Power: TOC-Measuring Organics in Power Plants to Prevent Fouling, Corrosion, and Depositions

Organic contamination of pure power plant waters can cause a number of costly problems: It can foul ion-exchange resins in make-up and condensate deionizers, requiring more frequent resin cleaning and replacement. Contamination can break down to organic acids that lower the pH of early condensate and cause turbine corrosion. Such contaminants can deposit along with other contaminants onto heat exchange surfaces and significantly reduce efficiency. They can cause foaming in boiler drums and increase carryover of other contaminants into the steam. Organics are a concern in plants where any of these problems occur. Measurement of total organic carbon (TOC) concentration is the first step in its reduction. The major sources of organics is makeup water. Surface watewrs have higher levels of naturally occurring organics than groundwaters. But groundwater sources are being depleted in many areas of the globe. As a result, there is greater reliance on surface water, reclaimed water and even municipal wastewater as the raw source for high-purity makeup water for the water/steam cycle.