Inspection Tips (how to prepare for an internal boiler inspection)

This document gives you basic guidelines on how to prepare a boiler for an internal boiler
inspection. Internal boiler inspections are often requested by inspectors so that they can view the
water and fire sides of the boiler and gage the level of scale, corrosion, or damage to the boiler.
Internal boiler inspections are very critical in large boilers with open loop systems.

The inspector is the ultimate resource for preparation efforts, so please use this document as a
general guide only (it is meant to advise only). If you have questions or concerns, please bring
those up to your inspector prior to the boiler inspection.

Responsibility of Safety During Internal Boiler Inspection:

The owner-user and Inspector shall determine that the pressure retaining items may be entered
safely. This shall include:

 Potential hazards associated with entry into the object have been identified by the owner-
user and are brought to the attention of the Inspector, along with accept-able means or
methods for dealing with each of these hazards;
 Coordination of entry into the object by the Inspector and an owner-user
representative(s) working in or near the object;
 If personal protective equipment is required to enter an object, the necessary equipment
is available, and the Inspector is properly trained in its use;
 An effective energy isolation program is in place and in effect that will prevent the
unexpected energizing, start up or release of stored energy (lock out and/or tag out );
 All applicable safety regulations are otherwise being followed. This includes applicable
governmental, state, regional, and/or local rules and regulations. The owner-user
programs or the Inspectors’ employers’ safety programs or similar regulations also
apply. In the absence of such rules, prudent and generally accepted engineering safety
procedures satisfactory to the Inspector shall be employed by the owner-user.

Preparation for Internal Boiler Inspection:

 When a boiler is to be prepared for internal boiler inspection, the water should not be
withdrawn until the setting has been sufficiently cooled at a rate to avoid damage to the
boiler.

 The owner or user should prepare a boiler for internal boiler inspection in the following
manner:
o The fuel supply and ignition system shall be locked out and/or tagged out, in
accordance with the owner-user’s procedures.
o Water shall be withdrawn and the waterside thoroughly washed.
o Manhole and hand-hole plates, washout plugs, as well as boiler inspection plugs
in water column connections shall be removed as required by the Inspector. The
boiler shall be cooled and thoroughly cleaned.
o Any leakage of steam or hot water into the boiler shall be prevented by
disconnecting the pipe or valve at the most convenient point or any appropriate
means approved by the Inspector.
 o Before opening the manhole(s) and entering any part of a boiler which is
connected to a common header with other boilers, the required steam or water
system stop valves (including bypass) must be closed, locked out and/or tagged
out in accordance with the owner-user’s procedures, and drain valves or cocks
between the two closed stop valves opened. After draining the boiler, the blow-off
valves shall be closed, locked out and/or tagged out in accordance with the owner-
user’s procedures. Alternatively, lines may be blanked or sections of pipe
removed. Blow-off lines, where practicable, shall be disconnected between
pressure parts and valves. All drains and vent lines shall be open.

 The Inspector shall not enter a boiler before all safety precautions listed above have been
taken. The Inspector shall ensure that all free blow vent or drain valves are open. The
temperature of the boiler shall be such that the inspecting personnel will not be exposed
to excessive heat.

 The Inspector shall be satisfied that a safe atmosphere exists before entering either the
fire side or waterside of a boiler. The Inspector shall not be permitted to enter an area
containing toxic, flammable or inert gases, vapors or dusts without appropriate personal
protective equipment. The oxygen content of the breath-able atmosphere shall be
between 19.5% and 23.5%.

 Personal protective equipment and clothing must be worn as appropriate. This may
include, among other items, protective outer clothing, gloves, eye protection, and foot
protection. The Inspector shall have the proper training governing the selection and use of
any personal protective equipment necessary to safely perform each boiler inspection.
Particular attention shall be afforded respiratory protection if the testing of the
atmosphere of the object reveals any of the hazards noted in paragraph above.
 If requested by the Inspector or required by regulation or applicable procedure, a
responsible person (“attendant”) shall remain outside the boiler at the point of entry while
the Inspector is inside and shall monitor activity inside and outside and communicate
with the Inspector as necessary. The attendant shall have a means of summoning rescue
assistance if needed and to facilitate rescue procedures for those inside the boiler without
personally entering the boiler.

