11/3/2018 Startup Purge Credit Benefits Combined Cycle Operations

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Startup Purge Credit Benefits Combined Cycle Operations

Startup Purge Credit Benefits Combined Cycle Operations

06/01/2012 | David S. Moelling, PE and Peter S. Jackson, PE, Tetra Engineering Group Inc.

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Combined cycle power plants use fuels and other materials that can cause fires or explosions in the combustion turbine, ducting, or heat recovery steam
generator. Purging that equipment with ambient air to displace residual combustible gases before starting is a normal safety practice. But when plants
are cycled, the disadvantages of purging often outweigh the advantages.

Explosions and fires in a combined cycle (CC) plant may be rare, but when one occurs, it normally results in an extended outage for repairs. One
cause of these undesirable events is the accumulation of vapors and liquids in the combustion turbine (CT) and heat recovery steam generator
(HRSG) system during a shutdown that can combust during unit startup. In the U.S., this potential is addressed in National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) 85: Boiler and Combustion Systems Hazards Code (2011). The code sets “design, installation, operation, maintenance, and
training” standards for “safe equipment operation” for all but the smallest fired and unfired steam generators.

NFPA 85 for many years has required a fresh air purge of the CT, HRSG, and other CT exhaust systems (for example, by bypass stack) prior to CT
startup and operation. The purge rate is a mass flow requirement to provide the required air velocity to ensure dilution and removal of
combustible gases prior to light-off of the CT. This purge is specified to be at least five volume changes and no less than 5 minutes in duration.
Typical purge times range from 5 to 18 minutes, depending upon the fuel selected, HRSG and duct design, and guidance from the original
equipment manufacturer (OEM). The purge cannot be less than 8% of the full power mass flow of the CT.

The requirement to purge equipment, from the CT to the exhaust stack, may protect the CC system from the hazards of fire and explosion, but
complying with the code also imposes performance and reliability challenges. In CC plants, steam-side startup is typically determined by the
temperature of key steam generation systems, which then controls the steam turbine ramp rate up to operating conditions (Figure 1). The exact
values vary from plant to plant, but typical numbers are:

Cold starts: No pressure on steam system, prior shutdown greater than 24 to 30 hours.
Warm starts: High-pressure steam pressure is typically 60 to 200 psi, after a shutdown of 10 to 20 hours.
Hot starts: High-pressure steam is typically greater than 500 psi, after a shutdown of 8 to 10 hours.

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 11/3/2018 Startup Purge Credit Benefits Combined Cycle Operations

1. Producing condensate. This figure illustrates that when

the combustion turbine exhaust temperature (HRSG inlet

temperature) during a cold air purge is below the saturation

temperature, enormous quantities of condensate are formed

inside the HRSG that must be removed through vents before
startup can continue. Source: Tetra Engineering Group Inc.

For cold starts, the time required for purge adds to the total time required for starting the unit, from pushing the start button through
synchronization and ramp-up to full load. Added time is required during warm and hot starts as well, but in these two situations the purge puts
relatively cold airflow through a warm or hot HRSG and its upstream and downstream duct work. This relatively cold purge air quenches the
relatively hot HRSG and its ducting, which produce lower metal and water temperatures and, thus, steam pressure. As long as the temperature of
the incoming purge air is less than the saturation temperature of the high-pressure steam system, the system loses heat and superheater panels
act as large condensers for the trapped condensed steam (Figure 2).

2. Accumulating

condensate. During the

purge period (shown in

Figure 1), water can

accumulate inside the

HRSG superheater panels

that must be vented.

Source: Tetra Engineering

Group Inc.

The amount of condensate produced can be quite large. This condensate must be removed prior to loading the CT to avoid water transport to
the steam turbine or other components. Excessive condensate in the HRSG can cause blockage of steam flow through tubes, thermal distortion
and shock, and many other problems. Draining the condensate in a timely fashion requires drain systems with adequately sized pipes, valves,
and discharge. The drains also act to reduce operating pressures and, thus, temperatures in the HRSG steam systems. In daily or two-shift cycling
CCs, the thermal impact of the purge cycle can result in damage to pressure parts, causing leaks and a reduction in the remaining life of parts
(Figure 3).

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 11/3/2018 Startup Purge Credit Benefits Combined Cycle Operations

3. Draining condensate. Many combined

cycle plant owners have retrofitted their

superheater panels with high-capacity

drains and added multiple drain

connections to speed condensate removal

and therefore quicken plant startup. Source:

Tetra Engineering Group Inc.

Over the past few years, HRSG purge issues have been extensively discussed at industry conferences. Some—in particular, a large segment of CC
suppliers and operators—suggest eliminating the purge requirement on cycling units. However, the safety need for eliminating combustible
gases remains. A concept for modifying the purge requirements to credit prior purges for cycling CCs was first introduced to the NFPA Technical
Committee for Heat Recovery Steam Generators in 2003. The NFPA Boiler and Combustion Systems Hazards Code Committee established a task
group in 2006 to pursue the idea and to enable CC operators to safely implement procedures that provide for a fast-start capability. The change
in the code was finally issued in the 2011 Edition of NFPA 85 as the Combustion Turbine Purge Credit.

