Sonic soot blowers information

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Sonic soot blowers offer a cost-effective and non-destructive means of preventing ash and particulate build-up within the power generation industry. They use high energy – low frequency sound waves that provide 360° particulate de-bonding and at a speed in excess of 344 metres per second. Because they employ non-destructive sound waves, unlike steam soot blowers they eliminate any concerns over corrosion, erosion or mechanical damage and do not produce an effluent stream.

The sonic soot blower can in some ways be compared to a musical reed instrument such as an oboe, where the ‘base tone’ is created by blowing air over a reed and then converting this ‘base tone’ into a particular high or low note, depending on how far the sound wave has to travel along inside the body of the instrument.

The sonic soot blower operates in the same manner, the ‘base tone’ being produced by passing compressed air into a wave generator which houses a titanium diaphragm causing it to oscillate rapidly. This ‘base tone’ is then converted into a range of selected frequencies ranging from 350 Hz down to 60 Hz by the design and length of the horn section, producing the desired sound frequency at a sound level approaching 200 dB. The sonic soot blower is usually ‘sounded’ for a few seconds at intervals of between 3 and 10 minutes. This ‘sounding’ pattern is normally controlled via the plant’s PLC. However, it may also be operated by such means as a SCADA system, individual timers on each solenoid valve or via a manual ball valve.