Furnace in-furnace observation device and method

Abstract

To observe the inside of a boiler furnace at high precision.SOLUTION: A furnace observation device allows for observing the inside of a furnace, and comprises: a camera; an illumination part; and a fixture for fixing the camera and the illumination part. The fixture comprises: a base part fixed to a peephole of the furnace; an arm part connected with the base part, inserted into the peephole and extending to the inside of the furnace; and an attitude adjustment part adjusting attitudes of the camera and the illumination part in a rotatable state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a furnace observation device and a furnace observation method for observing the inside of a boiler furnace.

Background Art

[0002] Large boilers such as coal-fired boilers have a furnace that is hollow and installed vertically, and a plurality of combustion burners are arranged along the circumferential direction of the furnace on the furnace wall (see Patent Document 1). Further, a flue is connected above the furnace in the vertical direction of the coal-fired boiler, and a heat exchanger for generating steam is arranged in this flue. Then, a flame is formed by the combustion burner injecting a mixture of fuel and air (oxidizing gas) into the furnace, combustion gas is generated and flows into the flue. A heat exchanger is installed in the region where the combustion gas flows, and water and steam flowing in the heat transfer tubes constituting the heat exchanger are heated to generate superheated steam.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a boiler that burns fuel, particularly a boiler that burns solid fuel, unburned components of combustion or burned ash, etc. adhere to the wall surface of the furnace as clinkers (slag). Further, slag adhering to the burner and the periphery of the burner may also hinder the supply of fuel, the supply of air, and the control of ignition. Or, when the operation is stopped for maintenance, the period during which the operation can be performed is shortened and the operation efficiency also decreases.

[0005] Burner repair and inspection traditionally required the installation of scaffolding and had to be carried out during full-scale scheduled inspections. However, in recent years, there has been a growing need from power companies to extend the interval between full-scale scheduled inspections that require the installation of scaffolding (specifically, extending the 2-year interval to a maximum of 6 years), and there is a desire to establish a menu for burner inspection, repair, and testing during intermediate inspections that do not require the installation of scaffolding inside the furnace.

[0006] Depending on the extent of the damage, burners may need to be removed from the furnace for maintenance. While it's crucial to avoid operational problems caused by using burners requiring maintenance, removing them for maintenance makes it difficult to complete scheduled maintenance work quickly. Therefore, we attempted to use a digital camera and LEDs to photograph the burner nozzles from outside the furnace via a viewing window, enabling us to determine whether or not to remove the burners.

[0007] However, unlike when scaffolding was erected near the boiler in the past, the effects of soot and dust were significant immediately after the plant was shut down, and the distance between the subject and the digital camera also increased, making it difficult to capture clear images.

[0008] This disclosure aims to solve the aforementioned problems and to provide a furnace observation device and furnace observation method that can observe the inside of a boiler with high precision. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve the above objective, the furnace observation device is a furnace observation device for observing the inside of a furnace, comprising a camera, an illumination unit, a jig for fixing the camera and the illumination unit, the jig comprising a base fixed to the viewing window of the furnace, an arm connected to the base and inserted into the viewing window and extending into the inside of the furnace, and a posture adjustment unit fixed to the arm and capable of rotating the camera and the illumination unit.

[0010] To achieve the above objective, the furnace observation method includes the steps of: inserting the furnace observation device described above into the furnace through a viewing window of the furnace and fixing its base to the viewing window; adjusting the posture of the camera; and taking a photograph of the inside of the furnace with the camera. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to this disclosure, the inside of a boiler furnace can be observed with high precision. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the coal-fired boiler of this embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing a heat exchanger installed in a coal-fired boiler 10. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the burner unit as seen from the furnace side. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a side view of a portion of the burner unit. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the furnace. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of an in-furnace observation device fixed to the furnace. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the in-reactor observation device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Preferred embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. However, this disclosure is not limited to these embodiments, and if there are multiple embodiments, they may be combinations of these embodiments.

[0014] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the coal-fired boiler of this embodiment.

