Repeat Situations in Cycle

Chemistry of Conventional Fossil

and Combined Cycle/HRSG Plants

AEP BRO Forum 2009. 13th August 2009

Barry Dooley

Based on the Paper “How Repeat Situations Lead to Chemistry-Related

Damage in Conventional Fossil and Combined Cycle Plants”.
PPChem. 2008 10(10), pp564-574
R.B. Dooley, K.J. Shields and S.J. Shulder

Leading Chemistry Influenced Failure Mechanisms

• Boiler Tube Failures
– Corrosion Fatigue
g in Sub-critical Waterwall Tubes
– Underdeposit Corrosion
– Pitting
• HRSG Tube Failures
– FAC in LP Evaporators (single- and two-phase)
– Corrosion Fatigue in LP Evaporators and Economizers
– Underdeposit Corrosion
– Pitting

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 Leading Chemistry Influenced Failure Mechanisms
• FAC in Conventional Fossil Feedwater Systems
• Steam Turbine Damage
– Corrosion Fatigue of Blades and Disks in the Phase
Transition Zone (PTZ) of the LP Turbine
– Stress Corrosion Cracking of Discs in the PTZ of the LP
Turbine
– Pitting
– Copper Deposition in HP Turbine
– Flow-accelerated Corrosion (FAC)
– Deposition of Salts on the PTZ Surfaces

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Cycle Chemistry Repeat Situations

• Key results of analysis from over 150 power
plant/failures/damage situations worldwide over last
15 years
y
• Situations that were not recognized or properly
addressed in a timely manner
– Singularly and in combination
• Ten “Repeat Situations” are always associated with
preventable cycle chemistry damage
• Likelihood of damage increases with multiple repeat
situations

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 Repeat Situations in Cycle Chemistry Control
All cycle chemistry-influenced failure and damage can be
related back to multiples of the following repeat situations
in fossil plants:
* High levels of corrosion products
* High boiler waterwall/evaporator deposition
* Non-optimum chemical cleaning
* Contaminant ingress (with no reaction)
* Drum carryover
* High level of air in-leakage
* Lack of shutdown protection
p
* Inadequate on-line alarmed instrumentation
* Not challenging the status quo
* No Action Plans for repeat situations

Dooley et al., PowerPlant Chemistry, 2008, 10 (10)

Cycle Chemistry Influenced Failures

You are never going to solve or stop chemistry

influenced problems today when they occur
today.

It’s too late!!

A few examples:

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 Examples of Repeat Cycle Chemistry
Situations in Conventional Fossil
and Combined Cycle/HRSG Plants

1. Hydrogen Damage in the Waterwalls of Sub-critical

Fossil Boilers and in HRSG HP Evaporators
2. Deposits in the Waterwalls of Sub-critical Fossil
Boilers and in HRSG HP Evaporators
3. Failures in the PTZ of Steam Turbines
4. Deposits in the PTZ of Steam Turbines
5. FAC

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Examples of Repeat Cycle Chemistry

Situations in Conventional Fossil
and Combined Cycle/HRSG Plants

1. Hydrogen Damage in the Waterwalls of Sub-critical

Fossil Boilers and in HRSG HP Evaporators

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 Hydrogen Damage in Fossil Plants
Requires deposits and contaminants. How and why are they allowed?

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Hydrogen damage in HP evaporator

Ingress of chloride when evaporator has deposits. How and why are they allowed?

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 Typical Repeats which Lead to Hydrogen Damage
All have been observed in numerous case studies. Do you recognize any?

* Excessive feedwater corrosion products

- In fossil p
plants the levels exceed guideline
g values
- In HRSGs the levels exceed SI’s “Rule of 2 and 5”
* Non-monitored feedwater corrosion products
* Measuring only soluble corrosion products
* Excessive deposits on ID surfaces
* Delayed/postponed chemical cleaning
* Repetitive contamination above Action Level
* C t i
Contaminant t ingress
i above
b shutdown
h td limit
li it
* No operational support to shutdown
* Lack of on-line instrumentation
* High level of air in-leakage

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Examples of Repeat Cycle Chemistry

Situations in Conventional Fossil
and Combined Cycle/HRSG Plants

2. Deposits in the Waterwalls of Sub-critical Fossil

Boilers and in HRSG HP Evaporators

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 HP Evaporator 2,000psi (14MPa)
Optimally for protection: a thin layer of magnetite plus a thin layer of deposit

