Regular furnace inspections are essential for identifying issues and highlighting problems like refractory damage or missing tiles, which can lead to costly unplanned stoppages and repairs. The scope for inspection in power plants and industrial installations is often restricted due to limited access and visibility while plants are in full operation, however these limitations can be overcome using Online Cleaning Technologies’ services.

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, many plants continue to operate with fewer staff and most planned shutdowns have been postponed until the autumn. This extra run time leads to extra stress on the plant. Refractory damage in the furnace means corrosive flue gases can attack membrane walls, thin the boiler tubes and lead to catastrophic leaks which result in costly unplanned stoppages, potentially lasting for days while repairs are carried out.

But furnace inspections and careful monitoring is a proven way of identifying stressed areas so issues can be dealt with before they cause major and costly problems.

Online Cleaning’s High Definition, High Temperature camera is like nothing else used in this industry.

The specialised camera is heat-resistant to temperatures up to 1,500°C and allows us to easily inspect and record every part of the installation while it is still online. It offers highly detailed imagery of the condition of refractory and tiles and allows us to assess furnace slagging prior to outages.

The camera can be used to visually inspect elements within the facility to ensure they are working correctly, can be used to visually demonstrate the effectiveness of OCT’s cleaning solutions, and the HD Camera can also be used to inform preventative maintenance planning, as well as for inspections during longer running periods.

For our customers these inspections are an invaluable element acting as a preventative maintenance regime which helps to maintain plant efficiency and availability.

In addition to regular camera inspections, many of our customers benefit from our Online Real-Time Monitoring Dashboard to track and analyse plant performance in real time. As it is based online, the dashboard can be accessed remotely to track and analyse general plant performance and allows those who have access to spot anomalies and potential issues before they cause serious problems. The tool can also be used by clients to monitor general performance on a regular basis.

The Monitoring Dashboard enables guaranteed, proactive maintenance and helps inform Online Cleaning and the client as to the best course of action regarding cleaning programs, while improving overall productivity and efficiency of the plant or facility.

Using this tool, cleaning can be more effectively targeted and will be “condition based”, meaning that we only clean when, and where, necessary resulting in reduced costs and increased profit.

For more information on how OCT can help you maintain optimal efficiency and avoid unplanned stops contact us today.