Advance Techniques in Boiler Chemical Cleaning

Chemical Cleaning of Boilers with EDTA

By: HC Madan SS Chauhan Dhruv Garg

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited Power Sector: Technical Services

Agenda
1 2 3 4 5 6 Need for Chemical Cleaning of Boilers What is EDTA Cleaning? BHELs Experience with EDTA Cleaning EDTA Cleaning Process EDTA vis--vis HCl Cleaning Advantages Conclusion
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Need for Chemical Cleaning of Boilers

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Need for Chemical Cleaning of Boilers?

Pre-operative Maintaining steam quality at the turbine inlet. Minimizing corrosion of the metal surface of boiler. Post-operative Improving heat transfer in the system. Enhancing efficiency of the power plant. Minimizing under-deposit corrosion of the metal surface of boiler. Minimizing plant outage due to boiler tube failures.
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Need for Chemical Cleaning of Boilers?

Pre-operative Chemical Cleaning System Evaporator System Economizer Downcomers Bottom Ring Headers Water Walls Boiler Drum (Only water touched surface)

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Need for Chemical Cleaning of Boilers?

Iron metal surface with corrosion layers

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What is EDTA Cleaning?

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What is EDTA?
EDTA or Ethylene Di-amine Tetra acetic Acid is a strong chelating agent having ability to form stable complexes with transition metal ions present in boiler such as of Iron and Copper etc.

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EDTA and EDTA-Fe Complex Structure

EDTA EDTA-Fe Complex

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EDTA Pickling & its Reaction

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Magnetite Layer
A protective layer of Magnetite (Fe3O4) is formed on the water touched metal surfaces in the steam generator. Magnetite layer acts as a coherent media that stops further corrosion of the base metal. Magnetite is a combination of FeO and Fe2O3.

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BHELs Experience with EDTA Cleaning

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EDTA Process - World Scenario

EDTA process is at present executed by :
Dow chemical Co USA Halliburton Services UK Alstom, MHI, & Siemens

Process details & chemical formulations especially inhibitor for the process are being held under proprietary rights by these companies.

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EDTA Process - World Scenario

BHEL has joined the select band of few companies in the world to possess & establish this advanced cleaning process. BHEL has marked the giant leap by developing its own inhibitors and chemical formulations for EDTA Cleaning Process.

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Inhibitors
EDTA Process developed by R&D Centre of BHEL-Trichy; involved in-house development of inhibitors: BHEL MAX BHEL SOL These inhibitors are patented by BHEL: Patent Nos.: 177 & 332 / 2004 These inhibitors act by forming an invariable layer between the base metal surface and the chemical solution as the deposits are removed.
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Experience with EDTA Cleaning

EDTA Cleaning Process was introduced in BHEL in 2003-2004. Chemical cleaning of boilers with EDTA completed in 43 projects of different ratings, till Feb 2009.
Year 2003 2004 2004 2005 2005 2006 2006 2007 2007 - 2008 2008 - 2009 No. of Projects 1 3 3 7 13 16

Total
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Experience with EDTA Cleaning

Rating wise
2003-04 to 2008-09 (upto Feb 2009)
Rating 500 MW 250 MW 210 MW 75 / 120 / 125 MW No. of Projects 4 22 9 8

Total

43

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Exceptions during reigns of EDTA Process

Besides EDTA Cleaning, BHEL has also conducted HCl cleaning at following 7 projects during the same period. Rihand # 4 (500 MW) Vindhyachal # 9 (500 MW) Vindhyachal # 10 (500 MW) Sipat # 4 (500 MW) Sipat # 5 (500 MW) Kahalgaon # 6 (500 MW) Kahalgaon # 7 (500 MW)

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Projects expected in 2009-10

Rating 500 MW 250 MW 210 MW 125 MW

No. of Projects 9 11 1 6

Total

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EDTA Cleaning Process

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EDTA Cleaning Process

Alkali Flushing
Alkali Flushing Hot Water Flushing Cold Water Rinse

EDTA Cleaning
EDTA Pickling & Passivation Treated DM Water Rinsing

Inspection SH Back Flushing

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EDTA Cleaning Process

Alkali Flushing - Purpose
Alkali Flushing Removes polar organic materials such as oil, grease etc. from the metal surface. Alkali reacts with polar organic materials to form soluble glycerols and salts. Loose deposits, dust etc. are also removed. TSP and DSP is used as alkali. Hot Water Flushing Cold Water Rinse

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EDTA Cleaning Process

Alkali Flushing- Procedure
Alkali Flushing Alkali solution made by adding TSP(0.1%) & DSP (0.05%) with DM water. Solution is filled into boiler through bottom ring header & economizer drains up to NWL. Boiler is fired. Water temperature is raised to 140C and boiler tripped. Solution is allowed to cool till 95C and then drained.

