Diamond Power®

Air Heater Sootblowers

ENERGY | ENVIRONMENTAL
Diamond Power® Air Heater Sootblowers
When choosing sootblowers to clean the world’s largest boilers, owners and operators have come to rely on the Diamond Power®
line of boiler cleaning technologies from Babcock & Wilcox (B&W). We lead the industry in providing advanced sootblower designs.
Our extensive experience gives us a unique perspective on the optimal, most efficient and cost-effective way to clean boilers that burn
a variety of fuels, in any operating condition.

An important component of a boiler system is the air heater. Keeping it properly cleaned helps to achieve the highest efficiency.
B&W offers a variety of air heater sootblowers to meet your most demanding cleaning requirements.

„ IK-700®-AH
Based on our rugged IK-700 sootblower, the IK-700-AH is applied for cleaning most air heaters on all types of coals.

„ IK-700®-AH with “Step and Dwell”

Provides for more complete cleaning. The Step and Dwell control methodology enhances cleaning by advancing
the IK-700-AH sootblower in 1 in. (25 mm) steps and pausing until the air heater has rotated 360 degrees.

„ IK-525-DM Dual Media Cleaners

Provides the most aggressive cleaning, typically applied downstream of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system
where ammonia slip may occur. The IK-525-DM3/DM4 sootblower uses a PLC-controlled Step and Dwell process. The
sootblower is used for online low pressure (steam or air) cleaning and is supplied with the necessary sootblower-mounted
hardware and PLC control to operate in high pressure water wash mode.

Diamond Power IK-700-AH Partially

Retractable Sootblowers
The IK-700-AH is a short-travel version of B&W’s Diamond
Power IK-700 sootblower, specially modified for use in
cleaning regenerative air heaters of all sizes.

Compared to IK-700 sootblowers for boiler cleaning, these

air heater sootblowers use extra gear reduction to achieve
very slow travel (without lance rotation). The travel speed is
set relative to the rotational speed of the air heater basket
to provide complete coverage by the element and nozzle
assembly. Thus, much better cleaning is expected than with B&W’s Diamond Power IK-700-AH retractable sootblowers
original swing-arm-style cleaners still found on many air feature complete coverage in timing with the rotational
heaters. speed of the air heater for improved cleaning

The typical travel distance is 3 to 5 ft (0.9 to 1.5 m), although

a wider range is available. IK-700-AH sootblowers use an
element assembly with the nozzle quantity and diameters set
to obtain complete coverage of the air heater basket. Nozzle
spacing and element design are selected by B&W engineers
for each specific air heater. The IK-AH-700 is available for both
horizontal and vertical shaft air regenerative air heaters.

Diamond Power IK-700-AH

with Step and Dwell
The cleaning coverage of IK-AH-700 sootblowers can be
increased by adding “Step and Dwell” capability. A timer
circuit is added to the blower-mounted controls so that the
sootblower advances slightly, then stops while the air heater Horizontal travel IK-700-AH for cleaning a vertical shaft
basket makes complete revolution. This repeats for the entire air heater
travel of the sootblower with each operation to increase dwell
time and cleaning coverage.

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Diamond Power IK-700®-AH Retractable Air Heater Sootblower
Protective Cover for Air Cylinder

