Case Study
Solus* AP All-Polymer Provides Dramatic
Results in Watertube Boiler
Challenge
A research facility in the northeast United States
employs a D-configuration watertube boiler that
operates at 170 psig. It receives a combination of
deaerated city make-up water and steam-
condensate as feedwater.
The boiler was treated with a conventional all-
polymer internal treatment program and in the fall
of 2012, experienced a poor inspection. Significant
hardness scale was visible on both the drum and
tube surfaces (see Figures 1 & 2). Marginal softener
performance and variable levels of orthophosphate
added to the city make-up water were to blame.
Figure 1: 2012 steam drum inspection with conventional
all-polymer program
Figure 2: boiler tube from steam drum with conventional
all-polymer program
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Solution
The boilers internal treatment was transitioned to
Water & Process Technologies Solus AP all-
polymer, which contains GEs patented Boiler Ter-
polymer (BTP). Solus AP shows significant technical
superiority and cost performance advantages
compared to competitive offerings.
There were no additional modifications made to
the treatment program or boiler water chemistry
control limits, just the transition from a
conventional all-polyer treatment to GEs Solus AP
internal treatment.
The boiler was maintained with Solus AP for a pe-
riod of 12 months, and the overall polymer level
was lower than the previous conventional polymer
treatment.
Figure 3: 2013 steam drum inspection with
Solus AP program
Figure 4: boiler tube from steam drum with
Solus AP program
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CS1468EN.doc Jul-14
Results
The positive impact of Solus AP is clearly visibly in
Figures 3 & 4. The hardness deposition that was
present with the previous treatment program was
substantially reduced and in large part, removed.
These improved results were consistent throughout
the waterside circuits.
The states boiler inspector commented on the dra-
matic improvement in cleanliness, and mentioned
that a water flush to remove loose surface deposit
or sludge was not needed because virtually none
was present.
Table 1: chronology of blowdown contaminant rejection via acid-digested ICP (inductively coupled plasma)
atomic absorbtion analysis
Transition to Solus
AP Program
March 2012 July 2012
Page 2
Table 1 provides a chronology of the calcium,
magnesium, and iron levels measured in the boiler
blowdown for a period of 17 months. When the
boiler transitioned to Solus AP, a gradual but
marked increase in the rejection of hardness and
iron contaminant to blowdown occurred. Its clear
that this data correlated with the visible removal
of surface deposits from the boiler, as well as re-
jection of incoming contaminants.
4
GE Title or job number
August 2013 2/19/2014
Case Study