HEAT-RECOVERY STEAM GENERATORS
NDT innovations
showcased at HRSG Forum
I
nnovations, looks forward, and
Snake-eye camera
disclosure of new ideas were
hallmarks of the second annual
HRSG Forum with Bob Anderson,
held earlier this year in Houston (CCJ
Crawler wheels
1Q/2018, p 63). TesTex Inc, Pittsburgh,
Pa, was there with a collection of ideas
including its proprietary remote field
electromagnetic technique (RFET) Snorkel
equipment (Fig 1).
For internal tube inspection, TesTex
has developed and operates this proven Probe feed module
method for accessing the finned tubes
through the headers. Forum partici-
pants could not only see the system and
watch it operate; they could touch it.
With the internal access tool insert- 1. Internal access tool positions the probe head in Fig 2 in the boiler tube
ed, a flexible RFET multichannel
probe head is inserted into each tube
(Fig 2). The probe includes a camera,
a driver coil that saturates the mate-
rial with an electromagnetic field, and
eight individual pick-up coils that
sense changes to the field, indicat-
ing pitting or wall loss. Results are
shown both visually and graphically,
and recorded.
The probe is inserted into the ver-
tical tubes and pushed upward to the Camera for visual inspection Individual channel coils
top header. It captures readings and sense changes to the
video images as it is inserted into and Driver coil saturates the EM field, indicating
material with an EM field pitting or wall loss
retracted from each tube. The flexible
multichannel system travels at 2 to 2. Probe head travels up through boiler tubes to identify any pitting or wall loss
3 in./sec, collecting 480 samples per
channel per second, at a frequency etary low-frequency electromagnetic thickness, with 0.75 in. fins. Two
of 15 Hz. technique (LFET) system. With this, 0.5-in.-diam pits had been machined
“Assuming the conductivity and TesTex personnel can examine HRSG on the inside tube surface (30% and
magnetic permeability of the tube finned tubes from the exterior to detect 60% deep). Three output views were
are constant, any variations in wall and quantify internal pitting, wall presented: side-view phase plot, top-
thickness at the two coils cause a thinning attributed to flow-accelerated view simulated color B-scan, and 3-D
change in the phase and amplitude of corrosion, and other damage issues. window (Fig 3).
the received signal,” explained Shawn The signal penetrates the tube through LFET inspections are designed to
Gowatski, manager of the company’s the fins to identify any tube wall thin- locate and identify pitting, general
solutions providers group. “The mul- ning or irregularity. wall loss, caustic and phosphate goug-
tiple pickup coils allow detection of “This hand-operated system is ing, corrosion cells, hydrogen damage,
small localized anomalies.” used for the leading- and trailing-edge microbiologically induced corrosion
To enable the probe to complete the HRSG tubes. A two-person crew can attack, flow-accelerated corrosion,
90-deg horizontal-to-vertical bend, the examine approximately 1,000 linear cracking, erosion, and manufacturing
current header ID minimum is 5.25 feet of tubes in a shift,” explained defects.
in. There is no maximum ID limit. Gowatski. The technology is also used Also of interest at the HRSG
Current header-to-header tube length on tube walls and sections of large Forum was the balanced field electro-
limit is 70 ft. fossil-fired utility boilers. magnetic technique (BFET) inspection
TesTex has been working with The hands-on demonstration at for tube-to-header welds. Customized
RFET since 1987. the HRSG Forum featured a 2-in.- claws (Fig 4) hold sensors and cam-
Also on display was the propri- OD carbon steel tube, 0.150-in. wall eras as the assembly moves circum-
44 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 57, Second Quarter 2018
LMS100
Side view (phase)
Owner/operators
Come up to speed on the
latest O&M and design
practices for LM engines in
Top view (phase) 3-D window simple-cycle, cogen, and
combined-cycle service to:
IMPROVE reliability,
availability, heat rate
REDUCE emissions
206 891 1576 2261 0 913 1826 2738
MAXIMIZE revenue by
Zoomed phase Raw full length (phase) providing grid ancillary
3. Waveform display confirms 30%- and 60%-deep pits from a calibration services
standard Join more than 500 LM user colleagues
from around the globe at the 29th
annual meeting of the Western Turbine
Users and get:
◆ Comprehensive engine-specific
technical training focusing on current
equipment issues. Deliverables include
a fully illustrated Training Manual
developed by WTUI and repair-depot
personnel, and a review of current OEM
service bulletins and letters. Technical
guidance is provided by Air New
4. Customized Zealand Gas Turbines, GE, IHI, MTU
claws hold sensors Maintenance, and TransCanada
and cameras as the Turbines.
assembly moves cir- ◆ User-only open discussion to
cumferentially around Tube
Camera share experiences and obtain answers
the weld to detect to your questions.
cracking, lack of
Sensor ◆ An exhibition that brings together
fusion, porosity, etc
(above) nearly 200 providers of products and
services for LM aero engine operating
5. Arm claw traver-
ses the full 360 deg plants. Learn about new offerings, get
of the tube-to-header Weld product updates, evaluate in-service
weld (right) experience.
He ◆ Benchmark your units against the
ad
ferentially around er fleet with ORAP™ data from Strategic
the weld. Results Power Systems Inc.
detect and confirm
any cracking, lack of
fusion, porosity, or other defect. sensors assess the tube-to-header
Western Turbine
This is used for header diameters of
four in. and larger. The claws are able
welds in an HRSG without any surface
preparation. “Our clients like the fact
Users, Inc.
to examine the tube-to-header welds the claw is able to examine 360 deg World’s largest user
for tube diameters of 1.5 to 2.5 in. around the tube to header weld and organization serving LM
These claws traverse 360 deg of the they do not have to perform any sand gas-turbine owner/operators
tube-to-header weld (two coils spaced blasting,” said Gowatski.
180 deg apart) and include two cam- TesTex provides NDT products 2019 Conference & Expo
eras for visual inspection and record- and services for both ferrous and non- South Point Hotel
ing (Fig 5). ferrous components. Clients include Las Vegas, Nev
The arm claw can examine the first fossil and nuclear power generation, March 17-20, 2019
two rows from the access point. A chemicals, and refining, among others. www.wtui.com
crew is able to inspect approximately The company also performs corrosion- 513-604-8018
200 welds per shift. Electromagnetic under-insulation inspections. ccj
COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 57, Second Quarter 2018 45
