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

Panel Top Header

Crack at toe of fillet

weld (tube side)

Four HRSG Units

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
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

Turbine to HRSG
expansion joint

Start of Tube
Panels
Duct
Burner

SCR

Distribution Grid
Supports
HRSG Casing

Guides
54 feet

Distribution Grid
Top = SS
Bottom = P11
Guides
(1 overlap)

25 feet

(7/8 overlap)

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

Concern Gas & acoustic baffles and/or tube ties may fail with no
distribution grid because of higher gas velocity / higher tube vibration.

32 m/s

Eliminating Single Point Trips / Runbacks

Lawrenceburg Plant DCS
Event

Single Points

Gas Turbine high HRSG duct P

trip

Resolution
Remove trip, already protected
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
Pump trip

High vibration or high

bearing T

Remove trip, allow operator to

decide

Boiler Feed
Pump trip

Low NPSH (P&T)

Add 2 XMTRs for each for 2/3

median select

Condensate Low condenser level

Pump trip

Add 2 XMTRs for 2/3 median

select

Duct Burner High HP 2ndary P

trip
High HP 1st or 2nd T
High RH 1st or 2nd T

Add 2 XMTRs for 2/3 median

select for each

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

Buckled
Drain
Line

Bent
Support

Waterford HRSG Drain Line Repair

Re-ran the
pipe with
expansion
loops

Lawrenceburg Boiler Feed Pump Piping Support

Existing
Support

Existing
Support

New
Support

Existing
Support

To BFP
Suction

Pump Drive End & Non Drive End Vibration, mils

Lawrenceburg Boiler Feedwater Pump Vibration

Before
9

After
BFP 1

0
9

BFP 2

BFP 3

0
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.