Calculating Purge Credits

The purge credit, simply defined, is when, during a normal CT shutdown, there is sufficient CT post-purge airflow to remove any residual
combustible materials from the CT and HRSG system. If gases cannot seep into the ductwork, then the post-purge meets the NFPA requirements
and a redundant start purge is not required.

In this scenario, the only concern is that leakage from the CT, duct burner, and/or the ammonia injection systems could travel into the CT and
HRSG system after shutdown. To ensure that this extremely unlikely scenario never occurs, additional sealing valves and components are
installed in the fuel systems. The final safety step in the design is to provide instrumentation and procedures to monitor the status of the
isolation, assuming that the isolation is not inadvertently breached during unit shutdown. When these enhanced system isolation upgrades are
completed, the revised NFPA 85 (2011) provides a purge credit that allows startup to proceed without an additional purge prior to CT light-off.

For traditional isolation of fuel supplies (gas and liquid fuels) in NFPA 85, a double block valve and vent piping arrangement has been required.
The two block valves provided a positive isolation and the vent of the piping between them allowed gas to escape the isolated section. For
implementing a purge credit, a triple block and vent valve arrangement is required. Three options are provided in NFPA 85 (2011):

System 1 for gaseous fuels: Use triple block and vent valves with continuous monitoring of valve position, pressures in the two double block
and vent valve pipe sections, and block valve validation for leak tightness by a valve-proving system (Figure 4).

4. Purge system 1. Gaseous fuel triple block and double vent

valve arrangement. Source: NFPA 85, Figure A.8.8.4.6.1

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 System 2 for gaseous fuels: Use triple block and vent
11/3/2018 valves
Startup withCredit
Purge pressurized
Benefitspipe sections.
Combined The
Cycle two pipe sections are filled with an inert gas
Operations
or air at sufficient pressure to prevent fuel gas from entering. Continuous monitoring of valve positions and pressurized pipe section
pressures is required (Figure 5).

5. Purge system 2. Gaseous fuel with pressurized pipe section. Source: NFPA 85, Figure A.8.8.4.6.2

System 3 for liquid fuels: Use a triple block and double drain valve arrangement filled with pressurized inert gas or air. Continuous
monitoring of valve positions and pressurized pipe section pressures is required (Figure 6).

6. Purge system 3. Liquid fuel with pressurized pipe section.

Source: NFPA 85, Figure A.8.8.4.6.3

Comparing Isolation Options

The NPFA 85 purge systems 1 and 2 for gaseous fuels have different advantages and disadvantages. System 1 does not require a continuous
supply of pressurized air or inert gas, but additional testing and monitoring must be performed (valve proving) to ensure system integrity. In
addition, the purge credit can only be maintained for eight days, after which a purge must be performed to renew the credit. System 2 can
maintain the purge credit indefinitely, but a continuous pressurized air or inert gas supply must be provided. If the supply is lost, the credit is no
longer allowed. In both systems, the credit is lost if continuous monitoring of valve positions and pipe pressures is not maintained.

Purge system 3 can be used only for liquid fuels. It has pressurization and monitoring requirements similar to those of system 2 for gaseous
fuels. In all three systems, each fuel supply must have similar isolation protection, including pilot gas and duct burner fuel supplies.

https://www.powermag.com/startup-purge-credit-benefits-combined-cycle-operations/?printmode=1 4/13
The primary benefit of the purge credit is fast system response.
11/3/2018 For an
Startup Purge overnight
Credit Benefitsshutdown resulting
Combined Cycle in hot start conditions, implementation of
Operations
purge credit can shave 10 to 30 minutes off normal start-load times. Part of the time saving is the reduction of the purge time itself, and the rest
is faster ramp rates due to a higher initial temperature and pressure in the HRSG. This design approach is now being used by several OEMs,
including GE on its fast-start, flexible plant offerings. GE’s FlexEfficiency 50 offering is based on its FB-class CT with a single shaft generator and a
single HRSG (see “GE Develops FlexEfficiency 50 for Increased Operational Flexibility” in the December 2011 issue or the POWER archives at
https://www.powermag.com (https://www.powermag.com)). GE offers purge credit with all the fast-response options (such as optimized high-
pressure steam drums) and touts a 13- to 15-minute faster response than a typical CC plant. For older plants, greater startup time savings are
possible.

Another tangible benefit is greater HRSG reliability and longevity. Daily cycling a CC plant typically means 150 to 250 starts per year. We estimate
a 60% to 80% reduction in the hot/warm start contribution to steam drum fatigue (downcomer and steam outlet nozzles) and the hot/warm start
contribution to superheater fatigue is reduced by a factor of 10. Much of these reduced fatigue estimates are a result of lower condensate
production caused by unnecessary cold air purges and consequent thermal damage.

Exhaust gas path components, such as perforated plates and flow vanes, also see less fatigue damage. Purge reduction also lowers the use of
electricity for startup (and purging), burns less natural gas, and reduces water consumption.

— David S. Moelling, PE (dave.moelling@tetra-eng.com) is chief engineer and Peter S. Jackson, PE (pjackson@tetraengineeringgroup.com) is director,
field services for Tetra Engineering Group Inc.

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Name

Larry Moorehouse • 6 years ago

I am trying to stress the need for purging to my utility who operates an older single and twin pac TPM combined cycle power plant.
They are relying on the GT spin up to do the job. What does the ammonia injection do to increase an explosion? What are the risk to
employees and public?
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