FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a Boiler Furnace Maintenance Support Structure
adaptable to power plant boiler maintenance inside the furnace during shutdown
time. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved boiler
maintenance support structure (IBFMS) having interchangeable nodes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The height of a boiler furnace generally varies from 30m to 60m approximately
depending on the boiler capacity/rating. The furnace water walls which are of a
height between 30 to 60m requires to be cleaned minimum once in a year to
remove the ash depositions on tubes thereby to ensure good heat transfer
through water wall tubes apart from regular maintenance. To bring down the
total maintenance time, it is necessary to have a maintenance device which can
be erected and dismantled within a minimum time and which would enable the
maintenance personnel to work simultaneously at different elevations of furnace
water walls.
The Boiler Furnace Maintenance device is generally made up of a number of
horizontal and vertical tubes which are joined at node points. The number of
such node points or joints for typical 500MW boiler ranges from 2000 to 3000. It
is evident from such a large number that the time involved in making these joints
form a major part of the total erection time of the maintenance device.
For Boiler Furnace Maintenance, the prime requirement is to keep the erection
time minimum thereby minimizing the power generation loss. Hence, the
maintenance support structure should be quickly erectable and dismantleable.
The support structure should be adaptable to carry out maintenance work inside
a boiler furnace during the shut down period, which generally comprises water
walls, Burners, Soot blowers, Super heaters, Re-heaters etc. The support
structure shall be capable of assembled and disassembled in a shortest possible
time by use of less manpower.
The Boiler Furnace Maintenance support structure should be configured to cover
all water wall areas, in a single set up, including the inclined area of the boiler
above the rear wall and the furnace bottom (Bottom hopper). The structure
should be designed to allow simultaneously access at different elevations thereby
reducing the total downtime of the boiler.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved boiler furnace
maintenance support structure having interchangeable nodes which eliminates
the disadvantages of the prior art structures.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved boiler furnace
maintenance support structure having interchangeable nodes which requires less
time and manpower for erection and dismantling.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved boiler furnace
maintenance support structure having interchangeable nodes which allows
simultaneous access to the maintenance personnel at different elevations inside
the boiler.
A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved boiler furnace
maintenance support structure having interchangeable nodes which does not
require any welding during assembly.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved boiler furnace
maintenance support structure having interchangeable nodes which is reliable
and safe.
A still another object of the invention is to provide an improved boiler furnace
maintenance support structure having interchangeable nodes which significantly
reduces the boiler maintenance time and thereby reducing the boiler down time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, there is provided an improved boiler maintenance support structure
comprising a plurality of individual structures configured in a shape of rows and
columns releasably jointed via atleast one interchangeable node, the individual
structures being interconnected by means of a plurality of nodes, each individual
structure comprising atleast one vertical member provided with a conical bowl
accommodating a blade which being rigidly connected to atleast one horizontal
member, a sleeve being slidingly disposed via the atleast one horizontal member,
a pin disposed on the vertical member which on rotation of sleeve presses the
sleeve down and arrests the upward movement of sleeve along the vertical so as
to sealingly fix the horizontal and the vertical members.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 - shows an interchangeable node joining a vertical and a horizontal
member of the support structure according to the present invention.
DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE
INVENTION
Fig. 1 shows that a conical bowl '01' is rigidly connected at stipulated span to a
vertical tube '02' of the IBMS. The conical bowl (01) accommodates the bottom
part of a blade '03' that is welded at the end of a horizontal tube '04' of the
support structure. The inside curvature of the bowl '01' matches with the outside
curvature of the blade '03' thus ensuring proper seating of the blade inside the
bowl. The bowl (01) is designed to contain the blades (03) of the horizontal
tubes (04) in all the four directions. After placing the horizontals tube members
(04) in all the four directions in the bowl (01), a sleeve (05) having conical bowl
end, is disposed so as to slide down onto the top of the blades (03) of the four
horizontal tubes '04' The sleeve (05) is rotated till a pin '06' provided on the
vertical tube (02) presses it down, thus providing a tight, firm and safe joint. The
Improved boiler maintenance support structure thus comprises a plurality of
interchangeable nodes thus providing a safe and reliable joints between the
vertical and the horizontal members of the support structure but requires a
minimum inputs and time in erection and dismantling.
We Claim:
1. An improved boiler maintenance support structure comprising a plurality of
individual structures configured in a shape of rows and columns releasable
jointed via atleast one interchangeable node, the individual structures being
interconnected by means of a plurality of node, characterized in that each
individual structure comprising atleast one vertical member (02) provided
with a conical bowl (01) accommodating a blade (03) which being rigidly
connected to atleast one horizontal member (04), a sleeve (05) being
slidingly disposed via the atleast one horizontal member (02) a pin(06)
disposed on the vertical member (02) which on rotation of sleeve (05)
presses the sleeve down and arrests the upward movement of sleeve along
the vertical so as to sealing fix the horizontal and the vertical member
(02,04).
2. The structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inside curvature of the bowl
(01) and the outside curvature of the blade (03) are identically shaped.
3. The structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sleeve (05) has a conical
bowl end.
4. An improved boiler maintenance support structure as substantially described
herein and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

An improved boiler maintenance support structure comprising a plurality of individual structures configured in a shape of rows and columns releasably jointed via atleast one interchangeable node, the individual structures being interconnected by means of a plurality of nodes, each individual structure comprising atleast one vertical member (02) provided with a conical bowl (01) accommodating a blade (03) which being rigidly connected to atleast one horizontal member (04), a sleeve (05) being slidingly disposed via the atleast one horizontal member (02), a pin (06) disposed on the vertical member (04) which on rotation causes the sleeve (05) to move further downwardly so as to sealingly fix the horizontal and vertical members (02,04).