Regaining Lost Capacity of Aging Boiler Components by Performance Evaluation and Residual Life Assessment: An Exciting challenge for NDE

摘要

Reliability of aged boilers and their capability to perform to the capacity is often a concern to the utilities. Apart form the time dependant degradation factors like creep, fatigue, the operaing environment is also likely to have an influence on the reliability of componetns as they age. Destructive sampling for assesment has certain limitations and can be applied normally for thin walled components. Assesment of thick walled components calls for use of Non destructive testing techniques and ome special technique like measurement of oxide scale thickneness using ultrasonic principle is employed for prediction of remaining useful life ofhigh temperature superheater and reheater tubes. Accurate measurement of scale thickness is of vital importance and is achallenging task for NDE.