Monitoring and Controlling Boiler Water/Steam Cycle Chemistry is Hot Topic Hour on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Safe, reliable and efficient operation of steam generating boilers and HRSGs requires the maintenance of physical and chemical conditions throughout the water/steam circuit that minimizes corrosion and deposit formation. This is especially true in the older plants that are predominate in our electricity production network. Deposition of contaminants, scaling and corrosion are the cause of many forced outages resulting in lost power generation or product output costing billions of dollars per year. Frequent blow-downs required because of excessive contaminants in the water/steam also contribute to lost production. Inadequate cycle chemistry will cause boiler tube and turbine blade/disc failures and Flow-Accelerated Corrosion (FAC) throughout the circuit.
The method chosen to control the water/steam chemistry depends on the boiler or HRSG type, water/steam circuit design, materials of construction, physical parameters (temperatures, pressures, heat fluxes, etc.) and the operating cycle of the plant. In all cases, it is essential to be able to measure the key parameters of the water/steam so that operators are able to properly manage and adjust the control method (typically chemical addition) to ensure that physical and chemical targets for the water are achieved.
The following speakers will discuss how to monitor and manage boiler water/steam physical and chemical properties in order to reduce unplanned outages, reduce operation and maintenance costs and improve unit economics. The speakers will describe the instruments and technology available for monitoring water/steam properties and chemistry with a discussion of capital and operating costs and their experience with the instruments or technologies. They may also describe the various control chemicals and technologies available with a discussion of which particular chemicals or technology is appropriate for specific boiler/HRSG types and water/steam circuits.
Joe Zimmerman, Director of Marketing and Power Industry Sales Manager at Chemtrac Systems, Inc., will present “Continuous Real-Time Corrosion Product Transport Monitoring using Particle Counter Instrumentation.” The adverse effects of “particulate” material in steam cycle waters are frequently seen throughout the power generation process. Steam cycle corrosion products (transient metal oxides) can lead to deposition and equipment failure. This presentation introduces basic technologies used for continuous detection of insoluble particles at very low concentrations. When such monitoring methods are utilized, real-time corrosion product transport measurement can be implemented as a potential parameter for controlling the power plant cycle.
Greg Thomas, Key Account Manager for Nuclear Power at Hach Ultra Analytics, will present a comparison of the long time standard amperometric technology to the new optical technology for measurement of low level dO2 in steam cycle water. The presentation will briefly discuss amperometric and optical technology for the measurement of low level dissolved oxygen. Performance comparison data of the two technologies in steam cycle applications will be presented. Finally, comparisons along with advantages and disadvantages will be discussed.
David M. Gray, Senior Product Manager at Mettler-Toledo Thornton, Inc., will present “New Technology for Monitoring Cycle Chemistry.” He covers online analytical measurements of conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, sodium and silica. Intelligent Sensor Management incorporates digital sensors with improved performance, wider rangeability and predictive diagnostics. He will discuss how these capabilities can improve cycle chemistry monitoring while reducing maintenance.
To register for the February 21, 2013 “Hot Topic Hour” at 10:00 a.m. Central time, click on:
http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/hot_topic_hour_registration.htm.

