IAPWS releases best operating practices for water chemistry at annual meeting
The non-profit International Assn for the Properties of Water and Steam (IAPWS) continues to help powerplant owner/operators upgrade cycle chemistry at their facilities. You may remember CCJ ONsite’s recent coverage of the organization’s work in monitoring steam purity and in accurately measuring iron, which is critical to controlling cycle chemistry.
Dr R Barry Dooley of Structural Integrity Associates Inc, a member of CCJ’s Editorial Advisory Board and Executive Secretary of IAPWS, called the CCJ offices shortly after the global organization’s 2015 meeting concluded in Stockholm, July 3.
The primary purpose of the IAPWS annual conference is to connect researchers and scientists with the engineers who use their information. The exchange provides researchers guidance on industry problems while engineers receive the latest research results. The meeting in Sweden attracted 88 scientists and engineers from 21 countries.
IAPWS also documents certified research needs that represent the opinion of experts who believe research on particular subjects (in their fields of expertise, of course) is greatly needed to fill gaps in knowledge. All of this information is accessible, at no cost, at www.iapws.org.
In the Stockholm meetings of the IAPWS Power Cycle Chemistry (PCC) working group, amendments to Technical Guidance Documents (TGD) were finalized for (1) instrumentation, and for (2) volatile treatment and (3) phosphate/caustic treatment at cycling and fast-start plants. Amendments to all three TGDs are ready for immediate release.
Additional discussion and work were undertaken to begin the preparation of three new TGDs with a completion goal consistent with their release at the 2016 meeting. Guidance will be provided on (1) the use of film-forming amines in water/steam cycles; (2) tube sampling and deposit analysis for HRSG HP evaporator bundles; and (3) the integrity of high-purity demineralized makeup. CCJ will report on developments as information becomes available.
Power Cycle Instrumentation Seminar
David Addison, principal, Thermal Chemistry Ltd (New Zealand), who like Dr R Barry Dooley of Structural Integrity Associates Inc (see previous item), does pro bono work for IAPWS on behalf of users, stopped in Las Vegas on his way to a mid-July EPRI water chemistry meeting in St. Louis. He asked the CCJ editors to alert O&M personnel about what he considers a very valuable and affordable Power Cycle Instrumentation Seminar scheduled for Nov 8-10 in Carlsbad, Calif, and Nov 11-13 in Baltimore—both sponsored by Swan Analytical Instruments.
The seminars are hosted by PowerPlant Chemistry®, the world’s leading publication serving powerplant chemists. The program, covering both cycle- and cooling-water chemistry, focuses on the needs of station chemists, instrument technicians, maintenance personnel, water-treatment-system designers/engineers, and corporate chemistry staff. Speakers include Addison and Michael Rziha, a chemist who chairs the IAPWS working group on Power Cycle Chemistry.
Generator Users Group (GUG), formed by/for owner/operators, to meet November 4-5
A generator users group, chaired by Kent N Smith of Duke Energy, has been formed to provide owner/operators of electric generators at coal-fired, nuclear, and combined- and simple-cycle gas turbine plants the opportunity to share experiences, best practices, and lessons learned on design, installation, operation, maintenance, and overhaul. Expected outcomes are improved safety, maintainability, availability/reliability, and efficiency, as well as the transfer of industry knowledge from experienced engineers to those wanting to gain hands-on know-how.
Steering committee members in addition to Smith are Vice Chair Ryan Harrison of ATCO Power (Canada), John Demcko of APS, Joe Riebau of Constellation (an Exelon company), Leopoldo Duque Balderas of COMEGO (Mexico), Jagadeesh Srirama of NV Energy, and Dave Fischli of Duke Energy. Respected generator consultant Clyde Maughan serves the committee as an advisor.
The first meeting will be held November 4-5 at host utility NV Energy’s Beltway Complex. The group’s website is in development with an expectation of going live August 3, complete with meeting registration capability. Seating will be limited to about 50 qualified users on a first-come/first-served basis. If you want to be notified when registration opens, alert Maughan by using the link provided and hitting “Send.” Website host is the International Generator Technical Community; media partner is CCJ ONline.
Sulzer acquires Precision Gas Turbine
Sulzer acquired the business of Precision Gas Turbine Inc of Plantation, Fla, on June 3, 2015. Precision, founded in 1997, offered a wide variety of gas-turbine services both inside and outside the US. Work on V machines was one of the company’s specialties.
Peter Alexander, president of Sulzer’s Rotating Equipment Services Div, told the editors, “Precision Gas Turbine greatly enhances our gas-turbine service competencies, primarily in the US, but also worldwide. The acquisition will allow us to offer rotating services to the benefit of existing and new customers in the power market. In addition, we expect sales synergies from insourcing workshop repairs to our existing Houston location.”
Full integration of Precision into Sulzer’s North American service operation is to begin immediately after closing.
Emera Energy selects GE to upgrade Tiverton
Halifax-based Emera Energy has selected GE to upgrade its COD 2000 Tiverton Power 1 × 1 7FA.03-powered combined cycle to increase efficiency, generating capability, and availability—all while reducing operating costs and environmental impacts. Emera acquired the plant, which dispatches to ISO-New England, from Calpine Corp in 2013.
Tiverton would be the first North American combined cycle to incorporate three FlexEfficiency™ upgrades from the OEM: a new Dot-04 compressor, DLN 2.6+ combustion system, and GE’s Advanced Gas Path technology solution. Expectations are that Tiverton Power would save about $1 million annually in fuel, extract an additional 22 MW from the 265-MW combined cycle, and reduce heat rate by 3.4% at ISO conditions.
The three upgrades are scheduled for implementation during a planned maintenance outage in April 2016 and expectations are commissioning will be about a month later.
Inspection guide for drum-level instrumentation
The 2015 edition of “Boiler Inspection Guidelines for Drum Level Instrumentation,” issued by Clark-Reliance Corp, concisely presents inspection requirements for ease of reference by O&M personnel. The basis for the seemingly indestructible, spiral-bound 5.5 × 8 in. book is Section I of the ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code. It includes requirements for water columns, water gage valves, gage glass, remote level indicators, magnetic water-level gages and water-column isolation shutoff valves.
The information is up-to-date and incorporates 2013 Code changes, and recommendations from Section 7. Additionally, the guidebook lists the most common non-compliant drum-level equipment arrangements and recommended solutions. The book is free to qualified recipients.