[0015] The coal-fired boiler 10 of this embodiment is a coal-fired (pulverized coal-fired) boiler that uses pulverized coal (a solid fuel containing carbon) as pulverized fuel, burns this pulverized fuel in a combustion burner, and generates superheated steam by exchanging the heat generated by this combustion with feedwater or steam. In the following description, "up" or "above" refers to the upper side in the vertical direction, and "down" or "below" refers to the lower side in the vertical direction.

[0016] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the coal-fired boiler 10 has a furnace 11, a combustion device 12, and a combustion gas passage 13. The furnace 11 has a hollow rectangular shape and is installed along the vertical direction. The furnace wall (heat transfer tubes) 101 that constitutes the furnace 11 is composed of a plurality of evaporator tubes and fins connecting them, and suppresses the temperature rise of the furnace wall, which exchanges heat with feedwater or steam with the heat generated by the combustion of pulverized fuel.

[0017] The combustion device 12 is provided on the lower side of the furnace wall that constitutes the furnace 11. In this embodiment, the combustion device 12 has a plurality of combustion burners (e.g., 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) mounted on the furnace wall. For example, the combustion burners 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 are arranged in multiple vertical rows, with each set being evenly spaced along the circumferential direction of the furnace 11. However, the shape of the furnace, the number of combustion burners in a single row, and the number of rows are not limited to this embodiment.

[0018] Each of the combustion burners 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 is connected to a plurality of pulverizers (mills) 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 via pulverized coal supply pipes 26, 27, 28, 29, 30. Although not shown in the figure, for example, a rotating table is supported in a housing of the pulverizer so as to be drivably rotatable, and a plurality of rollers are supported above the rotating table so as to be rotatable in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating table. When coal is fed between the plurality of rollers and the rotating table, it is pulverized here to a predetermined size of pulverized coal, and is conveyed by a conveying gas (primary air, oxidizing gas) to a classifier in a housing of the pulverizer not shown, and the pulverized fuel classified within a predetermined size range can be supplied from the pulverized coal supply pipes 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 to the combustion burners 21, 22, 23, 24, 25.

[0019] Further, a wind box 36 is provided at the mounting position of each of the combustion burners 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 in the furnace 11, and one end of an air duct (air passage) 37 is connected to the wind box 36. The other end of the air duct 37 is provided with a forced draft fan (FDF) 38.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the combustion gas passage 13 is connected to the upper part in the vertical direction of the furnace 11. The combustion gas passage 13 is provided with superheaters 102, 103, 104, reheaters 105, 106, and economizer 107 as heat exchangers for recovering the heat of the combustion gas, and heat exchange is performed between the combustion gas generated by combustion in the furnace 11 and the feed water and steam flowing through each heat exchanger.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, a flue 14 through which the combustion gas that has undergone heat exchange on the downstream side of the combustion gas passage 13 is discharged is connected to the combustion gas passage 13. An air heater (air preheater) 42 is provided between the flue 14 and the air duct 37, and heat exchange is performed between the air flowing through the air duct 37 and the combustion gas flowing through the flue 14, and the combustion air supplied to the combustion burners 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 can be heated up.

[0022] Furthermore, a denitrification device 43 is provided in the flue 14 at a location upstream of the air heater 42. The denitrification device 43 supplies a reducing agent, such as ammonia or urea solution, which has the effect of reducing nitrogen oxides, into the flue 13, and removes and reduces nitrogen oxides in the combustion gas by promoting the reaction between nitrogen oxides and the reducing agent in the combustion gas to which the reducing agent has been supplied. In addition, a gas duct 41 connected to the flue 14 is equipped with a dust collector 44 such as an electrostatic precipitator, an induced draft fan (IDF) 45, a desulfurization device 46, etc., at a location downstream of the air heater 42, and a chimney 50 is provided at the downstream end.

