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LearnthebasicsofHRSGinspection
Theglobaleconomicdownturnwillimposenewchallengesonplantoperations.Itsdifficulttobelievethatyouwill
beaskedtodomorewithasmallerbudget,butyouwill.However,approachingthesenewchallengeswitha
positivemindsetcanyieldsignificantben
efits.Onemightbethatyourjuniorstaffisforcedtolearnmoreabout
powergenerationprocesses,equip
ment,andsystems,therebyincreas
ingthelevelofexpertiseonsite.
Anareaofpossiblecostcuttingatsomegasturbinebasedcogen
erationandcombinedcycleplantsisinheat
recoverysteamgenerator(HRSG)inspection.DevelopingonstaffcapabilitytoconductbaselevelHRSG
inspectionssavesbothmoneyandtheneedtoscheduleyetanotherserviceorganizationintoanalreadycomplex
outagematrix.
MostplantshaveconsiderablegasandsteamturbineexpertisebutmanydonothaveonstaffexpertsforHRSGs
andgenerators.DevelopingHRSGknowhowbeginswithunderstandingthetypesofdegradation/damagethatcan
occurandwheretolookforeach.
Tocompilethecheck
listthatfollows,theeditorsattendedtheHRSGAcad
emyconductedbyHRSTInc,Eden
Prairie,Minn.Theengineeringservicesfirmfocusesoninspection,training,O&M,andredesignprojectsforthis
specialclassofsteamgenerators.Itcon
ductstwoacademiesannu
allyinNorthAmericaandperiodicallyin
internationallocations.Eachhostsupto50to60students,themax
imumpracticalclasssizetoassure
constructiveinterac
tionamonglecturersandattendeeswhileallowingallanopportunitytohavetheirquestions
answered.
TheHRSGAcademymaybethebestprogramintheindustryforteachingplantpersonnelthefun
damentalsof
heatrecoverysteamgenerators.AgraduatewholaterbecomeshisorherplantsresidentexpertonHRSGsis
likelytoattendtheAcademyasecondtimetodigintospecifics.ThinkofShakespearehere:Youcantpossibly
understandandabsorbeverythinginonepass,oreventwo.
Thesegmentoftheacademypro
gramdealingwithHRSGinspec
tionwastaughtbyLesterStanley,Scott
Wambeke,andAmySieben,alllicensedprofessionalengineerswithawealthofexperienceinHRSGdesign,
inspection,andtroubleshooting.Theircoursecoveredbothonlineandofflineinspection.Thefirstencompassed
datareviewtasksconductedinandaroundthecontrolroomandfieldtasksrequiringaunitwalkdown.Offline
inspectionwasdividedintogasside,exterior,anddrums.Alsoincludedwasaprimeronnondestructive
examination(NDE)techniquesandonsamplingofdepositsandpressureparts.
Onlineinspection
Stanleyopenedtheonlinesegmentoftheprogrambystatingitsgoals:
Identifypooroperatingpractices.
Identifyareasrequiringattentionwhenplantoperationpermitsanofflineinspectionand/orduringthe
nextmaintenanceoutage.
Datareviewtasks
Thebestplacetobeginyourinspec
tion,thethreeinstructorsagreed,isinthecontrolcenterwhereyouhave
accesstopersonnelfamiliarwiththeplantsoperationalidiosyncrasiesaswellastohistoricaldata.Thisinves

tigativeworkgenerallyisdonewhiletheunitisoperatingtobesureitdoesnotimpactoutageduration.HRST
usesabasic10pointchecklistforthedatareviewtask,butitemsmaybeaddedand/ordeleteddependingon
plantdesignandotherconsider
ations.
1.Feedwatercontrol.Threeofthemanyquestionsyoushouldaskoperationsper
sonnelarethese:
Doyouseelargefluc
tuationsinfeedwaterflowduringsteadystateopera
tion?
Doesfeedwaterflowstartandstopfrequentlyduringstartup?
Duringovernightshut
downs,istherefrequenttoppingoffofthedrumtomaintainlevel?
Ayesanswertooneormoreofthequestionsmeanstheresriskofthermalshockdamageespeciallyinthe
coldesttubepanel.Theseactionscausethermalstresseventstoeconomizersandfeedwaterheaterswithinthe
HRSG.Thenumberanddurationofeventsinfluenceshowquicklytubeleaksandcrackingwilloccur.
2.Steamdrums.Firstthingtoinvestigateistheconsistencyamongdrumleveltransmitters,levelgages,and
probeindicators.
Ifallarenotinagreement,con
sidercheckingthecalibrationmeth
odandthepressureandtemperature
compensationsettingsfortheleveltrans
mitter.
Dontoverlookaskingiftheagreementamonglevelindicatorsdiffersathighandlowsteamloadsand/orhigh
andlowdrumlevels.StanleysaidthatHRSTofteninspectshighpressure(HP)drumswithwaterlevelmarksthat
areseveralinchestoohigh,yettheoperatorssaytheyarecontrollingtotheOEMsguidelines.Thismeansthereis
disagreementbetweentheindicatedandactualdrumlevels.
Concernhereisthatiftheopera
torsexperienceahighdrumlevelevent,theymaythinktheyreoperat
ingbelow
thehighhighlevel(HHL)butareactuallyaboveitanddrumwatermaybecarryingoverintotheHP
superheater.
Wambekementioned,Younowseethatthevalueofathoroughannualinspectiongoeswellbeyondidenti
fying
wearandtearthatrequiresrepair.ItenablestheoperationsteamtoseewhatsreallygoingonintheHRSGand
suggestsfinetuningofcontrolsandprocedurestoavoidincidentsthatcandamageequip
mentunnecessarily.

