TubeMod™
TubeMod™ can defer or eliminate tube replacements; prevent tube failures; reduce tube temperatures below alarm set points and allow units to get back to full load; improve plant reliability; and stop high temperature creep damage caused by thermal cycling.
Intertek has evaluated the remaining life of hundreds of superheaters and reheaters in fossil power plants. While the bulk steam temperature may typically be 1000˚F, the steam temperatures in some of the tubes may be more than 100˚F higher or lower than the bulk steam temperature. Elevated tube metal temperatures cause serious problems:
- Increased tube failures due to high temperature creep
- Accelerated consumption of tube life
- Tube warping and excessive expansion
- High localized thermal stresses in the outlet header, resulting in header ligament cracking
Previously, when these severe problems were identified, plant engineers had only two options for future action: first, undergo costly partial or total tube replacements to avoid failures; or second, do nothing until failures and the resulting forced outages occurred.
Intertek developed and patented TubeMod to provide a more cost effective alternative to these options. The superheater or reheater is first given an examination both in the furnace and in the penthouse using the Boiler Tube Remaining Useful Life System. TubeMod moves cooling steam flow from the tubes with the longest remaining useful lives to the tubes with the least remaining useful lives. The increased steam flow causes these tubes to run at lower temperatures and increased remaining lives. TubeMod balances the life of the superheater or reheater, by taking life away from tubes with “excess” life and giving life to tubes which need it the most. Early tubes failures are avoided and the remaining life of the whole superheater or reheater is optimized.
Contact us to see how Intertek can help your organization with TubeMod™.