TECHNICAL PAPER

HANDLING OF IDLE AND STANDBY STEAM

GENERATING SYSTEMS

100 South Jefferson Road, Whippany, NJ 07981 USA | Tel: 1-973-526-5700 | www.drew-marine.com
PROLOGUE

This paper presents an easy-to-follow procedure for the lay-up of boilers and steam generating
equipment. It was written for Drew Marine personnel and vessel operators as a supplement to boiler
manufacturer’s instructions. Detailed recommendations for the application of corrosion inhibiting
chemicals and techniques are provided as a reference for qualified personnel developing shipboard
operational procedures.

The basic steps for all boiler lay-up procedures are:

a) Pre-lay-up boiler waterside cleaning, if required

b) Boiler flushout, neutralization, passivation, and formation of protective magnetite film

c) Boiler filling with distilled water and recommended lay-up chemicals

d) Fireside preparation and lay-up

INTRODUCTION

Boilers and exhaust gas economizers may have to be removed from service for varying periods of time
and are either required to be kept in lay-up, standby, or to be inspected. Depending on their condition,
cleaning may be required before boilers are returned to service or laid up.

Special attention must be given to standby or idle boilers in order to prevent corrosion. Adequate
corrosion prevention measures during operation can be undermined if the necessary corrosion prevention
procedures are not extended into standby and idle periods. Furthermore, corrosion can occur on the
fireside of the boilers if proper corrosion prevention measures are not taken.

Standby Steam Generating Equipment

If a steam generator is used as standby equipment and is maintained under pressure, it should receive
the same chemical treatment as an operational boiler. If the boiler will not be maintained under positive
pressure, additional precautions must be taken. These precautions are detailed in the section "Waterside
Wet Lay-Up of Boilers".

Idle Steam Generating Equipment

Three general methods are used for the lay-up of boiler watersides:

A. Wet method
B. Dry method with the unit open for free circulation of air
C. Dry method with the unit completely closed and dosed with a desiccant

The degree of corrosion protection using either of the dry lay-up methods depends on maintaining a
completely moisture-free condition. As this is very difficult to maintain without special equipment or
unusual attention, the wet lay-up protection is the preferred method.

NEED FOR CHEMICAL CLEANING

General Discussion

New vessels may go from a builder's yard into lay-up without the commissioning of the boilers or other

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machinery. Proper lay-up techniques must be practiced for idle equipment even if it has never been in
operation. Before pre-operational lay-up, the economizer and the boiler should be cleaned with an
alkaline detergent solution to remove preservatives, oil, and grease. Units operating at relatively high-
drum pressure may also require chemical cleaning to remove mill scale and corrosion products.
Superheaters require special treatment during such pre-operational cleaning, with particular attention on
draining.

Any necessary pre-operational cleaning should be supervised by qualified personnel to insure successful
deposit removal and to avoid potential equipment damage.

Operational boilers must be removed from service properly to minimize the adherence of suspended
solids on the boiler metal surfaces. This can be accomplished by immediate flushing with hot, pressurized
water, while waterside surfaces are still moist. If a boiler removed from service contains objectionable
deposits that formed during operation or manifested due to improper shutdown procedures, chemical
cleaning may be required before lay-up status is achieved.

Scheduling of Chemical Cleaning

Drew Marine recommends the cleaning of dirty boilers before lay-up. Clean boilers that have been
properly maintained may go directly into lay-up status without cleaning. Cleaning before lay-up has been
a controversial subject because of the need for adequate passivation of metal surfaces after chemical
cleaning. Passivation requires the formation of a protective metal oxide film on metal surfaces. The
recommended procedure, therefore, is to operate all acid cleaned or new boilers with a solution of
passivating chemicals - after the chemical cleaning, rinsing and neutralization steps - to obtain metal
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passivation (magnetite film) before lay-up. Passivation is best carried out at 20 kg/cm (300 psi) using
200-ppm hydrazine or 200 ppm DEHA in distilled water. A lower pressure may be used on boilers that
have a lower maximum pressure rating.