[0023] Meanwhile, when the multiple crushers 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35 are driven, the generated fine fuel is supplied to the combustion burners 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25 through the pulverized coal supply pipes 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30 along with the transport gas (primary air and oxidizing gas). In addition, the exhaust gas discharged from the flue 14 of the coal-fired boiler 10 is heated by the air heater 42, and the heated combustion air (oxidizing gas) is supplied to each of the combustion burners 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25 via the air duct 37 and the wind box 36. The combustion burners 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25 then blow the fine fuel mixture, which is a mixture of fine fuel and transport gas, into the furnace 11, and also blow combustion air into the furnace 11, and at this time ignition is performed to form a flame. A flame is generated in the lower part of the furnace 11, and the high-temperature combustion gas rises within the furnace 11 and is discharged into the combustion gas passage 13. In this embodiment, air is used as the oxidizing gas. A gas with a higher or lower oxygen content than air may also be used, and can be used by optimizing it with the fuel flow rate.

[0024] Furthermore, the furnace 11 is provided with additional air ports 39 above the mounting positions of each combustion burner 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25. The end of an additional air duct 40, which branches off from the air duct 37, is connected to the additional air ports 39. Therefore, combustion air (fuel gas combustion air / secondary air, oxidizing gas) sent by the forced draft fan 38 can be supplied from the air duct 37 to the wind box 36, and from this wind box 36 to each combustion burner 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25, and additional combustion air (additional air) sent by the forced draft fan 38 can be supplied from the additional air duct 40 to the additional air ports 39.

[0025] In the lower region A of the furnace 11, a mixture of pulverized fuel and combustion air (secondary air, oxidizing gas) burns to produce a flame. Here, the furnace 11 is set so that the amount of air supplied is less than the theoretical amount of air relative to the amount of pulverized coal supplied, thereby maintaining a reducing atmosphere inside. That is, nitrogen oxides (NOx) generated by the combustion of pulverized coal are reduced in region B of the furnace 11, and then additional air is supplied from the additional air port 39 to complete the oxidative combustion of pulverized coal, thereby reducing the amount of NOx generated by the combustion of pulverized coal.

[0026] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 1, the combustion gas undergoes heat exchange in the second superheater 103, third superheater 104, first superheater 102 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as superheater), second reheater 106, first reheater 105 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as reheater), and economizer 107, which are located in the combustion gas passage 13. After that, nitrogen oxides are reduced and removed by the denitrification device 43, particulate matter is removed by the dust collector 44, and sulfur oxides are removed by the desulfurization device 46 before being discharged into the atmosphere from the chimney 50. Note that the heat exchangers do not necessarily have to be arranged in the order described above with respect to the combustion gas flow.

[0027] Next, we will describe in detail the superheaters 102, 103, 104, reheaters 105, 106, and economizer 107, which are installed in the combustion gas passage 13 as heat exchangers. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the heat exchangers installed in the coal-fired boiler 10. Note that Figure 1 does not accurately show the positions of each heat exchanger (superheaters 102, 103, 104, reheaters 105, 106, economizer 107) in the combustion gas passage 13, and the arrangement order of each heat exchanger with respect to the combustion gas flow is not limited to what is shown in Figure 1.

[0028] Figure 2 shows a heat exchanger for a coal-fired boiler 10 installed in the boiler power plant 1 of this embodiment, a steam turbine 110 that is rotationally driven by the steam generated by the coal-fired boiler 10, and a generator 80 connected to the steam turbine 110 that generates electricity in accordance with the rotation of the steam turbine 110.

[0029] The steam turbine 110, operated by steam generated in the coal-fired boiler 10, is composed of, for example, a high-pressure turbine 111, an intermediate-pressure turbine 112, and a low-pressure turbine 113. Steam from the reheater, described later, flows into the intermediate-pressure turbine and then into the low-pressure turbine. A condenser 114 is connected to the low-pressure turbine 113, and the steam that rotated the low-pressure turbine 113 is cooled by cooling water (for example, seawater) in this condenser 114 to become condensate. The condenser 114 is connected to the economizer 107 via a feedwater line L1. The feedwater line L1 is equipped with, for example, a condensate pump (CP) 121, a low-pressure feedwater heater 122, a boiler feedwater pump (BFP) 123, and a high-pressure feedwater heater 124. A portion of the steam that drives the steam turbines 111, 112, and 113 is extracted into the low-pressure feedwater heater 122 and the high-pressure feedwater heater 123, and supplied as a heat source to the high-pressure feedwater heater 124 and the low-pressure feedwater heater 122 via an extraction line (not shown), thereby heating the feedwater supplied to the economizer 107.

