The Monitor

By analyzing and monitoring chemical properties of steam and water, a steam and water analysis system ensures you are protecting the generation assets in your plant. Maintaining this system is critical to ensuring accurate results from grab sample and sample panel data. Here’s what you need to know about implementing a regular maintenance schedule for your utility’s SWAS.

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Topics: Power, Steam & Water

Chemical analysis of water and steam samples in utility plants requires precise control of flow and pressure. A common element of the steam and water sampling system is a pressure reducing valve to control the pressure of the sample. However, using an incorrect valve can not only damage plant and sampling equipment, but possibly injure operators. That’s why it’s essential to match plant applications with the correct pressure reducing valves. 

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Topics: Power, Steam & Water

 

The goal of a steam and water analysis system (SWAS) in power generation is to properly condition the sample so that it is representative of the process. Secondary sample cooling provides a way to eliminate measurement uncertainty issues by removing the variable of temperature from the measurement. Secondary cooling also provides a temperature “cushion” when primary cooling systems are undersized or underperforming.

 

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Topics: Power, Steam & Water

A well-planned and designed steam and water analysis system (SWAS) with the right instrumentation can help provide the critical insights you need to monitor cycle chemistry, protect equipment and ensure safe operation.

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Topics: Power, Steam & Water

Sample flow is a primary factor that affects the results from a steam and water analysis system (SWAS) in a cycling power plant. When sample flow is inconsistent, so are analyzer measurements – which can lead to catastrophic equipment failures. Controlling flow in a SWAS requires the appropriate equipment to eliminate analysis compensation and sources of error in measurements to improve chemical feed accuracy and cost savings.

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Topics: Power, Steam & Water

 

A steam and water analysis system (SWAS) conditions, analyzes and monitors the chemical properties of the steam and water used to generate electricity. One of the primary factors that affect the results from a SWAS is sample temperature. Controlling temperature in a SWAS requires the correct equipment to eliminate analysis compensation and sources of error in measurements to improve chemical feed accuracy and cost savings.

 

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Topics: Power, Steam & Water

Combined steam and power facilities, also known as cogeneration plants, use heat recovery steam generators or traditional boilers to provide both high-quality steam and electric power from one fuel source. With natural gas achieving about 30-40% efficiency for power only, creating and sampling your process steam enables combined cycle cogeneration plants to operate at efficiencies between 65-90%.

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Topics: Power, Steam & Water

Cycle chemistry is an often overlooked, but critical, process in a power plant that helps provide and maintain the protective layer on equipment and surfaces. Monitoring your cycle chemistry starts with sample conditioning. 

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Topics: Power, Steam & Water

A well-functioning power infrastructure is critical for public health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce, the energy sector and its workers are considered essential to maintaining the services and functions Americans depend on daily. But without proper maintenance services on equipment, many power plants could experience issues that lead to equipment failure and shutdowns.

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Topics: Power, Company News, Any Application

Organic cycle chemistry based on film-forming substances (FFS) is being considered more frequently as an alternative to conventional corrosion-treatment programs. Here’s what you need to know about using FFS to inhibit corrosion throughout the water and steam circuits of fossil and combined cycle/heat recovery steam generator plants.  It should be noted that a well controlled, traditional chemistry program is a heavily favored, first choice for most plants.

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Topics: Power, Steam & Water