Protect Your Turbines from Silica with a Low Maintenance Analyzer
Silica in boiler feedwater can lead to unplanned shutdowns and extra maintenance. A major Spanish fertilizer producer has switched to a METTLER TOLEDO silica analyzer. Its accuracy, low maintenance, and easy operation are saving them many man hours.
Highly damaging deposits
Silica has no significant corrosive effect on boilers, but its presence in water / steam is nonetheless very detrimental. It forms extremely hard coatings in water / steam passageways and on turbine blades, leading to reduced heat transfer efficiency and unbalanced blades. Silica build-up requires shutdowns and lengthy maintenance to remove it.
Ppb level measurements are essential
Silica is in all water supplies, and membrane separation and ion exchange is needed to extract it. Direct, continuous silica measurement is the most effective means to protect against contamination from silica escape due to spent anion resin. Silica is also in cooling water, so ppb level measurement provides excellent sensitivity in detecting small condenser leaks and for monitoring concentration of silica in the water / steam cycle. Moreover, a growing number of turbine manufacturers are requiring ppb level silica limits in incoming steam as a condition for warranties.
Time-consuming maintenance on existing instrument
A Spanish fertilizer company had silica analyzers installed at their power plant to monitor boiler feedwater, but measurement accuracy was not as good as instrument engineers were hoping for, plus the units consumed large quantities of reagents, and required regular time-consuming maintenance. Having heard of METTLER TOLEDO Thornton’s 2800Si silica analyzer, the engineers asked for a demonstration unit to gauge the 2800Si’s capabilities and maintenance requirement.
Optimized design meets silica measurement challenges
The 2800Si is a highly reliable on-line instrument designed for power cycle chemistry monitoring. It provides early detection of trace silica contamination with minimal operator supervision. In addition, the 2800Si analyzer allows unattended automatic calibration at a user-configured interval. Its large volume reagent containers enable long-term operation before refilling becomes necessary.
Impressive performance
Over the test period plant engineers were delighted not only with the analyzer’s measurement accuracy, but also with its trouble-free operation. And after the successful test, 2800Si analyzers were ordered for the fertilizer plant. Facility managers report that since installation they have seen a dramatic drop in time spent on silica analyzer maintenance, and any increase in silica levels is rapidly identified.
Low maintenance Large reagent containers enable long service intervals
No calibration Automated calibration saves operator time and provides excellent repeatability
Tolerates plant environment The full enclosure safely protects reagent containers and components.
Less operator intervention Simultaneous display of silica and measurement timing provides convenient analyzer status at a glance.
Highlights of the guide include:
- Fighting Corrosion, Scaling and Fouling in China’s Largest Petrochemical Plant
- TNK-BP Improves Its Desalting with In-line pH Analysis
- pH Control in Ethylene Quenching
- Improved Optical DO Technology – Minimizes Power Plant Corrosion
- Power Plant Conductivity Measurement in Water Treatment and Cycle Chemistry
- Safeguard Water and Steam Purity with a Sodium Analyzer
Get your free copy: here
METTLER TOLEDO Process and Analytics website: https://www.mt.com/pro
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Check out how measurement at ppb levels allowed a major Spanish fertilizer producer to save many man hours. READ MORE
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