[0030] For example, let's explain the case where the coal-fired boiler 10 is a once-through boiler. The economizer 107 is connected to each evaporator tube of the furnace wall 101. The feedwater heated in the economizer 107 is heated by radiation from the flame in the furnace 11 as it passes through the evaporator tubes of the furnace wall 101, and is then led to the steam-water separator 126. The steam separated in the steam-water separator 126 is supplied to the superheaters 102, 103, and 104, and the drain water separated in the steam-water separator 126 is led to the condenser 114 via the drain water line L2.

[0031] Furthermore, during startup or low-load operation of the once-through boiler, the feedwater supplied from the economizer 107 may not evaporate completely as it passes through each evaporator tube in the furnace wall 101, resulting in an operating condition (wet operation condition) where water remains in the steam-water separator 126. In this wet operation condition, the drain water separated in the steam-water separator 126 may be circulated and supplied from the economizer 107 to each evaporator tube in the furnace wall 101 by using a boiler circulation pump (BCP) 128 to join the feedwater line L1 via a circulation line L6.

[0032] As the combustion gas flows through the combustion gas passage 13, heat is recovered from it in the superheaters 102, 103, 104, reheaters 105, 106, and economizer 107. Meanwhile, the feedwater supplied from the boiler feedwater pump (BFP) 123 is preheated by the economizer 107, then heated to steam as it passes through the evaporators in the furnace wall 101, and is led to the steam-water separator 126. In the steam-water separator 126, the steam is introduced into the superheaters 102, 103, 104, where it is superheated by the combustion gas. The superheated steam generated in the superheaters 102, 103, 104 is supplied to the high-pressure turbine 111 via the steam line L3, which rotates the high-pressure turbine 111. Steam discharged from the high-pressure turbine 111 is introduced into reheaters 105 and 106, where it is reheated. This reheated steam is then supplied to the low-pressure turbine 113 via the steam line L5 through the intermediate-pressure turbine 112, which rotates the intermediate-pressure turbine 112 and the low-pressure turbine 113. The rotating shafts of each steam turbine 111, 112, and 113 rotate the generator 80, generating electricity. Steam discharged from the low-pressure turbine 113 is cooled in the condenser 114 to become condensate, which is then sent back to the economizer 107 via the feedwater line L1.

[0033] Furthermore, suit blowers (ash removal devices), not shown in the figures, may be placed in the gaps between the heat transfer tubes of each heat exchanger, such as the superheaters 102, 103, 104, reheaters 105, 106, and economizer 107, or in the gaps between each heat exchanger, within the combustion gas passage 13. The suit blowers are positioned extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the wall surface of the combustion gas passage 13. The suit blowers are injection devices that inject steam (gas) in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, with the direction perpendicular to the wall surface of the combustion gas passage 13 as their axial direction, and the injection direction can also be varied. The steam injected from the suit blowers toward the heat exchangers, such as the superheaters 102, 103, 104, reheaters 105, 106, and economizer 107, removes the combustion ash accumulated on the surface of each heat transfer tube of the heat exchanger, thereby suppressing a decrease in the heat exchange efficiency of each heat transfer tube of the heat exchanger.

[0034] The burner unit 20 will be described below using Figures 3 to 5. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the burner unit as seen from the furnace side. Figure 4 is a side view of a part of the burner unit. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the furnace. The burner unit 20 has a plurality of combustion burners 221, 231, a wind box 244, an upper air nozzle 246, and a lower air nozzle 248. As shown in Figure 5, the burner unit 20 of this embodiment is arranged on each of the four sides of the rectangular cylinder of the furnace 11.

[0035] In this embodiment, the burner unit has two types of burners arranged alternately from the top vertically in the order of combustion burner 221, combustion burner 231, combustion burner 221, combustion burner 231, combustion burner 221. That is, combustion burners 21, 23, and 25 have the structure of combustion burner 221, and combustion burners 22 and 24 have the structure of combustion burner 231. In this embodiment, combustion burners 221 and 231 with different shapes are arranged alternately, but the arrangement of combustion burners 221 and 231 is not limited to this.

