Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Assessed by
R. Nagarajan TiTaN, India
G. Murugan TiTaN, India
Fazir T. Subair MTKhoory, U.A.E
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Estd. In 1981.
INDEX
1.
Introduction
2.
Objective
3.
4.
Electrolyser failure
5.
Failure Evidences
6.
7.
8.
Recommendation
9.
Conclusion
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1. INTRODUCTION
SCIPCO (Shuweihat CMS International Power Company, U.A.E) who is operating the Shuweihat
S1 Water and power plant along with a seawater based electrochlorination system made a request to
MTKhoory (Mohammed Tayyeb Khoory & Sons, U.A.E) / TiTaN (Titanium Tantalum products Ltd, India)
to assess their recently failed one of the electrolyser which is a part of the electrochlorination system
through service work order no: FEP1/503/2011/AB.
With TiTaNs vast experience on design and manufacturing of various capacity and types of
electrolysers in past 3 decades, TiTaNs Engineers accompanied by MTKhoorys Engineer visited
Shuweihat 1 water and power plant on 09th and 10th of May 2011 and made a detailed study on the
one of the failed electrode assembly (without shell housing) and on the operation of the
electrochlorination plant. According to the field assessment and observation, this report has been
prepared which has covered the findings on the failure, immediate remedial action to be taken and
recommendation as the outcome of the assessment.
This report has been drawn based on the assessment made on the available failed electrode assembly
at SCIPCO workshop with the help of the maintenance team of the SCIPCO and system operating
procedure explained by the operating team.
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2. OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this assessment and report is to find the possible root cause for the failure of the
electrolyzer and recommend the required remedial actions or suggestions to avoid further failure of the
electrolysers and smooth operation of the plant.
3. BRIEF SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
The seawater based electrochlorination plant located at the SCIPCO water and power plant (Shuweihat
S1) is being in operation from 2003 after erection and commissioned by Siemens who is the total
contractor for the power & water plant. Electrochlorination plant has been supplied by Severn Trent
Denora SRL.
Technical Data:
Generation Capacity of the EC plant
458 Kg/hr
1850 mg/l
3 Nos
2 Nos.
3 Nos.
229 kg/hr
123.8 m3/hr
7200 A
140 V
Raw seawater coming from seawater distribution system is filtered at two stages using gravel filter and
activated carbon filter before entering in to the hypochlorite generators. Polyelectrolyte is being dosed
in the raw seawater before entering in to the gravel filter to flocculate the suspended particles present
in the seawater and further it will be filtered and removed by gravel filter. Activated carbon filter is
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Filtered seawater is entering into sodium hypochlorite generators. The plant consists of three
generators, which are connected hydraulically parallel to each other. Two sodium hypochlorite
generators can be operated at its full load continuously and remaining one is standby.
Each generator is connected with a dedicated transformerrectifier using DC bus bar which will supply
required DC power to electrolysers to generate sodium hypochlorite from seawater by electrolysis
process.
Each generator consists of 3 electrolyzer modules connected hydraulically and electrically series to
each other. After first and second electrolyzer modules, there is a hydrogen separator to remove the
generated hydrogen from the first and second electrolyzers.
Seawater flows from the first to the second and to third electrolyzers via hydrogen separator, which is
in the hydraulic path between the intermediate electrolyzers and most of the generated hydrogen is
separated from sodium hypochlorite + seawater and connected to the hypochlorite outlet header line
which is going to hypochlorite storage tanks.
When DC current is passed through electrolyzers when seawater passed through them the sodium and
the chloride are chemically dissociated and the chloride undergoes an electrolytic change and the
available chlorine is formed at the anode. Water also undergoes an electrolytic change with the result
that hydroxyl ions and hydrogen gas are generated at the cathode. The chlorine produced in this
process is termed as active chlorine. The hypochlorite generators are rated on their output of active
chlorine (Cl). However, in practice, the chlorine and hydroxyl ions do not remain in this form and there
is a consequential chemical reaction resulting in the formation of hypochlorite. It is in this form that
the chlorine is used.
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After 7 years of operation from the date of commissioning, one electrolyzer out of three from generator
A found to be damaged in the month of April 2011. The damaged electrolyser was removed from the
generator and damaged electrode assembly was replaced with new assembly which was available as
spare. Damaged electrode assembly had been kept at the maintenance work shop for study and same
was dismantled and inspected by TiTaNs engineers with the help of MTKhoory and SCIPCO. From the
inspection and study, following are the observations
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1
4
2
1.
