Chemical cleaning clears San Miguel's boiler tubes

Journal Article · Wed Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · Power Engineering; (United States)

OSTI ID:7270076

Buecker, B; Wofford, J ^[1]; Magel, R ^[2]

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1. Burns McDonnell Engineering Co., Kansas City, MO (United States)
2. San Miguel Electric Cooperative, Inc., Jourdanton, TX (United States)

This article describes chemical cleaning of the San Miguel Electric Cooperative (SMEC) boiler, an opposed-fired, natural circulation, reheat unit. At maximum continuous rating, steam flow is 3,054,000 lb/hr at a pressure of 2,925 psig. The superheater and reheater design temperatures are both 1,005 F. Boiler volume is 69,000 gallons. The Unit 1 boiler had not been cleaned since 1980, its original start-up date. Tube sample analyses indicated deposit densities ranging from 12 to 26 grams/ft[sup 2]. Utility boiler tubes will, over time, accumulate an internal layer of iron oxides and other deposits that inhibit flow and heat transfer, even with well-controlled water chemistry. Tube deposits can speed up corrosion, cause tube overheating, and be a precursor to tube failure. Deposits can influence such phenomena as phosphate hideout, and reduce boiler efficiency. For many utility boilers, a periodic cleaning is necessary to remove internal deposits before they can cause serious problems. Regardless of the benefits, chemical cleanings often make plant managers, engineers, and operators anxious because the process has been known to cause equipment damage or extend the length of an outage.

• OSTI ID: 7270076
• Journal Information: Power Engineering; (United States), Journal Name: Power Engineering; (United States) Vol. 98:6; ISSN POENAI; ISSN 0032-5961
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200101* -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Cooling & Heat Transfer Equipment & Systems
BOILERS
CLEANING
DEPOSITS
FOULING
POWER PLANTS
SURFACE CLEANING
SURFACE FINISHING
THERMAL POWER PLANTS