The following procedure should be followed in order to provide protection against corrosion when boilers
and exhaust gas economizers are removed from service.

Waterside Wet Lay-Up of Boilers - Procedure

® ®
These methods describe the lay-up of a completely filled boiler using AMERZINE or DREWPLEX OX.
When using AMERZINE or DREWPLEX OX, the boiler should be completely filled to exclude any air,
maintaining a high concentration of AMERZINE or DREWPLEX OX in the water to scavenge any oxygen
that may be present, and ensuring that the boiler water pH is kept at a satisfactory level. The calculated
quantity of either corrosion inhibitor can be added immediately on completion of service and before lay-up
without emptying the boiler if the boiler is known to have clean internal surfaces.

Use High Quality Water for Lay-Up Solutions

The highest quality water available should be used for laying up boilers. Demineralized water, steam
condensate, softened water, and boiler feedwater are generally acceptable for lay-up of auxiliary and
waste heat boilers that do not have superheaters. Do not use raw water or other waters containing
significant amounts of dissolved or suspended matter. It is especially important that only high-quality
condensate or demineralized water and volatile chemicals be used for preparing the lay-up solution for
boilers with non-drainable superheaters and/or reheaters.

®
Treatment with AMERZINE or DREWPLEX OX and Filling of Steam Generating Equipment

Add 1.3 liters AMERZINE or DREWPLEX OX per ton of water needed to fill the unit. The correct

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pH/alkalinity levels can be established by the addition of GC concentrated alkaline liquid. Adding
approximately 0.13 liters GC liquid to one ton of neutral water (untreated) will raise the "P" alkalinity to the
80-120 ppm range (approximately pH 9 - 10).

When only volatile chemicals are used to elevate the pH of the water, approximately 50-60 ppm of
TM
morpholine (SLCC-A condensate corrosion inhibitor) is needed to raise the pH in high quality water.

Water treatment conditions required for corrosion protection during standby or lay-up periods are:

Oxygen Control Product

200 ppm Hydrazine, minimum Amerzine (as N H ) -or-
2 4
200 ppm (DEHA), minimum Drewplex OX

pH
9.0 - 10.0 GC liquid or SLCC-A inhibitor

"P” Alkalinity
80 - 120 ppm GC liquid or SLCC-A inhibitor

®
For boilers that are to be fired before lay-up status is achieved, ADJUNCT B phosphate boiler water
® ®
treatment, AGK -100 treatment or DREWPLEX AT boiler water treatment should be dosed to provide
"in-service" levels of phosphate reserve to prevent any possible scale formation on the hot boiler tube
surfaces during this pre-layup firing.

Removing Boilers from Service

Boilers that are to be put immediately on standby after service without draining and refilling should have
normal in-service treatment levels established prior to shut down. After the fires have been shut off, the
necessary amount of AMERZINE to give the recommended level of 200-ppm hydrazine or the necessary
amount of DREWPLEX OX to give the recommended 200 ppm of DEHA should be dosed directly to the
boiler. The normal in-service alkalinity levels will give the necessary boiler water pH as indicated above.

When using AMERZINE or DREWPLEX OX, the boiler (excluding superheaters) should then be
completely filled with hot deaerated feedwater, if available, or treated water (200 ppm hydrazine or 200
ppm DEHA), to exclude all air, with particular attention paid to any parts where air may be trapped. All
external valves or connections should be kept tightly closed or blanked off to prevent the leakage of water
or ingress of oxygen. A small tank should be connected to an available fitting on the top of the boiler (e.g.,
vent line) to ensure the boiler is maintained completely full. The boiler should then be filled until water
overflows into this tank. This will provide a suitable head of water. The level in this tank should be
periodically inspected and be maintained throughout the shutdown period. This will also take care of small
water volume variations due to temperature changes.

