A case study from Explosion Power explains
The thermal utilisation of sustainable fuels and the recovery of waste heat are key pillars of modern energy generation and industrial decarbonisation
Industrial boilers play a central role in this transition; however, fouling and deposit formation on heat transfer surfaces significantly degrade their performance. These deposits reduce heat transfer efficiency, increase emissions, and may lead to unplanned shutdowns and elevated maintenance costs.
Shock Pulse Technology, developed by Explosion Power, provides an advanced solution to this challenge. By enabling safe, automated, and continuous cleaning of boiler heat exchanger surfaces during operation, the technology effectively mitigates fouling without requiring process interruptions, thereby improving operational reliability and overall system efficiency.
Application range and technology advantages
Wherever fuels are thermally utilised in boiler systems, residual deposits such as ash, slag, and other particulate matter are inevitably generated. These deposits accumulate on heat exchanger tube surfaces, leading to a deterioration of heat transfer performance. This not only reduces overall thermal efficiency but, in severe cases, may result in unplanned shutdowns and operational interruptions of the entire plant. Maintaining clean heat transfer surfaces is therefore essential to ensure efficient and reliable boiler operation.
Conventional cleaning methods, such as the injection of water or steam under high pressure, are often associated with limited efficiency and may contribute to mechanical or thermal damage of boiler components. Another commonly applied method involves the use of explosive cleaning techniques; however, these approaches pose significant safety risks related to the transportation, storage, and handling of explosive materials.
Shock Pulse Technology has been developed as an alternative cleaning approach, utilising controlled Shock Pulses to remove deposits from boiler tubes in a non-invasive and efficient manner, thereby preserving component integrity while maintaining optimal heat transfer conditions.
Shock Pulse Generators are designed to keep tube bundles clean from the very start of each operating cycle – not merely as a corrective measure after heavy fouling has built up. This proactive approach increases boiler load, improves throughput, and extends operating periods. The technology applies across waste incineration, biomass, coal-fired, and industrial boiler applications. More than 1,300 units have been delivered worldwide since 2009.
Working principle
Combustible gas (methane or natural gas) and high-pressure compressed air are dosed simultaneously into a combustion chamber. A glow plug initiates combustion; a piston mechanism then opens the chamber and releases the energy in form of a Shock Pulse through a nozzle into the boiler interior. The resulting spherical pressure wave sets both the flue gas flow and the heating surfaces into brief vibration while simultaneously inducing structure-borne oscillation within deposits – efficiently dislodging fouling from tube bundles.
The latest SPGr series operates on compressed air rather than oxygen, reducing combustion aggressiveness and extending maintenance intervals. An integrated air compressor unit is optimally matched to the series. All units are CE-certified under the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) 2014/68/EU. Cycle control is managed by a PLC ready for integration into the operator’s Distributed Control System (DCS), enabling adaptive cleaning patterns based on actual fouling conditions.
Proven performance: case study results
A detailed boiler analysis conducted by Explosion Power demonstrates the technology’s measurable impact. Prior to installation, the plant operated with a traditional Shower Cleaning System (SCS), producing a characteristic sawtooth temperature profile at the superheater inlet – a sign of cyclical fouling and incomplete cleaning. After installing Shock Pulse Generators (SPG), both average and peak flue gas temperatures at this critical transition point were significantly reduced, and the fluctuating temperature pattern was completely eliminated.
Using digital boiler models and plant-specific data, Explosion Power creates a digital twin of each boiler. This enables precise analysis of boiler behaviour over time and provides targeted recommendations for optimal SPG deployment – helping operators achieve more efficient operation, reduced CO2 emissions, longer operating cycles, and, in many cases, increased plant capacity.
For more information visit: www.explosionpower.ch
