WO2007038533A2

WO2007038533A2 - System to predict corrosion and scaling, program product, and related methods

Info

Publication number: WO2007038533A2
Application number: PCT/US2006/037526
Authority: WO
Inventors: Abdulmohsen D. Almanjnouni; Joe D. Bates; Arif E. Jaffer
Original assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company; Aramco Services Company
Priority date: 2005-09-28
Filing date: 2006-09-26
Publication date: 2007-04-05
Also published as: WO2007038533A3

Abstract

A system (30) to manage steam generating equipment and systems, program product (71), and associated methods are provided. The system (30) can include a steam generating system including a boiler (31), sensors and/or monitors (37) to sense or monitor various steam generating system related parameters, and one or more data collector (39)s accessible to a communication network (41) to collect and disseminate the data from the sensors and monitors (37). The system (30) also includes a corrosion and scaling management server (43) accessible to the communication network (41) and positioned to receive and process the collected data. A database (49) accessible to the server (43) is also provided. The database (49) can include database records related to the steam generating system. A plurality of stationary user computers (51) and mobile user terminals (61) also accessible to the communication network (41) can send steam generation system data to and received data from the server (43). Corrosion and scaling management program product (71) stored in memory (45) of the server (43) is also provided to determine and predict corrosion and scaling in the boiler (31) of the steam generating system.

Description

SYSTEM TO PREDICT CORROSION AND SCALING, PROGRAM PRODUCT,

AND RELATED METHODS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Related Applications

This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/721,282, filed on September 28, 2005, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

2. Field of The Invention

[0001] The present invention relates generally to industrial power systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to systems, program products, and methods to predict operational problems in steam generating systems.

3. Description of the Related Art

[0002] Worldwide there are millions of steam generators installed to produce steam on demand for manufacturing, process, and heating purposes. Reliability of these systems is the key to operating industrial steam plants. These boilers are extremely important to the overall operation of the processing facilities. Boiler tube failures continue to be the single largest source of forced outages in industrial type steam generators; therefore, the need to maintain trouble free boilers is mandatory. The aggressive operation environment of industrial boilers is largely the reason for these failures. The combined effects of corrosion, scaling, stress, temperature, erosion and vibration cause deterioration of boiler tube material properties and reduction in wall thickness which can lead to unanticipated boiler failures in steam plants and other steam generating systems.

[0003] Particularly, corrosion and scaling are main operating problems in industrial boilers that can lead to unanticipated boiler failures. Calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and silica predominate in most boiler deposits. These deposits usually form a dense layer that impedes heat transfer, inhibiting the production of steam, and causing costly boiler tube failures. Most corrosion products that deposit in the boiler originate in the pre-boiler systems. The majority of corrosion products consist of colloidal and particulate metals and their oxides. The compounds are swept into the boiler and deposit on boiler tube surfaces. A major factor contributing to this problem is increased return of condensate containing corrosion products from various processes used throughout the steam plant. Internal corrosion must also be considered as corrosion not only contributes to deposits, but also results in metal damage. Thus, recognized by the Applicants is that the boiler water should be free of scale forming solids to allow rapid and efficient heat transfer and must not be corrosive to boiler internals.

[0004] Determination of the boiler tube failure mechanism is important for the prevention of future problems. The root cause for a failure can be established and proper corrective measures taken only when the failure mechanism is identified correctly. The following are examples of various attempts at analyzing various boiler tube failure mechanisms: Jaffer, A.E., Addington, F., and Almajnouni, A.D., "Polymer Corrosion in Boilers: Failure Mechanisms, Root Causes, Corrective Actions, and Monitoring Required", CORROSION/02, Paper 011 (Denver, CO; NACE International 2002); Almajnouni, A.D. and Jaffer, A. E., "Improved Performance in Steam Plants with New Guidelines for Corrosion and Scale Control: an Overview", CORROSION/04, Paper 081 (New Orleans, LA; NACE International 2004); and P. J. Millett, J.D. Bates and D. Hussey, "The Application of Simulation and Diagnostic Systems to Water Treatment in Power Plants and Industrial Steam Cycles," IWC 03-32, Pittsburgh, October 2003, each incorporated by reference in their entireties. The correct identification and/or prediction of failure mechanism is a complex process that includes many individuals and institutions. Technical specialists in metallurgy, chemistry, combustion, and boiler design frequently cooperate with the station staff in a failure investigation. These individuals rely on personal experience and a tremendous amount of reports, theories, studies, private communications, and investigations concerning the different failure modes and mechanisms.