[0036] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the multiple combustion burners 221 are arranged vertically such that the extending direction of the burner unit 20 and the extending direction of the furnace wall 11 are perpendicular to each other. The combustion burners 221 are arranged in a single row. The combustion burners 221 are arranged with gaps between adjacent combustion burners 221. In this embodiment, the burner unit 20 is shown as an example with four combustion burners 221, but the number is not limited.

[0037] As shown in Figure 3, the combustion burner 221 has a tip portion 251 and a base portion 252. The tip portion 251 is located at the end of the base portion 252 on the furnace 11 side. The tip portion 251 is supported by the base portion 252 in such a way that the direction of the ejection changes vertically up and down with respect to the axial direction of the base portion 252; that is, the direction of the ejection from the tip portion 251 is rotatable with respect to an axis (not shown) that is set perpendicular to the axis in the horizontal direction. The opening diameters of the upper auxiliary air compartment (air passage) 257 and the lower auxiliary air compartment (air passage) 258 become smaller as the tip of the tip portion 251 approaches, that is, as it moves away from the base portion 252. In other words, the tip portion 251 is provided with a constriction. The combustion burner 221 has a fuel nozzle 254, a secondary combustion air nozzle 256, an upper auxiliary air compartment 57, and a lower auxiliary air compartment 58, which are provided extending from the tip 251 and base 252. The fuel nozzle 254 sprays pulverized coal fuel into the furnace 11. The secondary combustion air nozzle 256 is a flow path provided around the fuel nozzle 254, and its outer end on the furnace 11 is connected to the wind box 244. The secondary combustion air nozzle 256 supplies combustion air supplied from the wind box 244 into the furnace 11. The upper auxiliary air compartment 257 is located vertically above the secondary combustion air nozzle 256. The outer end of the upper auxiliary air compartment 257 on the furnace 11 is connected to the wind box 244. The upper auxiliary air compartment 257 supplies air from the wind box 244 into the furnace 11. The lower auxiliary air compartment 258 is located vertically below the combustion secondary air nozzle 256. The outer end of the lower auxiliary air compartment 258 is connected to the wind box 44. The lower auxiliary air compartment 258 supplies air from the wind box 244 into the furnace 11.

[0038] As shown in Figure 3, the combustion burner 231 has a tip portion 261 and a base portion 262. The tip portion 261 is located at the end of the base portion 262 on the furnace 11 side. The tip portion 261 is supported by the base portion 262 in a state in which it can rotate around an axis (not shown) that is provided so as to be perpendicular to the horizontal axis, so that the ejection direction changes vertically up and down with respect to the axial direction of the base portion 262. The opening diameter of the tip portion 261 decreases towards the tip, that is, as it moves away from the base portion 262. In other words, the tip portion 261 has a constriction in the upper auxiliary air compartment 257 and the lower auxiliary air compartment 258. The combustion burner 231 has a fuel nozzle 264 and a secondary combustion air nozzle 266 that extend from the tip portion 261 and the base portion 262. The fuel nozzle 264 sprays pulverized coal, which is the fuel, and primary air, which is the transport air that carries the pulverized coal, into the furnace 11. The secondary combustion air nozzle 266 is a flow path provided around the fuel nozzle 264, with its outer end connected to the wind box 44. The secondary combustion air nozzle 266 supplies air supplied from the wind box 244 into the interior of the furnace 11.

[0039] The wind box 244 is installed at the mounting positions of the combustion burners 221 and 231. The wind box 244 is connected to the outer ends of the combustion secondary air nozzles 256 and 266, the upper auxiliary air compartment 257, and the lower auxiliary air compartment 258 of the furnace 11. One end of the air duct 37 is connected to the wind box 244. Air supplied from the air duct 37 flows into the combustion secondary air nozzles 256 and 266, the upper auxiliary air compartment 257, and the lower auxiliary air compartment 258 through the wind box 244.