Boilers to be put on standby or fired (idle) - for any reason after inspection or cleaning - should have the
necessary quantities of treatment products that include the oxygen scavengers AMERZINE or
DREWPLEX OX and the necessary quantities of GC™ liquid, SLCC-A™, AGK-100 or DREWPLEX AT to
raise the alkalinity. Products should be dosed to the boiler during filling. The boiler should then be filled to
working level and fired to provide sufficient circulation to obtain uniform concentrations of treatment
throughout the boiler and to eliminate oxygen.

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Boilers to be laid-up wet after inspection or cleaning with no application of heat only require the necessary
quantities of:

1) AMERZINE or DREWPLEX OX and GC liquid or SLCC-A -or-

2) AGK100 or DREWPLEX AT treatment plus oxygen scavenger.

These should be dosed to the boiler during filling, which should be completed immediately after
shutdown.

When any steam generating unit is shut down, close attention should be paid to the boiler manufacturer's
recommended shutdown procedures.

Superheaters - Special Precautions

If boilers are equipped with superheaters, the instructions supplied by the boiler manufacturers for lay-up
of the superheaters should be followed. If no instructions are supplied, a satisfactory procedure is to
completely fill the superheaters with either distilled or demineralized water treated with 200 ppm
(minimum) hydrazine or 200 ppm (minimum) DEHA. It may also be necessary to add a small quantity of
SLCC-A to raise the pH to the 9.0-10.0 range. Only AMERZINE or DREWPLEX OX and SLCC-A should
be used in superheaters because these products do not leave deposits when the unit is returned to
service.

Exhaust Gas Boilers

Exhaust gas boilers or waste heat economizers should be totally filled with water treated identically to
standard boiler water. This only applies when the economizer is laid up cold (when main engine is not
running). If the economizer contains a superheater section, this should be drained and laid up in a dry
condition, completely free from moisture.

Double Pressure Boilers - Lay-Up

Particular attention should be paid to the filling of the primary system heat exchanger coils with
AMERZINE (200-ppm hydrazine) or DREWPLEX OX (200 ppm DEHA) treated boiler water. The "header
tank" should always be above the level of the tube nest. The recommended lay-up treatment levels will
normally hold at well above any point where corrosion is likely to commence during the idle period. If
additional treatment is necessary, the water in the boiler should be lowered to working level and the
necessary treatment solution prepared before being added directly to the boiler. The boiler should then be
refilled as described for the initial treatment of boiler water.

Feedwater Heaters

The waterside of feedwater heaters should be treated the same as the boiler during lay-up periods. The
shellside normally should be dried, pressurized, and blanketed with nitrogen during lay-up. However, it
can be flooded with condensate containing 200 ppm hydrazine or 200 ppm DEHA and a sufficient
quantity of SLCC-A needed to maintain the pH at 9.0 - 10.0.

Deaerators

Deaerators usually are nitrogen blanketed during shutdown. If nitrogen is not available, the deaerator can
be laid up with AMERZINE or DREWPLEX OX and SLCC-A treated water.

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DRY LAY-UP

General

The objective of dry lay-up is to keep metal surfaces free of moisture. Oxygen from the surrounding
atmosphere dissolved in the liquid could make it very corrosive.

The waterside of auxiliary and waste heat boilers can be laid up dry.

A boiler containing porous moisture-retaining deposits (scale) should not be laid up dry due to potential
occurrence of under-deposit corrosion. The recommended dry lay-up methods for auxiliary and waste
heat boilers are given below:
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a) Nitrogen blanketing at a pressure of 5 psi (0.35 kg/cm ) after drying out

b) Dry all boiler internals and install bags, trays, or desiccant such as:

Telltale silica gel

Quicklime

HANDLING OF THE FIRESIDE OF STEAM GENERATING EQUIPMENT

When boilers are to be laid up, the fireside must be considered as well as the waterside. Two common
methods used for fireside lay-up are identified as "cold" and "hot".