[0005] Predictive software systems, also known as knowledge-based predictive systems, have emerged as a tool for transferring knowledge gained through research and field experience to individuals responsible for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of industrial steam generators. For example, iSagacity's BoilerSage provides an interactive Windows® program designed to provide modeling capabilities for steam cycles with conventional recirculating and once-through boilers and for combined cycle plants with heat recovery steam generators. The program allows the user to model transport chemical species, boiler hideout, decomposition, condensate polisher/demineralizer impurity removal, as well as the ability to have attemperation lines and injections into the flow stream. EPRTs MULTEQ program provides a high-temperature aqueous thermodynamic engine for determining properties of high-temperature water. iSagacity's RemoteManager uses steam cycle chemistry models as intelligence engines to allow for chemistry diagnostic capabilities.

[0006] Recognized by the Applicants is that if the main operating problems with the boilers (corrosion and scaling) could be predicted using knowledge-based predictive systems, a properly managed water treatment program to minimize corrosion and scale can be achieved, and a contingency plan could be arranged to overcome any shutdown problems. Recognized also is that eliminating boiler tube failures could be worth millions of dollars a year in unscheduled downtime to a company or entity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] In view of the foregoing, embodiments of the present invention advantageously provide a system, program product, and method to manage steam generating systems which can predict corrosion and scaling tendencies (CAST) in the steam generating systems, particularly, in boilers and/or pre-boilers based on relevant thermodynamic and transport processes in the steam generation cycle, provide real-time identification of water and steam chemistry related problems, provide verification of analytical results, provide corrective actions for problems identified, and identify consequences if a problem is not corrected. Advantageously, steam generation plant or system data can be input on a routine basis and the program product can provide early warning of abnormal conditions and can improve overall plant/system efficiency. Advantageously, embodiments of the system combine data to simulate models to detect cyclic chemistry problems and, rather than merely monitor the cyclic chemistry, recommend corrective actions, and indicate consequences of failure to act.

[0008] More specifically, in an embodiment of the present invention, a system to manage a steam generating system can include a steam generating plant/system including a boiler having at least one boiler tube, a communication network, a computer accessible to the communication network to define a corrosion and scaling management server having memory coupled to a processor, and at least one user computer positioned, for example, remote from the corrosion and scaling management server, accessible to the communication network. The user computer can have a processor and memory coupled to the processor to send steam generation system data to the corrosion and scaling management server and a display in communication with the processor to display steam generation system data using an associated user web browser. The system can also include a corrosion and scaling knowledge database accessible to the processor of the corrosion and scaling management server and having database records related to the steam generating system. Advantageously, this knowledge database can be updated with measured data to provide a learning function to allow continuous improvement and acquisition of more accurate predictions.

[0009] The system also includes corrosion and scaling management program product stored in the memory of the corrosion and scaling management server to determine corrosion and scaling in the boiler of the steam generating system. The corrosion and scaling management program product itself can include various instructions to perform scaling and corrosion prediction related operations, which for illustrative purposes, can be generally functionally grouped for identification according to the functions they relate. That is, the corrosion and scaling management program product can include a data receiver positioned to receive steam generating system parameters data including heat flux data for the at least one boiler tube and boiler site-specific chemistry data, and a boiler deposit thickness and concentration factor determiner responsive to the received data to determine boiler deposit thickness and concentration factor across a boiler deposit in the at least one boiler tube. The program product can include a thermodynamic model determiner responsive to the received data and predetermined thermodynamic properties to determine a boiler solution thermodynamic model to thereby model transport of chemical species in the boiler, and a cyclic chemistry determiner responsive to the received data and responsive to the thermodynamic model to determine a cyclic chemistry of solution under deposit in contact with the at least one boiler tube.