[0040] The upper air nozzle 246 is located at the upper vertical end of the burner unit 20. In this embodiment, it is positioned vertically above the combustion burner 221, which is located at the uppermost position in the vertical direction. The lower air nozzle 248 is located at the lower vertical end of the burner unit 20. In this embodiment, it is positioned vertically below the combustion burner 231, which is located at the lowermost position in the vertical direction. The ends of the upper air nozzle 246 and the lower air nozzle 248 on the furnace 11 side are exposed to the furnace 11, and the ends on the outside of the furnace 11 are connected to the wind box 244. The upper air nozzle 246 and the lower air nozzle 248 inject air supplied from the wind box 244 into the furnace 11.

[0041] The burner unit 20 supplies pulverized coal and primary air to the fuel nozzles 254 and 264 of the combustion burners 221 and 231. The burner unit 20 also supplies combustion air heated by heat exchange with exhaust gas from the air duct 37 to the combustion secondary air nozzle 266 via the wind box 244, and also supplies it as secondary air to the upper auxiliary air compartment 257 and the lower auxiliary air compartment 258. The combustion burners 221 and 231 inject pulverized coal into the furnace 11 along with primary air, and inject secondary combustion air around the space where the pulverized coal and primary air are injected, thereby forming a flame within the furnace 11. This flame, when viewed from above the furnace 11 (in Figure 4), becomes a flame swirling flow C1 that rotates counterclockwise. The burner unit 20 also supplies additional air to the upper auxiliary air compartment 257 and the lower auxiliary air compartment 258 via the wind box 244. The upper auxiliary air compartment 257 and the lower auxiliary air compartment 258 inject additional air into the furnace 11.

[0042] Next, the furnace observation device will be described using Figures 5 to 7. Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the furnace observation device fixed to the furnace. Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the furnace observation device. As shown in Figure 5, the furnace 11 has a rectangular cross-section and each of the four corners has a viewing window 350. The viewing window 350 may be provided in one location in the vertical direction or in multiple locations. The viewing window has an opening that allows the interior to be seen. The opening is provided with an openable and closable door or a removable transparent window section, and the structure is such that gas does not flow through the viewing window 350 when not in use.

[0043] The furnace observation device 300 is a device that can be attached to and detached from the viewing window 350. By attaching the furnace observation device 300 to the viewing window 350, the camera protrudes inward from the inner wall 302 of the furnace 11, that is, into the interior of the furnace 11, and acquires images of the inside of the furnace 11.

[0044] The furnace observation device 300 includes a jig 310, a posture adjustment unit 316, a camera 318, and an illumination unit 320. The jig 310 is a structure that supports the posture adjustment unit 316, the camera 318, and the illumination unit 320, and fixes each part to the furnace 11. The jig 310 includes a base 312 and an arm 314. The base 312 is a plate-shaped member that is detachably fixed to the outer wall 304 of the furnace 11. The base 312 is larger than the viewing window 350 and is fixed to the outer wall 304 by bolt holes formed in the viewing window 350 and a connecting mechanism such as bolts. The base 312 is sized to cover the entire surface of the viewing window 350. The base 312 has an opening 330 formed in a position that overlaps with the viewing window 350. The formation of the opening 330 allows the interior to be viewed through the opening 330, even when the base 312 is fixed to the viewing window 350. Furthermore, the opening 330 allows access to the mechanism inside the furnace 11 of the furnace observation device 300.

[0045] The arm portion 314 is fixed to the base portion 312 and is a rod-shaped member extending perpendicularly to the surface of the plate-shaped base portion 312. The arm portion 314 is also equipped with a stay that connects the extended rod-shaped member to the base portion 312 and reinforces the extended rod-shaped member. The posture adjustment portion 318 is fixed to the end of the extended rod-shaped member of the arm portion 314 opposite to the base portion 312. The arm portion 314 is structured to be insertable into the furnace 11 through the viewing window 350, meaning its cross-sectional size is smaller than the viewing window 350. The extended rod-shaped member is longer than the distance from the outer wall 304 to the inner wall 302 of the furnace 11. As a result, when the base portion 312 is fixed to the furnace 11, the tip (the end opposite to the base portion 312) of the arm portion 314 protrudes into the furnace 11.

