Boiler Tube Remaining Useful Life Assessment and Extension

Evaluating the remaining useful life of boiler tubes in superheaters and reheaters can help power plant managers maintain the integrity of assets and ensure the continued reliability of plant operation.

Intertek has developed an innovative Total Quality Assurance system using TubeAlert^SM and TubeTech^SM to assess the remaining useful life of boiler tubes so that critical areas can be identified and early tube failure avoided. Meanwhile TubeMod^SM optimises the lifespan and usage of boiler tubes.

How TubeAlert and TubeTech provide you with a valuable life assessment analysis:

TubeAlert uses a non-destructive method – special ultrasonic testing – to measure the thicknesses of the tube wall and internal oxide scale layer. The analysis software TubeTech then uses the wall thickness and oxide measurements obtained by TubeAlert to calculate the remaining useful life of the tubes.

The TubeAlert examination may be performed during scheduled outages to identify the most damaged locations. 

The data and results provided by TubeAlert and TubeTech on the wall thickness/oxide measurements and remaining useful life estimates can help your power plant operators make the necessary decisions on whether to run, repair or replace the boiler tubes.

How TubeMod helps extend the life of your boiler tube:

TubeMod is a patented product developed by Intertek that can optimise the lifespan of boiler tubes. It can stop high temperature creep damage and reduce tube temperatures below alarm set points, allowing units to get back to full load.

Before TubeMod, power plant operators had two options when boiler tubes approached the end of their useful life – undergo costly partial or total tube replacements or run to failure.

TubeMod can provide a cost-effective alternative to these options.

TubeMod moves cooling steam flow from the tubes with the longest remaining useful lives to the tubes with the least remaining lives. The increased cooling steam flow causes these tubes to run at lower temperatures and prolong their remaining lives.

As a result, early tube failures are avoided and the lifespan of the superheater or reheater is optimised.

The use of all three products – TubeAlert, TubeTech and TubeMod – can help your power plant operators manage and maintain the integrity of boiler tubes, and provide the solutions for extending the life of your boiler tubes.

Request more information to see how Intertek can help your organisation with our system of assessing the remaining useful life of boiler tubes.