New Technique for Online Washing of Large Mechanical-Drive Condensing Steam Turbines
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
NEW TECHNIQUE FOR ONLINE WASHING OF LARGE MECHANICAL-DRIVE CONDENSING STEAM TURBINES by Gampa I. Bhat Chief Machinery Engineer ExxonMobil Chemical Company Baytown, Texas Satoshi Hata Manager, Turbine Design Section Kyoichi Ikeno Mechanical Engineer, Turbine Design Section and Yuzo Tsurusaki Mechanical Engineer, Turbine Design Section Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Hiroshima, Japan ABSTRACT Gampa I. Bhat is Chief Machinery To compete in today’s economic climate, petrochemical plants Engineer for ExxonMobil Chemical Compa- are strategizing on continuous long-term operation to reduce main- ny, in Baytown, Texas. As Lead Specialist, tenance costs and increase productivity. This strategy has led some he acts as the focal point for the plants to go from eight years between turnarounds to 10 years. For ExxonMobil Chemical Worldwide Machin- rotating machinery such as mechanical-drive steam turbines, one ery Network and is involved with the factor that affects this strategy is heavy deposition on steam turbine development of machinery strategies for internals, caused by impurities in the steam. These impurities result new and upgrade projects. He is also in fouling on the blade and nozzle path surfaces due to contami- involved in the selection, operation, main- nated materials such as silica and sodium in the steam. As a result, tenance, and troubleshooting of machinery turbine performance tends to deteriorate gradually. systems. This paper introduces an innovative online washing technique to Mr. Bhat received his B.S. degree (Mechanical Engineering) minimize the impact caused by fouling of the steam path for large from Karnataka University in India, and an M.S. degree from West multistage condensing steam turbines. This technique, although Virginia College of Graduate Studies. He is a member of ASME. applied here to extracting-condensing turbines, is also applicable to large condensing turbines. The new technology has water Satoshi Hata is a Manager of the Turbine injection nozzles located in the steam chest of the extraction valve Design Section in the Turbomachinery rack. The injection nozzles are manifolded to a water supply Engineering Department, Mitsubishi Heavy source, which controls a setpoint temperature, by controlling the Industries, Ltd., in Hiroshima, Japan. He water injection rate. The objective is to directly wash off deposits has had experience with R&D for nuclear adhering to the blades and nozzles on the low-pressure side with uranium centrifuges, turbomolecular pumps, minimal power turndown, and without impacting the turbine’s and heavy-duty and aero engine derivative long-term performance. Erosion damage and thermal stress of type gas turbines and steam turbines for 21 internal parts such as chest valves and blades due to the injected years. water had to be taken into consideration. Mr. Hata has B.S. and M.S. degrees To properly achieve this objective, and considering the potential (Mechanical Engineering) from Kyushu for damage during the online wash, a new extraction valve box had Institute of Technology. to be designed. The new design had to consider the effects of optimizing the mixing zone of the steam and water injection to generate a specific Kyoichi Ikeno is the Mechanical particle size, moisture propagation through the condensing section, Engineer of the Turbine Design Section in mechanical deflection of stationary components, and the overall the Turbomachinery Engineering Depart- thermodynamic analysis of each stage during the online wash. A ment, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., in prototype model was built and several experiments carried out Hiroshima, Japan. He is a blade design based on the practical operating condition of actual steam turbines. specialist and has seven years of experience This paper discusses the evaluations made from the model, by pre- with R&D for synthesis gas compressor senting the thermodynamic analysis results, and the finite element steam turbines and gas turbines. analysis (FEA) that was used to evaluate the strength of the internal Mr. Ikeno has a B.S. degree from Miyazaki parts during actual online washing. University, and an M.S. degree (Mechanical The final design was a compact extraction box that could replace Engineering) from Kyushu University. existing models without any machining of the casing. To date there are two such installations worldwide. These are operating effectively 57 58 PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRTY-THIRD TURBOMACHINERY SYMPOSIUM • 2004 without incident. This paper also discusses online washing test results, COMPOSITION % CONCENTRATION % which were obtained using an actual steam chest with the special 100% 10% injected nozzle and a risk assessment of online washing in general. Si INTRODUCTION NaCl During steam turbine continuous long-term operation, steam con- SiO2 taminants, such as silicate and sodium, deposit on the internals as 50% 5% solids. This occurs under certain operating conditions related to steam Na pressure and temperature for each of the stages. These contaminants foul the surfaces of nozzles and blades and gradually build up during steam turbine operation. Figure 1 shows the typical steam turbine operating condition for an ethylene plant application. Figure 2 shows NaOH Na2SiO3 the fouling condition after seven years of continuous operation. 