A comprehensive analysis of the erosion in a carbon steel boiler tube elbow through the use of 3D mapping of the corroded surface and CFD modeling

Abstract

Erosion corrosion is a common problem that affects boiler tubes, particularly those in power plants and industrial settings where hard water and abrasive particles are present in the flow. These particles can cause physical erosion to the surface of the tubes, which can then lead to further corrosion. This type of corrosion is often accelerated by the high temperatures and pressures present in a boiler system, as well as the presence of oxygen. The combination of physical erosion and chemical corrosion attack can cause significant damage to the tubes, reducing their ability to efficiently transfer heat and potentially leading to system failure. Therefore, it is important to predict rates of erosion to prevent costly and potentially dangerous failures. The focus of this paper is an investigation into the effects of erosion caused by hard water particles on a carbon steel boiler tube elbow (ANSI 16.9). A semi-empirical procedure, which considers properties of the material and flow parameters, is developed for predicting erosion rates. The study revealed that the primary erosion damage occurred on the extrados of the bend. The findings indicated that particles within the flow began to separate from the front wall surface, resulting in significant erosion along the lateral sides. The disappearance of erosion from the front surface of the bend was also consistent with the erosion patterns observed on the eroded pipe sample, which was extracted from the line. Moreover, it was demonstrated the presence of two different erosion patterns in the separation region, which matched qualitatively the erosion pattern observed on the sample wall.