Strategies for Inspecting HRSGs in Two-Shift

and Low-Load Service

08/01/2014 | Peter S. Jackson, PE, David S. Moelling, PE, and James W. Malloy

Inspections of more than 500 units over the past 10 years reveals common challenges faced by midlife HRSGs, particularly those used in combined cycle plants to offset renewable generation and
other aggressive operating strategies.
A heat-recovery steam generator (HRSG) is much like other power generation equipmentrun it at
design conditions and chances are it will run with high availability and require only routine
maintenance for many years. Mechanical problems within the HRSG are usually site- and vendorspecific, but experience has identified many common failure modes. The most common cause of
HRSG failures (after malfunctioning equipment such as sprays or duct burner controls) is a change
in operating profile, typically from base load to daily cycling, especially in markets with must-run wind
generation. Although a change in operating routine doesnt automatically translate into gross
degradation in HRSG reliability, pressure parts are often susceptible to having less design margin
and more vulnerability to consequential damage caused by other equipment.
This article identifies common unit failure mechanisms you should consider when developing your
HRSG inspection strategy for low-load operations and two-shift cycling.

Experienced Inspectors
Tetra Engineering Group Inc., has inspected more than 500 HRSGs over the past 10 years (many of
which are F-class or G-class triple-pressure duct-fired units in two-shift cycling operation with reheat
steam turbines), representing a cross-section of all the major HRSG manufacturers (see sidebar).
About 70% of inspections were of large reheat HRSGs. The inspected units represent all North
American Reliability Corp. regions as well as many units in emerging markets (Mexico), and the
mature 50-Hz markets in Europe and the Middle East. Uniquely, many of the Middle East units are
non-reheat units commonly integrated with a large desalination facility for integrated power and
water operations.

HRSG Inspection ToolkitA thorough inspection of a large, two-shifted heat-recovery steam generator (HRSG)
for example, behind a GE Frame 7FA, or Siemens W501F/Gwith reheater, typically requires about two days for
a three-man crew, which includes a field supervisor, an HRSG engineer, and a nondestructive testing technician.
These inspections are more detailed than boiler insurer statutory inspections or inspections by appurtenance
suppliers of non-pressure part components. The inspection of a typical mid-life HRSG includes:

Visual inspection of HRSG gas path components, including combustion turbine transition duct; hightemperature panels, including tubes, headers, and their supports; crossover piping; risers; drains; gas
baffles; acoustic baffles; and related structural components. An inspection usually includes emissions
control equipment inside the casing (CO catalyst, ammonia injection grid, and SCR catalyst) as well as duct
burner components.

Borescope/videoscope inspection of waterside conditions of lead high-pressure (HP) evaporator tube

panels for evidence of excessive deposits that will result in under-deposit corrosion, and of intermediate
pressure (IP) and low-pressure (LP) evaporator tube panels for evidence of two-phase flow accelerated
corrosion (FAC) wall thinning.

Ultrasonic testing (UT) of wall thickness for selected (high-risk) tube, header, and riser components, in order
to trend changes in the condition of mid-life HRSG components. Drum baffle plates and in some instances
cyclone separator can thickness are also measured at some plants as surrogates for components that
cannot be directly measured.

Magnetic particle testing of all accessible tube-header weld connections in the HP steam and reheater tube
panels, as well as all accessible link connections (lower header-transfer pipe) and lower header-to-drains.
Magnetic particle inspection of accessible drain welds in the HP superheater and reheater sections is
generally recommended for mid-life HRSGs.

Ultrasonic testing shear wave or UT phased-array inspection of Grade 91 components consistent with the
plants covered piping system program for managing Grade 91 components.

Visual inspection of accessible HRSG waterside components (for large combined cycle plants, this is
generally limited to drum surfaces and internals), such as primary and secondary steam separation devices,
feedwater penetrations, chemical supply lines, instrument and blowdown penetrations, and baffle plates and
their mechanical restraints (bolting and/or welds).

External walkdown of drain manifolds and associated valving below the HRSG casing and pipe supports for
interconnecting piping and drain systems in the original equipment manufacturers scope of supply.

Thermography of HRSG casings to identify hot spots. Plants with severe casing insulation degradation or
deficiency have used thermography to map regions of the casing for insulation repairs.

