Characterization of steam cycle chemistry at Southern California Edison steam plants. Final report

Technical Report · Wed May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1985

OSTI ID:5843807

Auerswald, D C; Cutler, F M

Corrosion problems in the low pressure (LP) turbines and reheat sections of fossil-fueled supercritical units triggered power industry concern over the levels and transport of trace impurities in steam cycle systems. Surveys of a number of Southern California Edison (SCE) generating units were conducted to provide a data base for determining the differences between the steam produced in drum-type and once-through units. Ion chromatography, flame emission spectroscopy and flameless atomic absorption were used to detect and identify the corrodents present in the various operating units. The most severe corrosion attack on LP turbine blades was observed on once-through units that operated condensate polishers past ammonium breakthrough. The LP turbines of drum-type units were found to be in better shape than any of the once-through unit turbines. It was determined that operation of condensate polishers beyond ammonium breakthrough was responsible for the high levels of chloride found in the steam of once-through units. Modifications of the regeneration procedure for condensate polishers at SCE resulted in more than a ten-fold reduction in chloride leakage. Further modifications of the regeneration procedure provided for polisher operation beyond ammonium breakthrough with less than 1 ppB leakage of chloride, sulfate or sodium. Based upon the correlation observed between steam chemistry and turbine blade condition, stringent chemical limits are recommended. An extensive evaluation of the Dionex ion chromatograph system for trace analysis of sodium, calcium, magnesium, fluoride, chloride and sulfate is presented. Procedures developed for sub-ppB analysis of fluoride, chloride and sulfate and various tests to determine resin condition and degree of regeneration are outlined. 11 refs., 41 figs., 71 tabs.

• Research Organization: Southern California Edison Co., Paramount (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5843807
• Report Number(s): EPRI-CS-4005; ON: TI85920648
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200104* -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Components
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400102 -- Chemical & Spectral Procedures
400104 -- Spectral Procedures-- (-1987)
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
BOILERS
CALCIUM
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
CONDENSATES
CORROSION
CORROSIVE EFFECTS
DATA
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELEMENTS
EMISSION SPECTROSCOPY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEEDWATER
FLUORINE
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HALOGENS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
ION EXCHANGE CHROMATOGRAPHY
MACHINERY
MAGNESIUM
METALS
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POWER PLANTS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RECYCLING
REGENERATION
REMOVAL
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SODIUM
SPECTROSCOPY
STEAM
STEAM GENERATION
STEAM GENERATORS
STEAM TURBINES
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TURBINE BLADES
TURBINES
TURBOMACHINERY
VAPOR GENERATORS
WATER
WATER CHEMISTRY
WATER TREATMENT