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Stanleycontinued,Askiftheratesofpressureincreaseand/ordecreaseduringstartupandshut
downexceed
OEMguidelines.Ifyes,youshouldbeconcernedaboutthepossibilityoffatiguedamageatmanwaysandthick
nozzlesandcare
fullycheckthoselocationswhentheunitisoutofservice.
HRSTengineersareseeingmoreandmoreHRSGswithcrackindica
tionsondowncomernozzlewelds,supporting
whatmanyintheindus
tryhavebeensayingforyears:HPdrumnozzlesarehighonthelistofcomponentsmost
susceptibletocyclingstresses.
SiebenaddedthatspincoolingishardontheHRSGtoo.Mostoperationspersonneldontseemtoapproach
shutdownsascarefullyastheydostartups,shesaid,andafastcooldowncanbejustasdamag
ingasafast
start.
3.DesuperheatersgetasignificantamountofpodiumtimeinvirtuallyeveryHRSTpresentationonboiler
health.Poordesign,leakingvalves,ineffectivespraynozzles,alackofinstrumentation,andotherfactorscan
wreakhavocatcogenerationandcombinedcycleplants,puttingpersonnelsafetyatriskandcausingequipment
damagethatshouldneveroccur.
Oneofthefirstthingstoinves
tigateissprayvalvebehavior.Issprayvalvepositionnearconstantatsteadyload
ordoesitfluctuatesometimesclosingentirely?Ifyoursprayvalveiscontinuallyhuntingthatis,openingand
closingdozensoftimeseachhourthehot/coldcycleseventuallywillstressdesuperheaternozzlestofailureand
possiblycreateotherdamageaswell.Controllogicadjustmentsgenerallycanrectifythiscondition.
Ifyourdesuperheatingstationsareproperlydesignedandequippedwiththermocouples(TCs)upstreamand
downstream,verifythatbotharereportingaboutthesamesteamtemperaturewhenthecontrolsys
temindicates
thatthesprayvalveisclosed(Fig1).IfthisisnotthecaseandthedownstreamTCisreadinglowerthanthe
upstreamone,waterprobablyisleakingbytheclosedvalve.
Givethisimmediateattention.Concernisthatduringstartupsandshutdowns,watercandribbleintothesteam
piping,collectalongthebot
tomofthepipe,migratedownstreamtosuperheaterand/orreheaterupperheaders,
andthenrundownafewtubes.Coolingeffectofthewatercausesthosetubestocontract.Resultingstresscan
causetubebowingandtubetoheaderweldcracks.
Alsocheckplantdatatoidentifytimeswhensprayingtolessthanthesaturationtemperatureofsteaminthepipe
plus30degF.Doathor
oughreview:startup,steadystatefullloadwithandwith
outductfiring,steadystatelow
load(lessthanabout120MWforanFclassgasturbine),anddur
ingtransients.Desuperheatingtonear
saturationtemperaturecreatesthepotentialfordamagelikethatdescribedaboveforaleakingspraywatervalve.

RecentPosts
Replacinggasturbineinsulationpromotessafety,
speedsmaintenance
Regularinspectionscanhelpreduceforcedoutages,
costofHRSGmaintenance
Newthirdpartyrepairtechniques,hotpartsfor
V84.2andV84.3Agasturbines
Importanttorespectcyclechemistryandtonot
underestimatethecomplexitiesofZLD
Industry,educationpartnertodeveloptechnicians,
engineersforlongtermemployment
Highlightsofwhatowner/operatorssharedatthe
7EAannualmeeting
Clashingcontinuestorally7EAowner/operators
Whyyoushouldbuyonlypremiumvalves
Whatselectedvendorstoldthe7EAusers

Ifyourdatareviewreflectsthepossibilityofdesuperheaterprob
lemsandyouareunfamiliarwiththe
attemperationstation,walkitdownwhiletheplantisoperatingtoseeifdesign/installationdeficienciesexist.Fig
2showsapoordesuperheaterarrangement.WhenStanleyflashedthispictureuponthescreen,henotedthe
following:
Thethermocoupleissoclosetothedesuperheateritgetsquenchedbywaterdroplets,therebyprovid
ing
erroneousdata.Specifically,operatorsdontknowhowclosetosaturationtemperaturethattheplantis
operating.AnimprovedpipelocationfortheTCisneeded.
Thedesuperheateristooclosetoboththeupstreamanddown
streampipeelbows.Problemscre
ated:
Steamflowtotheattempera
torisnotuniformandspraywaterisnotfullyevaporatedbeforeimpingingon
thedownstreamelbow.Lattercausesfatiguedam
agetotheelbow.
Thereisnodrainatthelowpoint,allowingwatertopoolandtocre
atewatereventsduringstartup.
4.Stacktemperature.Recallthathighstacktemperatureisindicativeofinefficientoperation.Comparethe
actualreadingsathighandlowloadsandcomparetoknownbenchmarks.Alargedifferencebetweentheactual
andknownsignalsaproblem.Checkcommoncausessuchasdebrisaccumulationonfinnedtubesurfac
esand
takecorrectiveaction.
5.Watertemperatureateconomizeroutlet.Comparethewatertempera
tureattheeconomizeroutlettothe
saturationtemperatureofwaterinthesteamdrumattheexactsametime.Ifthetwoarewithinacoupleof
degrees,Wambekesaid,thenwaterexitingtheeconomizercontainssteam.Avoidthisconditionwithstartups
thatareasshortaspossibleandmaintaineconomizerfeedwaterflow.Ventingappropriatedlyduringfillingand
startupalsoisimportant.
Keepinmindthatairpocketsblockwaterflowandonceacircuitisblockeditwillsteamup,makingitevenmore
difficulttocleardur
ingstartup.Ifthetemperatureofthewaterattheeconomizeroutletmakesseveralsudden
jumpsupwardduringstartupfromalowerthanexpectedvalue,thisgenerallymeansavaporpocketsarebeing
clearedandnormaloperationisbeingrestored.However,suchclearingevents,similartowaterhammer,stress
theeconomizerunnecessarily.
Stanleyalsosuggestedthatyoucompareanoperatingpointtoaknownbenchmark.Alargedifferenceiscausefor
concern.Checkforsteam
ing,gassidefouling,vaporlockingfromtrappedair,gasbypass,etc,andtakecorrective
action.
6.Watertemperatureateconomizerinlet.Reviewdatatoidentifyanyinci
dencesofrapidtemperature
change(30degF/min,plusorminus)whentheunitisinoperationoroffline.Suchrapidchangeisviewedasa
thermalshocktotheeconomizer.Alsoverifythattheinlettempera
turedoesntdropbelow120F.Low
temperatureisthecauseofdewpointcondensationandtubewastage.
Dontbesurprisedifthedatayouseekarenotavailable.SometimespermanentTCsarelocatedinplacesthat
dontindicatewhatactuallyishappeninginthetubepanelandtestTCsmustbeinstalled.Fig3showswhatan
inspectionteamlearnedabouttemperaturesduringstartupwhentestTCswereinstalledatstra
tegiclocations
withinanLPecono
mizer.
7.Economizerrecirculationpump.Verifyduringyourinspectionthattherecirculationpumpisoperatingearly
instartupandbeforenewfeedwaterisaddedtotheLPeconomizer.Thisallowstherecircflowtobufferthe
temperaturedifferencebetweenthehottubepanelsandtherelativelycoldwaterbeinginjectedintothecircuit.
Whenthepumpstarts,listenforaudiblesignsofcavitation.HRSTengineershavebeeninseveralplantswhere
poordesignoftherecircsys
temhascausedrecurringcavitationandpumpdamageinsomecasessoseverethat
theplantsnolongerusetheirrecircpumps.However,thisisnotasolutionbecausetheeconomiz
ercanbe
damagedbythermalshockand/ordewpointcorrosion.
8.Superheaterandreheaterdrains.Properdrainoperationiscriticalforprotectingsuperheatersandreheat

