Monitoring biofilm formation in power plant environments

Conference · Wed Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1997

OSTI ID:570165

Licina, G J ^[1]; Nekoksa, G ^[2]

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1. Structural Integrity Associates, San Jose, CA (United States)
2. Corrosion Failure Analysis and Control, San Ramon, CA (United States)

Power plants have experienced severe general corrosion, pitting, under deposit corrosion, and microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) in cooling water systems, resulting in decreased plant availability and significantly increased operations and maintenance costs. MIC has been a particularly difficult problem since corrosion resistant alloys in relatively benign environments have failed as a result of microbiological influences in short times. Copper base alloys, carbon steels and stainless steels have all been susceptible. In a number of instances, replacement of piping and heat exchangers has been required to alleviate corrosion-related problems. Monitoring is a key element to improved corrosion control in cooling water systems. On-line methods provide evaluations of corrosion rates in real time and are sensitive to localized corrosion. Electrochemical methods of corrosion measurement are readily automated, both for acquisition of corrosion data and for process control. An electrochemical probe for on-line monitoring of biofilm activity has been shown to provide an early warning of biofilm formation and incipient MIC in fresh and saline waters.

• OSTI ID: 570165
• Report Number(s): CONF-9511298--; ISBN 0-8031-2025-7
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
BIOLOGICAL FOULING
CARBON STEELS
COOLING SYSTEMS
COPPER BASE ALLOYS
CORROSION
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
MONITORING
ON-LINE MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS
STAINLESS STEELS