IF A BOILER HAS NOT BEEN PROPERLY PREPARED FOR AN INTERNAL BOILER

INSPECTION, THE INSPECTOR SHALL DECLINE TO MAKE THE INSPECTION.

BOILER INSPECTION TECHNIQUES :

Tools and Degradation Identification
Eric P. ThurstonDavid N. French Metallurgists1345 Old Preston

Highway N.Louisville, KY 40229ethurston@davidnfrench.com

ABSTRACT

The unav ail abili ty of coal fi red elec tric al generati ng c a

pac ity when needed is often
attributable to corrosion in steam generators. Such
problems are becoming more widespreadas electrici ty
demand grows fas ter than new pl ants come onli ne,
forci ng greater us e of ol d plants. Identifying such corrosion

they force
problems before

boiler shutdowns
requires
proper inspection
 tools and techni
ques. These ena
ble inspectors to
take the guessw
ork out of whethe
r boiler tubes
should be
repaired or
replaced.Keywor
ds: boiler
inspection tools,
boiler inspection
techniques, NDE,
corrosion, boiler
tubes,steam
generators.INTR
ODUCTION
The goal of
today’s boiler
inspect
ion programs is
to increase the
availability,
efficiency,and
reliability of the
existing power
plants and ensure
safe and cost
effective
operation.
Power generators
are extending th
e time
period between u
nit
shutdowns which
makes
scheduledoutage
s even more
important to
completely
examine the
boiler in order to
operate until
thenext schedule
d outage. As the
United States util
ity boiler fleet ag
es, and the time
periodsbetween
shutdowns incre
ase, the proper i
nspection tools a
nd techniques ne
eded to find,obs
erve, and docum
ent current and
possible failures
are paramount.
Before large and
cumbersome
inspection rigs
are assembled
for inspecting
large areas in the
firebox, it is
the job of the insp
ectors to inspect
all surfaces and f
ocus the inspectio
n rigs on the degr
adedareas. The
following paper
outlines the tools
and techniques
needed for
properly
conducting
1
06
and documenting
a boiler
inspection. The
degradation
mechanisms will
first be
introduced,
andthen the
techniques and
tools used to find
each mechanism
will be
discussed.Degrad
ation Mechanisms
Observed Using
the Proper
Inspection
Techniques in
Utility BoilersLong
Term
Overheating: The
steam
temperature
always varies
some from
individual
tubeto tube, and
the boiler design
allows for this v
ariability. Howev
er, when the ran
ge of temperatur
es is larger
than anticipated,
the hottest tubes
fail sooner than
expected. A
morelikely cause
of premature
failure is the slow
increase in tube-
metal
temperatures due
to theformation
of the steam-
side
scale. Steam
reacts with steel
to form iron oxid
e
along the IDsurfa
ce of the tube. In
any event, the
thermal
conductivity
of the steam side
scale is about
5%of the thermal
conductivity of th
e
steel tube. Thus,
 an
effective insulati
ng layer forms a
ndprevents
proper cooling of
the tube metal by
the steam. The
net effect of the
scale is to
raisethe
tube metal temp
erature. Dependi
ng on the scale
thickness, which
is dependent on
thetime and tem
perature of oper
ation, tube-
metal temperatur
e increases of 25
to 75
o
F (14 to42
o
C) are likely. The
presence of scale
can increase
tube metal
temperatures
beyond the
safedesign
range. These
elevated
temperatures
result in
increased creep
deformation rates,
morerapid
oxidation and
corrosion (thinner
walls and higher
stress) and
hasten the onset
of creepfailu
Creep failures are
characterized
by:1. Bulging or
blisters in the
tube.2. Thick-
edged fractures
often with
very little
obvious ductility.3
. Longitudinal
"stress cracks"
in either or both
ID and OD oxide
scales.4. Extern
al or internal oxi
de-
scale thicknesse
s that suggest hi
gher-
than expected-
temperatures.5.
Microstructure
has intergranular
voids and
cracks.In steam
touched tubes,
often the very
first sign of creep