[0046] The posture adjustment unit 316 is fixed to the tip of the arm 314 (the end opposite to the base 312) and supports the camera 318 and the lighting unit 320. The posture adjustment unit 316 adjusts the posture of the camera 318 and the lighting unit 320 relative to the arm 314. The posture adjustment unit 316 includes a horizontal adjustment unit 342, an elevation angle adjustment unit 344, and a holding unit 346. The horizontal adjustment unit 342 is fixed to the arm 314 and supports the elevation angle adjustment unit 344. The horizontal adjustment unit 342 can rotate the elevation angle adjustment unit 344 360° relative to the arm 314, starting from a vertical rotation axis. In addition, the posture of the horizontal adjustment unit 342 is fixed when no external force acting to rotate it beyond a predetermined level is applied. The elevation angle adjustment unit 344 can rotate the holding unit 346 360° relative to the horizontal adjustment unit 342, starting from a horizontal rotation axis. Furthermore, the elevation angle adjustment unit 344 is fixed in position when no external force is applied that causes it to rotate beyond a predetermined level. The support unit 346 is fixed to the elevation angle adjustment unit 344 and supports the camera 318 and the lighting unit 320. The attitude adjustment unit 316 allows adjustment of the orientation of the camera 318 and lighting unit 320 with respect to the vertical axis of rotation, as well as their horizontal orientation, using the horizontal adjustment unit 342, and allows adjustment of the orientation of the camera 318 and lighting unit 320 with respect to the horizontal axis of rotation, using the elevation angle adjustment unit 344. This allows the attitude of the camera 318 to be adjusted.

[0047] The attitude adjustment unit 316 allows for horizontal orientation adjustment using the horizontal adjustment unit 342, enabling insertion into the furnace with the camera 318's longitudinal direction parallel to the direction in which the arm 314 extends. This allows even a camera 318 whose longitudinal direction is longer than the viewing window 350 to be inserted into the furnace 11. Alternatively, the attitude adjustment unit 316 can be controlled by inserting a rod-shaped jig with a tip structure that can adjust the attitude of the holding unit 346 into the furnace 11 through the opening 330, or by providing motors or the like on the rotation axes of the horizontal adjustment unit 342 and the elevation angle adjustment unit 344, and controlling the attitude with the force of the motors by applying operation signals.

[0048] The camera 318 is fixed to the holding part 346. The camera 318 takes pictures of the interior. The camera 318 may acquire either still images or video, but it is preferable to acquire still images. The illumination unit 320 is fixed to the support part 346. The illumination unit 320 is, for example, an LED. The illumination unit 320 illuminates with light for a longer time than the shutter speed of the camera 318 when taking pictures.

[0049] Next, a method for observing the inside of a furnace using the furnace observation device 300 will be described. The operator inserts the furnace observation device 300 into the furnace through the viewing window 350 of the furnace. At this time, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the camera 318 can be easily inserted into the viewing window 350 with its longitudinal direction parallel to the direction in which the arm portion 314 extends. Next, the operator fixes the base portion 312 to the outer wall 304 surrounding the viewing window, specifically the viewing window 350. Next, the operator adjusts the posture of the camera 318 using the posture adjustment unit 316. The operator adjusts the posture so that the burner unit 20 is within the field of view 402 and 404 of the camera 318, as shown in Figure 5. Next, the inside of the furnace is photographed with the camera 318.

[0050] In this way, the furnace observation device 300 can capture images of the inside of the furnace 11 while being fixed to the viewing window 350 of the furnace 11. This allows the camera 318 to be held in a more stable position than when the operator holds the camera by hand, suppressing blur and enabling the acquisition of clear images of the structure of each part. Furthermore, by suppressing camera shake, the shutter speed can be slowed down, meaning the exposure time can be extended. By slowing down the shutter speed, even if ash is floating inside the furnace 11, the reflection of the ash can be canceled out, and the burner unit 20 on the opposing wall can be captured in a suitable manner.

[0051] Furthermore, by capturing images through the viewing window 350 located in a predetermined position, it becomes easy to compare images taken at different timings. This allows for highly accurate determination, for example, when evaluating the condition of the burner unit by comparing captured images using machine learning.

[0052] Furthermore, by forming an opening 330 in the base 312, the orientation of the camera 318 can be confirmed, and the orientation adjustment unit 316, camera 318, etc. can be accessed through the opening 330.