[00010] The program product can also include a boiler deposit attributes determiner responsive to the cyclic chemistry and responsive to the boiler deposit thickness and concentration factor to determine boiler deposit attributes including, for example, boiler tube deposit weight, thickness, and composition, and can include a boiler scaling tendency determiner responsive to the boiler tube deposit attributes to determine scaling tendency in the at least one boiler tube, and a boiler corrosion tendency determiner responsive to at least one of the boiler tube deposit attributes to determine corrosion tendency in the at least one boiler tube. An abnormal condition determiner responsive to the cyclic chemistry, determined scaling tendency, and/or determined corrosion tendency, can determine an abnormality in the cyclic chemistry, predicted scale, and/or predicted corrosion, respectively. Advantageously, a corrective action determiner responsive to the determined boiler scaling tendency can determine at least one corrective action, and a consequences determiner responsive to the abnormal condition can determine long-term consequences of not pursuing the at least one determined corrective action. This can significantly aid managers and operators alike to assess risk involved in continuing operations under the current chemistry and/or conditions.

[00011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the corrosion and scaling management program product can also include a boiler tube deposit insulating value determiner responsive to boiler tube deposit attributes to determine a boiler tube deposit insulating value, a boiler tube wall temperature determiner responsive to the heat flux in the boiler tube and the boiler tube deposit composition to determine boiler tube wall temperature, and a boiler corrosion tendency determiner responsive to the boiler tube wall temperature to determine a tube bulging tendency form of corrosion. The program product can also include an abnormal condition determiner responsive to the cyclic chemistry, determined scaling tendency, and determined corrosion tendency to determine an abnormality in the cyclic chemistry and predicted scale and corrosion, and an alert manager responsive to an abnormal condition to initiate notification of a user of the abnormal condition. Advantageously, the alert manager can manage providing an alert to emergency response personnel and/or managers to allow immediate action when necessary prior to system failure. Correspondingly, the program product can also include a corrective action determiner responsive to the cyclic chemistry, determined scaling tendency, and determined corrosion tendency to determine at least one corrective action, and a consequences determiner responsive to the abnormal condition to determine long-term consequences of not pursuing the at least one determined corrective action.

[00012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, corrosion and scaling management program product stored in the memory of a computer or computers such as, for example, the corrosion and scaling management server, can include instructions that, when executed by the corrosion and scaling management server, cause the corrosion and scaling management server to selectively perform the operations of receiving boiler system parameters including heat flux data for the at least one boiler tube and boiler site-specific chemistry data, determining boiler deposit thickness and a concentration factor across a boiler deposit for the boiler responsive to boiler specific heat flux data and boiler site-specific chemistry data, determining an amount and specific types of a plurality of salts that precipitate in the boiler deposit and resulting chemistry under the deposit responsive to the boiler deposit thickness and concentration factor, accumulating the amount and type of precipitates and deposition of transported metal oxides for the boiler deposit, and determining boiler deposit attributes including deposit weight, deposit thickness, and deposit composition. The instructions can also include those to perform the operations of predicting a boiler scaling tendency or tendencies responsive to the amount and specific types of a plurality of precipitates, e.g., salts, that precipitate in the boiler deposit and resulting chemistry under the deposit, and predicting a boiler corrosion tendency or tendencies responsive to one or more thermodynamic or cyclic chemistry attributes. The instructions can also include those to perform the operations of determining at least one corrective action responsive to determining an abnormal boiler scaling or corrosion tendency, and determining long-term consequences of not pursuing the at least one determined corrective action.

[00013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the corrosion and scaling management program product is provided to determine corrosion and scaling tendencies in a boiler of a steam generating system which can include instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to selectively perform the operation of determining a disposition of particulate transported to a boiler of a steam generating system, determining precipitation of salts within the boiler of the steam generating system at a boiling surface, determining boiler deposit attributes responsive to the deposition of particulate and the precipitation of salts within the boiler at the boiling surface, modeling chemistry of solution under the boiler deposit in contact with the boiler tube, and predicting boiler attributes responsive to the boiler deposit attributes and modeled chemistry of the solution under the deposit in contact with the boiler tubes. Advantageously, the boiler deposit attributes can include scaling tendencies and corrosion tendencies. The instructions can further include those to perform the operations of providing suggested remedial actions responsive to abnormal scaling or corrosion tendencies, and providing long-term consequences of current conditions on the boiler.

