Boiler Feedwater and Ammonia Pumps Require Careful Selection — Hot Topic July 10^th Afternoon

Both George Jenkins of Idex and Ed Simmons of Shaw Fossil Energy Group interrupted travels to make presentations on pumps in the afternoon Hot Topic Hour yesterday.

George explained the varying demands for pumps and compressors which deliver ammonia in various forms to SCR and SNCR units. The Idex (Corken) unloading compressor is used for anhydrous ammonia. The Corken feed pump is used for anhydrous ammonia, aqueous ammonia or urea solutions.

Ed provided detailed guidance for utilities which are selecting boiler feedwater pumps. One of the considerations is whether to purchase the boiler feedwater pump turbine drive with the generating turbine or separately. Flow margins from 5 to 10 percent are typical. Head margins from 0 to 5m percent are also typical but related. If you have the flow margin, you have a built in head margin.

The barrel can be 309 stainless clad forged steel or F22 chrome. No plain or cast steels should be utilized. The lube oil system is important. It is only common sense but the boiler feed pump train should utilize the same oil type as the generating turbine.

McIlvaine is in the process of organizing the same comprehensive data for boiler feedwater systems as it has for power plant air quality. Relative to pumps McIlvaine will be working with World Pumps published by Elsevier to help pollinate the knowledge in the end user Decision Trees with knowledge from the suppliers and their Decision Trees. Articles in World Pumps provide some of this pollination.

Several World Pump Articles were displayed in the webinar. One was “Improving Power Plant Reliability with Boiler Feed Pumps”. This appeared in the April 2008 issue. Another was “A Boiler Feed Pump Success Story” appearing in the February issue. “Upgrading Boiler Feed Pumps in a UK Coal Fired Power Station” appeared in the January 2006 issue.