[0053] Furthermore, the posture adjustment unit 316 allows the camera 318 and illumination unit 320 to rotate 360 ​​degrees, enabling the posture to be changed when inserting the furnace observation device 300 into the furnace 11 and when taking pictures, thereby improving operability. In addition, it is possible to photograph the necessary positions of the burner unit 20.

[0054] Furthermore, the furnace observation device 300 may be equipped with a separate illumination unit, and the illumination unit may be fixed to a jig inserted through a viewing window different from the viewing window 350 into which the camera is inserted, in order to take photographs. This allows the burner unit, which is the object of photography, to be illuminated from a different angle, and a clearer image can be taken.

[0055] Furthermore, although the boiler of this disclosure was a coal-fired boiler in the embodiments described above, the solid fuel may be biomass fuel, PC (petroleum coke) fuel generated during petroleum refining, petroleum residue, etc. In addition, the fuel is not limited to solid fuels; liquid fuels such as heavy oil can also be used, and gaseous fuels (such as by-product gases) can also be used. Moreover, this invention can also be applied to co-firing of these fuels. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0056] 1. Boiler power plant (power plant) 10. Coal-fired boiler (boiler) 11 Furnace 12 Combustion device 13 Combustion gas passage 14 Flue 21-25 Combustion burner 26~30 Pulverized coal supply pipe 31-35 Grinding machine (mill) 36 Wind box 37. Air duct (air passage) 38 Forced draft fan (FDF) 39 Additional Air Ports 40 Additional Air Ducts 41 Gas duct 42. Air heater (air preheater) 43 Denitration equipment 44 Dust collector 45. Induced Draft Fan (IDF) 46 Desulfurization equipment 50 Chimneys 80 Generators 101 Furnace wall (heat transfer tubes) 102 1st superheater (heat exchanger) 103 Second superheater (heat exchanger) 104 Third superheater (heat exchanger) 105 1st reheater (heat exchanger) 106 Second reheater (heat exchanger) 107 Energy saver (heat exchanger) 111 High-pressure steam turbine 112 Medium-pressure steam turbine 113 Low-pressure steam turbine 114 Condenser 121 Condensate pump (CP) 122 Low-pressure water supply heater 123 Boiler feedwater pump (BFP) 124 High-pressure water supply heater 126 Brackish water separator 127 Brackish water separator drain tank 128 Boiler circulation pump (BCP) 221, 231 Combustion Burner 244 Wind box 300 In-reactor observation device 302 Interior wall 304 Exterior Wall 310 Jig 312 Base 314 Arm 316 Posture adjustment section 318 Camera 320 Lighting Section 330 aperture 342 Horizontal adjustment section 344 Elevation angle adjustment section 346 Holding part 350 peepholes L1 Water supply line L2 Drain water line L3~L5 Steam Line L6 Circulation Line

Claims

1. A furnace observation device for observing the inside of a furnace, Camera and, Lighting section, The system comprises the aforementioned camera and a jig for fixing the illumination unit, The jig comprises a base fixed to the viewing window of the furnace, An arm portion is connected to the base, inserted into the viewing window, and extends into the interior of the furnace, The arm is fixed to the arm and includes a posture adjustment unit that allows the camera and the lighting unit to rotate, The base is a furnace observation device having an opening that allows the orientation of the camera to be confirmed.

2. A furnace observation device for observing the inside of a furnace, Camera and, Lighting section, The system comprises the aforementioned camera and a jig for fixing the illumination unit, The jig comprises a base fixed to the viewing window of the furnace, An arm portion is connected to the base, inserted into the viewing window, and extends into the interior of the furnace, The arm is fixed to the arm and includes a posture adjustment unit that allows the camera and the lighting unit to rotate, The posture adjustment unit is a furnace observation device that allows the camera and the illumination unit to be rotated 360 degrees.

3. The furnace observation apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the illumination unit is a light source that is continuously lit.

4. The steps include inserting the furnace observation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 into the furnace through the viewing window of the furnace and fixing the base to the viewing window, The steps include adjusting the posture of the aforementioned camera, A method for observing the inside of a furnace, comprising the step of taking a photograph of the inside of the furnace with the aforementioned camera.

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