Sootblowers - continued.

Diamond Power IK-SD Retracting Soot Blowers

The figure shown here illustrates a common sootblower manufactured by Diamond Power.

The IK retracting soot blower is powered by a single 2 HP 1725 RPM motor that drives the soot blower through a gear reducer.

When the blower is energized the drive motor advances the lance into the unit. When the lance is in, the poppet valve opens and the blowing cycle begins. The poppet valve is designed to control the flow of steam to the soot blower lance.

The drive continues to advance the lance across the unit, while rotating the lance at the same time. When the lance reaches its full travel point, the rotation stops, the drive motor reverses the lance by approximately one inch, and the lance begins to rotate again, on a different nozzle path as the lance retracts. When the lance reaches the wall, the poppet valve closes and the lance retracts to its parked position.

The IK retracting soot blower consists of a lance and a feed tube driven by an electric motor through a gear reducer and dual rack and pinion drive, housed in a beam support assembly. The soot blower is equipped with a steam admitting poppet valve and various limit switches. The entire assembly is mounted to the unit on the nozzle end and supported by the structural steel on the drive end.

Blowing pressure is adjusted at the poppet valve associated with each soot blower.