damage is
longitudinal
cracks inthe
steam-side
scale. As creep
deformation
expands the tube
diameter,
the brittle
ID scalecannot
follow the
expansion. Crack
s develop in the
direction, which
is perpendicular
to theprinciple
hoop stress. With
time, the tube
continues to
expand, and
these cracks
widen. Thiswide
crack shortens
the path from
steam to steel;
iron oxide forms
preferentially at
the tip of the
crack, as there is
less oxide
thickness to
protect the steel;
and a cusp
forms within
thesteel
tube. The cusp
acts as a notch
or a stress riser,
reducing the
local wall
thickness. Creep
voids form here,
often before any
other obvious
grain-boundary
damage appears
elsewherewithin
the
microstructure. Wi
th continued high-
temperature
operation, creep
cracks grow
fromthe cusp and
ultimately weaken
the cross section
to the point where
failure
occurs. Ash Corro
sion (oil, coal, ref
use): Carbon and
alloy steels devel
op corrosion resis
tanc
Ash Corrosion (oil
, coal, refuse): Ca
rbon and alloy ste
els develop corro
sion resistancefro
m the formation
of protective
oxide scales. The
denser and more
tightly bound the
oxidesare, the m
ore corrosion res
istant the materi
al will be. Any pr
ocess that remov
es protectiveoxid
es will promote
more rapid
corrosion
wastage. Any
process that
prevents the
formation
of these oxides
will also promote
more rapid
corrosion
Whether the fuel
burned is oil or
coal, and
whether the
corrosion
location is in the
furnaceat
temperatures of
500 to 700
o
F (260 to 371
o
C) or the high-
temperature
components at a
metaltemperature
above 1,000
o
F (538
o
C), the corrosion
mechanisms are
similar.
Constituents
withinthe ash
form a low-
melting-
point species or
a mixture of seve
ral compounds t
hat has therequir
ed low melting
point. These low-
melting-point
species dissolve
the protective
iron
oxideon the surf
ace of the boiler
tube and bring t
he bare metal in
contact with oxy
gen. Twoobserv
ations: a) the
melting point
discussed here is
not the ash
fusion
temperature, and
b)
theaction of thes
e liquids is like a
brazing flux; it d
issolves and pre
vents the formati
on of aprotective
oxide film.In the
case of furnace-
wall corrosion,
mixtures of
sodium and
potassium
pyrosulfates
arethe suspected
liquid species.
Melting points
between 635
o
F (336
o
C) and 770
o
F (410
o
C)
havebeen report
ed for ash consti
tuents on furnac
e walls under se
vere coal-
ash corrosion. F
or corrosion of
steam cooled
tubes at
temperatures
above 1000
o
F (538
o
C) in coal-fired
boilers,sodium
and potassium-
iron trisulfates
are the culprits.
The exact
melting point
depends on
therelative
amounts of
sodium and
potassium, but
the minimum
melting point can
be as low as1030
o
F (554
o
C)
1
. In oil-
fired boilers, mixt
ures of vanadiu
m pentoxide and
sodium oxide or
vanadium
pentoxide and
sodium sulfate
are the problem.
Again, the
precise
composition
willdictate the
particular melting
point, but these
compounds can
melt at
temperatures as
low as950
o
F (510
o
C). In municipal-
refuse burners w
here appreciable
chlorine, from p
olyvinylchloride,
is part of the
fuel, various chlo
rides
or mixtures of ch
lorides
will serve the sa
mepurpose.
Mixtures of
iron, sodium,
zinc, lead, and
perhaps calcium
chlorides
will form low-
melting-point
species
2
. There are many
combinations of
chlorides that ha
ve melting points
below 600
o
F (315
o
C) and some less
than 350
o
F (177
o
C)
The morphology
or appearance of
fuel-ash
corrosion is
variable. For
steam cooled
tubesin an oil-
fired boiler, the
corrosion patter
n depends on th
e volume of liqu
id and theaerody
namics of the
flue-gas flow over
the tube. In coal-
fired boilers, the
appearance takes
theform of a
series of grooves
and is
sometimes
referred to as
"alligator hide"
3
. For water
