Patent ID: 9476582
Filing Date: 2016-10-25
CPC Classification: F22B,F28G

Claim Text:
1. A method of removing slag within a utility furnace, the method comprising: providing a pressurized fluid stream comprising a fluid to an inlet of a nozzle of a soot blower, wherein the fluid comprises at least one of: air, steam, and water; providing a slag treating compound to a compound entrance of the nozzle; mixing the slag treating compound with the pressurized fluid stream to form a mixture downstream of an exit of the nozzle, wherein the nozzle comprises a varying cross-section between the inlet and the exit, wherein the nozzle has a larger diameter cross-section opening at the inlet than at the exit to cause a pressure differential between the inlet and the exit with the pressure being higher at the inlet than at the exit for drawing the slag treating compound into the compound entrance; and delivering the mixture through the soot blower to a targeted area inside the utility furnace, wherein the targeted area includes the slag on an outside surface of one or more tubes, and wherein the soot blower is selected from the group consisting of: a wall mounted soot blower, a retractable long lance soot blower, a rotating element soot blower, a helical soot blower, and a Rake blower; wherein the slag treating compound, in the mixture, chemically reacts with the slag to improve removal of the slag from an interior of the utility furnace, and wherein the slag is removed via a combination of a chemical reaction and a mechanical force; and wherein the method further comprises retrofitting the soot blower, wherein before the retrofitting, the soot blower could only provide the pressurized fluid stream to the inside of the utility furnace.