CASE STUDY -:

HRSG TUBE FAILURE

COGENERATION PLANT, HAZIRA PLANT
ONGC
 PRESENTATION OVERVIEW
2

 PLANT OVERVIEW
 PROBLEMS IDENTIFICATION
 BHEL RECOMMENDATIONS
 STEPS TAKEN
 IEOT TESTS & FAILURE CAUSES
 RE-TUBING OF BOILER
 RESULTS OF RETUBING
 OVERVIEW OF HAZIRA PLANT
3

 HAZIRA GAS PROCESSING COMPLEX (HGPC) WAS SET UP IN 1985.

 LARGEST SOUR GAS PROCESSING COMPLEX IN INDIA.

 GAS PROCESSING CAPACITY IS 52 MMSCMD.

 CONDENSATE PROCESSING CAPACITY IS 9500 M 3/DAY

 RECEIVES SOUR GAS AND ASSOCIATED CONDENSATE FROM THE
MUMBAI OFFSHORE.
 H2S IS REMOVED FROM SOUR GAS AND SWEETENED GAS IS FED
TO HBJ PIPELINE (> 2800km) AFTER EXTRACTION OF VAP.
 PRODUCTS
4

Feedstocks Process Products

Sweet Gas

Sweetening Naptha
Sour Gas
Dehydration
Dew Point Depression
LPG
LPG Recovery
Fractionation
SKO
Sulphur Recovery
Caustic Wash
Sour HSD
Condensate
Kerosene Recovery Unit

ATF

Sulphur
COGENERATION PLANT OVERVIEW

STEAM REQUIREMENT FOR PROCESSING OF VAP PRODUCTS IN

HAZIRA PLANT
STEAM PRESSURE KG/CM2 STEAM
REQUIREMENT (TPH)
HIGH PRESSURE 30 52
MEDIUM PRESSURE 18 68
LOW PRESSURE 8 180

• POWER GENERATION CAPACITY– 60 MW

• PLANT REQUIREMENT- 30 MW
• WHEELING- 11.5MW (SANTHAL, BALOL, MEHSANA)
• SALE- 10MW (TO GEB)
7 DETAILS OF BOILERS IN CO-GENERATION PLANT

SR. EQUIPMENT MAKE DESIGN PARAMETERS REMARKS

COMMISSIONING
YEAR CAPACITY PRESSURE
NO. NAME TEMPERATURE
TPH KG/CM2
18.5 SATURATED 38 HP
1 HRSG -1 1988 BHEL, THIRCHY
105 SATURATED 9 LP

18.5 SATURATED 38 HP
2 HRSG – 2 1988 BHEL, THIRCHY
105 SATURATED 9 LP

3 HRSG – 3 1997 BHEL, THIRCHY 50.98 SATURATED 38 HP

20 SATURATED 36.7 HP
BABCOCK
4 KTI BOILER 1987
HITACHI, JAPAN
105 SATURATED 8.2 LP

5 IAEC BOILER- 1 1985 IAEC 32 SATURATED 22 MP

6 IAEC BOILER- 2 1985 IAEC 32 SATURATED 22 MP

7 IAEC BOILER- 3 1985 IAEC 32 SATURATED 22 MP

THERMAX
8 2001 THERMAX 35 SATURATED 20 MP
BOILER
 FLOW DIAGRAM OF BOILER

8
De-aerator
Return
Condensate

Feed water
Pumps

Chimney

By-pass Guillotine Damper

Stack HP Drum LP Drum
& Tubes & Tubes

FD Fan
MU Heater

GT Exhaust
Make-up
Divertor
Louver Damper Tank
Damper
Economiser
Make-up
9
10 PROBLEMS IDENTIFICATION
 TUBE FAILURE

 SUDDEN DROP IN BOILER LP PRESSURE

 MASSIVE LEAKAGE OF STEAM FROM STACK

 STOPPED THE BOILER. OBSERVED WATER SPILLAGE BETWEEN HP AND

LP EVAPORATOR. SOURCE OF LEAKAGE NOT VISIBLE.

 TO IDENTIFY THE LEAKAGE SOURCE, TWO WINDOWS WERE CUT ON

BOTH SIDE OF BOILER SKIN PLATE BELOW THE LP DRUM IN BETWEEN HP

AND LP DRUM. UPPER BEFFLE PLATES COVERING THE BENT PORTION

OF LP TUBES TOWARD HP DRUM WERE CUT AND THEN ONLY LEAKGES

WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE FORM OF DAMAGED TUBE AT BENT PORTION.