McIlvaine Hot Topic Hour Registration
On Thursday at 10:00 a.m. Central time, McIlvaine hosts a 90 minute web meeting on important energy and pollution control subjects. Power webinars are free for subscribers to either Power Plant Air Quality Decisions or Utility Environmental Upgrade Tracking System. The cost is $125.00 for non-subscribers. Market Intelligence webinars are free to McIlvaine market report subscribers and are $400.00 for non-subscribers.
DATE Non-Subscribers Cost SUBJECT Webinar Type
February 21, 2013 $125.00 Monitoring and Controlling Boiler Water/Steam Cycle Chemistry Power
February 28, 2013 $125.00 Implementation of the Utility MACT Rule Power
March 7, 2013 $125.00 HRSG Design, Operation and Maintenance Considerations Power
March 14, 2013 $125.00 Inlet Air Pretreatment for Gas Turbines Power
March 21, 2013 $125.00 Industrial Boiler MACT Impact and Control Options Power
March 28, 2013 $125.00 Mercury Measurement and Control Power
April 4, 2013 $125.00 Fabric Selection for Particulate Control Power
April 11, 2013 $125.00 Air Pollution Control for Gas Turbines Power
April 18, 2013 $125.00 Multi-pollutant Control Technology Power
April 25, 2013 $125.00 Control Technologies for Fine Particulate Matter Power
May 2, 2013 $125.00 Flyash Pond and Wastewater Treatment Issues Power
May 9, 2013 $125.00 Clean Coal Technologies Power
May 16, 2013 $125.00 Power Plant Automation and Control Power
May 23, 2013 $125.00 Cooling Towers Power
May 30, 2013 $400.00 Air Pollution Control Markets (geographic trends, regulatory developments, competition, technology developments) Market Intelligence
June 6, 2013 $125.00 Report from Power-Gen Europe (update on regulations, speaker and exhibitor highlights) Power
June 13, 2013 $125.00 Monitoring and Optimizing Fuel Feed, Metering and Combustion in Boilers Power
June 20, 2013 $125.00 Dry Sorbent Injection and Material Handling for APC Power
June 27, 2013 $400.00 Power Generation Forecast for Nuclear, Fossil and Renewables Market Intelligence
July 11, 2013 $125.00 New Developments in Power Plant Air Pollution Control Power
July 18, 2013 $125.00 Measurement and Control of HCl Power
July 25, 2013 $125.00 GHG Compliance Strategies, Reduction Technologies and Measurement Power
August 1, 2013 $125.00 Update on Coal Ash and CCP Issues and Standards Power
August 8, 2013 $125.00 Improving Power Plant Efficiency and Power Generation Power
August 15, 2013 $125.00 Control and Treatment Technology for FGD Wastewater Power
August 22, 2013 $125.00 Status of Carbon Capture and Storage Programs and Technology Power
August 29, 2013 $125.00 Pumps for Power Plant Cooling Water and Water Treatment Applications Power
To register for the Hot Topic Hour, click on:
http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/hot_topic_hour_registration.htm.
Headlines for the February 8, 2013 – Utility E-Alert
UTILITY E-ALERT
#1111– February 8, 2013
Table of Contents
COAL – US
 Consumers Energy signs $19 Million Contract for Ductwork at J.H. Campbell 3
 Wyoming OCA supports SCR Retrofit at Jim Bridger Power Plant
COAL – WORLD
 Australia unlikely to build New Coal-fired Power Stations
 TEPCO prepares for Tender for Coal-fired Power Projects
 RP Energy allowed to begin construction of 600 MW Subic Bay Power Plant
 Ncondezi Coal to build 300 MW Power Plant in Mozambique
GAS/OIL - US
 PMFG, Inc. awarded Three SCR Orders with a Combined Value of Approximately $7.5 Million
 PA Township approves Site for 900 MW Gas-fired Hickory Run Power Plant

