A number of conditions can cause fouling in a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG):

deposits plugging the finned tubes; sulfur in the fuel reacting with ammonia used for
NOx control, causing salts to form; and corrosion resulting from tube leakage, acid and
water dew point condensation.

An HRSG with fouling directly impacts plant performance in two ways: it increases
exhaust gas side-pressure drop, which reduces gas turbine (GT) performance; and it
decreases steam production and temperature, which reduces the steam turbine output.
According to GE bulletin 3567-H, every 4-inch increase in exhaust gas side-pressure
drop reduces GT output by 0.42 percent, increases heat rate by 0.45 percent and
boosts stack temperature for Frame 7EA gas turbines by 1.9° F. This does not include
loss of steam turbine output caused by the decrease in steam production and
temperature in the HRSG.

The majority of this degradation can be mitigated by cleaning the HRSG tubes. Since
most of the deposits occur at the back end of the boiler, this discussion will focus on
cleaning that area to restore HRSG performance and reduce the gas side-pressure
drop. (In rare cases, deposits can also occur at the front end if the tubes become
plugged by loose insulation.)

HRSG Cleaning Methods

Several approaches are used to clean HRSG tubes: high-pressure water jets,
chemicals, CO2 ice blasting and pressure-wave cleaning. Water-jet cleaning
unfortunately introduces water into the liner panels and wets the insulation; it can also
cause rusting of the carbon-steel liner panels. The major drawback with chemical
cleaning is having to dispose of the chemicals afterwards. The other two methods are
therefore used most commonly these days.

CO2 Ice Blast Cleaning

With this approach, frozen CO2 (dry ice) pellets are blasted against the fouled surfaces
using a high-pressure compressor. The ice blast sublimates as it goes directly from a
solid to a gaseous state. This rapid expansion of the CO2 – to 750-800 times its initial
volume — loosens the debris, which is then removed with a vacuum device. Scaffolding
is required within the unit to access the full height of the tubes and for bore scope
inspection after the cleaning. To access the full depth of all tubes in a module, special
spreading tools are used for tube spreading (figure 1a). The modules are accessed from
both side to ensure cleaning of both the front and back sides of the tubes (figure 1d). If
necessary, a chemical solution is used after the blasting to loosen any stubborn
deposits that remain.

Pressure Wave Cleaning

This approach was developed by BANG&CLEAN Technologies AG of Switzerland in 2001 and
is licensed in the United States by GE. A ball filled with a combustible mixture is ignited near
the tubes to be cleaned. The pressure wave and vibration shake the tubes, loosening the debris,
which then falls to the floor. Since a series of explosions – 100 or more – is used to complete the
process, it is remotely controlled to prevent injuries.
The photos in Figure 2 below – taken during a recent pressure-wave cleaning at a NAES-
operated facility – show the condition of tubes before and after cleaning, and the Figure 3 photos
show the amount of debris collected after 100 shots. (The term ‘shots’ refers to the process of
repeatedly exploding the mixture in the ball to generate pressure waves and shake the tubes.) As
a result of the cleaning, the exhaust gas side-pressure drops decreased by 1.8 inwc (4.5 mbar)
and 1.73 inwc (4.3 mbar) for the two HRSGs, respectively.