4.2.

11 Steam Blanketing

4.2.11.1 Description of Damage

The operation of steam generating equipment is a balance between the heat flow from the combustion of
the fuel and the generation of steam within the waterwall or generating tube. The flow of heat energy
through the wall of the tube results in the formation of discrete steam bubbles (nucleate boiling) on the ID
surface. The moving fluid sweeps the bubbles away. When the heat flow balance is disturbed, individual
bubbles join to form a steam blanket, a condition known as Departure From Nucleate Boiling (DNB).
Once a steam blanket forms, tube rupture can occur rapidly, as a result of short term overheating, usually
within a few minutes.

4.2.11.2 Affected Materials

Carbon steel and low alloy steels.

4.2.11.3 Critical Factors

a) Heat flux and fluid flow are critical factors.
b) Flame impingement from misdirected or damaged burners can provide a heat flux greater than the
steam generating tube can accommodate.
c) On the water side, anything that restricts fluid flow (for example, pinhole leaks lower in the steam
circuit or dented tubes from slag falls) will reduce fluid flow and can lead to DNB conditions.
d) Failure occurs as a result of the hoop stress in the tube from the internal steam pressure at the
elevated temperature.

4.2.11.4 Affected Units or Equipment

All steam-generating units including fired boilers, waste heat exchangers in sulfur plants, hydrogen
reformers and FCC units. Failures can occur in superheaters and reheaters during start-up when
condensate blocks steam flow.

4.2.11.5 Appearance or Morphology of Damage

a) These short-term, high-temperature failures always show an open burst with the fracture edges
drawn to a near knife-edge (Figure 4-32).
b) The microstructure will always show severe elongation of the grain structure due to the plastic
deformation that occurs at the time of failure.

4.2.11.6 Prevention / Mitigation

a) When a DNB condition has developed, tube rupture will quickly follow. Proper burner management
should be practiced to minimize flame impingement.
b) Proper BFW treatment can help prevent some conditions that can lead to restricted fluid flow.
c) Tubes should be visually inspected for bulging.

4.2.11.7 Inspection and Monitoring

Burners should be properly maintained to prevent flame impingement.

4.2.11.8 Related Mechanisms

a) Steam blanketing can cause caustic corrosion (caustic gouging) as outlined in 4.3.10.
b) Very similar characteristics are observed in short term overheating (see 4.2.10).

4.2.11.9 References
1. “Steam - Its Generation and Use,” 40th Edition, Babcock & Wilcox, 1992.
2. “Combustion Fossil Power Systems,” Third Edition, Combustion Engineering, CT, 1981.
3. H. Thielsch, “Defects And Failures In Pressure Vessels and Piping,” Krieger Publishing Co., NY,
1977.
4. R.D. Port and H.M. Herro, “The NALCO Guide To Boiler Failure Analysis,” McGraw Hill, NY, 1991.
5. D.N. French, “Metallurgical Failures In Fossil Fired Boilers,” John Wiley & Sons, Inc., NY, 1993.
6. B. Dooley and W. McNaughton, “Boiler Tube Failures: Theory and Practice – 3 Volumes,” EPRI, CA,
1995.

Figure 4-32 – Short-term high-temperature failures from DNB are wide-open bursts with the failure
lips drawn to a near knife edge. They are ductile ruptures. Mag. 25X.