Pall filtration and purification: the cost-effective way to improve reliability and extend equipment life
The importance of fine filtration in improving equipment reliability has long been acknowledged by Power generation companies across the globe. These companies have realized that investing in reliable, proven, filtration solutions can bring about significant benefits such as decreased component replacement costs, reduced disposal costs, lower energy consumption, faster start-ups, reduced downtime, and reduced inventory of spare parts.
As a leading global provider of fluid purification technologies, Pall is committed to addressing purification challenges in the power generation industry. By partnering with Pall, power generation companies can enhance the reliability and efficiency of their equipment, ultimately contributing to improved productivity and cost savings. With Pall's cutting-edge filtration technologies, power generation companies can confidently optimize their purification processes, ensuring cleaner and more reliable power generation operations.
Coal and Petroleum Power Plant Applications
Coal Pulverizer
Coal pulverizer lubrication systems are very vulnerable to contamination induced wear from fine coal particles. The majority of these particles are typically in the 4-30 µm range with 70% below 10µ,m. Most coal pulverizer are furnished with 40µ,m filtration. Field experience has shown that this level of filtration is not adequate. Coal fines are Ingressed into the lubricating system and can plug orifices and bearing clearances leading to spalling of the bearing surfaces. This leads to premature wear of gearboxes and bearings, higher maintenance costs and reduced overall plant efficiency.
Boiler feed water pumps
Boiler feed pumps perform an integral role in the efficient production of electricity on steam-driven turbines. Boiler feed pumps are often driven by small turbines incorporating mechanical hydraulic control (MHC) systems. Hydraulic couplings are used when the boiler feed pump is driven by an electric motor. Often, originally supplied filtration is not adequate to keep unwanted particulate contamination from wearing bearing surfaces, interfering with the MHC proportional valves and wearing the fluid couplings. Additionally, boiler feed pumps often ingress high levels of water, leading to premature corrosion of components, increased oxidation and the formation of gelatinous substances or sludges. Both types of contaminants should be removed for improved performance and reliability of boiler feed water pumps.
Turbine Area Management Applications
Pall offers the filters you need for efficient steam turbine management, Oil quality, cleanliness and low moisture is critical for steam turbine lubrication systems, seal oil and EHC (Electro hydraulic Controls)
- Optimum oil filtration with Athalon Filters for new and Pall Supralon replacement filters for existing applications offering longer service life, resistance to stress, reduction in ESD and potential for the formation of varnish (oil degradation), resulting in cleaner oil.
- Monitoring and testing of oil characteristics – Fluid Cleanliness Monitors, Remaining Life indicators, Water Sensors
- Total control with water removal products for turbine lube oil – HNP/HDP purifiers, Varnish Remediation Units
-
Turbine bearing lube oil system
-
Turbine lube oil flush
-
Control Fluids
-
Hydrogen Seal oil
Prevent bearing wipes at start-up
Particles that are the same size or slightly larger than the film thickness between component surfaces cause the most damage. System components usually have clearances below 5µm, but during turning gear speeds, these clearances can decrease to as small as 1.5µm. The same smaller clearances are also present during turbine startup or coasting down. To safeguard journal bearings from wear and prevent bearing wipe, choose Athalon filters to remove particles in the range of 1-5µm.
Combat abrasive wear during turbine operation
An initial flush doesn't guarantee contamination control during normal system operation due to the chain reaction of abrasive wear in turbine lube and hydraulic systems.
Particles enter the clearance between moving surfaces, embed themselves, and act as cutting tools that remove material from the opposing surface. If not filtered out, this debris will circulate and cause more wear. Use Athalon filters to break this chain reaction of abrasive wear and avoid premature component failure.
Install clearance protection filtration to ensure long life & high reliability.
Pall Athalon filters are used in small and medium steam turbines, as well as gas turbines, to provide maximum protection for critical bearing systems. Pall filters offer better contamination control than traditional oil purification systems, resulting in improved lift pump operation, reduced surface abrasion, and fewer bearing wipes.