[00014] Embodiments of the present invention can also include a computer memory element containing, stored in a signal bearing media, a database containing data in computer readable format including, for example, data describing cumulative boiler tube deposit attributes for a boiler of a steam generating system, data describing overall scaling tendency of a boiler, data describing deposition of transported metal oxides deposits, data describing boiler specific heat flux, data describing boiler abnormal conditions, data describing steam generating system substance thermodynamic properties, and/or data describing thermodynamic models of the steam generating system. [00015] Embodiments of the present invention also include methods to manage a steam generating system. For example, a method can include receiving steam generating system attributes including boiler attribute data, and predicting corrosion and scaling conditions in a boiler prior to equipment degradation responsive to the received boiler attribute data. The method can also include those to perform the operation of predicting general corrosion concerns in the pre-boiler equipment prior to equipment degradation. The method can further include suggesting remedial action responsive to the predicted corrosion and scaling conditions, and determining long-term consequences of the current conditions on steam generating system equipment.

[00016] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method can include receiving steam generating system parameters data including heat flux data for a boiler tube of a boiler and boiler site-specific chemistry data, determining boiler deposit thickness and concentration factor across a boiler deposit in the boiler tube responsive to the received data, determining a boiler solution thermodynamic model responsive to the received data and responsive to associated boiler solution thermodynamic properties to thereby model transport of chemical species in the boiler, and determining a cyclic chemistry of solution under boiler deposit in contact with the boiler tube responsive to the received data and responsive to the thermodynamic model. The method can also include determining boiler deposit attributes including boiler deposit weight, thickness, and composition, responsive to the cyclic chemistry and responsive to the boiler deposit thickness and concentration factor, and predicting a scaling tendency or tendencies in the boiler tube responsive to the boiler deposit attributes.

[00017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the method can include determining an abnormality in the cyclic chemistry and predicted scale responsive to the cyclic chemistry and predicted scaling tendency or tendencies, determining a corrective action responsive to a predicting scaling tendency when abnormal, and determining long-term consequences of not pursuing the determined corrective action responsive to the abnormal condition. According to embodiment of the present invention, the method can further include determining a boiler tube deposit insulating value responsive to boiler deposit attributes, determining boiler tube wall temperature responsive to the heat flux in the boiler tube and the boiler tube deposit composition, and determining a tube bulging tendency form of corrosion responsive to the boiler tube wall temperature. [00018] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method can include performing boiler inspections on a steam generating system boiler, collecting boiler deposit data, providing a boiler inspection web page form to manually enter and update cumulative calculated boiler deposit parameters with the measured boiler deposit data including, for example, boiler deposit and boiler surface conditions, updating boiler deposit tendencies calculation parameters responsive to entry of the measured boiler deposit data, and analyzing the boiler deposit data to predict corrosion and scaling tendencies in the boiler.

[00019] Embodiments of the present invention also include methods of providing for management of a steam generating system. For example, a method can include providing a knowledge-based predictive program product that provides corrosion and scaling tendency predictions for a boiler of a steam generating system responsive to thermodynamic and transport processes of a steam cycle of the steam generating system to thereby reduce routine human expert analysis requirements and to thereby enhance human expert utilization, and producing a plurality of automated corrosion and scaling predictions utilizing the knowledge- based predictive program product responsive to a plurality of different input parameters.

[00020] According to embodiment of the present invention, the method can alternatively and/or further include providing computer-based corrosion and scaling prediction training including corrosion and scaling simulation models responsive to user selectable inputs to thereby provide expert knowledge to a plurality of preselected personnel to enhance corrosion and scaling awareness and to reduce loss of expertise through human expert attrition. The method can also include providing a dynamic knowledge repository including an archive of system data and diagnosis for a plurality of substantially similar steam generating systems, the system data including boiler performance, corrosion, and scaling, and allowing continuous update to thereby provide a learning function that dynamically improves over time.

