Update on Cycle Chemistry Control

and
FAC for
Combined Cycle/HRSG Plants

Barry Dooley and Bob Anderson

Canadian HRSG Forum

Oakville, Ontario
20th 22nd October 2014

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 Continuing Cycle Chemistry Damage in
Fossil and Combined Cycle / HRSG Plants
50% (70%) of all fossil (combined cycle / HRSG) damage
Chemistry influenced Tube Failure (BTF / HTF) damage /
failure mechanisms
- Flow-accelerated Corrosion (FAC)
- Under-deposit Corrosion (UDC) (HD, APC and CG)
- Corrosion Fatigue & Stress Corrosion Cracking (TG and IG)
- Pitting
Corrosion Product Transport
- Deposition in Waterwalls, HP Evaporators and Steam Turbines
- Importance of an ACC in the Cycle
Steam Turbine Damage / Failure
- PTZ (Pitting, SCC and CF cracking)
- Deposition in HP / IP / LP

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 Does this Failure / Damage Occur Because

They are failure / damage mechanisms?

Design of Fossil / HRSG Plant ?
Design of Steam Turbine?
Design of the Feedwater System?

Or because of
Plant Staff not Addressing the Basics of Cycle Chemistry
Not installing a Fundamental Level of Instruments
Not using the International Standards for Cycle Chemistry
Not Using Total Iron as an Indicator
Not having an Integrated Management Program in Place
to Prevent Repeat Cycle Chemistry Situations

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 Identifying Repeat Cycle Chemistry
Situations Worldwide
Recent analyses from over 200 power
plant/failures/damage situations worldwide over last
15 years revealed that some of the key basics of
Power Plant Cycle Chemistry are not as ruggedly
addressed as perhaps they should be, and
All cycle chemistry-influenced failure and damage can
always be related back to multiples of 10 repeat cycle
chemistry situations in fossil plants
Most powerful tool at plant level to identify whether
there are cycle chemistry problems which will result in
future failure / damage.
and at International level to identify where guidance is
needed
Dooley, Shields and Shulder, PPChem. 2008 10(10),
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SLIDE 4
 Plant Assessments using Repeat Cycle
Chemistry Situations Analysis
* 103 Fossil Plants
BTF Mechanism and Root Cause Assessments
FAC Assessments. ACC Assessments
Cycle Chemistry Assessments and Conversions to OT and PT
PTZ Blade and Disk Failure/Damage Assessments
Copper Deposition on HP Turbine and in Superheater
Development of Shutdown/layup and Preservation Procedures

* 53 HRSG/Combined Cycle Plants

(16 HRSG manufacturers)
HRSG Assessment (Cycle chemistry, FAC and Thermal Transients)
Cycle Chemistry Assessments and Optimization
HRSG FAC Assessments. ACC Assessments
HRSG Tube Failures
Development of Shutdown/layup and Preservation Procedures

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Based on 156 Plant Assessments 2008 - SLIDE 5
- 2014
Repeat Situations in Cycle Chemistry Control

In a total of 53 HRSG/Combined Cycle Plants

* Corrosion products 53
* HP evaporator deposition 34
* Chemical cleaning 3
* Contaminant ingress 6
* Drum carryover 51
* Air in-leakage 4
* Shutdown protection 35 (& 50*)
* On-line alarmed instrumentation 53
* Not challenging the status quo 43
* No Action Plans N/A

* Use of DHA on ST

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Latest Update - SLIDE 6 2014
Repeat Situations in Cycle Chemistry Control

In a total of 103 Fossil Plants

* Corrosion products 96
* Boiler waterwall deposition 45
* Chemical cleaning 15
* Contaminant ingress 18
* Drum carryover 85
* Air in-leakage 42
* Shutdown protection 81 (& 93*)
* On-line alarmed instrumentation 86
* Not challenging the status quo 85
* No Action Plans N/A

* Use of DHA on ST

Latest UpdateFooter
October
- SLIDE2014
7
 Categories within Repeat Situations

* Corrosion Products (=#1)

Not Known - Too high Above local guideline values
Inadequate extent and not sufficient locations
Taken at same time / shift each day
Techniques used Incorrect detection limit Soluble only

* HRSG HP Evaporator Deposits (#5)

Samples not taken
No knowledge of deposit and deposition rate
Samples taken but not analyzed comprehensively
Deposits excessive. Not linked with chemistry in LP
Unit needs clean but management delayed

Latest Update Footer - SLIDE

October 8
2014
 Categories within Repeat Situations

* Instrumentation (=#1)
Low % compared to International Standard (IAPWS)
CACE (cation conductivity) and Conductivity on MU line most
often missing together with Steam Monitoring
Not alarmed. Many shared and not switched
Plant relies on grab samples to control plant (1-2 times per day)
Too many out of service, not maintained or calibrated

Plant Range of % Average

CC/HRSG 0 - 88% 58%
(0 @ 100%)
(7 over 80%)

Fossil 0-100% 65%

(5 @100%)
(25 over 80%)

