Root Causes of Recovery Boiler Leaks, 1997 Engineering Conference Proceedings

A database on root causes for tube leaks in recovery units is being developed to set direction for both safety and economic improvements in the industry. Classification of all pressure parts leaks will assist in this project since each one has the potential of causing a smelt-water explosion and each has a root cause.

Graphical summaries are included. The economizer accounts for a third and the furnace walls account for a quarter of the failures reviewed to date. Welds account for twice as many failures as corrosion. A third of the weld failures is related to attachment welds, not butt welds. Half of the corrosion-related failures is associated with general thinning and wastage.

Leak detection methods can mitigate the incidence of small leak failures before they wash adjacent tubes to large ruptures.

Knowing the types of failures will assist in focusing more productive inspections.

Additional detailed reporting of leak incidents to continue to build the database is encouraged.