The preferred method for each installation will depend on local conditions.

The primary objective in fireside lay-up is to keep the metal surfaces dry. If appreciable amounts of
deposits are present, the fireside should be cleaned before lay-up. This is especially true where oil (or
coal) containing high concentrations of sulfur have been used as the fuel. The deposits that develop when
these fuels are burned can absorb moisture and form corrosive acids. In some instances, it may be
desirable to spray the metal surfaces with a dilute solution of an alkaline chemical, such as GC liquid after
the cleanup to control corrosion.

The fireside of laid up boilers should be cleaned mechanically or washed with boiler water or a 0.1% -
0.5% solution of GC liquid to neutralize, as far as practical, acidic constituents, and to remove as much of
the deposits as possible. If the fireside is washed, arrangements must be made for adequate draining. A
heater should then be placed in the furnace to dry it thoroughly. It is good practice to keep a small heater
in the fireside to keep it dry during the lay-up period.

Cold Lay-Up

The following items should be considered where a cold lay-up is planned:

1. Keep the metal surfaces dry by the use of dehumidification with desiccants along with air
circulation, dry warm air, or a combination of both. The relative humidity of the air should be kept
as low as practicable. Seal the furnace as completely as possible to minimize entry of moist air.

2. Make provisions to keep rainwater from entering the boiler by capping the funnel. Log this fact for
future reference for uncapping when the unit is to be returned to service.

3. Inspect the fireside once per month for evidence of active corrosion and, if found, take corrective
measures as previously discussed.

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Hot Lay-Up

The following items should be considered where hot lay-up is planned:

 Since certain boilers cannot be effectively cleaned on the gas side without extensive dismantling,
a hot lay-up may be appropriate.

 The hot lay-up method may not be practical for a lay-up period longer than six months because of
energy costs.

 To prevent moisture absorption by deposits on the fire and gas side, the temperature of the metal
surfaces must be kept at 77 °C (170 °F) or higher.

 Fireside metal temperatures can be maintained at a safe level by controlled very light-firing with
low sulfur fuel or by the use of electric or other type hot air blowers. Care should be exercised
never to over-fire or dry-fire a boiler.

SAFETY

The following safety factors should be observed in handling chemicals:

 Always read and follow recommendations in the material safety data sheets for the chemicals to
be used.

 Make sure to use the recommended handling procedures and precautions.

 Follow all governmental regulations and other appropriate safety methods in handling chemicals.

 Wear personal protective equipment such as goggles, rubber gloves, aprons, and boots when
handling lay-up chemicals.

 Bodily contact with lay-up chemicals, especially strong alkaline solutions and volatile chemicals
should be avoided.

 Remove clothing immediately if contaminated with lay-up chemicals. Discard them or launder
before reuse.

 Wash skin that has been contacted by chemicals with large quantities of flowing water.

 If eyes are splashed by lay-up chemicals, immediately flood with gently flowing water for at least
15 minutes, and then have eyes checked by a physician.

 Do not enter equipment laid up with nitrogen blanketing until the nitrogen is purged and tests
show that sufficient oxygen is present to sustain life.

 When entry into a furnace is required, hard hats must be worn. The potential for injuries caused
by slag, debris, tools, etc., falling on personnel should be eliminated.

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START-UP AFTER LAY-UP
Wet Lay-Up
After lay-up, a boiler should be drained and inspected. This is especially important if the boiler was laid up
without first conducting an inspection and cleaning the internals. If a boiler has to be returned to service
urgently, uncap the funnel, and lower the water level within the boiler to the correct level. Heating should
be commenced by introducing into the furnace the smallest burner for warm-through. Drum vents and
superheater vents and drains should be open to dissipate the high levels of volatile chemicals. Keep
workers clear of areas where volatiles vent to the atmosphere. The boiler can be put on line when
working pressure is achieved. When the system has been returned to service in the normal manner,
boiler and feedwater tests should be conducted and recommended working treatment levels re-
established. During this start-up period, condensate salinity alarms may be activated temporarily due to
high levels of hydrazine and ammonia circulating.