ersfromlargethermalshockscausedbythefailuretoremovecondensatepriortostartup.Stanleystressedthat

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yourinspectionshould,atamin
imum,confirmthefollowing:
Lowpointdrainsareopenduringstartuptopurgewater/conden
satepriortoadmittingsteamtotube
panels(harps).Itsrelativelyeasytocheckthetimingofmotoroperateddrainvalvesformanu
ally
operatedvalves,verifythatproperproceduresareinplaceandfollowed.
Drainsareopensufficientlyearlyinthestartupprocesstoensurethatallcondensateactuallywillbe
drainedpriortosteamadmission.Operatorsatsomeplantswheredrainsopentoafunnelverifydrainsare
clearofwaterbysound:Adraindischargingsteammakesmorenoise.Amorescientificapproachisto
installTCsonthedrainpipeandmonitorforareadingabovethesaturationtemperature.
Drainsareopenduringatrip,restart,andpurge.
Panelsdoindeeddraincompletelywhendrainsareopen.Theele
vateddraintankinFig4requires
sufficientpressureinthedrainsystemtopushcondensateupintothevessel.Draintankslocatedinapit
arebetterbecausetheyallowgravitydraining.
AlsochecktoseethatHP,IP,andLPdrainsarenotcombinedinacommoncollectionpipeupstreamofthe
blowdowntank.Reason:FlowthroughtheHPdrainscouldforcewaterbackintotheIPorLPsystemifallthe
drainsareopenatthesametime.GuidelinesforproperdrainsystemdesigncanbefoundintheHRSGUsers
Handbook,publishedbytheHRSGUsersGroup(detailsatwww.hrsgusers.org).
9.Selectivecatalyticreductionsys
tem.ComparehistoricalammoniaconsumptionandoutletNOxread
ings.
RapidchangestoNOxemis
sionsorammoniaflowmayiden
tifycatalystpluggingorpoisoningorammoniasupply
issues.Catalystcanbepluggedbyinsulationreleasedbywayoftransitionductfailureammo
n iainjectionnozzles
canbepluggedbycontaminantsinthereagentorbyrustinlancesinoilfiredturbines,unburnedfuelsprayedon
catalystduringfailedstartattemptscanignitelaterandsinterthecatalyst.
10.Gassidebackpressure.DoesoverallHRSGbackpressurecomparewithOEMpredictions?Ifnot,what
sectionshavemorebackpressurethanpredicted?Ifyoucandeterminewherebackpressureishigh,thenthe
boilerinspectioncaninvestigatemorecarefullyduringthenextout
age.Gassidecleaningoffinnedtubesections
isonesolution.Moreproac
tiveinletductlinerandinsulationmaintenancemaybeanotheriffoul
ingbyinsulation
fibersistoblame.
Onlinefieldtasks
SomekeyinspectiontasksonlycanbedonewhiletheHRSGisoperatingidentificationofcasinghotspots,for
example.HerearefivethingsWambekesuggestedthatyoushouldbesuretoaccomplishduringyouronlinewalk
down:
1.Checkthesupplementaryfiringsystem.Lookthroughallviewportstodetermineflamehealthandduct
burnercondition.Bulletpointsbelowprovidesomeguidanceforthisactiv
itybasedonHRSTsexperience.
Aflamelengthinexcessof12ftforanFclassHRSGistoolong.Reason:Longflames,typicallycausedby
lowexhaustflowand/orpoordistributionofexhaustflowacrosstheburner,canlicktubesinthefirst
panelandcauselocal
izedoverheating.
Abushyflameisdesirablethatis,unlessitisangledupwardordownward,whichindicatesaproblemwith
exhaustflowtothatportionoftheburner.
Abrightyellowflameisgooddullorangeindicatestoolittleexhaustflow.
MonitorCEMSdataassupple
mentalfiringisinitiatedandshutoff.NoticeablestepchangesinNOxandCO
levelsmayindicateaburnerproblem.
Checktheintegrityofburnerele
mentsandbaffles.Ifbreakageoccurs,thereisthepossibilityofdamageto
firingductwallsandfloorsandtodownstreamtubebundles.
2.Watchfordeflectionofsuperheaterandreheaterfloorpipepenetrationsduringstartupand
shutdown.Tempera
turedifferentialsacrosssuperheaterandreheatertubebundlescancausethepanelstobow,
exacerbatingdrainlinelateralmovement.Drainsthatcollidewiththefloorlinerorcasingoftensufferstress
inducedcracking.
Stainlesssteelbellowshavedif
ficultymovinglaterally,whilefabricsealsinhightemperaturelocationstypically
stiffenup.Theextramotioncreatedbypanelbowingoftencausesbellowstocrackandtear.Onfabricseals,bands
pullloseandthefabrickinks.Lattercreatessmallholesandleaksthatpropagateintofabricblowouts.
Fig5showsasuperheaterdrainsealthathasrippedloosefromthefloorcasingbecauseofexcesslateral
movementcombinedwiththeexpect
edaxialmotion.
Stanleyurgedallattendeestoalsolookforstickandslipofpipesdur
ingstartupasignofhardinterfer
encewith
thefloor.Hesaidwhathap
pensisthatdrainlinesdontmovemuchasthesuperheaterwarmsupandthen
suddenlybangthepipedropsaninchorso.Alittlewhilelatertheresanotherbangandanoth
erdrop.Suchhard
contact/expansioninterferenceobviouslyplacesunnec
essarystressesondrainlines.
3.Stop,look,listenforvibration.Listencarefullyduringyouronlinewalkdown.Whenstandingalongsidethe
transitionductconnectingtheGToutlettotheHRSG,doyouhearanyrattlingorflappingsounds?Theycan
emanatefromlooseandvibrating(a)internallinersheetsonwalls,floor,orceiling,(b)flowdistributionplates,
and/or(c)superheaterbaffles.
Recallthattheperforatedflowdis
tributionplatesevenoutflowacrossthetransitionpiecejustupstreamofthe
ductburnersuperheaterbafflespreventgasbypassaroundthetubebundle.
Doyouhearand/orseethecasingpulsingorvibrating?Payparticu
larattentiontotheinletducttotheHRSG,SCR
cavity,andstackbreech
ing.Vibrationcanfatigueinternallinersupportstudsiftheyfail,thelinerandinsulation
maybelost.
Sometimesacasingvibratessim
plybecauseitdoesnthaveasuf
ficientnumberofstiffeners.Theinletduct
sidewallpanelinFig6has10horizontalstiffeners.Butlookingclosely,notethatthesecond,fourth,seventh,and
ninthstiffeners(movingupwardfromtheground)wereaddedafterstartuptoaddressrepeatlinerfailures
attributedtocasingvibra
tion.Thenewstiffenersarelargerandpaintedadifferentcolorthantheoriginals.
Vibrationofwalkwaysandplat
formsmaybemoreobviousthancas
ingvibration.Ifnoted,lookcloselyto
determineifthesourceofthevibra
tionistheHRSG.
Stanleysaidtoalsochecklargeborepipingforsteadymotion.Ifpip
ingenteringorexitingtheHRSGisconstantly
rocking,thesourceofthedisturbancecouldbethetubepanelsvibratinginthebreezeoftheGTexhaust
stream.Repetitivemotioncancausefatiguedamage.Whentheunitisoffline,pushhardontubepan
elstoseeif
theyswingorsway.Ifso,installbettertubepanelrestraintsandguides.
Insomecases,sophisticatedanaly
sisisneededtodeterminetherootcauseofvibration.Anoisesigna
tureoften
canhelpinthisregard.Occasionally,vortexsheddinginthetubebundlescancreateacous
ticresonanceproblems.
ThesemaybenoticedneartheHRSGand/orinnearbybuildings.Comparingcalcu
latedandmeasuredshedding
fre
quenciescangiveclues.