Our inspections have revealed that, over time, most units experiencing rapid thermal gradients (as a
result of two-shift cycling) present stress-related failures (for example, creep, corrosion fatigue, or
stress corrosion cracking) in tubes, headers, and structural steel. Frequent startups also make it
challenging for operators to maintain water chemistry within acceptable limits, which results in
greater risks of single- and two-phase flow accelerated corrosion (FAC) damage.

The changing thermodynamic characteristics of steam during startup conditions also produce
component stresses and excess condensate that must be quickly drained. Less condensate is
produced during fast startups, though more attemperation spray may be required to control steam
pipe metal temperatures than when undergoing a routine startup. Low-load operations usually use
more attemperation spray to control steam pipe metal temperatures than when undergoing a
standard startup. Since low-load operations are generally at substantially lower pressures, this also
offsets some of the more aggressive thermal characteristics of two-shift cycling under low-load
operations. Many HRSG designs present condensate removal challenges during either type of start,
which is a characteristic that varies greatly between HRSGs, even those built by the same
manufacturer.
Under cycling conditions, other undesirable side effects are also possible, such as greater risk of
water hammer in the reheat piping, thermal quenching of hot component surfaces due to spray valve
degradation, and leakage or failure of the pressure boundary at tube-to-header welds, riser piping to
drums, crossover (connecting) piping, and drain connections. Temperature control (heat tracing and
in some cases portable heaters) may also be required to prevent tube and header failure during
freezing conditions. Several two-shift plants experienced thermal quenching or brittle fractures
during the cold winter of 2013 to 2014.

HRSG Inspection Guide

In the future, HRSG inspections must become more comprehensive and identify critical damage
earlier, all while being conducted during fewer and shorter outages. The following sections discuss
and illustrate specific failure mechanisms that must be quickly identified, beginning with the greatest
impact on forced outages and performance degradation (although several categories have been
combined for the sake of brevity). An online supplement has also been provided that contains
additional photos and further discussion of common failures that should guide a HRSG inspection.
Grade 91 Components. Most large HRSGs constructed since the late 1990s have tube panels,
interconnecting piping, outlet steam manifolds, and in some cases bypass piping constructed from
Grade 91 creep-strength enhanced ferritic (CSEF) steel. Fabrication, welding, post-weld heat
treatment, and performance problems with Grade 91 (and other CSEF steels) have been well
documented. Aggravating the problem, maximum metal temperatures may increase slightly following
combustion turbine (CT) upgrades to accommodate fast starts and low-load operations.

Hig-Temperature Tube Leaks and Failures. The most significant damage that occurs to HRSG
components inside the casing is generally leaks and failures of pressure parts, principally tubes,
headers, and connecting piping (Figure 1). Tube failures are the dominant cause of lost plant
reliability. While tube repairs are not always lengthy procedures, they contribute substantially to the
cost of two-shift cycling duty. In todays merchant markets, a forced outage can be a costly
consequence of aggressive operation without sufficient monitoring of component degradation.

1. Leaky weld. A leaking 16-inch-diameter reheater crossover pipe in a cycling unit is shown. Courtesy: Tetra
Engineering Group Inc.

High-temperature tubes experience leaks and failures due to creep, thermal fatigue (and
combinations of both), quenching, and inadequate condensate removal. Also, high differential
thermal stress due to exhaust gas bypassing tube panels, side-wall or central baffles failure, or other
plant transients such as single pull tensile overload, has resulted in many tube failures in certain
reheater designs.

