Going above and beyond in Florida

The challenge

At a customer generation facility in Florida, the M&D center spotted an issue with the HRSG units: Because of gas turbine back pressure, the units had experienced a significant loss in power. After a visual inspection and local flue gas testing, it was determined that the loss was the result of cold end corrosion and ammonium bisulfate fouling (ABS) in the back section of the HRSGs.

The solution

GE Vernova implemented a PressureWave+ cleaning of both units, resulting in the removal of about 37 tons of debris. As a result, the units’ gas turbine backpressure was returned close to its original levels—a reduction of 5.5 INWC (inch water column) pressure reduction on both of the center’s gas turbines. This translated to a 0.7% improvement in heat rate and the restoration of the output loss on the gas turbine. The cleaning also improved the heat transfer efficiency of the HRSG, improving steam quality and increasing ST load—ultimately improving the combined cycle heat rate.