PRESERVATION OF BOILER DURING IDLE PERIOD

(A) INTRODUCTION :

Modern trend in high and very high pressure boilers has resulted in neel for specific
attention towards maintaining desired chemical regime to achieve maximum reliability
and efficiency during the useful life span of boiler and turbine.

Suitable water treatment during operation and idle period of boiler can results in:

(1) Prevention of scale and deposit formation on heat absorbing surface to retain
desired heat transfer rate, minimize blow down and hence retains boiler efficiency
at desire level.
(2) Prevention of corrosion in the boiler, steam and feed water system.
(3) Maintenance of high level of steam purity will minimize deposition at turbine
blaes.

The feed water passing through pre boiler system (heaters. Dearater B.F.P. and Boiler
system) should not content large quantum of O2 or CO2 during running period. Also
ingress of O2 and CO2 during maintenance period, when system is drained may attack
directly to the tubes, should be minimum.

Oxygen is highly corrosive when feed water temperature increases. At the time of boiler
lit up from cold condition, and pressure is being raised there will be stagnancy in the flow
and this ingresses oxygen will react with the parantmental. For this high ph water and
dearated water should be filled in the boiler system.

4 Fe + 6 H2 O + 3O2 ………..4 Fe(OH)3

(Moistore)

2 Fe (OH)3 ……………. Fe2O3 + 3H2O

heat

This Fe3O4 (magneite) protects the metal.

Absorption of CO2 will lower the P.H. of water because of formation of H2CO3 this CO2
ingress may be form air ingress in the system, air vent at the top of C.S.T. (DM water
tank) atmospheric over flow from C.S.T. over flow should have water seal, soda lime
filters may be provided at the vents or nitrogen capping in the air space above water level
will minimize ingress of O2 an CO2 at C.S.T.

2Fe + D2 + 4 CO2 + 2 H2O ………… 2 Fe(HCO3) and this will lower the P.H. of the
water and starts corrosion. Lower is the P.H. value of feed water higher is the dissolution
of Iron.
PH of water Dessolution of iron (ppb) at 150oC
8.65 93.0
8.90 43.0
9.03 35.0
9.16 28.0
9.40 9.0
9.60 4.0

The quality of D.M. water can be achieved by proper treatment of (1) Make up water (2)
feed water (3) Boiler water.

During normal operation of boiler a thin film of magnetite (Fe 3O4) is formed inside the
water tube which protect the tubes we can say that boiler is a magnetite layer supported
by the steel structure. When this protection layer breaks the ingress oxygen and CO 2 in
the system starts the corrosion due to frequent starting and shutdown of boiler, this
protecting layer will get damage to expansion and contraction of the boiler tubes. During
shut down for attending the pressure part leakages, air will ingress into the boiler and
attack the tube, results in corrosion of the tube. It is therefore very essential to preserve
the boiler from ingress of oxygen.

(B) Procelure :

There are two methods of presurving the boiler (1) Dry presurvation (2) wet presurvation.

(1) Dry presurvation : Here the boiler is completely drained and keep in dry condition
during the idle period, the tubes having bends and nondrainable parts remains in
wet condition. This wetness will again feed to corrosion attack. It is preferable to
hot drain the boiler ER at 3 kg/cm2 so that due to temperature the tube gets dry out
completely. In some cases dryness is maintained by circulating hot air. Sometimes
cal12 is dept in the drum to absord the moisture.
(2) Wet Presurvation : In this boiler system is completely filied up and kept under
positive pressure of 5 kg/cm2 such that there is no ingress of any air. the boiler is
filled up completely with treated water with help of CBP to ring header blow
down, super heater drain and economies drain line. Ensure that water entres from
super heater to drum and not the reverse way, so that solid present in the drum
may not enter the supers heater (fig. 2)

Before filling the boiler one C.S.T. is isolated, amonin and hydrazine is dozed by the
laboratory. Through mixing of chemical is lone with help of recirculating pumps for
about 1 to 2 hour and it is tested by the laboratory.

Hydrazine is used primarily to remove the dissolve oxygen and reducing the ferric oxide
10 magnetite. N2H4 + O2 ---- N2 + H2O where N2 is inert gas. At low temperature the
reaction between hydrazine and oxygen is slow so to make it. Fast high concentration of
hydrazine is used. As per the idle running period of the boiler. The effect of hydrazine
depends upon the temperature reaction time and quantity of O 2N2H4 for the shut down
more than 72 hrs. 200 ppm of hydrazine is maintained. For the shutdown less than 72 hrs.
30 to 40 ppm of hydrazine is maintained.

Amonia NH4 is used to maintain the PH of the water. 10 ppm of ammonia is maintain in
the water which will raise the PH of water to 10 (NH3 + H2O ---- NH4OH basic in nature)
During the Idle period reheater tubes remain unprotected. But if the duration is more
reheater should be protected with nitrogen blanketing.

When unit is required to keep idle for long period (more than 2 months) due to problem
in non boiler area, water wall, super heater and economizer are protected with wet lay up
procedure as above, the reheater is also required to protect. If they are not protected
corrosion product may damage the tube and will start faling after we take boiler into the
service. Reheater may be protected by nitrogen blanketing. It can also protected with wet
presurvation system. If such provision is made.

It is important to have the fluid tempreture in cycle below 200 oC before addition of
hydrazine, if this increases the hydrazine will decompose.(See Fig. No.1)

Hydrazine is very powerful oxygen scavenger and protect the metallic surface.

(1) N2H4 H2O + O2 ------ N2 + H2O this products are harmless

140oC

(2) 6 Fe2O3 + N2H4 --------- N2 + 2 H2O + 4 Fe3O4 produces magnetite layer

at 205oC
(3) 3N2H4 ----------------------- 4NH3 + N 2
decanpose

Reaction (1) Indicates scaranging of oxygen and products are N21 and H2O are harmless.
Reaction (2) N2H4 is very effective to passivate the parent metal. Since harmful Fe 2O3 is
converted to Fe3O4 which provides protection against corrosion.
Reaction (3) Excess Hydrazine N2H4 passing into boiler water decomposed at 206oC in to
NH3 and N2 NH3 tncreans the PH of the water but excess NH 3 is harmful to preboiler
system./

Amonia is used for raising PH of the boiler water. Amonia is cheap and easily available.
It should be ensured that if pre boiler system is made act of copper alloy this ammonia
concentration should not be beyond *PPM otherwise this will result in seven corrosion of
copper alloy in presence of O2. ammonia neutralized H2CO3 acid formed due to ingress of
CO2 – at the time of boiler lit up ensure that high value of NH 4 is reduced to required
valvue.

NH4 + H2O ------- NH4OH (basic) increase the PH if the boiler is to be presurvel fro long
period. We have to maintain ammonia and hydrazine concentration. Drain the boiler
completely and fill up the boiler again after some days.
If very high concentration of ammonia and hydrazine is maintained. During lit up of the
boiler Drain the boiler completely and fill up of the boiler with lower value of
concentration of hydrazine and ammonia.