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4.Identifyhotspots.Beginwithavisualsurveyofthecasingforburnedordiscoloredpaintforexample,the
pinkareainFig7atthelowerportionoftheinletductsidewall.Thenuseaninfraredguntomeasuremetal
temperaturenext,maptemperaturesandprioritizecorrectiveaction.
Stanleysaidthatcasingtem
peraturesabove350Fareespeciallyproblematicifseveralsquarefeetofcasingare
affected.Suchhightem
peraturescombinedwiththeaffectedareacauserestrainedexpansionwhich,inturn,
resultsincrackingofcasingsteelsometimessevere.Mostpaintwilldiscolorabove350Fandcrackingisa
possibility,espe
ciallyinareaswherethecasingisstiffsuchasfloorsandroofs.
Dontforgettopointtheinfraredgunatpipepenetrations,expansionjoints,casingdoors,fieldjoints,andduct
corners.Thestainlesssteelbel
lowssealundertheHPsuperheaterinFig8revealsahotspotwheretheseal
attachestothefloorcasing.Probablecauseisalackofinsulationinsidethebellows.Hightemperatureareasof
theeconomizerdrainpipepenetrationsealsinFig9apinpointleakagethroughtornfabric.Risthereference
temperatureof142FPoint2isat519F,Point3at390F,andPoint4at589F.Wearandtearonthesealsis
evidentinFig9b.
5.Checkpipesupports.Firststepisavisualsurveytoconfirmthatallsupportsareconnectedandnotat
maximumtravelinthehotcondi
tion.Recordlocationsofallsupportsforcomparisonpurposesduringlater
inspections.
Alsonotedamagetohangers,sup
ports,insulation,and/orlaggingthatmayindicatetransientphenomenasuchas
waterhammer.Fig10showsaguideforareheaterpipethatwasbentbyawaterhammerevent.Springhanger
indicatorinFig11shouldbesurveyedinboththehotandcoldpositions.Thered(hot)andwhite(cold)
diamondsindicateasdesignedconditions.
Offlineinspection
TheHRSTinstructorsdividedtheofflineinspectionmoduleintofourparts:gasside,exterior,drums,andsocalled
extendedscopefocus
ingonnondestructiveexamination(NDE).StanleyhandledthefirsttwoSiebenand
Wambekehandledtheremainingtwo.
Stanleybeganbystatingfourpri
marygoalsofofflineinspection:
Documentequipmentcondition.
Identifyitemsrequiringimmedi
atemaintenance.
Noteemergingproblems,therebyallowingtimeforanalysis.
Beginplanningandbudgetingmaintenanceactivitiesforfutureoutages.
Gasside
Keytoaneffectivegassideinspec
tion,theHRSTinstructorstoldthegroup,arethefollowing:
Dedicated,meticulousinspectors.Theyrecommendedamixedteamconsistingmainlyofinhouseper

sonnelandsomeoutsideexpertswithbroadindustryperspec
tive.Alsostressedwasthatanyinspection
worthwhileundertak
ingshouldbedoneproperlygoodinspections,Stanleycontinued,takedays,not
hours.
Adetailedrecordofobservationsandotherfacts.Takeplentyofpho
tosandmeasurementsdescribe
observationsindetailusingadigi
talrecorderandtranscribing/edit
ingyourvoicenotes.Criticalmea