The most common tube damage mechanism is bowing, which is usually caused by differential
thermal stress, quench, manufacturing variations in tube length, and the like. Inspections of new
units sometimes identify small tube bows present prior to operation. Many units exhibit bowing of
reheater tubes, especially those located below attemperator sprays or in the first pass downstream
of duct burners. In some cases, tube bowing doesnt change substantially over many years, but
other units have experienced ratcheting of tubes to the point where the tubes kink and develop
local yielding that necessitates repair or replacement.
Flow Accelerated Corrosion Thinning. Perhaps the most notorious of HRSG tube failure
mechanisms is FAC. FAC wall thinning of pressure parts has been aggressively addressed in the
nuclear industry, where several catastrophic failures occurred in susceptible piping. The fossil-fueled
power generation industry has experienced FAC to a lesser degree in external feedwater heaters,
attemperator spray valve downstream piping, feedwater pump discharge piping, and steam turbine
extraction lines. Units with poor water chemistry control, extensive layup periods, or particular design
configurations are especially susceptible.
With a combined cycle fleet of large units fast approaching mid-life, many have experienced some
FAC wall thinning. The primary areas where FAC thinning occurs in HRSGs is either internal (tubes
and headers) or in boiler connecting piping (evaporator risers, short feedwater piping segments
between the pumps, and the economizer inlets). Also, there is a sizeable two-phase steam/water
exposure in low-pressure (LP) and intermediate-pressure (IP) components. This is in contrast to
conventional boiler experience, where FAC is largely confined to feedwater lines that have piping
and feedwater heater components.
The best approach to managing FAC thinning is a combination of excellent water chemistry control
and vigilant trending of component wall thickness in susceptible regions (most of which are inside
the HRSG casing). External feedwater piping can also be susceptible for combined cycle plants that
take feed pump suction from the LP drum.
Thick Section Components. Leaks and failures in larger components such as headers, major
connecting piping, and steam piping can require lengthy outages with significant repair costs and
commensurate loss in operating revenue while repairs are completed. There have been instances of
header leaks due to long-term layup with inadequate water chemistry control or failure to drain and
inert the waterside for extended periods. Grade 91 interconnecting piping at the high-pressure (HP)
superheater or reheater (RH) outlet manifolds are experiencing increasing numbers of leaks due to

inadequate material properties, poor shop and field welding practices, and improper post-weld heat
treatment (Figure 2).

2. Cracked and dangerous. This Grade 91 hot reheat upper header link to the outlet manifold cracked during
operation of this two-shifting plant. Courtesy: Tetra Engineering Group Inc.

Water Hammer. Water hammer has occurred at many combined cycle plants. It is often attributed to
a combination of problems related to steam or spray valve control, inadequate drainage of
condensate, or abrupt valve actuation. Water hammer is generally a destructive transient; casualties
typically include adjacent piping supports, with yielding of steam piping a common end result (Figure
3). Good practice is to apply nondestrutive testing inspection to components adjacent to the most
heavily damaged areas in order to assess whether a crack exists that requires repair.

3. Hammered pipe. Water hammer can cause significant damage to HRSG steam piping. In this unit, water
hammer damaged its cold reheat piping and supports. Courtesy: Tetra Engineering Group Inc.

Casing, Liner, and Gas Baffle Damage. A frequent damage mechanism encountered in old and
new units is damage to gas baffles. Due to the nature of their geometry and proximity to a variety of
potential interferences, these structures are often subject to fatigue, distortion from thermal
expansion, interference, and high vibrations, particularly in the hot sections of the HRSG.
While some HRSG designs have no central baffles, those that do have experienced frequent
damage. While most exhaust gas continues to pass through the tube panels, the lower flow
resistance along unblocked lanes can result in downstream tubes experiencing significantly hotter
conditions than neighboring tubes. This flow and temperature imbalance can cause very large
differential thermal stresses or a high local increase in water/steam velocity, especially in evaporator
sections. That in turn can aggravate FAC wall thinning, which is found to be worse on the tubes
located at the end of tube panels (closest to the open area normally protected by gas baffles).
Quench Damage. Condensate formation during startup is another well-known cause of tube and
header leaks and failures. Some units have experienced repeated tube failures, extreme tube
bowing, and related problems with attemperation spray equipment. One approach has been the
installation of temporary thermocouples to more accurately determine the temperature variations in

reheater and superheater tubes, which in turn can be used by operators to better manage startup
temperature transients.
Boiler and Steam Piping Damage. Problems with boiler and steam piping are often associated with
the reheat piping, particularly in units where attemperator sprays have been designed with too-short
downstream straight pipe lengths (less than 10 pipe diameters). Incomplete atomization of
attemperator sprays sends liquid droplets downstream that impact piping surfaces, which causes
significant localized thermal stresses and may ultimately result in weld cracks (Figure 4).

