Tube failures due to cooling process problem and foreign materials in power plants

• Main Authors: Ahmad J., Purbolaksono J., Beng L.C.
• Other Authors: 57210531371
• Format: Article
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: Cooling; Failure analysis; Metallurgy; Nuclear power plants; Rhodium compounds; Tubes (components); Visual communication; Coal fired plants; Cooling process; Ductile rupture; Failure mitigation; Foreign materials; Higher temperatures; Metallurgical examination; Nuclear plant; Outer surface; Right-hand sides; Root cause of failures; Short-term overheating; Shut down; Thin edge; Tube failures; Visual inspection; Water flows; Water wall tubes; Plant shutdowns

Cooling process which uses water for heat transfer is an essential factor in coal-fired and nuclear plants. Loss of cooling upset can force the plants to shut down. In particular, this paper reports visual inspections and metallurgical examinations on the failed SA210-A1 right-hand side (RHS) water wall tube of a coal-fired plant. The water wall tube showed the abnormal outer surface colour and has failed with wide-open ductile rupture and thin edges indicating typical signs of short-term overheating. Metallurgical examinations confirmed the failed tube experiencing higher temperature operation. Water flow starvation due to restriction inside the upstream tube is identified as the main root cause of failure. The findings are important to take failure mitigation actions in the future operation. Discussion on the typical problems related to the cooling process in nuclear power plants is also presented. � 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.