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From Welding to Predictable CFB Boiler Maintenance since 2003

A power plant in Texas with 350MW capacity has two CFB boilers. The boilers were designed by a South Korean boiler manufacturer and have gone into service in 1990 and 1991. The boilers burn lignite fuel and the fluidized bed...
Problem Tube metal erosion in the areas adjacent to the refractory. Repeated welding repairs led to unpredictable wear rates and the risks of tube leaks. Solution IGS applied HVTS alloy cladding on-site since 2003 to stop tube metal wastage and...
The Problem Pressure parts, including the lower furnace zone refractory interface and the corners of the boiler suffered from erosion leading to tube metal thinning. The plant was using carbon steel weld buildup on their tubes at the refractory interface...
Welding Alternative Achieves 50% Savings in Renewables Conversion

Welding Alternative Achieves 50% Savings in Renewables Conversion

Converting to Renewables The former refinery in Eastern Canada was performing a site-wide conversion in preparation for firing renewable fuels instead of oil. The Canadian government was partly financing the conversion. The refinery will start processing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)...
See how IGS can help with your Renewables Conversion
metal-alloy-cladding

Prevent Corrosion due to a Change in Operating Process in a Fractionation Column

PROBLEM New operating conditions require a metallurgy upgrade in a fractionation column SOLUTION IGS HVTS facilitates the process change at a fraction of the cost, delivering 50% cost savings and 12 x time savings.
Fractionation Column A fractionation column manufactured ten years ago for use at a refinery in Egypt had remained out of service due to a change in the original operating process. Fractionation columns are part of a refinery’s mission-critical equipment operating...
The Solution: HVTS Metal Alloy Cladding Integrated Global Services (IGS) High Velocity Thermal Spray (HVTS) metal alloy cladding was the chosen solution to protect the internal surface of the fractionator column and bring the asset into service. A detailed technical...
The Benefits Time savings There are key benefits of choosing IGS HVTS metal alloy cladding as opposed to manufacturing a new fractionator column and having it clad with stainless stell or Inconel during the manufacturing process. Firstly, a newly fabricated...
Cost savings Another benefit of choosing the HVTS cladding when compared to the alternative option of a new-build column is the cost savings. The value of the IGS project was approximately 50% less than the manufacturing of a new column...
HVTS vs Weld Overlay The HVTS application is significantly faster than weld metal overlay. HVTS solution provides excellent up-front cost reduction and long-term ROI due to material and labor savings. Savings as high as 50% are frequently achieved. Furthermore, HVTS...
HVTS vs Organic Coatings IGS HVTS has one major advantage against organic coatings. HVTS does not require any curing time or bake out. HVTS is also insensitive to atmospheric temperature and humidity. As a result, the HVTS application can reduce...
IGS Comment Mohamed Al Ahwani, General Manager (Saudi Arabia & Egypt) at IGS, said: “This has been another successful project for IGS. The client is very pleased with our professionalism and the results we have achieved. The column is now...

Copper Flash Smelting Furnace’s Performance and Lifetime

PROBLEM This boiler had to be replaced every 24 months with no possibility to extend its lifetime. The 8mm metal plate would get completely wasted, exposing the tubes to high-temperature corrosion, leading to their disintegration. SOLUTION After the IGS HVTS...
Introduction This Copper Smelter, located in Asia, went into production in the 1940s. Since its inception, the plant has been modernized several times. The plant operates two Copper Flash Smelting Furnaces with a unique equipment configuration. The boilers are located...
Boiler Waterwall Protection IGS’s High Velocity Thermal Spray (HVTS) solutions upgrade existing metallurgy to higher alloys that provide a barrier to mitigate corrosion and / or erosion in mission critical equipment around the world. IGS have performed over 4,000 site...
IGS HVTS Solution Benefits  1. Efficiency Deslagging was the first major benefit achieved as a result of the HVTS application reported by the plant. The boiler slows down every month. During these periods plant management teams perform visual inspection of...
2. Lifetime Boiler replacement is costly and time consuming. IGS HVTS application prevented the degradation of the heat recovery steam generator, which previously lasted only 24 months. The trial application provided a clear side-by-side comparison.
3. Reliability Prior to the IGS HVTS application, the plant used to carry out emergency localised localised shell repair.
The Next Step The plant has now included IGS HVTS technology in their best practices list. They plan to install IGS surface technologies onto the refractory surfaces and the convection section coils to eliminate slagging and increase the production rate.
IGS Comment Sergei Merchev, IGS Manager who oversaw this project, commented: “Non-ferrous metallurgy presents a very severe environment, which truly puts our HVTS technology to the test. Our experience, expertise and collaborative approach made this application a success and produced...

Decreasing Fuel Consumption In A Petrochemical Refinery

World Scale Production Facility World scale petrochemical producer wanted to increase throughput due to market demand, without having to increase fuel consumption. Left as is, the refinery would have to continue to produce with a much greater cost per unit...
PROBLEM Due to market demands, throughput needed to be increased, without having to increase fuel consumption. SOLUTION IGS applied Cetek high emissivity coating and performed online convection cleaning recovering much of the steam loss and increasing throughput by 3.5%.

IGS Cetek team was invited to install the high emissivity ceramic coating system to improve the radiant heat transfer efficiency and decrease fuel firing and bridgewall temperature. Before the heater was brought down for coating, online convection cleaning was performed.

This dual approach allowed the heater to operate with a greater throughput. Hot Convection Cleaning (HCC) recovered much of the steam loss, allowing the heater to function as needed.

HCC was completed online with 4 shifts, while the coating was completed safely and on time within 3 days during the shutdown.

Application Results

The performance of the unit was evaluated after the coating installation and the results were exceptionally good.

There was a 3.5% increase in throughput, with very minor loss in steam production. Additionally, the energy consumed per unit of product produced decreased by 2%.

An inspection after 18 months in service showed that the coating was still in good condition.

Cetek Ceramic Coating Technology Cetek pioneered the use of high emissivity ceramic coatings applied to the refractory surfaces in radiant sections of fired heaters and tubular reformers. The emissivity coatings have superior longevity and Cetek’s experienced technicians apply it on-site...

Weld Overlay Alternative for Boiler Pressure Parts

A waste-to-energy plant in Turin, Italy, was preparing for an outage on one of their lines. They were waiting for approval from the notified body to carry out the weld overlay. The outage was nearing, and the approval was yet...
Power Plant
Corrosion of the Boiler Pressure Parts The plant, built by CNIM, was commissioned in 2014. Following several years in operation, they noticed corrosion in the second pass of the boiler. Alloy 625 weld overlay has already been installed in the...
Selecting a Suitable Solution IGS HVTS was selected for several reasons. Strong global references in similar applications supported by laboratory testing. HVTS is not a welding process – the pressure part temperature stays below 150C during the application, therefore, unlike...
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SCR Efficiency in SMR Optimized

SCR efficiency problems cost ammonia plants millions of dollars annually. Poor NOx Removal, High Pressure Drops, and Poor Ammonia Mixing This study highlights an application at a Steam Methane Reformer on the West Coast of the United States, where the...