Latest UpdateFooter - SLIDE 2014

October 9
 Categories within Repeat Situations

* Drum carryover (#3)

Not conducted since commissioning
Even on units with PTZ problems
Not aware of simple process (IAPWS)
Saturated steam samples not working
Samples often not isokinetic; some have ASME nozzles

* Challenging the Status Quo (#4)

Same chemistry since commissioning
Not questioning use of proprietary chemical additions
(phosphate blends, amines)
Continue to use reducing agents in combined cycle/HRSGs and
all-ferrous fossil plants
Using incorrect or outdated guidelines
Incorrect addition point for chemicals (most often reducing agent)

Latest Update Footer - SLIDE

October 10
2014
 Categories within Repeat Situations

* Shutdown Protection
No equipment for providing SD protection
Equipment present but not used or inoperable/not maintained
Poor/no operator procedures
Only partial protection applied (boiler/HSRG vs feedwater)
No DHA for the steam turbine except on the newest plants

* Contaminant Ingress
No assessment of risk
Inadequate instrumentation and alarms (especially for seawater)
Operators allow excedances of Control and Shutdown Limits
No comprehensive procedures
Chemists compromise limits to plant ability (make high readings
acceptable)

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Latest Update - SLIDE 2014
October 11
 One Focus is to Avoid FAC in HRSG & ACC
by
Optimum Cycle Chemistry Decisions

www.STRUCTINT.com
877-4SI-POWER
FAC Experience Based on over 50 Plants Visited
The Dooley/Anderson Data Base from 2008 to 2014
16 HRSG OEMs
Five gas turbine OEMs (Industrial and Aero)
9 steam turbine OEMs
Two-shaft and single-shaft arrangements
HGP, VGP, Recirculating and Once-through
Single-, Two-, and three-pressure HRSGs
Reheat and non-reheat
River, seawater, cooling tower, air-cooled condenser
4000 to 130,000 operating hours
90 starts to 630 starts
Every possible type of cycle chemistry

Copyright Structural Integrity Associates, Inc. 13

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FAC in Vertical and Horizontal Gas Path HRSG
(Water-touched components 100C to 250C (210 to 480F))

No new locations over last three years

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Copyright Structural Integrity Associates, Inc. 14
2014
FAC Locations in Horizontal Gas Path HRSGs
(Water-touched components 100C to 250C (210 to 480F))

LP Drum
IP Drum

IP Risers

LP Risers

Copyright Structural Integrity Associates, Inc. 15

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 We know what ACC Corrosion Looks Like
If the condensate / feedwater pH isnt optimized

DHACI 4
DHACI 3

DHACI 3
The FAC / Corrosion damage is the same worldwide with all cycle chemistries
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 Inspections Worldwide show the same Features
Combined Cycle with ACC after ~ 15,000 hrs.

DHACI 3

Concentration of Two-phase
FAC beneath Supports

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 Damage takes time to repair (15 Months with pH 9.8)

DHACI 4 DHACI 2

Source: Barnett & Olszewski, 2013 FAC Conf. Washington

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 Controlling FAC in HRSGs requires a three-
pronged approach
a) AVT(O) [or OT] to control single-phase FAC
b) Elevated pH25 to control two-phase FAC (up to pH 9.8)
c) Monitoring of total iron to verify

Observations from the data base of FAC in HRSG Plants indicate:

Reducing Agents used by ~40% of plants (down from 63% in 2001)
~37% have independently fed drums all fed TSP or NaOH to LP
Only ~30% knew the iron levels in condensate/feedwater and
only ~20% knew the iron levels in the LP drum.
Most only measure soluble iron.
Only ~ 21% had conducted NDE for FAC, BUT only in the cases
where damage and failure had already occurred !
All addressed single- and two-phase FAC at the same time

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Copyright Structural Integrity Associates, 19
Inc. 2014
Unfortunately Examples of FAC in
Combined Cycle/HRSG Plants
Continue Today Unabated
FAC in HP Economizer Tubing. Lower Header on HGP
~3 years. AVT(R) with META/cyclohexylamine/MPA blend + Carbohydrazide. ~120C

Single-phase FAC

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Copyright Structural Integrity Associates, Inc.212014
 Optimum Cycle Chemistry for CC / HRSG Plants
(Bringing the Whole Understanding Together)

Chemistry must MINIMIZE the iron in the cycle

- Good Goal is to achieve the Rule of 2 and 5
Condensate and feedwater (IAPWS Volatile Guidance*)
- Optimum is oxidizing, AVT(O) (No reducing agents)
- Sufficient Oxidizing Power and High enough pH (up to 9.8)
- No amine usage unless total iron is monitored
LP and HP Evaporator (IAPWS Volatile and PT/CT Guidances*)
- AVT or TSP and/or NaOH
Proprietary Chemicals must be known*
Fundamental IAPWS Level of Instruments*
Steam Turbine Shutdown Protection using DHA
Management Program Addressing Repeat Situations
IAPWS Technical Guidance Document.
www.IAPWS.org Footer - SLIDE 22