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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Failure-cause analysis: fossil-fired boilers, pressure parts. Final report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6301083
Root-cause failure analyses were conducted to determine the reason for high forced-outage rates attributed to boiler-pressure-part failures in four medium-sized fossil-fired electricity generating units. Those analyses were conducted not only to identify the reasons for the high forced-outage rates in the four boilers selected for study, which are discussed in detail in this report, but also to identify areas where research studies directed toward the solution of specific failure problems related to boiler pressure parts could be expected to increase the availability of both existing and future medium-sized fossil-fired units. Twenty-four such areas were identified, six related to analyzing causes of component falures, nine related to improving equipment or operating procedures, and nine related to increasing fundamental knowledge of factors causing boiler tube degradation. The systematic problem-solving approach used in conducting the root-cause analyses is described in sufficient detail to allow utilities to apply similar techniques, if desired, for analyzing failures of other power plant equipment.
Research Organization:
Battelle Columbus Labs., OH (USA)
OSTI ID:
6301083
Report Number(s):
EPRI-CS-2029; ON: DE82900377
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English