A Comparison of compressed air and steam soot blowers in steam boilers

Ash and soot fouling of boiler tubes impairs heat transfer, elevating fuel consumption and emissions while reducing overall plant performance. Soot-blowers clean boiler tubes on-line. This study presents a comparative analysis of steam and compressed air soot-blowing systems on coal-fired industrial boilers in South Africa. This work quantifies the capital, operational, maintenance, and emission costs. The report addresses the technical performance and practical application such as pressure stability, moisture-related erosion, and cleaning effectiveness. For similar capital costs, the compressed air soot-blowers have a 60% lower operation cost, 80% lower carbon emissions and save eighty-five cubic meters of water annually. This analysis supports soot blower selection to optimise economic, and environmental outcomes.