Thermal Scanner Systems - Monitoring of Boiler Walls and other high temperature plant

Scanner Systems - Dedicated Thermal Monitoring (NTScan^TM Systems)

Scanner Installation - Martin Lake Supercritical Power Plant, Texas

Fireside Tube Wall Temperatures following Water Cannon Cleaning

Scanner Installation - Brunner Island Power Plant, Pensylvania, US

Furnace Wall Flame Impingement

The thermal monitoring capabilities of the scanner systems, originally developed for use with our corrosion/erosion scanner systems, have been refined to create systems for dedicated thermal monitoring. These systems are specifically tailored to high heat flux applications such as power plant and incinerator boiler walls. Systems are currently in operation on both subcritical and supercritical boilers in Europe and the US.

As with all our scanner systems, they are non-intrusive: a matrix of sensors, welded to external surfaces, can be used to produce 2-dimensional maps of the surface's thermal characteristics. In the case of boiler membrane walls, these characteristics might be heat flux or fireside tube crown temperatures - these parameters being derived from measured external surface temperatures.

The Six Electrode Locations (left) form part of a Matrix of Sensors, resulting in 2D Thermal Maps (right)

The systems allow easy interfacing with plant information systems and a dedicated software package allows data to be retrieved, analysed and displayed in a variety of ways, either for historical data or in real time (for example from a control room).

The Thermal Mapping Technology provides:

Real-time monitoring and mapping - tailored for high heat flux applications such as boiler walls and furnaces.
Mapping of external surface temperatures, estimates of heat flux and fireside tube temperatures, providing information on slagging behaviour, flame impingement, effectiveness of wall cleaning, excessive tube temperatures etc.
Fireside data that can be linked to boiler operations, enabling combustion conditions to be optimised leading to improved thermal efficiencies. Data may be used to control intelligent sootblowing systems.
Identification of excessive tube wall temperatures and thermal cycling - and so aids quantification of tube stresses and helps pinpoint underlying causes of tube damage and possible failure.

System Features:

Non-intrusive technology capable of mapping large areas - electrodes are welded to external surfaces to form rectangular matrices, linear arrays or can be used at individual locations.
Interface to plant information systems for data storage and retrieval. Dedicated software allows data analysis and presentation in a multitude of ways - historical, real time, linear traces and 2-D plots.
Re-designed hardware permits quick and easy installation. 'Chains' of assembled units, linked by flexible conduit with pre-installed wiring, are shipped to site for simple, direct mounting. This eliminates almost all on-site wiring and the need for fixed conduit or trunking.
Custom-built electrode sensor assemblies - easy to attach. Robust and simple connections to system wiring. Two sensors at each location (membrane and crown) allow estimation of heat flux and fireside tube temperatures. One/two intrusive heat flux sensors within each monitoring area, aid system calibration.
Systems can be readily removed for boiler maintenance.

Click here to download our thermal scanner systems brochure

Scanner Video Sequences

Thermal maps can be combined in chronological sequence to create videos which can be useful both for presenting an overview of thermal variations and also for highlighting more subtle changes within the monitoring areas.

Click here to view videos of example map sequences

Home Protection and Conservation Monitoring of Industrial Plant Services Research and Development Contact
		Scanner Systems - Dedicated Thermal Monitoring (NTScan^TM Systems)
Scanner Installation - Martin Lake Supercritical Power Plant, Texas Fireside Tube Wall Temperatures following Water Cannon Cleaning Scanner Installation - Brunner Island Power Plant, Pensylvania, US Furnace Wall Flame Impingement		The thermal monitoring capabilities of the scanner systems, originally developed for use with our corrosion/erosion scanner systems, have been refined to create systems for dedicated thermal monitoring. These systems are specifically tailored to high heat flux applications such as power plant and incinerator boiler walls. Systems are currently in operation on both subcritical and supercritical boilers in Europe and the US. As with all our scanner systems, they are non-intrusive: a matrix of sensors, welded to external surfaces, can be used to produce 2-dimensional maps of the surface's thermal characteristics. In the case of boiler membrane walls, these characteristics might be heat flux or fireside tube crown temperatures - these parameters being derived from measured external surface temperatures. The Six Electrode Locations (left) form part of a Matrix of Sensors, resulting in 2D Thermal Maps (right) The systems allow easy interfacing with plant information systems and a dedicated software package allows data to be retrieved, analysed and displayed in a variety of ways, either for historical data or in real time (for example from a control room). The Thermal Mapping Technology provides: Real-time monitoring and mapping - tailored for high heat flux applications such as boiler walls and furnaces. Mapping of external surface temperatures, estimates of heat flux and fireside tube temperatures, providing information on slagging behaviour, flame impingement, effectiveness of wall cleaning, excessive tube temperatures etc. Fireside data that can be linked to boiler operations, enabling combustion conditions to be optimised leading to improved thermal efficiencies. Data may be used to control intelligent sootblowing systems. Identification of excessive tube wall temperatures and thermal cycling - and so aids quantification of tube stresses and helps pinpoint underlying causes of tube damage and possible failure. System Features: Non-intrusive technology capable of mapping large areas - electrodes are welded to external surfaces to form rectangular matrices, linear arrays or can be used at individual locations. Interface to plant information systems for data storage and retrieval. Dedicated software allows data analysis and presentation in a multitude of ways - historical, real time, linear traces and 2-D plots. Re-designed hardware permits quick and easy installation. 'Chains' of assembled units, linked by flexible conduit with pre-installed wiring, are shipped to site for simple, direct mounting. This eliminates almost all on-site wiring and the need for fixed conduit or trunking. Custom-built electrode sensor assemblies - easy to attach. Robust and simple connections to system wiring. Two sensors at each location (membrane and crown) allow estimation of heat flux and fireside tube temperatures. One/two intrusive heat flux sensors within each monitoring area, aid system calibration. Systems can be readily removed for boiler maintenance. Click here to download our thermal scanner systems brochure Scanner Video Sequences Thermal maps can be combined in chronological sequence to create videos which can be useful both for presenting an overview of thermal variations and also for highlighting more subtle changes within the monitoring areas. Click here to view videos of example map sequences Further Reading Non-Intrusive Thermal Scanner Brochure (PDF File 3.4 MBytes) Fixed Scanner System Brochure (PDF File 1.4 MBytes) Power Engineering International Scanner Article - May 2010 (PDF File 1.0 MBytes) Non-Intrusive Scanners for Monitoring the Thermal Conditions of Furnace Walls - Recent Applications B.J.Robbins, D.M.Farrell, C.J. Wilkins. (PDF File 1.5 MBytes)