On what type of boiler are sootblowers primarily used?

Sootblowers are primarily used on watertube boilers because of their design and operational characteristics. In watertube boilers, water circulates in the tubes while flue gases pass over the outside of the tubes. This arrangement can lead to the accumulation of soot and other combustion byproducts on the surfaces of the tubes, which can reduce heat transfer efficiency and potentially harm the boiler's operation.

The purpose of a sootblower is to remove this buildup by injecting steam or air into the combustor environment, helping maintain the efficiency and safety of the boiler. Since watertube boilers often operate at higher pressures and temperatures, and because of their design that exposes pipes to flue gas, the need for soot removal is more pronounced compared to other boiler types.

In contrast, firetube boilers feature a different configuration where the flue gases pass through tubes that are surrounded by water. While soot accumulation can occur here too, the operational environment typically does not require sootblowers to the same extent. Electric boilers and steam boilers (assuming this refers to boiler systems in general) do not predominantly utilize sootblowers since they operate on different principles and do not typically experience the same soot buildup issues seen in watertube boilers.