surementsmightincludematerialthicknessinareasexperiencingFAC(flowacceleratedcorrosion)attack,
lengthofanycracksiden
tified,distancesacrossanycracksfound,etc.
Organizefactslogically.LinkeveryfacttoaspecificlocationintheHRSG.Editorsnote:Per
h apsthisgoal
canbefacilitatedthroughuseofsoftwarecustom
izedforyourspecificboilers.Tolearnmore,access
www.combined
cyclejournal.com/archives.html,click3Q/2007,clickKnowledgeretention:Newsoftware
toolshelpimproveplantreliability,reducemaintenancecostonissuecover.
Yourultimategoalshouldbetoprovideacomprehensivefollowupchecklistwithdetailednotessosomeoneelse
canconductnextyearsinspectionhavingthesameknowledgeyoupossessthatis,topickupwhereyouleftoff
withoutmissingabeat.
RecommendafollowupNDEpro
gramforareaswhereproblemsaresuspected.Thismightincludeoneor
moreofthefollowing:borescopeexamination,ultrasonic(UT)sur
veys,dyepenetrant(PT)testing,
magneticparticle(MT)examina
tion,hardnesstesting(particu
larlywhereP91/T91materialsareused),etc.
Forinspectionpurposes,Stanleyseg
mentstheHRSGintothreeareas:
Accesslanesincludinginletduct,firingduct,SCR,betweentubebundles,andstack.
Crawlspacesunderandabovetubeheaders.
Exteriorincludingroofcasing,floorcasing,walls.
YourinspectionshouldgobeyondwhatHRSTwoulddounderitsstandardHRSGcontract.Engageotherexpertsto
examineyoursteamvalves,safetyvalves,silencers,instrumentation,pipingto/fromtheHRSG,etc.
Inletductchecklist.Inspectthelinersystemforlooseplates,spinningwashers,exposedinsulation,andfailed
studs.Fig12istypicalofwhatyoumightfind.Herestudsfailedandwasherswereliberatedleavinglinerplates
withminimalsupport.Oncealinerplatemovesandagapiscre
atedbetweenitandadjacentplates,insulationcan
besuckedintotheflowstream.Thiscreatesahotspotinthetransitionductskinandallowsliber
atedinsulationto
blindaportionoftheSCRcatalyst.
Beawarethatproblemsoftenareexperiencedwithflowdistributionplates.Also,checkharpsforcorro
sion,warped
tubes,andvibrationwearfromtubescontactingthatis,bangingintoorrubbingagainsteachotherwhentheunit
isinser
vice.Bafflesandtubetiesshouldbeinspectedforvibrationdamage,wear,expansioninterferences,and
weldcracks.
Figs13,14showfailedtubefintabweldsthatcausedrattling.Somefailedtabsrubdirectlyontubes.Although
nogougeswereidentifiedinthiscase,ifconditionisleftuncor
rected,tubewearwillcontinue(tubetie
componentsareharderthanthetubematerial).Suchwearoftenisworstatlowerelevations,whichisconvenient
becausetheyareeasiertoaccessforinspection.NotethattheinletductsuperheaterpanelinFig15ismissing
centerbaffles.
Firingductchecklisthasfivefocalpointsforyourinspection:
Linersystem.Inspectthesamewayyoudidfortheinletduct.
Ductburner.Lookforsaginele
mentsorbaffles,nozzleplugging,andcokebuildupverifythatburner
wingconditionissatis
factory.

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Tubesandfins.Inspectthesamewayyoudidfortheinletduct.Butalsocheckforevidenceofflame
impingementorlocalhotspotsaswellasfortubesbowedbecauseofdesuperheaterissues.
Bafflesandsupports.Lookforlooseormissingbaffles,plusover
h eatedtubetiesandbaffles.
FiringductTCs.Beawarethatmostthermocouplesaretooshorttoreadrepresentativetempera
tures.
Also,thatTCstypicallyhavenoradiationshieldandtheyareinfluencedbycooltubesandburnershine.

Figs1621illustratewhattolookforwheninspectingthefiringduct.BowedreheatertubesinFig16are
downstreamofthedesuperheater,whichprobablyallowedwetsteamtoenterthetubes.ASkyClimberor
scaffoldingisneededtoperformagoodductburnerinspection(Fig17)andrepairanycrackingidentified(Fig
18).
Burnercokingsometimesisfoundwhenalternativefuelsareburned.Fig19showscokingonaductburnerfiring
refinerygas.Olefinsreportedlywerethecauseinthiscase.Cokingcanoccurwhenburningnaturalgasifthereis
poormixingofairandfuelattheburner.
AnoverheatedlinerprotectingthesidewallofafiringductisshowninFig20.Hotspotindicationsontubes
downstreamofductburnersareillustratedinFig21.
Tubebundleaccesslanechecklist.Thislistbegins,liketheinletandfiringductchecklistsabove,withthe
linersystem.Sameprinciplesapply.Next,tubesandfinsshouldbeinspectedforcorrosion,warping,andfouling.
Warpingofsuperheaterandreheatertubescausedbypoorcontrolofthedesuperheatingprocessisrela
tively
common(referbacktoFig16).WarpingisalsoindentifiedwithLPandIPeconomizersthatsharecom
mon
headerswithHPeconomizers(formoredetail,accesswww.com
binedcyclejournal.com/archiveshtml,click
1Q/2008,clickModule,headerreplacement....onissuecover.
Lookcarefullyfortubetoheaderweldcracking(Fig22).Itcanaccom
panytubebowing,butoftenisfoundas
wellontubesthathavenotbowed.Tubebowingandcrackingusuallyarecausedbythesameproblem:Wet
steamenteringthetubefield.
TubesdownstreamoftheSCRaresusceptibletofoulingbyammoniasaltsandbyrustthatflakesoffcar
bonsteel
finandtubesurfaces(Fig23).Theamountofsulfurinthefuel,andintheinletair,impactstherateoffouling
sodoestheamountoftimetheunitisoffline,particularlyinahumidenvironment.
Inspectbundlesforwearcausedbytubevibration.Thiswillbefoundmostoftenwheretubetieweldsarebroken
andtubesarefreetorattlearound(referbacktoFig14).
Fig24showswherebafflesarelocatedtoavoidbypassofgasaroundheattransfersurfaces.Ifmetaldete

riorationisidentified,makeanoteformaintenancefollowup.Alsoiden
tifyandcorrectareaswhereexpan

sion/contractionadverselyimpactbafflefunction(Fig25)andwherebaf
fleshaveslippeddowntubes(often
becausefinshavebrokenoff)andcre
atedopeningsforgasbypass.
Asyoumovebackthroughtheunit,Stanleysaid,lookovertheupstreamfaceoftheSCRcatalystforfouling
typicallycausedbyrustand/orinsu
lationfiberentrainedinthehotgas(Fig26).Gasbypassaroundthecata
lyst
limitsitseffectivenessandcouldpossiblyputtheplantoutofcom
plianceonNOx.Besuretolookforpoorly
installedbaffling,openspacearoundtheperimeterofthecatalystbed,andgapsbetweenbafflingandcatalyst
frames.
Finally,lookforopeningsbetweencatalystblocksandbetweentheblocksandframes.Insulationbetweenblocks
hasbeenknowntocompressovertime,allowingcatalystbrickstosettle.Thiscancreategapsbetweenblocks,
especiallyinthetoprowofeachmodule(Fig27).Insula
tionthenisfreetoblowdownstreamandplugLPheat
transfersurfaces.

