Patent ID: 7890214

Claim:
A method of detecting permanent slagging in a heat exchange section, the heat exchange section having a soot blower, the method comprising: operating 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; determining a plurality of changes in the rate of heat absorption within the heat exchange section as a result of operating the soot blower according to each of the plurality of operating sequences; determining a plurality of mean values, each of the plurality of mean values representing a mean value of a change in the rate of heat absorption within the heat exchange section as a result of operating the soot blower according to one of the plurality of operating sequences; determining a correlation value representing a correlation between the plurality of mean values and the plurality of operating parameters; and using the correlation value by comparing the correlation value to a threshold value to detect permanent slagging.