 FAILURE DATES
 FIRST FAILURE ON 23 APRIL 2009- 19 TUBES
 SECOND FAILURE ON 01 JUNE 2009- 21 TUBES
 THIRD FAILURE ON 01 AUGUST 2009- 6 TUBES
 FOURTH FAILURE ON JUNE 2010- 2 TUBES
11
STEAM LEAKAGE OBSERVED FROM BOILER STA
12

INTERNAL
CONSTRUCTION OF LP
BOILER STEAM DRUM

REMOVAL OF DRUM
INTERNAL IN PROGRESS
13

ACCESS MADE FOR

IDENTIFYING THE
LEAKAGES

INTERNAL CONSTRUCTION OF
HP BOILER BANK TUBES AND LP
BOILER BANK & ROOF TUBES
14

RUPTURED TUBES OF LP
BOILER

RUPTURED TUBES OF LP
BOILER
15 RECOMMENDATIONS OF OEM I.E. M/S.
BHEL
 RUPTURED TUBES AND TUBES < 2 MM THICKNESS TO BE PLUGGED
AS PER PLUG WELDING PROCEDURE PROVIDED BY BHEL. PLUG
MATERIAL - SA 105 OR EQUIVALENT.

 DETAIL ANALYSIS OF BOILER BANK TUBES FROM INSIDE OF THE TUBES

USING RFET (REMOTE FIELD ELECTROMAGNETIC TECHNIQUE) TO BE
CARRIED OUT.

 ANALYSIS OF THE BANK TUBE SAMPLE TO BE CARRIED OUT.

 BASED ON ANALYSIS, REPLACE ALL THE BANK TUBES & SIDE WALL
TUBES FOR LONG TERM HEALTHINESS OF BOILER
16 STEPS TAKEN
 THICKNESS SURVEY IS CARRIED OUT FOR ALL THE ACCESSIBLE
TUBES FROM OUTSIDE WITH THE HELP OF CORROSION MONITORING
GROUP.
 CARRIED OUT HEALTH STUDY OF BOILER BANK TUBES USING RFET
(REMOTE FIELD ELECTROMAGNETIC TECHNIQUE)
 OBTAINED APPROVAL FROM IBR FOR PLUGGING
 48 NOS. OF LP BOILER BANK TUBES PLUGGED IN 1ST & 2ND ROW
 SENT DAMAGED TUBE SAMPLE TO IEOT ONGC PANVEL FOR FURTHER
ANALYSIS
REMOTE FIELD ELECTROMAGNETIC TECHNIQUE (RFET)
17  RFET ANALYSIS OF TUBES DONE
 RESULTS-:

SL No ROWS COLUMNS % WALL THINNING LOCATION

1 1 5 20 AT BEND

2 2 18 15 AT BEND

3 2 25 AT BEND
3
4 4 20 AT BEND

5 11 50 20 AT BEND

6 18 10 20 AT BEND
18

PLUGGING OF LP BOILER
BANK TUBES IN
PROGRESS

PLUGGING OF LP BOILER BANK

TUBES IN PROGRESS
 IEOT (INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND OCEAN
19 TECHNOLOGY) CONDUCTED TESTS

 TESTS OVERVIEW
 VISUAL INSPECTION
 WALL THICKNESS GAUGING
 TENSILE STRENGTH TEST
 ELEMENTAL COMPOSITION ANALYSIS
 METALLURGICAL STUDIES
 STEREOMICROSCOPY
 CORROSION PRODUCT ANALYSIS BY EDX (Energy-dispersive X-ray
spectroscopy )
 HARDNESS TESTING
 SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDY
 IEOT TESTS
20  VISUAL INSPECTION
1. NO EXTERNAL CORROSION
2. RUPTURE AT OUTER PERIPHERY OF
TUBE ELBOW
3. HOLE 60MM (L) 30MM(B)
 WALL THICKNESS GUAGING
USING ULTRASONIC THICKNESS
GAUGE
THICKNESS REDUCTION AT POSITION
OF BENDS
 TENSILE STRENGTH TEST

% ELONGATION NOT IN
CONFORMANCE- PROLONGED HEAT
EXPOSURE
 IEOT TESTS
 ELEMENTAL
21
COMPOSITION ANALYSIS
(SPARK SPECTROMETER ANALYSIS)

- MATERIAL CONFORMATION TO ASTM A-192

STANDARD
- TRACE ELEMENTS COMPOSITION NOT
SPECIFIED IN STANDARD

 HARDNESS TESTING

- VICKERS HARDNESS TESTER- 141

HV3 (avg.)
- FOUND TO BE WITHIN SPECIFIED
LIMIT IN ASTM- A- 192 GRADE
 IEOT TESTS
22 CORROSION
PRODUCT ANALYSIS
BY EDX - IONS FROM BOILER WATER- SCALING ON INNER SURFACE

