American Ref-Fuel Company (ARC) spends millions of dollars each year on corrosion related costs in the boilers. The corrosion is caused by chloride salts in the slag that deposit on the boiler tubes, coupled with the high temperatures of flue gas going through the boiler. Corrosion rates are known to be very sensitive to the flue gas temperature and velocity, surface temperature and heat flux through the slag, oxygen in flue gas distribution, etc. These parameters are primarily determined by the firing rate of the boiler, and they are also affected by combustion control and air distribution in the boiler. Some design parameters, such as surface area of refractory, tile, and inconel overlay, also affect the flue gas temperature throughout the boiler, and thereby impact corrosion.

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