprocessors,andmanufacturingindustries,includingcementandpaper,acrossAustraliaandaroundtheworld.Inadditiontosupportingplantoperators,HRLTechnologyGroupassistsOriginalEquipmentManufacturers(OEMs),engineering,serviceandcontractingcompanies,insuranceandlegalfirms,researchorganisationsaswellasgovernmentagencies.Industriesoperateinanextremelycompetitiveandchallengingenvironmentthatplacesconsiderablepressureonmaximisingplantperformance.Plantoperatorsfacegrowingpressurestolimitemissions,fuel-useandmaintenancecosts,whileimprovingthereliabilityoftheirplant.Issuessuchasoverheatingorerosioncandisruptplantoperationleadingtoinefficiencyandpossibleplantdowntime.hrl:understandstheneedtopinpointandrectifyplantperformanceissuesswiftlyandwithminimumtotalcost.hrl:offersprocesssimulationandmodellingtoolsthatallow:• testingofalternativemodificationoptions• quantifyingofperformanceimprovements• accurateup-frontcost-benefitanalysis.Modellingcanbeundertakenbeforeaplantoperatormakesanycommitmenttoplantmodification.

Challenges

Performanceproblemsthatplantoperatorscanfaceinclude:• lowefficiency• hightemperaturesoroverheating• fouling• fuelburnoutincludingcharandCO(carbonmonoxide)

carryover• poorflowdistribution• erosion• productqualityissues• NOx(nitrogenoxides)andSOx(sulphuroxides)

production..

hrl:providestroubleshootingservicesandsolutionstoenergy-intensiveindustries

hrl:utilisesprocesssimulationandmodellingtools

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Performanceproblemscanarisefromday-to-dayoperationandfromoperator-introducedchangessuchas:• introducinganalternativefuelsupply• operatingatalowerload/throughput/productionrate• changingcontrolsettingssuchasburneroperating

settings• retrofittingplant.

Analysisofboilercombustion Challengesoperatorsfaceinmaximisingplantperformanceandincreasingefficiencyinclude:• identifyingoptionsforimprovingplantperformance• predictingandquantifyingtheimpactanoptionwillhave

onplantprocesses• determiningthemostcost-effectiveoptions• re-evaluatingcost-prohibitiveefficiencyprojectsinlight

ofthecarbontaxandtheEnergyEfficiencyOpportunities(EEO)program

• evaluatinglong-termabatementactionsforcontinuingoperationsinalower-emissionseconomy

• identifyingandapplyingforgovernmentassistancepackageswhereappropriate

Simulationofmillprocesses

Solutions Addressingplantperformanceproblemsorimprovingperformancerequiresanunderstandingofwhatishappeninginsideaplant.hrl:expertprocess-modellingserviceprovidesanon-intrusivemethodto‘lookinside’aplantandtoassessprocessflows.hrl:servicesoffercost-effectiveandlow-riskalternativesfordeterminingtherootcauseofaproblemandfordevelopingfeasiblesolutions,thoseservicesinclude:ANSYSFluentFluentispowerfulcomputationalfluiddynamics(CFD)modellingsoftwarethatcanproducethree-dimensionalmodelsofanyflowsystem–excellentfortroubleshootingsystemswithtwo-phaseflowandchemicalreactions.AspenPlusAspenPlusisprocess-simulationsoftwarewidely-usedinconceptualdesign,optimisationandperformancemonitoringtoassistinimprovingperformanceormaximisingefficiency.ThermoflowTheThermoflowsuiteofprograms–STEAMPRO,STEAMMASTER,GTPRO,GTMASTERandTHERMOFLEX–isusedinanalysing,designingandcostingconventionalsteam-cycleandgas-turbinecombined-cycleplant–toaddressdesignandperformanceissuesincludingairflows,alternativefuelsandcontrolmodifications.

BenefitsThebenefitsclientsenjoybydrawingonhrl:extensiveexperienceinprocesssimulationinclude:• accurateandquickidentificationoftherootcausesof

plantperformanceproblems• assistanceinunderstandingcurrentplantperformance

andlimitations• astrongtheoreticalunderstandingofprocessissues

backedbyyearsofpracticalexperienceandexpertise• drawingonhighlyskilledtechnologiststoproduceresults

andrecommendationsthatcanwithstandscrutiny• modellingofalternativemodificationoptionsto

determinethecost-benefitequationbeforecommittingtoplantmodification

• resultsthatcanbecoupledwithEnergyEfficiencyOpportunities(EEO)programsandgreenhousecreditsassessments

• assistanceinimplementingplantmodifications.

Advancedboilerdesign

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CaseStudy1Determiningthecauseofcrackinginaonce-throughsteamgenerator AnLNGplantexperiencedpropagatedcrackingintheheaderofaonce-throughsteamgenerator.hrl:expertsproposedusingthermodynamicsoftware–ThermoflowandAspen–toprovidenon-invasiveandlow-riskanalysistoidentifytherootcause.Thecrackingwasaresultofparticularoperatingconditions,unstablewater-flowpatterns,andmal-distributionofflue-gasflowovertheinternaltubes.hrl:provideddesignandoperationalrecommendationstopreventfuturecracking–helpingtoensuretheLNGplantcouldavoidunexpectedoutagesandsafetyissuesduetocompromisedoperationofthesteamgenerator. CaseStudy2Foulingandtoxicgasmitigationinawaste-combustionfurnace Afterinstallinganewfluidised-bedboilerawasteandrecyclingplantexperiencedoccasionaltoxicgasexcursionsandfouling.hrl:personnelusedcomputationalfluiddynamics(CFD)modellingtosimulatecombustion,heattransfer,andflowwithinthefurnace.Themodellinghelpedtodeterminetheeffectofdifferentfurnaceconfigurationsongastemperaturesandfuelburnout.Next,Thermoflowsoftwarewasusedtoinvestigatetheimpactofthesechangesonoverallcycleperformance.hrl:proposedamodificationtoimprovefurnace-heattransferandreducewalltemperatures,effectivelyeliminatinganyfouling.TheThermoflowmodellingindicatedthatthemodificationwouldhaveminimalimpactonoverallcycleperformance.

CaseStudy3Modellingwaste-heatrecovery Amineralsprocessor,usingwasteheatfromakilntoproduceelectricity,wasexperiencingseveralissues.Incompletecombustioninanafterburnerresultedinavisibleplumeexitingthestack.hrl:expertsproposedcreatingacomputationalfluiddynamics(CFD)modeloftheafterburnertoassessperformanceofmodificationsproposedtoimprovecombustion.

Resultsfromthemodellingidentifiedafeasiblemodificationthatcouldincreasecoalandcharresidencetimestoavoidthevisibleplume.Themineralsprocessoralsohadcrackingissuesintheboilerupstreamoftheafterburner.hrl:experiencedstaffworkedtogetherwiththeirclienttocreateaThermoflowmodelofthewaste-heatrecoveryplanttobetterunderstandflue-gastemperaturesandflows,foulingandtheeffectofairingress.Then,theexpertsusedAspensoftwaretomodelwaterandsteamcirculationintheboilertubes.Themodellingindicatedthelikelycauseofthecrackingwasheattransferonanunprotectedsurfaceofthedrum.Thermalinsulationisnowused.

Contact AlexBlatchford

Telephone+61395659873Mobile+61408319842Emailablatchford@hrl.com.au

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