Boiler FSSS

Boiler FSSS
When BHEL entered into collaboration with Combustion Engineering for boilers, FSSS was introduced. It was touted as the most advanced system for boiler safety. For initial few boilers, the equipment was imported from CE USA.
Fuel Firing & Instrumentation ( FFI ) was the engineering group responsible for this system. Every Product committee meeting, we used to discuss manufacturing and site related problems. In Trichy, there was no identified shop for manufacture of Panels. Maintenance & Services ( M&S) department was given the responsibility to assemble and test the panels before despatch to sites. There were many problems right from sourcing to assembly and testing. M&S did creditable job. Initially, Eddy plate oil ignitors were supplied; later High Energy Arc ( HEA) ignitors were introduced. These changes also were addressed by FSSS system. Later when EDN was established in Bangalore, this manufacturing was shifted to EDN.
In 1983, I was transferred to PPD-WR Baroda. Mr SP Mulchandani was incharge of C&I erection related activities. In that period, MSEB used give BHEL orders for Supply and Supervision.  Erection was carried out by MSEB under BHEL supervision. GEB used to give erection contracts to BHEL. Normally  the Instrumentation and Control work of power plants was entrusted to Instrumentation Ltd Kota / Palghat by Electricity Boards. However erection and commissioning of FSSS system was entrusted to PPD region. As such FSSS erection work for MSEB projects also was done by PPD region. The commissioning of plants was handled from TS-HQ New Delhi. Commissioning engineers at supervision sites considered FSSS work out of their scope. It was a peculiar situation. The C&I engineer posted at supervision sites used to be treated like an outcast. 
Mr Mulchandani was supported by RA Pagare, V Govindan, G Vasudevan, SN Shrivastava, Seshadri and Muthyam. Govindan was posted in Baroda HQ.
All erection material was procured by Baroda office. It mainly consisted of conduits, SS flexible conduits, and impulse piping. Copper tubes were used for impulse piping. No standard was specified for the copper tubes. There used to be always controversy on purchase of these tubes. Flexible conduits were sourced from M/s Zaverchand Gaikwad, Baroda. There was always a peculiar situation, the quote of the company was higher than it’s dealer. The dealer was Baroda based and he explained the concept of second sale and how tax incidence was reduced.
There were two contractors carrying out C&I work in WR. One used to work only Gujarat sites. The contractor was an old man. Whenever he visited BHEL office, his wife would accompany him. He used to submit National Savings Certificates as Security deposit. For MSEB projects, Ashok Engg a contractor from Khammam, Andhra Pradesh used to bag the orders. Many speculated that this contractor was related to our erection engineer.
After Khaperkheda, the system of separate contractor for FSSS was stopped.



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