Deposits
p

Protective Indigenous Magnetite

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Boiler Tubing with Deposits

On units with mixed-metallurgy feedwater systems

Deposited copper Deposited iron

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 Drum Waterwall Rifled Tube
(87,800 hrs since chemical clean)
Phosphates

Copper

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Drum Unit on AVT(O). 15 yrs since chemical clean

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 HP Evaporator Tube with Heavy Deposits

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HP Evaporator 1800psi (12.4MPa). 16K hrs

(AVT(O) with only ammonia, only TSP in HP Evaporator at 2-5 ppm)
An Optimum HRSG Treatment

Deposits <10g/ft2 Indigenous Magnetite

(<11mg/ cm2 )

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 HP Evaporator 1800psi (12.4MPa). 11K hrs.
(AVT(R), DEHA & MOPA, TSP/NaOH in HP Evaporator. pH 9.4-9.8)
Deposits (~27g/ft2 )

Indigenous Magnetite

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HP Evaporator 1800psi (12.4MPa). 11K hrs.

(AVT(R), DEHA & MOPA, Phosphate/NaOH in HP Evaporator. pH 9.4-9.8)

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 HP Evaporator 1900 psi (13MPa). 30K hrs
(Reducing Agent, Blended Amine and Phosphate Blend)

A Non Optimum HRSG Treatment

Magnetite Deposits
~35g/ft2 (~38mg/cm2)

Phosphates

Indigenous Magnetite

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SI Deposition Map for HP Evaporators

Based on HP Evaporator Tubes from about 40 HRSGs Worldwide

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 Typical Repeats which Lead to Deposits
All have been observed in numerous case studies. Do you recognize any?

* Corrosion products
- In HRSGs the levels exceed SI’s “Rule of 2 and 5”.
- Non
Non-monitored
monitored feedwater corrosion products
- Measuring only soluble corrosion products
* Not challenging the status quo
- In HRSGs continuing to use reducing agents, amines and blends
- In fossil plants not using the correct feedwater AVT(O), AVT(R) or OT
- In fossil plants not changing chemistry with age or change of materials
* Not removing tubes for analysis
* Delayed
y chemical cleaning g
* High level of air in-leakage
- Especially in mixed-metallurgy units
* Inadequate on-line instrumentation
- Especially ORP in mixed-metallurgy units

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Examples of Repeat Cycle Chemistry

Situations in Conventional Fossil
and Combined Cycle/HRSG Plants

3. Failures in the PTZ of Steam Turbines

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 Corrosion Fatigue and SCC in the PTZ
Leading Steam Turbine Problem Worldwide

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PTZ Failures Initiate at Pits

How and why do pits form on PTZ surfaces?

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 Recent Pits which Initiated Blade Failure

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Typical Repeats which Lead to PTZ Failures

All have been observed in numerous case studies. Do you recognize any?

* Repetitive
p contamination above Action Level
* Contaminant ingress above shutdown limit
* Lack of on-line instrumentation
- No steam monitoring
* No knowledge of carryover from drum boilers
* No steam turbine shutdown protection
* High level of air in-leakage

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 Examples of Repeat Cycle Chemistry
Situations in Conventional Fossil
and Combined Cycle/HRSG Plants

4. Deposits in the PTZ of Steam Turbines

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Deposits on Steam Turbine Blades

Recent sulphate/chloride deposits on LP blades and NaOH deposits on IP blades

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 Typical Repeats which Lead to Deposits in the PTZ
All have been observed in numerous case studies. Do you recognize any?

* Repetitive
p contamination above Action Level
- Sometimes > 2x “normal” level at EI
* Contaminant ingress above shutdown limit
* Lack of on-line instrumentation
- No steam monitoring
* No knowledge of carryover from drum boilers
* No steam turbine shutdown protection
* High level of air in-leakage
* No challenge of status quo
- Changing chemistry, but keep part of the old chemistry
* No Action Plan developed

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Examples of Repeat Cycle Chemistry

Situations in Conventional Fossil
and Combined Cycle/HRSG Plants

5. FAC

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 FAC in Fossil Plant Drains

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FAC in HRSG LP Evaporator Tubing

A B

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 Typical Repeats which Lead to FAC
All have been observed in numerous case studies. Do you recognize any?