2.
Bus bars
Base plates
3. End anode assembly
Visual examination of the dismantled electrode assembly revealed severe damage on the
electrode assembly and its base plates.
Base plates of end anode assembly found to be totally damaged due to heaving heating and
further burning
Coating on the end anodes assembly plates is totally consumed and few plates looked like
bare plates without coating.
In the first anode side bipolar plates as well as many more other bipolar plates, cathodes are
totally damaged and a thick oxide films have been formed over the surface of the plates.
Most of the cathode plates have lost their strength and plate thickness has come down to less
than 0.5 mm from its original thickness of 1.5 mm
In the first cathode side bipolar plates as well many more other bipolar plates, anodes are lost
their coating and got damaged heavily.
Most of the middle bipolar plates are got punctured with more than 5 to 10 holes
Many of the plates in the overall assembly are got short circuited and lost their strength and
coating.
Most of the titanium studs connecting the bipolar plates and PVDF spacers are got damaged.
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Burning of PVDF
spacers due to burnt
particles from end
anode assembly, short
circuit and high heat
generation.
Electrodes short
circuit due to scale as
well as burning
particles
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Heavy burning
happened at the anode
end side due to heavy
scale build up and
hydrogen
accumulation. High
busbar heat would
have initiated the
explosion / burning.
Heavy thick titanium
base plates was burnt
in heavy heat.
Note : Titanium is a highly reactive metal, combining readily at elevated temperatures with oxygen and
hydrogen to form interstitial solid solutions, which can cause embrittlement and cracking in heat affected zones
at base plates of welded joints.
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Occurrence
Possible Causes
2.
Short
circuit
of
the
electrodes
3.
Uneven
Coating
loss
of
strength
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5.
6.
Color change on the cathode Due to heavy heating oxide film has been formed over the
surface of the titanium plates, which has reduced the
plates.
properties of the plate.
Electrode deactivation
1.The electrodes undergo a natural consumption of the
catalytic material so that, after years of operation, a
deactivation of the anodes appears and the electrolyzer
voltage increases above normal values.
2. Permanent deterioration caused by scale buildup due
to inadequate acid washing over a period or prolonged
duration.
Bipolar assembly studs damage
1. Calcareous deposits over the studs has eaten away
the titanium material due to which thickness and
strength of the studs has come down.
2. Due to heavy heating by short circuiting of
electrodes, many of the studs were burnt and
broken in to pieces.
spacers
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7. RECOMMENDATIONS:
Based on this joint field assessment by TiTaN / MTKhoory and above findings, following are the
recommendations which may be followed by the operational team which will be helpful to avoid
further failure of electrolyser or any other equipment in the electrochlorination plant.
Condition of the gravel filters and Activated carbon filters needs to be monitored
periodically and ensure the proper periodical back wash and healthiness of the filter
media. This is to avoid entering of any foreign particles or any other dissolved
contaminants in to the generators.
Temperature of the bus bar end of the each electrolysers needs to be monitored
periodically to ensure that no unnecessary heating while in operation.
Performance of the each generator needs to be recorded periodically (as per format
given during assessment) to monitor the healthiness of the electrolysers and records to
be maintained.
The monthly performance and acid cleaning report shall be prepared and maintained.
The frequency and duration of acid cleaning shall be strictly followed as per OEM
recommendations.
Operator should ensure the start up and shut down procedures are followed as per
OEM instructions/manual.(For eg, Gradual increase/decrease the amperage, proper
flushing etc.,)
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As per global practice, to meet the shock dosing requirement excess hypochlorite has to be generated
and stored in the hypo storage tank and once in 6 hours (or as per design requirement), this excess
hypochlorite has to be shock dosed at the dosing locations. To meet this operating philosophy, only
hypo storage tank shall be adequately sized to hold the excess hypochlorite generated.
With our vast experience in electrochlorination field, TiTaN is strongly recommending to operate one
or two generators continuously depends no of desalination plants in operation and avoid intermittent
operation which is being followed presently. TiTaN can help SCIPCO for this change in operating
procedure if SCIPCO provides all necessary information.
6. CONCLUSION
From the field assessment, it is collectively concluded that electrode assembly taken out from
generator AElectrolyser 1 fully got damaged beyond repair due to various reasons as described above.
This needs to be replaced with new assembly.
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