Condition Assessment of

Supercritical Boilers-Challenges Ahead

Dr. S.K.Nath
Engineering Officer
Central Power Research Institute
Thermal Research Centre
Koradi
Nagpur-441111
 Supercritical Technology in India

 Availability of coal both in quality and quantity

 Reduction in emission-environmental obligation
 Low Average efficiency of power plants in India in the range
of 27% - 34%.
 Achieving the required economic growth
 Major Power Producer NTPC Ltd. has gone for first
Supercritical Units in India followed by others.
 Estimated 25 Nos. of SC projects are under different phase of
development while more than 35 projects are under proposal
stage.
Rankine Cycle
Supercritical Rankine Cycle

3740 C;
225 Kg/cm2
Enhanced steam parameters
require superior materials
 Requirements of materials for
high-temperature application
1. Adequate strength to resist deformation-high temp.
and pr.
2. Adequate fatigue strength against vibratory stress

3. Sufficient ductility to accommodate cumulative

plastic strain and notch strength against stress
concentrations
4. Good resistance to service environment to
withstand oxidation, corrosion and erosion
5. Structural ability to resist damaging metallurgical
changes at operating conditions
 Requirements of materials for high-
temperature application (contd.)
6. Ease in fabrication (machining, forging, casting and
welding)
7. Low coefficient of thermal expansion to resist thermal
stresses
8. Good thermal conductivity to minimise thermal gradient
9. Low density to provide high strength-to-weight ratio – for
last staging blading of large steam turbine
10. Availability of long-term test data to validate the design
11. Availability in the desired size and shape
Comparison of allowable stresses between
conventional and advanced materials
 Supercritical Boiler
Material Specification
Item Section
(ASME)

Water Wall Tubing SA213-T22

SA335 - P12
Header & Piping
SA335 - P91

SA213-T12
Superheater
SA213-T23
Tubing
SA213-T91

SUPER 304H

SA106-C

Header & Piping SA335 - P12

SA335 - P91

SA210Gr.C
Reheater
SA213-T12

Tubing SA213-T23

SA213-T91

SUPER 304H

Header & Piping SA106-C

Economiser
Tubing SA210-C

Seperator Storage Tank SA302-C

Various damage mechanisms in
supercritical boilers
• Short term damage mechanisms:

Erosion, Fireside corrosion, short-

term overheating

• Long term damage mechanism:

Creep, Thermal Fatigue

 Operational effects on
supercritical boiler components
• High temperature effect (ageing)
• High temperature corrosion (ash
attack)
• High velocity flue gas with particulate
burden (erosion)
• Thermal cycling
• Steam side oxide scale growth
• Maintenance repair (weld, foreign
material entrapment)
 Manifestation
• Mechanical
 Material loss
 Wall thinning
 Weld defect
 Crack
 Swelling
 Slagging, fouling
 Loss of material strength
Manifestation (contd.)
• Metallurgical

 Creep life
 Structural integrity

• Steam Starvation

 Sudden Rupture
 Various damage mechanisms and
suitable NDE methods
Damage Mechanism NDE Methods for detection

Erosion Visual Examination (VE), Ultrasonic Thickness Survey

Blockade in water circuit Fibroscopy

Welding defects Ultrasonic Test (UT), Magnetic Particle Test (MPT), Dye
Penetrant Test (DPT), Radiographic Test (RT)

Creep In-situ Metallography, Hardness Measurement

Oxide Scale growth Ultrasonic Test (UT)

Thermal fatigue crack detection Ultrasonic Time of Flight Diffraction (TOFD) inspection,
and sizing potential drop technique
Short Term overheating In-situ Metallography, Hardness Measurement

Swelling Dimensional Measurement (OD)

What is Creep?

-The time dependent, thermally assisted

deformation of components under load
(stress) is known as creep.
Structural Microstructure Action needed Expended
Classificati features life
on fraction
Undamaged Ferrite & None 0.12
pearlite

A Isolated None until next major 0.46

cavities scheduled maintenance
outage
B Oriented Replica test at specified 0.50
cavities interval preferably within 1.5
to 3 years
C Linked cavities Limited service until repair 0.84
(micro cracks) and better to inspect within 6
months
D Macro cracks Immediate repair 1.00
In-situ metallography (Replication)
 Major Findings

Bulging
Damaged microstructure (creep cavities)
 Fatigue
Start-ups, load changes

Crack initiation – Stress Analysis, Nf

Crack propagation
 CRACK PROPAGATION

Initial Crack length – Assessed by a

suitable NDE technique (e.g. Ultrasonic)

Critical Crack length – Assessed based

on the prevailing stress field and
geometry of the job.
Crack propagation

Paris Law:-

da/dN = ckn c, n = material

constants
For k = M(a)

aiac a-n/2da = cnMn/2dN;

M = parameter related flaw shape
 Ultrasonic Time of Flight
Diffraction (TOFD) Inspection
TOFD - How it works
COMPLEX WELD WITH DISSIMILAR THICKNESS
Specimen simulating complex geometry weld namely terminal
weld between pipe and valve containing various defects

S  x 2aZ
t LW 
C

S2 T 2  T  H 2  x 2  a  B 2
t BW 
C

S2  d2  d  H 2  x 2  a  B 2
t1 
C

S 2  d  h 2  d  h  H 2  x 2  a  B 2
t2 
C
Indian Boiler Regulation
(IBR)
Statutory Perspective

Objectives:
1. Safe Operation

2. Update Boiler memo

 Statutory Perspective (Contd.)

