High priority has been given to increase efficiency of power generation plants; therefore, the steam conditions of fossil fuelled plants have gradually been improved. Recent developments of material and design techniques, the accumulated experience of the operation and so on have enabled advancements to be made in steam conditions. Two units of 700 MW with advanced steam conditions were constructed at Kawagoe Power Station by Chubu Electric Power Company, Inc. in Japan. These two double reheat units are designed at elevated steam conditions of 310 bar, 5661566/566° C, to improve thermal efficiency by 5 per cent in relative values, as compared with conventional supercritical steam conditions (240 bar, 538/566° C). Considerable research and development has been carried out by the manufacturers of the boiler and the turbine to achieve highly reliable operation. This paper presents the design features, the result of the research and development and the result of the operation of these units.
The increase of long-term service exposure to thermal power plants, the tendency toward intermediate and cyclic operation to meet the change in electric power demand and supply situation, and the requirement to develop higher-temperature and higher-pressure plants have led to increasing attention towards the reliability improvement. This paper presents findings from field experiences of cracking or failure and two types of damage analyses—(1) creep-fatigue damage analysis based on the life fraction rule and (2) metallurgical damage analysis—of boiler pressure parts that have been exposed to long-term elevated temperature service. The field experiences are (1) cracking or failure of thick-walled Type 316 stainless steel pressure parts in the main steam line of an ultra-supercritical thermal power plant and (2) dissimilar metal weld joints for boiler tubing. The creep-fatigue damage analysis of these pressure parts showed a reasonable correspondence with the field experience. According to the creep-fatigue damage analysis and the metallurgical damage analysis, most of damage was restrained creep mode phenomenon without deformation. The creep damage was composed of metallurgical damage and mechanical damage such as microvoids and structural defects. One method of simulating field experienced creep damage was proposed and performed. As a result, the process of creep voids being generated and growing into cracks without deformation was successfully observed. Also a review of the current status of nondestructive detecting methods of creep damage suggests that detecting the creep voids metallurgically is more practical at the present time than doing so analyzing the changes in physical properties of the material. It is also suggested that, in the metallurgical approach, detecting the creep voids and cracks by replica method and anlayzing precipitates for evaluation of material deterioration by precipitate extraction method will make it possible to successfully address the problem of plant equipment creep damage evaluation and life prediction.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.