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Boiler Tube Failure and Impacts
Boiler Tube Failure and Impacts
Boiler tube failures, especially in coal-fired power plants, continue to be the major
cause of boiler forced outages. However, if a tube leak is detected early more severe
damage to surrounding tubes and tube banks can be prevented. Common methods
for determining tube leaks in their early stage are on-line acoustic monitoring and off-
line non-destructive testing. Software is also available for documenting and
analyzing the problem of premature tube leaks.
Although most of the older coal-burning plants were designed for baseload
operation, many of these plants are now being operated as cycling units.
Unfortunately, because the units were generally not designed for cycling operation a
variety of problems have occurred with pressure parts and steam/water systems. A
change in heat absorption from switching fuels can also cause tube problems.
In addition, there is the potential for excessive water deposition due to low flow, feed-
water control fluctuations, and header cracking and distortion.
Circulation Upgrades
According to Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) the operating problems from boiler cycling
are very complex. A seemingly small pressure drop or flow change in one area can
result in significant deterioration in other parts of the boiler. Nonetheless, before
these problems can be rectified it is recommended that utilities conduct a detailed
circulation analysis of the boiler’s existing design.
Overheating of wing wall boiler tubes at a large western utility drum boiler rendered
the boiler unable to operate at full load. After conducting a detailed engineering
evaluation and model study of the boiler’s original design, B&W determined that the
overheating was due to low flow velocities and flow imbalance. As a consequence
steam/film boiling occurred in the tubes.
After installing low pressure drop drum internals to increase flow, redesigning the
wing walls to increase heat absorption, increasing the angle of the panel tubes and
installing ribbed tubes to prevent film boiling, the problem was resolved. Figure 1
compares the original boiler design versus the modified boiler circulation upgrades.
Under normal boiler operation superheat and reheat headers experience high
temperature creep that reduces the life of the headers. In addition, thermal and
mechanical stresses from cycling operations, when combined with creep, can lead to
failure of the headers much sooner than creep alone.
Since increased slagging increases the furnace exit gas temperature it can cause
superheater overheating and excessive attemperator flow rates. According to B&W,
increased attemperator flow rates reduce overall cycle efficiency and in some cases
limit the boiler’s load from insufficient spray capacity.
Fortunately there are solutions to reduce and/or eliminate slagging and fouling. In the
low-pressure temperature area of a convection pass, the economizer can be
upgraded to reduce fouling, pressure loss, ash plugging and limit corrosion and
erosion. Some of the upgrades include redesigning the tube spacing and
arrangements, modifying the gas velocity and adding erosion barriers and soot-
blowing shields. Similarly, redesigning the furnace arch will allow a more uniform gas
flow distribution.
Fireside boiler tube erosion, especially in the burner throat of low NOx installations,
can be a major problem. However, this problem can be resolved by adding a 360-
degree weld overlay to the tubes in the burner throat area. This upgrade requires
removal of the old walls and their replacement with new tube walls with 360-degree
weld overlay. The weld overlay extends just above the top air-port opening. A
Midwest utility has upgraded two of its units with weld overlay furnace walls, Figure
3. Additional units are in the process of being modified.
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To reduce boiler problems at cycling units originally designed for baseload operation,
Foster Wheeler proposes use of a higher chromium alloy material for headers and
tubes. Using a higher chromium material allows the headers and the boiler tubes to
be made with thinner lighter weight material, says Ristau. Since the thinner walls
reduce expansion problems, they also significantly reduce stress on the boiler during
cycling operation.
To provide cleaning of the furnace from the nose elevation to just above the bottom
slope tubes, four SmartCannons were installed above the top burners on the 9th
floor elevation of Unit 2. Two cannons were installed on the front wall and two on the
rear wall. The sidewalls of the boiler are divided into two sections.
In order to provide feedback on the cleaning efficiency of the cannons, 24 heat flux
sensors were installed. A pump provided water for the cannons at various flows and
pressures. Similarly, data from high temperature thermocouples, installed at the 13th
floor elevation of the boiler, was used to evaluate the cannon’s performance.
During the three-day test period, March 11-13, 2003, NOx reduction averaged 5.1%
while the heat rate was reduced an average of 25 Btu/kWh. The heat rate
improvement came from improved heat absorption in the furnace, which in turn
reduced the attemperation spray flow controlling the reheat temperature. Although
only a small increase in boiler efficiency was observed, the furnace gas exit
temperature was reduced by approximately 124 F( 50 deg C) .
The cannons installed for the test program are still being used on Unit 2. Four
months after the cannons were installed on Unit 2 the plant went ahead and installed
them on Unit 1. However, because of some reliability problems with the cannons
AEP is not installing the water cannons, on other units until the problems have been
resolved, says Sheidler.
To tackle this problem Automation Technology, Inc. (ATI), San Jose, CA. has
developed a boiler tube failure software program called “Aware Boiler Module.” The
program enables plant engineers and a utility’s central engineering group to
constantly monitor and analyze boiler tube leaks at all of a utility’s power plants. A
common database for all of the plants is accessible from any web browser within the
utility’s intranet. There is no need to install the software on individual plant
computers.
Figure 3: Weld overlaid burner throat opening. Photo courtesy of Foster Wheeler.
Click here to enlarge image
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Standard tube failure and inspection reports are provided for all of the boiler
pressure parts. The data includes a record of all tube failures and repairs, ultrasonic
test readings, their location and cause of the failure. According to ATI, the benefits
from installing the boiler software program include:
Onsite and central office boiler engineers can also share information on boiler tube
failures for all the utility’s boilers. Using this information the engineers are able to
trend tube failures for boilers of the same design and with the same operating
conditions. Results from analyzing the data are also used by Dominion to determine
the scope of work for outage planning and management.
Another advantage of the program is for budgeting. There is no longer the need to
make assumptions. It is now possible to prepare, recommend and justify
maintenance requirements and expenses to upper management, says Timmons.
Each Dominion plant has a boiler tube failure coordinator who is responsible for
identifying the tube failure and inputting all of the data into the historical database.
This individual also makes sure the plant is in compliance with all ASME and
National Board code requirements.
Utilizing this program Dominion anticipates reducing forced outages by at least one
per year while improving the reliability of electricity supply during the summer peak
months. Long term, Timmons believes that the program will allow Dominion to
reduce downtime and maintenance costs.