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EDTA Cleaning Process

Alkali Flushing- Procedure (Contd..)
Hot Water Flushing System is filled with DM water and temperature raised to 1400C and allowed to cool to 950C and drained subsequently. Cold Water Rinse System is filled with DM water and drained. The process is repeated till phosphate level is less than 10 ppm.

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EDTA Cleaning Process

Preparing EDTA Solution
EDTA solution is prepared for total boiler volume by mixing. 1.EDTA Ammoniated (40%) 2.BHEL MAX (inhibitor) 3.BHEL SOL (inhibitor) 4.Hydrazine hydrate 5.Ammonia : : : : : 4% 0.15-0.2% w/v 0.15-0.2% v/v 1000 ppm for setting pH as 9.5-9.8

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EDTA Cleaning Process

EDTA Pickling and Passivation
The system is filled with EDTA solution upto drum NWL The boiler is lighted up and temperature raised to 1400C and maintained for 4 hours and sample solution checked for iron, pH and EDTA concentration every an hour. The boiler is tripped on achieving 3 consecutive readings of iron concentration. The solution is allowed to cool till 950C and drained.

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EDTA Cleaning Process

Treated DM Water Rinsing
A solution of hydrazine (0.01-0.02%) and ammonia with DM water is prepared (pH 9.5 9.8) and the system is filled with this solution. Boiler is fired and temperature raised to 120C. Boiler is tripped and allowed to cool. When the temperature comes down to 95C, the solution is drained.

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EDTA Cleaning Process

Inspection
Boiler drum Bottom ring headers Water wall tubes

Super heater back flushing

Super heater is filled with a solution of hydrazine (N2H4 >50 ppm) & Ammonia (pH>9.5) in DM water through SH drain header. When the solution comes through SH openings in the drum, the back flushing is continued for 10-30 minutes and drained.

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EDTA Cleaning Process

EDTA Cleaning Results

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EDTA Cleaning Process

EDTA Cleaning Results

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EDTA Cleaning Process

EDTA Cleaning Results

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EDTA vis--vis HCl Cleaning-Advantages

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EDTA vis--vis HCl CleaningAdvantages

HCl Cleaning Process
Preliminary Cleaning Alkali Cleaning
Hot Water Flushing Alkali Boil-out Cold Water Rinsing

Acid Cleaning
HCl Cleaning DM Water Rinsing Citric Acid Rinsing DM Water Rinsing Neutralization Passivation (1st and 2nd Stage)

Inspection
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EDTA vis--vis HCl CleaningAdvantages

Disadvantages of HCl Cleaning Process
Lot of temporary piping required. More number of chemicals (12 Nos.) required. Nitrogen gas in huge volume & its piping system required. Auxiliary steam required in huge quantity, which is a problem in green field projects. DM water and fuel consumption is very high. Process handling is difficult and hazardous due to corrosive nature of chemicals. Large cycle time (17 days). Effluent treatment & disposal requires huge investments.

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EDTA vis--vis HCl Cleaning Advantages

EDTA Cleaning Advantages Technological advantages
EDTA is a strong chelating agent with transition metal ions and hence has an efficient action as metal remover.

Process advantages
Use of Nitrogen & its system is eliminated. Auxiliary steam is not required at all. DM water and fuel consumption is less. Shorter cycle time (5 days).

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EDTA vis--vis HCl Cleaning Advantages

EDTA Cleaning Advantages Process advantages (contd.)
Less temporary piping required Less number of chemicals required. Ease of handling. Effluent treatment easy.

Other advantages
Economical.

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Conclusion

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Conclusion
EDTA cleaning process ensures efficient cleaning and passivation of boiler internal surfaces. Inhibitor for EDTA cleaning process being used has been developed by BHEL. Inhibitors are patented as BHEL MAX and BHEL SOL. EDTA Cleaning has obvious advantages over conventional HCl Cleaning with minimum effect on the base metal surface.

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Thank you
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