* Not challenging
g g the status quo
q chemistry
y
HRSGs continue to use reducing agents and “low” pH
HRSGs using AVT(O) don’t have enough oxidizing power
Fossil plants continue to use reducing agents and “low” pH
No change of chemistry when feedwater materials change (Cu to SS)
* Corrosion products
In HRSGs the levels exceed SI’s “Rule of 2 and 5”
Not using excessive feedwater corrosion products as key indicator
Non-monitored
Non monitored feedwater corrosion products
Measuring only soluble corrosion products
* No Action Plans developed
* High level of air in-leakage

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How Can we deal with Repeat Cycle

Chemistry Situations in
Conventional Fossil and Combined
Cycle/HRSG Plants

They need to be included within the BTF/CC

Corporate Directive/Philosophy and become the
responsibility
p y of the Plant Manager.
g

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 It is well established that a World Class BTF/HTF
Program is one that not only addresses the
availability loss (EAL) but also:

•Identifies the active mechanism

•Identifies the possible root causes
•Develops specific programs to identify the root cause
(proactively and reactively)
•Has
Has Action Plans for damaged tubing
•Includes an active cycle chemistry optimization which
addresses repeat situations, and
•Is confirmed by benchmarking about every six months
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Root Cause of BTF/HTF

• Most organizations continue not to address the

ROOT CAUSE of BTF/HTF because of the perceived

“Fix-it-quick” system requirement, and the “time/expense”

of introducing a monitoring program

• Repeat Situations are the Chemistry Equivalent of Root

Cause

Characteristics of “World Class” BTF Programs”. J.P. Dimmer and R.B. Dooley.
EPRI International Conference on BTF and HTF and Inspections. November 2004.

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 Introducing “Repeat Situations” into the
Corporate Directive
• VP/Managing Director (MD) Operations- Personal commitment
• Programs personally driven by the Plant Managers.
• Roll down of the directive to Plant specific Policies and Documents.
• Target setting and benchmarking.
• BTF “Repeat” failures have been redefined and will be measured.
• CC “Repeat” situations have been introduced and will be
measured.
• The concept of “Damage” has been introduced for BTF and CC and will
be measured.
• Decisions that affect the system will be taken by the VP/MD until
stability has been achieved. E.g. permanent versus temp repair.
• Near-term and longterm goals have been introduced.

Dooley et al., PowerPlant Chemistry, 2008, 10 (10)

Specific Focus Areas for Cycle Chemistry

5. Each Power Station will identify repeat cycle chemistry
situations and develop detailed action plans to eliminate the
root cause of each of these situations
situations.
6. All plants will develop and track cycle chemistry technical and
cost performance indices. The technical indices will track the
amount of time that “core” parameters are within or outside
limits. Also other important parameters, such as online monitoring
equipment and QA/OC practices will be tracked.
7. All scheduled maintenance overhaul outages will include non-
destructive testing and/or examination of areas experiencing
either corrosion damage or excessive deposit build-up. Root
cause analysis will be performed, and corrective, preventive and
control actions will be taken to inhibit forced outages due to these
mechanisms.

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 Near-Term Goals in BTF/CC Program
• Corporate and Plant teams and monthly meetings held.
• Train management, engineering, operations and maintenance
personnel.
• Identify and list “Repeat”
Repeat failures.
failures
• Compile procedures and guidelines.
• Implement Documentation within Program.
• Define, quantify and prioritize BTF and CC problems.
• Each Plant will develop a listing of its repeat cycle chemistry
situations
• Establish optimum cycle chemistry for each unit
unit.
• Establish cycle chemistry limits.
• BTF Action plans for Mechanism Root cause and Damage

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Longterm Goals in BTF/CC Program

• Incur no new repeat BTF
• Incur zero cycle-chemistry influenced power generation
equipment availability loss.
• H
Have no repeatt cycle
l chemistry
h i t situations.
it ti
• Extend chemical cleanings of boilers to 10 years or longer.
• All managers including Plant Managers trained in BTFR
controllable aspects.
• All system engineers trained and certified as competent to make
decisions on their systems.
• Boiler inspectors
p trained and certified competent
p to carry
y out
inspections.
• Appropriate NDE technologies applied successfully such as digital
radiography, GUL, IRIS and focussed phased array.

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 Plant Repeat Situations

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Summary
• Repeat situations relate to the basics of power plant
chemistry and thus plant reliability
• More than two or three repeat situations means the
plant has or will have a problem in the near future
• Recognize the negative impact of repeat situations
and develop action plans to correct them in a timely
manner
• Repeat situations should be an integral part of a
corporate chemistry directive within an overall
BTF/CC PProgram
• Repeat situations have been incorporated into the
revised benchmarking process at more than 20
plants.

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