High-Strength Beam Shell

Air-Cylinder
Actuated
Carbon Steel or
Chrome-moly
Poppet Valve

Lance Tube Series 1 Carriage

Motor and Gear
Reducer for Slow
Travel Speeds

IK-525-DM Dual Media

Air Heater Cleaners
The IK-525-DM (dual media) air heater cleaner was developed in
response to SCR-induced ammonia slip on air heaters. This device
provides the ability to clean with steam or air when the unit is
online and the additional ability to clean with high pressure water
(up to 4000 psig [27.6 MPa]) when the unit is offline (online water
wash capability is available pending approval from the air heater
basket manufacturer). This provides maximum cleaning capability,
especially on units which may see ammonia salt deposits
associated with SCR installations upstream of the air heater. IK-525-DM full-travel steam and water nozzle assembly
We offer both full-travel (IK-525-DM) and partial travel
(IK-525-DM3 or DM4) designs. The lance tube is fully retractable
on the full-travel DM model. The DM3 (1/3 travel length with
3 sets of nozzles) and DM4 (1/4 travel with 4 sets of nozzles)
partial-travel dual-media cleaners more easily fit where there is
a lack of external clearance.
Low pressure
Dual-media air heater cleaners are fully programmable. When (steam or air) IK-525-DM High pressure
water nozzles
commanded to operate from the control room, the IK-525-DM3 nozzles
or DM4 will travel from rest to its fully inserted position at full
speed. Then, the PLC cabinet controls the cleaning process. The
blower will open its poppet valve and allow the air heater basket
to complete one revolution. A preset step moves the nozzles to
achieve complete coverage with no cleaning overlap and the
sequence of steps/dwells continues until the entire air heater
basket is cleaned.

High pressure water wash cleaning is similar, although the step

IK-525-DM3/DM4
size is finer due to the coherent high pressure water jet.

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 IK-700®-AH Air Heater Sootblower Specifications
Blower Travel As required by the application
2 to 10 ft (0.6 to 3 m)
Handling and Orientation Left or right hand; horizontal or vertical orientation
Carriage Series 1, grease lubricated, non-rotating
Travel Speeds 3 in. (76 mm) per minute; up to 8 in. (203 mm) per minute in 0.25 in. (6.4 mm)
per minute increments
Lance Tube and Element Assembly 2.88 in. (73.15 mm) Croloy or 304SS lance tube with carbon steel, custom-
designed element assembly with roller supports
Feed Tube 2.38 in. (60.45 mm) stainless steel
Steam Turn-On Assembly Solid-mount poppet valve, integral to sootblower
Element Assembly Custom-designed to meet the cleaning requirements and internal
and external obstruction requirements

IK-525-DM Dual-Media Air Heater Sootblower Specifications

Blower Travel Up to 24 ft (7.3 m)
Handling and Orientation IK-525-DM: left or right hand; IK-525-DM3/DM4: left hand only;
horizontal or vertical orientation
Carriage Series 1, grease lubricated, non-rotating
Power Control Design Internal Powerlink cable and water hose carrier with three magnetic,
dual-proximity limit switches
Lance Tube and Nozzle Assembly 5 in. (127 mm) high-strength lance tube with 5 steam nozzles and
(Full-travel IK-525-DM Version) 6 water nozzles supplied by internal stainless tubing
Lance Tube and Element Assembly 2.88 in. (73.15 mm) Croloy or 304SS lance tube with carbon steel;
(IK-525-DM3 or DM4 Version) custom-designed steam cleaning element assembly with roller supports
and adjacent, water cleaning assembly
Feed Tube 2.38 in. (60.45 mm) stainless steel
Steam Turn-On Assembly Air-cylinder actuated poppet valve, integral to sootblower,
bottom inlet or side inlet as required
Feed Tube Packing Gland Live-loaded gland or solid gland

Control Cabinet NEMA 4 enclosure for control of up to four dual-media cleaners;

includes variable frequency drive and Allen-Bradley MicroLoix PLC

The Babcock & Wilcox Company

1200 E Market Street, Suite 650
Akron, Ohio, U.S.A. 44305
Phone: +1 330.753.4511

www.babcock.com
ENERGY | ENVIRONMENTAL

The information contained herein is provided for general information purposes Established in 1867, Babcock & Wilcox is a global leader
only and is not intended nor to be construed as a warranty, an offer, or any
representation of contractual or other legal responsibility. in advanced energy and environmental technologies and
services for the power, industrial and renewable markets.
Diamond Power and IK-700 are trademarks of The Babcock & Wilcox
Company.
For more information or to contact us, visit our website
at www.babcock.com.

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