SCANNING ELECTRON
MICROSCOPIC STUDY
- INTERGRANULAR METAL LOSS & PITTING
 IEOT TESTS
23  STEREOMICROSCOPY

- ELBOW OF FAILED TUBE

- SCALLOPS AND DIRECTIONAL
WEAR PATTERN TYPICAL OF FAC

 METALLURGICAL STUDIES

- TYPICAL FERRITE PEARLITE MICROSTRUCTURE

OF CARBON STEEL

- INTERNAL EXTERNAL SURFACE DECARBURIZATION DUE TO

PROLONGED HEAT EXPOSURE
24 FAILURE CONTRIBUTING CAUSES
IDENTIFIED- RESULTS
 EROSION
 SEM STUDY- GROOVES PITS ON INTERNAL TUBE SURFACE.
 INFLUENCES PENERATION RATE IN CASE OF CORROSIVE ENVIRONMENT
 FLOW ASSISTED CORROSION/ VELOCITY INDUCED CORROSION
 TYPICAL TO LP SECTIONS OF HRSGS
 ALL VOLATILE WATER TREATMENTS INSUFFICENT METAL PROTECTION
 TRACE ELEMENT INFLUENCE ON FAC
 Cr LEVELS AFFECT FAC
25 FAILURE CONTRIBUTING CAUSES
IDENTIFIED
 pH INFLUENCE ON FAC

 DECARBURISATION
26 WHAT IS FAC?

 FAC- MASS TRANSFER PROCESS, REMOVES

PROTECTIVE OXIDE LAYER
 WEAR RATE= F (GF, SC, WT, TD, MT)
GF- GEOMETRIC FACTOR
SC- STEEL COMPOSITION
WT- WATER TREATMENT
TD- TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
MT- MASS TRANSFER FACTORS

GEOMETRIC FACTORS
 FAC CONTRIBUTING FACTORS
27

WATER TREATMENT FACTORS- pH & DISSOLVED OXYGEN

 FAC CONTRIBUTING FACTORS
28

TEMPERATURE FACTOR
MASS TRANSFER FACTOR
 PREVENTIVE ACTION PLAN
29

 STRINGENT MONITORING OF WATER QUALITY PARAMETERS

 INSTALLATION OF SODIUM AND SILICA ANALYZER
 REVAMPING OF REGENERATION SYSTEM
 RETUBING OF BOILER TO ENSURE LONG OPERATIONAL LIFE
30
BOILER RE-TUBING OPERATION
 BOILER RETUBING FOR BOTH HRSG-I &II
 EXPENDITURE- ~ 7 CRORES PER BOILER
 INTERNAL
CONSTRUCTION OF LP
BOILER BANK TUBES

INTERNAL
CONSTRUCTION OF LP
BOILER ROOF TUBES
32

TUBE EXPANSION TOOL

TUBE EXPANSION WORK IN PROGRESS

33 POST RETUBING PERFORMANCE

Before After
GT Load HP in LP in tons/hr HP in LP in tons/hr
tons/hr tons/hr
17 MW 9 31 9 40
17 MW 9 33 9 41
AVG. 9 32 9 40.5
 ~ 27% INCREASE IN LP STEAM GENERATION IN GT MODE OPERATION
 SAFER OPERATION
 FLEXIBILITY IN MEETING STEAM REQUIREMENTS
 ELIMINATED BOILER DOWNTIME DUE TO TUBE FAILURE
34 FAC MONITORING TECHNIQUES

 MONITORING THICKNESS OF LP TUBES

 SEARCH FOR Fe CONTENT

 SWAS- STEAM & WATER ANALYSIS

SYSTEM
 MONITORING CRITICAL PARAMETERS IN
THE STEAM - pH, Conductivity, SILICA,
SODIUM, DO, PHOSPHATES and CHLORIDES
35 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

 Dy. Director Of Boilers Surat

 ED-PM Hazira Plant
 GM-Head Maintenance Hazira Plant
 I/c Cogen
 I/c Cogen Operations
 Cogen Mechanical Maintenance Department
 IEOT
36 REFERENCES

 Comparative analysis of boiler bank tubes of HRSG-I, Hazira Plant – by

Material and Corrosion Section, Institute of Engineering and Ocean
Technology
 LP Bank Inspection Report Thickness Survey of Boiler Tubes by Remote
Field Eddy Current Testing at ONGC, Hazira Plant.
 Steam Generation Records maintained by Cogen Operations.
 FAC and cavitation: Identification, assessment, monitoring, prevention-
By Dr Otakar Jonas, PE, Jonas Inc
37

THANK YOU
38