Testing
Lay-up solutions should be tested at three-to-six month intervals. If the tests show that chemical
concentrations have decreased below the recommended minimum, a practical procedure may be to add
additional lay-up solution, recirculate by lowering the water level and operating at low load, and then
follow the procedures previously described. The favored procedure for testing the water of laid up boilers
is to take a representative sample (via sight glass or other convenient point) in a high-purity sample
bottle, and dispatch it to Drew Marine for analysis.

A special test for very high concentrations of hydrazine or DEHA can be provided, if qualified laboratory
personnel and equipment are available at the lay-up location. This test procedure does not lend itself for
use by untrained personnel, and it is preferable to send samples to Drew Marine for periodic testing as
indicated above. This special test is not normally necessary as long as the initial dose of hydrazine is
adequate, and there are no abnormal conditions of water loss and high makeup.

Dry Lay-Up
If the boiler or auxiliaries have been pressurized with nitrogen, vent and thoroughly purge the equipment
of nitrogen with dry air. This is mandatory if personnel intend to enter the equipment, because nitrogen
will not sustain life.

Remove all trays of desiccant from all locations in the equipment, and clear away all traces of product that
may have been spilled. Handle the equipment in the normal manner when returning it to service following
the manufacturer’s recommended procedures.

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 BOILER LAY-UP SUMMARY SHEET
A. Remove boiler from service.

B. If boiler is dirty, clean internals with SAF-ACID™ as described in product data sheet.

LAY-UP with AMERZINE or DREWPLEX OX

1. Refill boiler with acceptable water after neutralizing and passivating internal surfaces using
AMERZINE or DREWPLEX OX corrosion inhibitors and GC concentrated alkaline liquid,
AGK-100 boiler and feedwater treatment, or DREWPLEX AT treatment with an oxygen
scavenger to scavenge the oxygen and elevate the pH of the water, respectively. For
passivating, AMERZINE inhibitor should be dosed to give a hydrazine reserve of 200 ppm
(approximately 1.3 liters of AMERZINE inhibitor/ton distilled water) or DREWPLEX OX should
be dosed to give a DEHA reserve of 200 ppm (approximately 1.3 liters of DREWPLEX OX/ton
distilled water). GC liquid should be added to give a "P" alkalinity reserve of between 80 and
120 ppm. The addition of 0.13 liters of GC liquid to one ton of neutral distilled water will
elevate the "P" alkalinity to the 80-120 ppm range. When using AGK-100 treatment or
DREWPLEX AT treatment, the standard startup dosage of 2 - 5 liters per ton of boiler water
will be adequate.
2
2. Fire the boiler at low pressure (20 kg/cm - 300 psi maximum or a lower level based on the
units normal operating pressure) for 24 hours to achieve magnetite film formation and thus
complete passivation of internal surfaces. Shut down the boiler, drain, and inspect internal
surfaces to verify magnetite film formation is established.

3. If the boiler is clean, or after establishing magnetite film, add sufficient hydrazine to elevate
the reserve in the boiler water to 200 ppm (approximately 1.3 liters AMERZINE inhibitor/ton
water) or 200 ppm DEHA (approximately 1.3 liters DREWPLEX OX /ton of water). Elevate the
pH to the 9-10 range by addition of SLCC-A or GC liquid, if required. (Approximately 50-60
ppm SLCC-A inhibitor is required to raise the pH in high quality water). See above comments
on AGK-100 and DREWPLEX AT dosage for systems using those treatments.

4. Fill the boiler until the header tank connected to the steam-drum vent pipe (highest point of
boiler) is 3/4 full.

5. Superheaters should be filled with demineralized water treated with 200 ppm hydrazine
(AMERZINE) or 200 ppm DEHA (DREWPLEX OX) and SLCC-A only (elevate pH to 9.0 - 10).

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