0% HP PART MP PART LP PART BFW Si<0.5ppb WATER BOILER TREATMENT NaPO4 Figure 3. Distribution of Compounds along Steam Path. INLET STEAM CONDITION 1500 PSIG 910 DEG.F 800 KLB/H the application of new technologies in the design of the extraction AFTER EXT.PRESS. valve rack. The injection nozzles are manifolded to a water supply INLET Paext TEMP. Tin source, which controls a setpoint temperature, by controlling the water injection rate. This new technology places water injection nozzles in the SPEED 3800 RPM AXIAL FORCE. extraction steam chest with a controlled water supply source. The BL:8600kgf HP:4300kgf LP:13000kg MAX POWER 49500 BHP Fa f POWER RECOVER 2000 BHP 4688 LBS(MAX FLOW) AFTER WASHING advantage of this compact design is its ability to directly wash off deposits adhering to blades and nozzles in the low-pressure zones, by controlling the amount of moisture at each stage. Consideration for this new design factored in erosion damage and thermal stresses EXT. STEAM CONDITION EXHAUST STEAM 650 PSIG CONDITION 615 KLB/H 2 IN HG ABS of internal parts, such as chest valves and blades, induced by the 185 KLB/H water injected. Figure 1. Typical Operation Condition. A prototype model was built and several experiments carried out based on the practical operating condition of actual steam turbines. This paper discusses the evaluations made from the model, by pre- senting the thermodynamic analysis results and the finite element analysis (FEA) that was used to evaluate the strength of the internal parts during actual online washing. In addition, online washing test results were obtained by using actual steam chest conditions equipped with these special injection nozzles, and a risk assessment produced. CONVENTIONAL STEAM TURBINE ONLINE WASHING PROCEDURE Figure 4 shows the trend over time of the relationship between condensing flow and after-extraction pressure, comparing design pressure and actual pressure measured during operation. The after- extraction pressure increases due to the decrease in throat area caused by the deposition of chemical materials. LCT01 Fouling Monitoring Figure 2. Fouling Condition after Seven Years’ Continuous Operation. 350 3㨪4 MONTHS The composition and characteristics of the fouling materials are 5㨪6 MONTHS different along the steam path as we move from the high-pressure 300 stages to the low-pressure side, as shown in Figure 3. Under these fouling conditions, the pressure profiles across the nozzles, blades, 5㨪6 MONTHS and throat areas are increased. These profiles in turn result in dete- 250 Aug - Sep 2000 97WASH㨪3Q99 Jan - Mar 2001 rioration of turbine performance, and will continue to do so over Jul - Sep 2001 After Extraction Pressue(psig) Extraction After Jan - Mar 2002 Apri - Jun 2002 time if left unattended. 200 Clean Turbine per MHI Current online washing techniques involve dropping the steam Maximum Allowable Pressure inlet temperature to increase the moisture at the condensing stages for the purpose of generating enough moisture to wash the soluble 150 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 salts. This procedure cannot eliminate insoluble contaminants, Condensing Flow (klb/hr) especially in the high-pressure stages. By reducing the steam inlet temperature, enthalpy across the turbine drops significantly—this Figure 4. Internal Deposition Trending. can result in production losses. In order to resolve this fouling problem, an innovative online As mentioned previously, current online washing techniques washing technique was developed. This new technique incorporates involve dropping the steam inlet temperature to increase the NEW TECHNIQUE FOR ONLINE WASHING OF LARGE MECHANICAL-DRIVE CONDENSING STEAM TURBINES 59 moisture at the condensing stages for the purpose of generating a clean turbine when inlet temperature was changed. In addition, it enough moisture to wash the soluble salts. This procedure cannot was found that the extraction stage and after-extraction stage eliminate insoluble contaminants, especially in the high-pressure remained in the superheated zone. (HP) stages. By reducing the steam inlet temperature, enthalpy across the turbine drops significantly, which can result in produc- THERMODYNAMICS ANALYSIS RESULTS tion losses. FOR A FOULED CONDITION The effects