walltubes, espe
cially in super-
critical units bur
ning coal, the a
ppearance is a
series of circumf
erential grooves
or cracks. In cro
ss section, again
, the appearance
is a series of sh
allow grooves. A
 micrometer me
asurement woul
d show that the
gross fire-
side wallthicknes
s is not
substantially
different from the
cold or casing
side. The wall
thickness at the
tipof the crack
can, of course,
be thin enough
to form a steam
leak. In the case
of a
refuseburner, th
e appearance is
one of a smooth
and uniform wa
stage that reduc
es the wallthickn
ess. Corrosion
rates can be
exceedingly high.
Carbon-steel
wastage rates of
about 1/2inch per
year (1.27 cm per
year) (failure in
less than 2,000
hours of
operation) are
known.Thermal
Fatigue: Fatigue
results from
reversed
plastic strain
in metallic
crystals. If
plasticstraining is
confined to micr
oscopic or submi
croscopic region
s in an otherwise
elasticallystress
ed component, it
is likely that a si
ngle crack will o
ccur, originating
at the point of m
aximum local
stress and
minimum local
strength in the
entire structure.
Thermal fatigue
mayresult in
either low-cycle or
high-cycle failure.
Cracking that
occurs after many
cycles of
loadingis high-
cycle fatigue and
has no
macroscopic
evidence of
plastic flow. On
the other
hand,when
plastic straining
is more
extensive, there
is a greater
likelihood that
cracks will initiate
atmany discontin
uities after fewer
cycles of loadin
g (low-
cycle fatigue) an
d that there will b
emacroscopic
evidence of
plastic flow. The
fracture surfaces
exhibit some
plastic flow which
isindicative of lo
w-
cycle fatigue. Lo
w-
cycle thermal fati
gue is usually as
sociated with lar
ge
plastic strains and
is most often
caused by large
changes in
temperature or
large differences
inthermal
expansion
between two
structural
members.Pressur
e and thermal
cycling during
start-up and
shutdown are the
most common
causesof low-
cycle fatigue
failures. Design
factors that
concentrate
strain influence
low-cycle
fatigueas well as
high-cycle
fatigue; however,
the effect is not
quite the same.
When service
stressesare high
enough to be
conducive to low-
cycle fatigue, the
presence of a
severe stress
riser willoften
cause complete
fracture to occur
on the first load
cycle. Mild stress
risers usually do
notlead to fractu
re on the first cy
cle, but only ind
uce localized yie
lding, and multip
le crackinitiation.
Water in soot blo
wers, water lanc
es, and
water cannons m
ay
lead to a crazing
pattern. The
predominant
cracks will be
circumferential
and the minor
cracks will be
axial
4
.Dissimilar Metal
Weld
Failures: Dissimil
ar metal weld
(DMW) cracking
is caused by
theapplication of
temperatures and
stresses that
increase oxide
wedge formation
and
acceleratethe
creep process. T
he total stress
applied
to the joint includ
es stresses that
arise fromdiffere
nces in the
coefficient of
thermal
expansion; from
internal steam
pressure, tube
deadweight, and
through wall
thermal
gradients; and
from constraints
to thermal
expansion due
totube support
malfunction. Dissi
milar metal weld
cracking
produces a
circumferential
fracture inthe
joint. Cracks
typically form at
the toe of the
weld in the heat-
affected zone of
the
ferriticalloy. Poor
geometry of the
weld, excessive
undercut,
and other stress
factors will
aggravatethe
crack
formation. A
brittle, thick
edged fracture
results from the
linking up
of creep
voidsadjacent to
carbide
precipitates along
the grain
boundaries.The
key factors
affecting DMW
cracking are the
magnitude of the
temperature
swing
andthe frequenc
y (number of cyc
les). The likeliho
od of initiating d
amage and the
extent of damag
e increase with
wider
temperature
swings and
an increasing
number of
cycles. Startupan
d shutdown of
equipment can
cause thermal
