Boiler tube failures at New Boston: a root-cause analysis. Final report
In-depth root-cause analysis of equipment problems at power stations is an effective means of maintaining and improving availability. An earlier EPRI study, ''Utility-Oriented Approach for Root-Cause Analysis of Power Plant Equipment Problems,'' proposed a general approach to problem analysis for use by utilities. This report presents the results of a study intended both to test and refine that approach by applying it to an actual power station problem. The problem selected was a recurring tube failure problem at Boston Edison's New Boston Generating Station. Major conclusions of the study are that overheating tube failures at New Boston are the result of several major causes. Primary among these are localized temperature spikes caused by burner-firing patterns and fuel-oil control practices during startup and shutdown, internal fouling in the waterwall-tubes, and flow diversion and flow starvation caused by leaks between feed headers. All of these causes have been aggravated by physical damage done to the boiler walls in the early years of unit operation because operating practices for subcritical, once-through boilers were poorly understood. A list of eight corrective actions to reduce overheating tube failures was generated as a result of the root-cause analysis of the data. 80 figs., 5 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Delian Corp., Monroeville, PA (USA); Boston Edison Co., MA (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5707315
- Report Number(s):
- EPRI-CS-3969; ON: TI85920611
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Root cause of failure analysis and the system engineer
Damodar Valley Corporation, Chandrapura Unit 2 Thermal Power Station Residual Life Assessment Summary report
Related Subjects
BOILERS
TUBES
FAILURE MODE ANALYSIS
FAILURES
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
RECOMMENDATIONS
DATA
INFORMATION
NUMERICAL DATA
POWER PLANTS
SYSTEM FAILURE ANALYSIS
SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
200101* - Fossil-Fueled Power Plants- Cooling & Heat Transfer Equipment & Systems