4. Steam leaks. Generally, larger thermal stresses shorten the fatigue life of affected components, particularly
drums, thick section headers, and tube-to-header welds. The photo shows a cracked reheater link transfer pipe
manifold that failed in a unit operated in two-shift cycling. Source: Tetra Engineering Group Inc.

Drain Leaks and Failures. Drain pipe failures are another relatively common category of problems
found in mid-life units. Drains are sometimes cocked or otherwise bent during final construction
when the pre-fabricated tube panel assemblies are field-connected to the drain system (Figure 5).
The result is drain welds that are often under considerable stress due to misalignment in their casing
holes and misalignment of drain tube stubs with the field drain work.

5. Out of shape. Bending of this high-pressure superheater drain was experienced due to misalignment during

construction. Courtesy: Tetra Engineering Group Inc.

While relatively easy to repair, drain leaks have been known to cause boiler drum level instability
that resulted in an emergency plant shutdown. Inspection of accessible drain welds during
scheduled HRSG inspections is an effective way to reduce the likelihood of a drain failure during
operation.
Drum and Internals Damage. Damage to drum surfaces and internals includes problems with baffle
weld designs and accumulation of tubercle deposits over pits in HP and LP drums and some small
defects in drum shell surfaces. Inspection of new units may typically find no incidents of severe
corrosion of steam separation devices, development of fatigue cracks, or other serious damage.
Units in mid-life operation may experience cracking of drum-to-downcomer nozzles or to feedwater
supply piping. Sludge piles are often evident in LP drums where iron transport is a problem due to
inadequate control of oxygen levels.
Stress Corrosion. Another damage mechanism that has caused tube failures in cold end
components is stress-corrosion cracking. This damage mechanism affects susceptible materials and
can result in tube leaks or failures after just a few years of operation. Deposits on the inside diameter
(ID) of the pipe that tend to protect and concentrate aggressive chemical species are commonly
found. Accumulation of deposits on the tube ID implies problems with feedwater water treatment and
control.
Cold End Bowing. Occasionally, bowed tubes are observed in the cold end of large units.
Sometimes the bowed tubes are near the feedwater inlets where the inlet water temperature may be
significantly colder than adjacent tubes, depending on the flow pattern in the harp design. This can
lead to large thermal stresses between tubes and potential failure.
Flow Distribution Device Damage and Failures. The internal tube arrangement of many HRSGs
requires flow distribution devices. Their specification depends on a variety of factors related to the
CT, geometry of the transition duct, and general layout of the HRSG, such as the order, number, and
arrangement of tube modules. Problems are common with flow distribution devices, especially those
installed upstream of the lead tube bank, where they are often needed to re-distribute flow to higher
tube elevations. In some cases a second flow distribution grid is installed upstream of duct burners
to further redirect the exhaust gas flow, although this is not common.

The most common design is a perforated plate, although large turning vanes and smaller sets of
turning vanes are often used. The most common problem for a perforated plate is fatigue damage
that is attributable to high gas velocity and inadequate structural support to hold the perforated plate
in position. Often the support structure behind the plate experiences widespread fatigue failure
followed by metal fatigue in the ligaments between the holes in the perforated plate. In the extreme,
flow distribution devices have collapsed and become an obstruction in the gas path.
Duct Burner Issues. Duct burners are used to increase steam production, either to compensate for
reduced CT output due to high ambient conditions or for additional (peaking) steam production.
Local overheating of tubes has been attributed in some cases to excessive duct firing. Other
problems with duct burners have involved the burner elements themselves either being improperly
positioned or falling out of their supports during operation so they were no longer supported at both
walls (Figure 6). In some instances the accumulation of condensate in burner runners during periods
of long layup has caused operational problems.

6. Bent burner. In extreme cases, the duct burner runners are so damaged that replacement is the only option. Courtesy: Tetra

Engineering Group Inc.

Peter S. Jackson, PE (peter.jackson@tetra-eng.com) is director, field services, David S.

Moelling,
PE (david.moelling@tetra-eng.com)
is
chief
engineer,
and James
W.
Malloy(james.malloy@tetra-eng.com) is managing director (Europe) for Tetra Engineering Group
Inc.