fatigue. There is
no set limit on
temperatureswin
gs; however, as
a practical rule, c
racking may be s
uspected if the t
emperature swin
gexceeds about
200°F (111
o
C)
5
. Damage is also
promoted by ra
pid changes in s
urfacetemperatur
e that result in a
varied
temperature
through the
thickness or
along the length
of acomponent.
Time to failure is
a function of
stress and the
number of cycles.
Erosion (fly ash,
corrosion, soot b
lower): Erosion i
nvolves impact
of large numbers
of small solid
particles against
a surface.
Erosion by solid
particles is a
form of abrasive
wear.Erosion-
corrosion is a
description for
the damage that
occurs when
corrosion
contributes
toerosion by rem
oving protective f
ilms or scales, or
by exposing the
metal surface to
further corrosion
under the comb
ined action of er
osion and corros
ion
6
. Abrasive erosi
on of superheat
er tubes results f
rom impact by p
articles of fly ash
entrained in the
flue gases.Erosio
n is enhanced by
high flow
velocities; thus,
partial fouling of
gas passages in
tube bandsby
deposition of fly
ash can lead to
erosion by
forcing the flue
gases to flow
through
smaller passages
at higher velocity.
This effect,
sometimes called
laning, exposes
tube surfaces to
agreater
probability of
impact by
particles having
higher kinetic
energy, thus
increasing the
rateof damage.
Erosion by fly
ash causes
polishing, flat
spots, wall
thinning, and
eventual
tuberupture
Erosion (fly ash,
corrosion, soot b
lower): Erosion i
nvolves impact
of large numbers
of small solid
particles against
a surface.
Erosion by solid
particles is a
form of abrasive
wear.Erosion-
corrosion is a
description for
the damage that
occurs when
corrosion
contributes
toerosion by rem
oving protective f
ilms or scales, or
by exposing the
metal surface to
further corrosion
under the comb
ined action of er
osion and corros
ion
6
. Abrasive erosi
on of superheat
er tubes results f
rom impact by p
articles of fly ash
entrained in the
flue gases.Erosio
n is enhanced by
high flow
velocities; thus,
partial fouling of
gas passages in
tube bandsby
deposition of fly
ash can lead to
erosion by
forcing the flue
gases to flow
through
smaller passages
at higher velocity.
This effect,
sometimes called
laning, exposes
tube surfaces to
agreater
probability of
impact by
particles having
higher kinetic
energy, thus
increasing the
rateof damage.
Erosion by fly
ash causes
polishing, flat
spots, wall
thinning, and
eventual
tuberupture
Fly ash erosion
can occur at
locations
that:1. Have gaps
between the tube
bank and the
duct
walls.2. Have gas
bypass channels
where the
velocity of the
flue gas can be
much higher
thanthat of the
main flow.3. Have
protrusions or
misalignment of
tubing
rows.4. Are
adjacent to areas
with large
accumulations of
ash.Reducing
Conditions:
Reducing
conditions will
increase
corrosion rates.
The presence
of carbon monoxi
de and/or unburn
ed carbon and h
ydrogen sulfide p
romote the forma
tion of metallic
sulfides. Iron
sulfide, for
example, is
inherently less
protective than
iron oxide.
Sulfidestend to b
e less protective
because they ar
e porous and
less firmly attach
ed to the steel. A
lternate oxidizing
and reducing con
ditions are no hel
p either. The oxid
e that forms durin
goxygen-rich
cycles is reduced
or made less
sound during the
reducing part of
the cycle. In fact,it
is not unusual in
municipal-refuse
burners to find a
strong smell of
hydrogen sulfide
(a rotten-egg
aroma) on a
freshly broken
ash sample. The
presence of
hydrogen sulfide
is positive proof of
a reducing
furnace
atmosphere.Tube
Misalignment:
Tube
misalignment is
common in
boilers.
Alignment
spacers,
buckstays or
attachment welds
break, and due to
the
thermodynamics
of the water-
cooled or
steamcooled
tube, the tube
bends in the path
of least
