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The rotor air cooler (RAC) integrated into combined-cycle systems powered by
Siemens 501G engines is a single-pass, shell-and-tube, air-to-water heat exchanger
often referred to as a kettle boiler. It reduces the temperature of a portion of the
compressor air flow to cool the rotor, blades, and vanes in the gas turbine.
Water is on the shell side of the RAC, compressed air flows through the tubes. The
heat exchanger has an intermediate-pressure (IP) section (blue arrow in Fig A) and a
low-pressure (LP) section (red arrow). IP water cascades to the LP section as shown
in text Fig 1. Tubes and tubesheets typically are made of Type-304 stainless steel.
The tubes are rolled into the tubesheets and welded to create a tight seal between
the rotor air and the cooling water. Fig B shows the single-pass flow path for the
compressed-air circuit.
As shown in text Fig 1, blowdown lines from the HRSGs HP and IP steam drums are
integrated into the RAC circuitry. Steam produced by flashing is returned to the IP
and LP drums. Condensate is added to the LP RAC, as necessary, to control its water
level. Note that blowdown from the LP RAC is the final blowdown for the HRSG;
therefore, level and blowdown control of the drums and RAC are both critical and
challenging, considering the varying boiler-water chemistry requirements throughout
the boiler.
Because of the HRSG configuration, cycles of concentration are not the plants friend
when considering chemistry. Any contaminant introduced with the condensate or
makeup water concentrates up in the drums and then in the RAC. Given the
complexity of the HRSGs associated with 501Gs, as well as the general lack of
instrumentation, it is very difficult to determine the amount of HP and IP blowdown
flowing to the IP RAC and the contaminant concentrations present in each of those
streams. This obviously makes RAC chemistry control extremely challenging.
Impact of oxygen and high temperature. In addition to the three variables previously identified as
necessary to induce SCC, research cited in Ref 1 indicates other elements also must be presentincluding
dissolved oxygen and temperatures above about 140F. The RAC operating temperature, approximately
840F on the air side and more than 450F on the water side, is above the 140F minimum critical
temperature, and thus is well within range for SCC to occur.
A DOE report, DOE Fundamentals Handbook: Chemistry: Volumes 1 and 2, adds that as temperatures
increase, the time to metal failure from SCC decreases. While operating temperature appears to be a
significant and understood factor in RAC failures, it is the influence of dissolved oxygen on SCC that has
raised questions. The DOE report also says that when oxygen levels are maintained at low residuals, the
potential for SCC is reduced.
Fig 4, from that report, highlights the relationship between oxygen and chloride levels and their influence
on SCC. The temperature range for the data set is 470F-500F, much lower than the RACs 840F operating
temperature. Recall that as the temperature increases, so does the potential for failure from SCC.
Preventing SCC is neither simple nor straightforward. It has been suggested that reducing chloride levels in
the cycle chemistry, together with the addition of trisodium phosphate, will help reduce the potential for
SCC. While it stands to reason that this is a prudent course of action, the plants operating profile and other
factors likely would make the desired goals very difficult to achieve. Mitigating SCC may require more than
chemistry changes alone.
And if the caustic injected were to concentrate to excessive levels, say greater than 10,000 ppm, caustic
cracking of stainless steel could occur, based on DOE information. While unlikely that such excessive
concentration would occur, with hundreds of crevices present, the possibility at least should be considered.
Additionally, determining the RAC phosphate concentrations required for protection is complicated by the
difficulty in monitoring SCC potential throughout the system. Reducing chloride concentrations to achieve
positive benefit, considering the flow path and cycle chemistry discussed previously, probably is not
practical.
Operational changes made to minimize oxygen ingress when the plant is not in service are relatively easy
to implement and a sound strategy. Ref 1 says it is not uncommon failures to occur during startups,
shutdowns, and idle periods because environmental conditions during these timessuch as highly
oxygenated waterpropagate SCC. Most plants go to great lengths to lay up boiler systems properly for
this very reason, using nitrogen blanketing during wet layups and air blowers and desiccants during dry
layups.
Much information is available on the subject and its is easy to access using the QR codes provided. EPRIs
Jim Mathews published an article in spring 2013 on layup practices for various scenarios and the scientists
at UK-based European Technology Development Ltd recently released Preservation Guidelines for CCGT
and Conventional Power Plants during Short- and Long-Term Shutdowns. Use the keyword search function
at the top of the page to access still more experience.
Because the RAC failures have occurred on the seal weld material and the tubesheet, two action items to
consider are the writing of tighter manufacturing specifications to ensure tubes are rolled properly, plus
the use of corrosion-resistant alloys as suggested in Table 2.
Taking all aspects of the RAC failures into consideration, it is probable that better materials will be the
ultimate resolution, in much the same way alloy steels can prevent flow-accelerated corrosion in HRSG
tube bundles. While chemistry and operational changes can be made, their ability to minimize the SCC
potential may not be adequate to completely eliminate the failures.
Some plants already have elected to rebuild their RACs with a more corrosion-resistant alloy. Unknown at
this point is the cost andRETURN ON INVESTMENT of this change. Because not all 501G plants have
experienced failures, it is necessary to compare the cost of constructing RACs with a more corrosionresistant alloy to the cost of the possible downtime caused by RAC failures. Given the youth of the 501G
fleet, conversations surrounding RAC failures will surely continue. CCJ