The regular cleaning of smoke flues in a power plant is accomplished through the use of automated soot blowers. These blowers come in various types, including sonar, steam, and mechanical blowers, among others. Typically, a programmable logic controller (PLC) is responsible for controlling the operation of a soot blower.

Construction

Referring to the image below, the electric motor labeled as M drives the soot blower, causing it to move into the smoke flue and rotate along its axis. To facilitate the cleaning process, high-pressure steam is emitted through steam injectors, effectively dislodging and removing ash and slag from the walls of the smoke flue.

Local Control Panel

The control of the soot blower is facilitated through the use of push buttons, which serve a dual purpose as both control inputs and indicator lights. These push buttons enable operators to initiate specific actions or operations for the soot blower while providing visual feedback on the status or mode of operation through their indicator light functionality.