Control water contamination
To control water contamination in turbine lube oils, it is recommended to use off-line/kidney loop oil purifiers. These purifiers can remove both free and dissolved water, which is known to decrease bearing life, increase oil oxidation, and cause sludge. Pall provides a variety of oil and varnish removal purifiers that can effectively eliminate 100% of free water, 80% of dissolved water, 100% of free and entrained gases, and up to 80% of dissolved gases.
Shorten duration of flush to maximize turbine availability.
A primary concern of every power generating facility manager is the duration of an outage. The time it takes to return a turbine to operation can result in tens of thousands of dollars in lost revenues. It is critical, therefore, that flushing of the turbine lube system be completed as quickly as possible.
Pall filter assemblies, which can be manufactured to both ASME-coded and non-coded specifications, have been used by major utilities with excellent results.
Ensure no fault operation of the speed control valve, maintain integrity regardless of DP, maintain low acid levels in the fluid to minimize corrosion, Ensure safety of plant personnel.
Improved EHC performance
Electrohydraulic control units employ servo valves that are extremely sensitive to particulate contamination. The servo valves interpret electronic signals fed back from the grid and immediately adjust the steam feed to the turbine to match demand. Slow or erratic response of this critical system is usually related to particulate contamination. High performance (Beta:2000) filtration will prevent valve silting and stiction which can lead to inaccurate turbine speed regulation and dangerous over speed conditions should the generating load be lost. Phosphate ester fluids, which are usually employed in this system, are very hygroscopic (water absorbent). If not properly controlled, water ingression can lead to corrosion, increased oxidation, and formation of "acidic sludge". Pall fluid purifiers should be utilized to keep phosphate ester fluids clean and dry.
Protect the seals from abrasive wear and prevent water ingression into the generator, maintain seal integrity, protect hydrogen purity, and minimize maintenance of the sealing system.
To minimize resistance to rotation, or drag of rotor, hydrogen gas is used to fill the generator shell. To maintain hydrogen gas purity, minimize leakage and maintain maximum generating capacity, an oil seal consisting of seal rings and pressured oil fields is utilized. This oil film reduces mechanical wear of the seal rings and turbine shaft and ensures positive sealing.
Contaminated oil (fed from main lube oil tank) will wear the gland seals and and abrade the turbine/generator shaft. This can lead to premature rework or replacement of gland seals, hydrogen leakage, higher windage losses in generator (reducing overall efficiency) and the possibility of outage. For these reasons high efficiency, low pressure drop duplex filtration is essential for optimum hydrogen seal performance.
Condensate
Pall condensate filtration systems can lengthen the life of your equipment and prevent costly delays during start-up. Our backwashable and disposable systems effectively remove corrosion products while preventing resin bleedthrough
- Protecting the most important plant assets
- Protection of boiler tubes against corrosion and deposits
- Reduction of volume and frequency of blow down
- Reduction of outage times due to chemistry holds
- Protection of resin beds against fouling and short life
- Protection of steam turbines against copper and manganese deposits
Applicable to all power plant types
Major Applications are:
Waste Water Plant
Successfully removing the undesirable constituents such as solid particulate contaminates or hydrocarbon contaminates from waste water streams is critical for conformance with stringent environmental regulations.
Transformer
Electrical insulating oils
Electrical insulating oils are used in the operation of transformers, circuit breakers, switches, reactors, and other types of electrical equipment. The major use, however, is in transformers. Electrical insulating oils are, thus, commonly referred to as "transformer oils."
To maintain clean and 'dry' (i.e free of moisture) transformer oil, Pall 'in-line, on-load' transformer oil purifiers offer a flexible solution as an effective, proactive maintenance tool. Contact Pall to discuss your specific needs.
Resources
STEAM POWER PLANTS Products
For more information about our range of products, explore our product catalog.