 Boiler Act
 IBR- Rules & Regulations
 Prescriptions
• Authority – Inspectorate of Boilers
• Jurisdiction – Within the State Territory
• Boilers > = 22.75 Litres
> = 1,00,000 Hours
> = 25 years old
 Statutory Perspective (Contd.)

• Agency: Approved as per Act

• Methodology:

• Table 1 and Table 2

• NDT inspection of Drum, Headers, Pipes

&Tubes by Visual, UT,DPT, Replication, OD
& Thickness, Fiber optic inspection,
Hardness, Oxide scale thickness measurement.
 TABLE -1

Component Visua Ultrasonic Magnetic Liquid/ Replication Sampling Deposit Outside Fibroscopic Hardness Other
l testing Particle Dye Analysis Diameter Inspection
Inspection Penetrant And
Inspection Thickness
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12)
Drum(Steam) Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes
Water Drum Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes
Low Temp. Yes No No Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes
Headers
Attemperator Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Swell
Header measur
ement
High Temp. Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No No
Economiser
tubes
Low Temp. Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No No
Economiser
tubes
Convection Yes No No No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Superheater
coils
Primary Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No Yes
Super heater
coils
Pre final Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No Yes
Super heater
coils
 TABLE -1 (Contd.)

Component Visua Ultrasonic Magnetic Liquid/ Replication Samplin Deposit Outside Fibroscopic Hardness Others
l testing Particle Dye g Analysis Diameter Inspection
Inspection Penetrant And
Inspection Thickness
Final Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No Yes
Super heater
coils
Reheater coils Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No Yes

High Temp. Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes

headers

Final Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Swell

Super heater measur
header
ement
Reheater Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Swell
header measur
ement
Main steam Yes No No No Yes No No Yes No Yes
Piping

Platen super Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes

Heater header

Primary super Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes

heater header
 TABLE -1 (Contd.)

Component Visual Ultrasonic Magnetic Liquid/ Replication Sampl Depo Outside Fibrosc Hardness others
testing Particle Dye ing sit Diamet opic
Inspection Penetrant Anal er Inspecti
Inspection ysis And on
Thickn
ess
Economiser Yes No No Yes No No No Yes No No
Header

Auxiliaries Yes No No No No No No Yes No No

Boiler Bank Yes No No No No No No Yes No No

Tube

Water Wall Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No No

Furnace Water Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No No

Wall
 Table – 2.

Component Visual Ultrasonic Magnetic Liquid/ Replicatio Samplin Deposit Outside Fibroscopic Hardness Other
testing Particle Dye n g Analysis Diameter Inspection
Inspection Penetrant And
Inspection Thickness
Drum(Steam) Yes No No Yes No No No Yes No No

Water Drum Yes No No Yes No No No Yes No No

Economiser Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No No

Tubes

Convection Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No No

Super Heater
coils
Primary Super Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No No Non
Heater coils destru
ctive
oxide
thickn
ess
inspe
ction
Final Super Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No No
Heater coils

High Temp. Yes No No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No

Headers
 TABLE -2 ( Contd.)

Final Super Yes No No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Swell

Heater Header meas
ureme
nt
Economiser Yes No No No No No No Yes No No
Header

Auxiliaries Yes No No No No No No No Yes No

Boiler Bank Yes No No No No No No Yes No No

Tube

Water Wall Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No No

Main steam Yes No No No No Yes No Yes No No

Piping
 Statutory Perspective (Contd.)

OUTCOME

• Scientifically assured safe operation

for a specified period.
Role of Indian Boiler Regulation
(IBR)
With age of currently available supercritical
boilers in their infancy, the deployment of
NDE will be limited to failure analysis and
condition assessment of the component for
quality control of repair programmes during
any forced outage event and IBR relevance
may be seen here.
Issues of Supercritical Technology in India

 Critical issues to be resolved for faster

development :

Technological issues :-

a) Water wall cracking

b) Negative flow characteristic
c) Slagging.
d) Designing as per Indian condition
e) Welding technology for new material
 Issues of Supercritical Technology in India
(contd.)
Operation & Maintenance Issues:
 Availability of sufficient field data w.r.t. material
behavior, boiler tube leakage (BTL)
 Availability of critical spares for supercritical
plants.
 Availability of skilled manpower
 Large number of foreign suppliers of SC Power
Plants , but have comparatively long delivery
period .
 Availability of contractors for O&M activities
 Reference:
1. R.Viswanathan, “Damage Mechanisms and Life Assessment of High Temperature
Components”, ASM International, Metals Park, Chio 44073.

2. Arindam Sinha and Akhilesh Kumar Singh (2011), New Era in Indian Thermal Power
Sector-Evolvement of Supercritical Technology, Workshop on Remnant Life Assessment
(RLA) Study of Boilers organized by Central Power Research Institute on 4-5th March, 2011
at Raipur (CG)

3. Modern Power station practice, Boilers and Ancillary plant, BEI Volume – B.

4. Indian Boiler Regulation, Act 1923 & Regulations 1950, Akalank Publications, Delhi-110
006, 9th ed., July 2007.

5. S.K.Nath et al (2011), Non-Destructive Evaluation in Remnant Life Assessment (RLA)

study of Boilers Workshop on Remnant Life Assessment (RLA) Study of Boilers organized
by Central Power Research Institute on 4-5th March, 2011 at Raipur (CG)

6. B.J.Robbins, D.M.Farrell, J. Stallings and S. Cardoso, The Monitoring of Circumferential

Fatigue Cracking of Furnace Tubes in Supercritical Boilers, Rowan Technologies Ltd.,
Manchester, UK and Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA, USA.

7. Kulvir Singh (2006), Advances in Materials for Advanced Steam Cycle Power Plants,
BHEL Journal