HRSG Maintenance &

Operating Issues

David Buzza
Region 7 Engineering
August 6, 2012
Lawrenceburg Primary Reheat Tube Failures

Tubes bowed at header ends

Looking Up
Lawrenceburg Primary Reheat Failures & Cracks

• Four HRSG Units

Panel Top Header
• From Feb 2009 to
Aug 2011 - 9 forced
repairs and 5
unforced repairs.
• 37 of 45 tube repairs
are near header ends
versus over drain
Crack at toe of fillet
weld (tube side) lines.
Reducing Lawrenceburg Primary Reheat Failures

• Condensate in bottom header

creates preferential steam path for
tubes over drains.
– Tubes over drains are cooler.
– Tubes at ends are hotter.
• Found attemperator water leaking
through between starts.
• Corrective Action
– Manually closed all attemperator
water between starts.
– Increased manual drain to 2 inch
and drained header prior to each
start.
 Lawrenceburg LP FW Heater / Economizer Deposits

• Deposit may be corrosion and/or ammonium sulfate /

bisulfate deposit. Need sample to verify.
LP Economizer Protection
Maintain FW inlet temperature 15F above flue
gas dew point with FW recirculation system.
 Lawrenceburg Distribution Grid Failure
Grid
Start of Tube
Panels SCR
Duct
Burner

Turbine to HRSG
expansion joint
 Distribution Grid
Supports
HRSG Casing

Guides
Distribution Grid (7/8” overlap)
54 feet

Top = SS
Bottom = P11

Guides
(1” overlap)

25 feet
 Lawrenceburg Failed Distribution Grid

Failure

Gas
Flow

Tube Bundle
downstream
of Grid
Distribution
Grid
Turbine Exhaust Gas Velocity at Turbine Exhaust

33 m/s
83 m/s

25 m/s
Turbine Exhaust Gas Velocity at the SCR

With Distribution Grid No Distribution Grid

5 m/s
Turbine Exhaust Gas Velocity at the Duct Burners

With Distribution Grid No Distribution Grid

6 m/s

9 m/s
 Turbine Exhaust Gas Velocity at First Tube Bundle

With Distribution Grid No Distribution Grid

8 m/s

8 m/s

26 m/s

16 m/s 32 m/s

Concern – Gas & acoustic baffles and/or tube ties may fail with no
distribution grid because of higher gas velocity / higher tube vibration.
 Eliminating Single Point Trips / Runbacks
Lawrenceburg Plant DCS
Event Single Points Resolution
Gas Turbine high HRSG duct P Remove trip, already protected
trip by GT exhaust P trip
Gas Turbine high HP or HRH steam Add 2 XMTRs for 2/3 median
runback T select for each
Boiler Feed High vibration or high Remove trip, allow operator to
Pump trip bearing T decide
Boiler Feed Low NPSH (P&T) Add 2 XMTRs for each for 2/3
Pump trip median select
Condensate Low condenser level Add 2 XMTRs for 2/3 median
Pump trip select
Duct Burner High HP 2ndary P Add 2 XMTRs for 2/3 median
trip High HP 1st or 2nd T select for each
High RH 1st or 2nd T
 Waterford HP Pipe Support Cracking

Pipe Movement

Crack

Stanchion

Crack
 Waterford HP Pipe Support Repair

Shortened stanchion
from 27” to 9” long
to reduce moment
arm
Added plate
to bottom of
stanchion to
improve
sliding
 Waterford HRSG Drain Line Pipe Buckling and
Support Failures

Bent
Support
Buckled
Drain
Line
Waterford HRSG Drain Line Repair

Re-ran the
pipe with
expansion
loops
Lawrenceburg Boiler Feed Pump Piping Support

Existing
Existing
Support
Support

To BFP
New Existing Suction
Support Support
 Lawrenceburg Boiler Feedwater Pump Vibration
Before After
Pump Drive End & Non Drive End Vibration, mils

9 BFP 1

0
9 BFP 2

0
9 BFP 3

9 BFP 4

Time
 Improving Reliability of Gas Regulating Station for Duct Burners

Lawrenceburg Plant

• Need PM that includes replacement of regulator soft goods.

• Verify that all regulator valves have proper set points.
• Add vortex heater to prevent freeze up of regulator orifice & distillate drop out in pilot
gas.