Crawlspacechecklist.InspectingtheupperandlowercrawlspacesinanFclassHRSGmaynotbemuchfun,
butitcertainlyiswhereaninspectorproveshisorhervalue.Virtuallyeveryoneontheplantstaffcanhearcasing
vibrationorseedis
coloredpaintatahotspot,butonlyawelltrainedandphysicallyfitinspec
torcanslitheraround
acramped,dirtycrawlspaceandidentifyexist
ingandpossiblefutureproblems.
Inspectorsexaminefloordebrisforevidenceofproblems,theliner,linerfituparoundpipingandhangerpen

etrations,baffles,bentpiping,headercorrosion,header/tubejointconditionwherevisible,drippingwaterorcor

rosion/ruststainsfromtubeleaks,etc.ThephotosinFigs28to35showsomeofthethingsyoucanexpectto
encounter.
Abent(andbinding)linerdonutaroundapipepenetrationinthefloorlinerisshowninFig28.Adonutin
suchpoorconditionallowsinsulationtomigrateupward,therebycreatingahotspotinthefloorcasingand
limitingpenetra
tionseallife.Italsoallowsdebristoenterthesealunderneath,acceleratingdamagetoit
andincreasingcorrosionrisk.
Fig29isareheaterpipepenetra
tionwithnolinerdonut,acondi
tionthathastensdegradationof
insulation.Ahotspotiscreatedaroundthestainlesssteelbellowsbelowbecausethereisnothermal
barrierbetweenthe1050Freheatpipeandthebellows.
Insulationslipsdownandoutofstainlesssteelbellowslocatedaboveroofcasingbecausenolinerdonutis
present(Fig30a).Rooftopphotorevealscasingrustandbluetinttobellowsindicativeofopera
tional
hotspots(Fig30b).
DrainpipesunderHPsuperheat
ersandreheatersarenotoriousfordevelopingstresscracksespeciallyat
thedrainpipetojumperweld(Fig31a).Inspectorsfingerpointstowhathebelievesisacrack(Fig
31b),laterconfirmedwithdyepenetranttest.
Debrisaccumulationonroofallowsrainwatertopool(Fig32a),leadingtocorrosionproblemsinsidethe
HRSG.Theresultoflongperiodsofflineandwaterleakageisshownin(Fig32b).
Poorconditionofdrainlineserv
inganLPeconomizerwasfoundduringaninspectionofthelowercrawl
spacebelowthisHRSG(Fig33a).HRSTengineersrecom
mendedremovingthestainlesssteelbellows

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expansionjointaroundthisdrain,whichhadlostabout25%ofitswallthicknessinfiveyearsofservice
(Fig33B).
Gasbypass:Rustissweptawayinregionofhighgasvelocitydown
streamofthesmallsquaredark
openinginFig34.
Oversizegaps,whichproperbafflingshouldprevent,mayavoidinterfer
enceproblemsbuttheyadversely
impactperformance(Fig35).

Exteriorinspection
Bythispointinthesession,attendeeswerecatchingontowhattheyshouldbelookingforwheninspectingan
HRSG.Thechecklistpresentedforthismodulehadafamiliarring:
Casinghotspotsandcracking.
Pipingpenetrationseals.
Accessdoorcondition.
Pipehangers.
ExpansionjointsattheroundtosquaretransitionandbetweentheHRSGandstack.
HRSGfoundations.
Ofcourse,thisisntallyoushouldbeinspectingontheexteriorofyourHRSG.Timelimitationsintheclass
room
andspacelimitationsinthemagazinemilitateagainstcoveringeverything.Whendevelopinganinspection
programcustomizedtoyourplant,dontforgetsuchthingsasburnerhardware,valves,safetyvalvesand
silencers,druminstru
mentation,ammoniavaporizer,ammoniainjectiongridandassoci
atedpipingandnozzles,
etc.

