"Intelligent sootblowing" is a term describing a relatively new approach to on-load boiler cleaning. It applies to the removal of fouling in the in the heat exchanger of boilers, typically in electrical power plants or waste incinerators. 

The cleaning is necessary in order to remove fouling that is deposited on the heat exchanger during boiler operation. Fouling, because of its thermal resistance, acts as an obstruction to heat flow, and dramatically reduces boiler efficiency. Figure 2: A real "Intelligent Sootblowing" System is set up in a "Closed Loop" arrangement.
Figure 3: Fouling in furnace area		Figure 4: Accumulation of coarse ash in hopper

Fouling and slagging in the furnace as well as in the convective heat exchanger zone leads to a reduction in boiler efficiency and reduction in availanility such as

• increase of furnace exit gas temperature
• increase of attemperator spray rate
• increase of boiler off gas temperature
• damages in the hopper area and the wet/dry bottom ash system as a result of big slag formations falling down from the furnace walls or/and superheater
• unplanned boiler shut downs
• oper-cleaning causes tube damages negatively effecting unit availability

This site offers information about the latest technology and applications. 

The main idea behind intelligent sootblowing is that the combination of modern-technology, cleaning devices, sensors and software, the sootblowing process can be dramatically improved, relative to conventional techniques.

These conventional techniques relied on employment of a large number of smaller sootblowing systems, activated by a personal decision of the operator rather than activation based on measurements.

The most important result of the employment of more modern systems is that there are possibilities of significant energy savings (present estimates range up to 1 or 2% of the total energy usage), and reduction of downtime.

These saving directly translate into reduced emissions; Intelligent sootblowing therefore is one of the most simple ways of realising reduction of emissions for many electrical power plants.

Secondary benefits are:
Reduction of tube erosion
Reduction of usage of water
Reduction of use of sootblower
• Reduction of spray rates (extension of tube lifetime)
Reduction of backpass temperatures.

At present it is estimated by the authors that worldwide about 100 large scale boilers of electrical power plants are equipped with automated 'intelligent sootblowing" systems. These are for some part equipped with sensors for scientific applications, for another part these are commercially operated systems. It is estimated that about 90% of these systems is located in the United States where (forced by the clean air act) intelligent-sootblowing (also called "smart sootblowing") is rapidly becoming accepted practice.