resistance which
can misalign the
tube.
Thismisalignment
can increase
erosion due to
impingement into
the fly ash path,
or soot blower,
or water lance p
ath. Corrosion c
an also be exac
erbated by tube
misalignment du
e toencroachmen
t into the burner
path or fly ash
path.Slag
Crushes: Falling
slag damage
results from
impacts by fused
coal ash deposits
or re-solidified
molten material
that detach from
furnace walls and
superheater
pendants. The
slag isdirected
towards the ash
hopper by the
furnace lower
sloping wall.
Damage can
occur fromeither
erosion or
mechanical
impact results to
water tubing in
either sloping
wall tubes
and/or the ash
hopper. Slag
crushes are due
to mechanical
impact. Acid dew-
point corrosion: In
boiler terminolog
y, "acid dew-
point" refers to th
e sulfuric-
aciddew-point, as
this is the highest
dew-point
temperature.
Both sulfurous
acid and
hydrochloricacid
condense at
lower
temperatures.
For hydrochloric
acid, the dew-
point may be as
low as130
o
F (54
o
C). While the pre
cise dew-
point for sulfuric
acid depends on
the sulfur-
trioxideconcentra
tion, at 10 parts
per million (ppm),
or 0.001 wt%, of
sulfur trioxide in
the flue gas
thedew-
point is 280
o
F (138
o
C). The exact de
w-
point depends o
n the concentrati
on of thesegaseo
us species, but it
is around 300
o
F (149
o
C). Surfaces that
are cooler than
300
o
F (149
o
C
are likely
locations for dew-
point corrosion.
Any point along
the flue-gas path,
from
combustionin the
furnace to the top
of the chimney, is
a possible site.
Any flue-gas leak
can also
causethis type of
corrosion. The
obvious locations
are openings to
the furnace,
support
penetrationsthrou
gh the roof, leaks
around
superheater,
reheater and
economizer
penetrations, and
the air pre-
heater. Load, ox
ygen levels, sulf
ur in fuel, moistu
re content of the
fuel and boiler c
leanliness are
also parameters
that will affect the
acid dew-point
temperature.
Since theseare
difficult to
measure, and
correlate, on a
continuous basis,
it can be difficult
to
understandthe ef
fects of each par
ameter on the de
w-
point temperatur
e. This dew-
point temperatur
evariation, when
uncontrolled,
could result in
the conden
Acid dew-
point corrosion: In
boiler terminolog
y, "acid dew-
point" refers to th
e sulfuric-
aciddew-point, as
this is the highest
dew-point
temperature.
Both sulfurous
acid and
hydrochloricacid
condense at
lower
temperatures.
For hydrochloric
acid, the dew-
point may be as
low as130
o
F (54
o
C). While the pre
cise dew-
point for sulfuric
acid depends on
the sulfur-
trioxideconcentra
tion, at 10 parts
per million (ppm),
or 0.001 wt%, of
sulfur trioxide in
the flue gas
thedew-
point is 280
o
F (138
o
C). The exact de
w-
point depends o
n the concentrati
on of thesegaseo
us species, but it
is around 300
o
F (149
o
C). Surfaces that
are cooler than
300
o
F (149
o
C)are likely
locations for dew-
point corrosion.
Any point along
the flue-gas path,
from
combustionin the
furnace to the top
of the chimney, is
a possible site.
Any flue-gas leak
can also
causethis type of
corrosion. The
obvious locations
are openings to
the furnace,
support
penetrationsthrou
gh the roof, leaks
around
superheater,
reheater and
economizer
penetrations, and
the air pre-
heater. Load, ox
ygen levels, sulf
ur in fuel, moistu
re content of the
fuel and boiler c
leanliness are
also parameters
that will affect the
acid dew-point
temperature.
Since theseare
difficult to
measure, and
correlate, on a
continuous basis,
it can be difficult
to
understandthe ef
fects of each par
ameter on the de
w-
point temperatur
e. This dew-
point temperatur
evariation, when
uncontrolled,
could result in
the condensation
of the sulfuric
acid on the
metalwalls,
economizer
sections, and
stack linings
resulting acid
dew-point
corrosion.