GAS/OIL – WORLD

 Yokogawa Receives Control System Order for Shoaiba II Combined Cycle Power Plant in Saudi Arabia
 Alstom to build 850 MW Natural Gas-fired North Bangkok Power Plant in Thailand
 Uruguay 530 MW Combined Cycle Power Plant Construction Work to begin Next Month
NUCLEAR
 Duke Energy to retire Crystal River Nuclear Power Plant
 Centrica pulls out of UK Nuclear Building Program
BUSINESS
 Fuel Tech awarded Air Pollution Control Orders totaling $4.4 Million
 Clean Coal Technologies signs New EPC Agreement with SAIC for the Construction of its 2-Ton/Hour Pilot Plant
 Sales of New Precipitator Systems Will Exceed $5.6 Billion in Asia in 2013
 Instrument and Control Market for Ultrapure Water Will Exceed $468 Million This Year
HOT TOPIC HOUR
 “NOx Control for Gas Turbines” is Hot Topic Hour on Thursday, February 14, 2013
 Upcoming Hot Topic Hours
For more information on the Utility Environmental Upgrade Tracking System, click on: http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72
U.S. Water Utilities are Embarked on Thousands of Capital Projects
The need to meet new environmental standards, the growing demand for water and the need to replace obsolete infrastructure are causing U.S. water utilities to embark on thousands of capital improvement projects. These projects are tracked in the McIlvaine North American Public Water Plants and People. (www.mcilvainecompany.com)
Growing demand is why Bay City, Michigan is planning a $60 million regional treatment plant. Arkansas City, Kansas is planning a new $12 million plant. Annapolis, Maryland is building a $35 million plant.
Some of the expenditures are to meet new regulations. Clay Center, Kansas, which has about 4,300 residents, built a $10 million water treatment plant to clear the water of uranium that can occur naturally in underground aquifers.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) said of the five communities with excessive uranium in their drinking water, only two — Timken, population 75 and a Garden City subdivision with about 860 residents — have not taken any action to comply with the federal regulations. KDHE said enforcement action is under consideration for those two communities.
Among the many upgrades, controls have some of the fastest payback. Many utilities are looking at adding:
• Higher bandwidth (speed and polling rate) communications
• Redundancy
• Cyber Security – DHS, NERC/CIP
• Disaster Recovery Control Center
• Web reporting for internal and customer cities
• Hydraulic modeling and planning data interface
Three (3) classifications of SCADA systems are available: Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) System, Semi-Customer Large Scale (SCLS) System, and Distributed Control System (DCS).
East Palestine, Ohio is purchasing a System Communication and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to monitor the water plant's distribution equipment, including the two lift stations. The system will allow the department to respond more quickly in the event of a water leak or equipment malfunction.
Now, only water levels in one of the plant's two storage tanks are monitored through a land-line telephone system. The current system is costing the village $400 to $450 a month in utility bills for that tank. The SCADA system would be completely web-based and cost roughly $200 a month in utility bills. The system will be cellular-based with seven cellular sites and three radio sites. It will cost about $61,000 and will monitor water levels and the overall operation of all water towers, each booster pump and the lift stations, and the information can be accessed online or through a Smartphone. Currently, there is no way to monitor the stations except physically.
Suppliers are now offering improved systems with even faster ROI. Yokogawa Electric released CENTUM VP integrated production control system. Enhancements include a Field Control Station (FCS), with four times the processing performance, twice the application storage capacity and five times the control network throughput of the previous control station.
For more information on: North American Public Water Plants and People, click on: http://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php/component/content/article?id=71#n67ei
North American Public Drinking Water Treatment Plants and People
Update
January 2013
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ALABAMA
Florence Water Plant Bid to High
ARIZONA
Phoenix WTP Goes Solar
ARKANSAS
$7 Million for Mountain Home Water Plant Project
CALIFORNIA
Central Valley WWTP Achieves LEED Certification
$20 Million for Santa Barbara Water Plant Upgrade
Calgon Carbon Awarded $12.4 Million Contract for UV Disinfection System for L.A. Water & Power
FLORIDA
Clearwater Requesting Bids for Water Plant Project
KANSAS
Arkansas City Planning New $15 Million Water Plant
Kansas Communities Pay to Rid Water of Uranium
MASSACHUSETTS
Completion of Foxborough Water Treatment Plant Could Reduce Brown Water
MICHIGAN
Bay City Planning $60 Million Regional Drinking Water Plant
MISSOURI
Kansas City Water Plant Installs Severn Trent Services Filter System
MONTANA
Big Hole Water Treatment Plant Bids Presented to Council
NEW MEXICO
Aztec Approves Water Treatment Plant
NEW YORK
Fredonia Water Plant Needs Improvements
NORTH CAROLINA
$4.3 Million for Graham-Mebane Water Plant Improvement Project
OHIO
East Palestine to Replace Aging SCADA Systems
PENNSYLVANIA
Allentown Issues New Request for Proposals on Water, Sewer Lease
TEXAS
Archer Western Construction Awarded Contracts
LCRA Approves Water Treatment Plant for Spicewood Beach$1.2 Million to Solve Spicewood Beach’s Water Problems
WYOMING
BOPU Planning to Turn Water into Electricity
BUSINESS NEWS
Aqua America’s Texas and Illinois Subsidiaries Acquire Water and Wastewater Systems
RECENT CHEMICAL BID REPORTS
----------
You can register for our free McIlvaine Newsletters at: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/Free_Newsletter_Registration_Form.htm.

Bob McIlvaine
President
847-784-0012 ext 112
rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com
www.mcilvainecompany.com

191 Waukegan Road Suite 208 | Northfield | IL 60093
Ph: 847-784-0012 | Fax: 847-784-0061