Onceagain,photostakenduringinspectionsconductedbyHRSTengi
n eersgiveyouagoodsenseofwhats
important:
Fig36showshotspotonaccessdoorandadjacentcasingcausedbyleakingdoorsealand/orproblems
withtheinternalinsulationpil
low.
Rustthataccumulatesinafabricsealimpedesitsabilitytoflexandeventuallythematerialsplits(Fig
37).Linerdonutsthataremain
tainedingoodconditionhelppre
ventrustfromdroppingintotheseal.
CrackedstainlesssteelbellowsinFig38isacasualtyofexcessivedrainmovementasdiscussedear
lier.
Mechanicalsealsareanalter
n ativetofabricsealsandbellows.
Largecasinghotspotscancausewallsand/orfloorstoexpandmorethananticipated.Inflexiblesupport
columnscancreatestresspoints,cracks,andhotgasleaksatloca
tionsshowninFig39.Oneexampleis
foundationcrackinginFig40,causedbyrestrainedexpansionoftheinletductsupportcolumn.Such
crackingcanbecausedbyhotspotsorbyimproperboltingofthecol
u mntothefoundationbaseplate.
Drums
AmySiebentookoverforLesterStan
leyatthepodium.Firstthingshementioned:Steamdrumsprovidetheonly
nonintrusiveaccesstothewater/steamsideofanFclassHRSG.Thatsanimportantpoint.Allboilerwater
eventuallypassesthroughoneormoresteamdrumsinatriplepressureunit,soagreatdealcanbelearnedfrom
aproperinspection.
Siebenschecklistincludedthefol
lowing:
Inspectthedruminternalsur
face.
Investigateanysignsofdistressonsteamseparationequipmentandthebellypanwhicharecausedby
thermalstress(cracks)orflowac
celeratedcorrosion(FAC).Ifcom
ponentsareworn,measuremetal
thicknesstoquantifytheextentofmaterialloss.
Verifymechanicalintegrity.
Determineiftheactualwaterlineisattheleveldesignersintended.
Scoopupandcarefullyexaminedrumdebris.Runteststocharac
terizethedebrisifnecessary.
Checkthemanwayringtoseeifmachiningisnecessarytorestoreittothedesiredflatcondition.
Athoroughexaminationofthedruminternalsurfacedemandsthatyougetupclosetothemetalandlookfor
pits,nicks,cracks,tubercles,cor
rosion,erosion,etc.Takenotesandpicturesofanythingthatlooksoutofthe
ordinary,Wambekesuggestedfromthebackoftheroom.
Beginwithacolorassessment:Redisgoodinanoxidizingenvironment(Fig41),badinareducingenviron
ment.
Next,assessoveralldrumcon
dition,trackingsurfacedefectsfrommanufacturesuchasthosecreatedwhilerolling
steelfortheHPdrumpicturedinFig42.Scalingandlackofpassivationduringoperationisillus
tratedinFig43.
Hassmoothness/roughnessofthedrumsurfacechangedduringtheinspectioninterval?Forexample,perhaps
tubercleshaveformed(Fig44).Itisparticularlyimportanttoidentifyanypittingattackandtoinspectwhatthe
pitslooklikeunder
n eath.Keepinmindthatpitsmaycorrodeunderpits,resultinginpitslargerthanthoseatthe
surface.
Signsofdistresstolookforonsteamseparatorsandthebellypanincludethefollowing:
Cracksinthebellypan(orbaffleplate),asshowninFig45.
Cracksinthecornersofthefinalseparator(Fig46).
ThinningcausedbyFAC,asevi
dencedbythelossofmaterialonthebellypaninFig47aandtheholein
theLPbellypaninFig47b.Also,earlyFACattackontheLPcycloneinFig48aandadvancedattack
(hugehole)ontheFig48bcyclone.
Ultrasonic(UT)thicknessmea
surementsareusefulfordocument
ingtheconditionofdruminternals,aswellasof
tubesandpiping.Keepmeticulousrecordstoenablerateofwearcalculationsandtimelymaintenanceplanning.
StandardUTmeasurementsareallthatsneededtoquantifymaterialloss.
Thicknesstestingofinternalscom
paresoriginalspecificationsofdrumcomponentstodatacollectedduringyour
inspection.MoresophisticatedUTsuchasshearwaveandphasedarrayareusedtoidentifycracking.
ThesoftwaredescribedinlastyearsOutageHandbook(seeitali
cizededitorsnoteabove)allowsdirectcapture
electronicallyofthick
n essmeasurementsastheUTprobeismovedacrossthesurfacesofaffectedcomponents.
Dataarestoredinamannerthatallowsretrievalbyclickingonaparticulartube,header,etc,ondrawingsofyour
unitincorpo
ratedintothesoftwarepackage.

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Mechanicalintegrity.Lookfortheobvious:BrokenUbolts,missingnutsandotherhardware,plugged
chemicalfeedlinesandseparators,etc.Fig49showsafracturedchemi
calfeedlinefoundintheHPdrumofone
boilerinspectedbyHRSTengi
n eersFig50revealsaboltmissingfromasecondaryseparatorFig51aisofa
meshseparatorfailureFig51bshowsameshseparatorpadrestingatthebottomofthesteamdrum.
Waterlevel.Theprimarycauseoffaultylevelindicationisinstru
mentationthatisoutofcalibration.Sometimes,
however,waterlevelfalselyappearslowerthanactualbecausetheleveltransmitterislocat
edtooneara
downcomerorpumpintake.Theirsuctioneffectpullsonthelevelsensinglines(Fig52).Plug
gingofsensing
linesisanotherpossi
blecauseoffalsereadingsorsluggishresponse.Fig53showsapenciltypemagnetwith
debrispulledfromalowerleveltapforanHPdrum.
Debrisvolume,iflarge,suggestspossiblerethinkingofblowdownpro
ceduresand/ortheneedtocheckforiron
transportcausedbyFAC.Fig54isaphotoofirondebrisfoundinastagnantareaofanHPdrumatanend
beyondthebaffle.Alsocheckforthismaterialintheblowdowntank.
NDEbasics
Siebensuggested,DependingontheHRSGsage,numberandseverityofcycles,andpastissues,intrusive
inspectiontechniquesshouldbecon
sideredtomoreaccuratelyassessboilercondition.Thismightincludeoneor
moreofthefollowing:
Ultrasonictesting(UT)oftubesandpipingbeyondspotchecksselectoptimumtechnologyfromamongA
scan,phasedarray,orshearwaveasspecifictasksdictate.
Dyepenetrant(PT)ormagneticparticle(MT)testingofsuspectareas.
Removalandinspectionofdesu
perheaters.
Borescopeexamination.
Samplingandanalysisofpres
surepartmaterials.
Ultrasonictesting.RecallhowUTworks:Anultrasoundtransducerconnectedtoadiagnosticmachineispassed
overtheobjectbeinginspect
ed.Thetransducertypicallyissepa
ratedfromthetestobjectbyacou
plant.Reflection
offthebackwallorimperfectionrecordsthewallthicknessordepthofthediscontunity.
AscanUTtypicallyisselectedforthicknesstest
ing,especiallywhereFACorexternalcorrosionhasbeenidentified.
Itseasytouse,fast,andaccurate.SiebenofferedaninspectionplanthatseasytocustomizeforyourHRSGs.
Shestressedthatinspectionsshouldbeprioritizedbasedonrisk.
ExamineLPevaporatorcircuits(plusIPcircuitsupto400psigsaturated)andHP,IP,andLPeconomizer
tubesthatoperatebetween280Fand340F,thetem
peraturerangethatexacerbatesFACattack.Wall
thinninggener
allyisexperiencedfirstaftertubebendsneartheupperheaders.
However,theriskoftwophaseFACisjustslightlyhigherthansinglephaseFAC,sothelowerheaderinletsmay
bemoreconve
n ienttocheck.Toaccessthetubebendarea,removeheaderbafflesasnecessary.
Checkpipeelbows(jumpers)attheapexoftheelbowandstraightrunsdownstreamofcontrolvalvesand
orificeplates,especiallywheretemperaturesaremorethan280Fandlessthan340F.
ExamineheadersonHRSGswithstickthroughweldsonthehead
ersdirectlyacrossfromthetubeinlet.
Toreviewbasicsoftubetoheaderjoints,accesswww.com
binedcyclejournal.com/archives.html,click
3Q/2004,clickarticletitleoncover.
PhasedarrayUTmakesuseofmultiplefixedangletransducersinasingleprobetoquicklyandaccu
rately
characterizeflawstoprovidethedepthofindications,whichshowupasechoblipsontheinstrumentsscreen
(Fig55).IthasbecometheinstrumentofchoiceinGTinspec
tionsforitsabilitytoidentifyevensmallflawsin
complicatedgeome
triessuchascompressorairfoils,bladeplatforms,disks,etc.

