Failure in power plant system related to mitigations and economic analysis; A study case from steam power plant in Suralaya, Indonesia

The failure mitigation and economic analysis related to the damage of the boiler tube in the power plant system were evaluated in the present study. The research was conducted at Indonesia's Suralaya power plant (PP). The boiler was built in 2011 and experienced a boiler tube failure after operating for less than 5 years. This condition is not common since boilers generally can be used with a lifetime of approximately 30 years. In the present study, different analyses were used i.e., macro-fractography, metallography inspection, hardness test, SEM/XRD analysis, and hydro test. These tests investigated the failure modes, evaluated the tube's mechanical properties, and assessed the boiler water feed's quality. The results showed that the damage is caused by the below-standard quality materials and is triggered by the poor quality of boiler feed water and exhibit corrosion. It is proven that the high value of sodium, conductivity, and silica content causes corrosion of the inner tube, which came out from methane gas. It is also shown that the damage drastically decreased the quality of the water wall tube strength, indicated by the HRV value from 179 HRV to 112 HRV. The analysis was a brief study that can be used for manufacturers and industries that use the boiler to check the material quality and the detailed specification. Moreover, the below-standard materials have proven to cause economic loss and burden many sectors' maintenance and operation costs.