Services > Specialty Custom Solutions > In-Situ SCR Catalyst Cleaning
Proprietary Technology
Our proprietary method vacuums and blows within a containment from above the catalyst while vibrating the catalyst layers from the bottom, safely cleaning catalysts of potentially harmful contaminants by removing fly ash that cannot be reached by traditional methods. The catalyst does not have to be removed from the unit and the process prolongs catalyst life.
Clears Your Unique Plugging Issue
Whether you are dealing with hardened fly ash, popcorn ash (LPA), or MgO plugging, results continually show the catalyst to be effectively cleared of chemical and physical deactivation substances, a decrease in pressure drop, increase in reaction surface, decrease in ammonia slip and increased plant efficiency.
Safely clear catalysts of potentially harmful contaminants.
Benefits |
Regeneration companies recommend this method be used to clean the catalyst before the modules are sent out for regeneration. It is the most effective method to prevent flyash release during highway transportation per EPA guidelines. Cleaning prevents moisture from accumulating in the plugged modules during transportation, which leads to hardening. |
It can reduce regeneration cost due to the prior cleaning. Turnkey comprehensive SCR cleaning incorporates vacuuming, proprietary sponge blasting process, module-encapsulation ash recovery & proprietary vibratory equipment and processes. |
Applications |
Decrease in Pressure Drop Decrease in Ammonia Slip Reduced catalyst poisoning Cleared of chemical & physical deactivation substances |
Increase in Reaction Surface Increase in Plant Efficiency Reduced Risk of Boiler Shutdown |
Problem
A major coal fired power plant was experiencing operational difficulty in coal-fired boilers due to the blinding of the SCR catalyst surface area by fly ash from the fuel combustion. This 441 MW Coal-fired power plant was built in 1976 with an SCR consisting of three layers, 1150 mm length Ceram catalyst with 45 modules per layer. Low quality coal and poor system design has traditionally required a very high rotation of catalyst (particularly the top layer, changed as often as every 6 months). In fact, when Thompson was given the opportunity to clean the reactor, the client had already ordered a replacement layer due to the amount of pluggage and ash build-up within the existing layer.
Thompson’s in-situ SCR catalyst cleaning method cleared the plugging significantly in just 4 shifts using our proprietary methods combining vacuuming, sponge blasting and our unique pneumatic vibration technology.
Solution
Utilizing Thompson’s unique and custom-designed, proprietary foaming equipment and dust-encapsulating foaming agent, the Thompson 3-man crew was able to clean all of the tripper room walls, supports, and 30’ ceiling with never having to lift their boots off the tripper room floor.