Leadingtechnologyhasitsprice.Phasedarrayinstrumentsandprobesaremorecomplexandexpensivethan
conventionalUTandtechniciansrequiremoreexperienceandtrain
ingtouseit.However,comparedto
radiography(RT),theoldstandardinboilerwork,phasedarrayUToffersseveraladvantages,including:
Noworkstoppageorwelderrelo
cationisrequiredtocheckworkbecausetherearenosafetyhaz
ardswith
UTastherearewithRT(radiation).
Inspectionsareconduct
edfaster.
Bettersuitedforthedetectionofplanar,cracklikeindicationssuchaslackoffusionwhichareconducive
toprematurefailure.
Theexactdepthofadefectisrevealed,facilitatingitsremovalandrework.DigitalRTismakinggreat
stridestoeliminateormini
mizethislist.
ShearwaveUTisabouttwotothreetimeslessexpensive,butdoesnotgivedepthofindication.Bestapplications
foritarestraightpipe,elbows,andcircumferentialwelds.
PTandMTmethodsareusedtoiden
tifycracksatthesurfaceofthebasetubematerialatornearaweld.They
alsoareusedforregularcheckingoftube/headerjointsattheeconomizerwaterinletwhenmorethan500
start/stopcycleshavebeenaccumulatedtoverifytheintegrityofsuperheaterandreheatertube/headerjoints
wherewarpedtubeshavegottenworseovertimeandtopinpointsuspectleaksinventanddrainlines.
PTisalowcostandwidelyappliedinspectionmethodforlocatingsur
facebreakingdefectsinallnonpo
rous
materials(metals,plastics,andceramics).Forinspectionofferrouscomponents,however,MToftenispreferred
becauseofitssubsurfacedetectioncapability.
Dyepenetrantinspectionisusedtodetectcastingandforgingdefects,cracks,andleaksinnewproducts,as
wellascracksoninservicecompo
n entsnotvisibletothenakedeye.Itissimpletouse:Penetrantisappliedto

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thesurface,excesspenetrantisremoved,anddeveloperisappliedtomakethecrackvisible.Littletrain
ingis
requiredtodevelopproficiencyinconductingPTs.
Thereddyeusedmostoftenoffersahighvisualcontrastagainstawhitedeveloperbackground.Thedeveloper
drawsoutthepenetrantfromtheflawoverawiderareathantherealflaw,enhancingitsvisibility.
Perhapsthebiggestconcernincon
ductingadyepenetrantinspectionissurfacecleanliness,offeredWambeke.
Butkeepinmindthatsomecleaningmethodsaredetrimentaltotestsen
sitivity.Occasionally,acidetchingis
requiredtoremovemetalsmearingandtoreopenthedefect.
Magneticparticleinspec
tionprocessesmakeuseofanexternallyappliedmagneticfieldordccurrentthrough
thematerial.Theyarebasedontheprinciplethatthemagneticsusceptibilityofadefectinaferrousmaterialis
markedlypoorerthatis,themagneticresistanceisgreaterthanthatofthesurroundingmate
rial.
ThemostcommonMTmethodreliesonfinelydividedironormagneticironoxideparticlesheldinsuspensionina
suitableliquid(oftenkerosene).Thisfluidisreferredtoasthecarrier.Theparticlesoftenarecoloredandusually
coatedwithfluorescentdyesthataremadevisiblewithahandheldultraviolet(UV)light.
Thesuspensionissprayedorpaintedoverthemagnetizedspeci
mentolocalizeareaswherethemag
n eticfieldhas
protrudedfromthesurface.Themagneticparticlesareattractedbythesurfacefieldintheareaofthedefectand
holdontotheedgesofthedefectanddefineitbyabuildupofparticles.
MTisusedtoinspectmachinedpartsbeforetheyareplacedinserviceandalsotoinspectpartsinservicefor
fatiguecracking(Fig56).ThetestingmethodiseasytoapplyandtakeslesstimethanUTandPT,butitdoesnot
workwellwithcomplexgeometries.
Attemperatorsincyclingserviceshouldbeinspectedannually.Lookforcrackingordistressonthedesu
perheater
assemblychecknozzlesforpluggingconfirmlinerintegrity(seelinercrackinFig57),andtheabsenceof
pitting/wearatthedown
streamelbow.Ifdatasuggestoverspray,inspectpipingforcracks.
BorescopeinspectionscommonlyassociatedwithGTs,steamturbines,andgeneratorsalsofindapplicationin
somesectionsofHRSGs.Themostlikelyareasofuseincludethefol
lowing:
Economizer,coldend,whenpit
tingorcrackingofthetubeinter
n alsurfaceisofconcernbecauseofcyclic
stressesand/orwaterqualityissues.
Economizer,hotend,ifdamageordepositsaresuspectedfromwaterqualityexcursionsincon
junction
withexcessivesteaming.
HPevaporator,hotend,ifwaterchemistryexcursionsmakeinter
n aldepositsariskorironlevelsareabove
1ppm.
LPevaporatortuberowsmostsusceptibletoFACdamagebasedonacirculationanalysisorfailurehistory.
Firsttubebundleofthesuper
h eaterdownstreamofthesteamdrum,ifdepositsfromcarryoverare
suspectedbecauseofasteamseparatorfailure.
Tubesamplesaretakentocharac
terizebothhardscalesthatforminLPboilersandmagnetiteandcopper
depositsinHPboilers.SuchdepositsreduceheattransferandefficiencyandmaketheHRSGmoresuscepti
bleto
overheatingandtubefailures.
TubesaresampledonlywhenavailableNDEmethodsarenotabletomeetexpectations.Tubesamplingisdifficult,
expensive,andhasobvi
ousinherentrisks.
Laboratoryanalysiswillsuggestcorrectionstowaterchemistryandoperatingproceduresandthemostefficient
methodforremovingdepos
its.Basemetalanalysiswilladviseontheconditionofboilertubesandwhether
expectationsofservicelifemustbereviseddownward.ccj

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