[00021] The method can further include providing a plurality of non-specialist personnel access to expert knowledge through the knowledge-based predictive program product, responsive to unavailability of a human expert, to allow non-specialist personnel to solve well understood problems, to thereby enhance human expert utilization and efficient use of manpower. Additionally, the method can further or alternatively include providing access to the knowledge-based predictive program product to a plurality of non-specialists and allowing the well understood problems to be solved by one or more of the plurality of non- specialists using the knowledge-based predictive program product to free human experts from repeatedly executing substantially similar tasks and to allow the human experts to concentrate on acquiring new knowledge, to thereby improve manpower utilization efficiency.

[00022] Embodiments of the present invention can also include a computer readable medium that is readable by a computer to manage a steam generating system. The computer readable medium can include a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the operations of receiving steam generating system attributes including boiler attribute data, and predicting corrosion and scaling conditions in a boiler prior to equipment degradation responsive to the received boiler attribute data. The instructions can also include those to perform the operation of predicting general corrosion concerns in the pre-boiler equipment prior to equipment degradation. The instructions can also include determining proper corrective actions responsive to the predicted corrosion and scaling conditions, determining the consequences of neglecting the predicted corrosion and scaling conditions when abnormal, and providing to a user the determined consequences of neglecting the abnormal conditions.

[00023] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a computer readable medium can include instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the operations of receiving steam generating system parameters data including heat flux data for a boiler tube of a boiler and boiler site-specific chemistry data, determining boiler deposit thickness and concentration factor across a boiler deposit in the boiler tube responsive to the received data, determining a boiler solution thermodynamic model responsive to the received data and responsive to associated boiler solution thermodynamic properties to thereby model transport of chemical species in the boiler, determining a cyclic chemistry of solution under boiler deposit in contact with the boiler tube responsive to the received data and responsive to the thermodynamic model, determining boiler deposit attributes including boiler deposit weight, thickness, and composition, responsive to the cyclic chemistry and responsive to the boiler deposit thickness and concentration factor, and predicting scaling tendency in the boiler tube responsive to the boiler deposit attributes.

[00024] According to embodiment of the present intention, the instructions can also include those to perform the operations of determining an abnormality in the cyclic chemistry and predicted scale responsive to the cyclic chemistry and predicted scaling tendency, determining a corrective action responsive to the predicted scaling tendency when abnormal, and determining long-term consequences of not pursuing the determined corrective action responsive to the abnormal condition. The instructions can also include those to perform the operations of determining a boiler tube deposit insulating value responsive to boiler deposit attributes, determining boiler tube wall temperature responsive to the heat flux in the boiler tube and the boiler tube deposit composition, and predicting a tube bulging tendency form of corrosion responsive to the boiler tube wall temperature.

[00025] Advantageously, embodiments of the system apply cutting-edge technology to boiler water treatment programs, providing a capability to diagnose water chemistry anomalies and predict corrosion scaling tendencies in the boilers and throughout the steam cycle of a steam generating system, and providing, for example, real-time identification of water and steam chemistry related problems, verification of analytical results, corrective actions for identified problems, alarming on chemical feed rates based on current cycle chemistry, identification of consequences if a problem is not corrected, charting of data, customizable report functions, tracking of chemical inventory, and on-line accessibility of maintenance and operating life reports. The corrosion and scaling management program product can advantageously assist in optimizing the boiler water program and assist in conserving energy. Advantageously, embodiments of the system can predict corrosion and scaling tendencies based on relevant thermodynamic and transport processes in a steam cycle. The steam generating plant/system data can be input and/or sensed on a routine basis and the corrosion and scaling management program product can provide early warning of abnormal conditions, improving overall plant efficiency. That is, embodiments of the present invention can utilize the operating conditions of an operating boiler as input parameters to predict the severity of scaling and corrosion tendencies.

[00026] Advantageously, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the corrosion and scaling management program product can function as a stand-alone program product. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the corrosion and scaling management program product can function as a module designed to interface with iSagacity's Remote Manager. iSagacity's Remote Manager software technology can provide users an ability to form a monitoring and diagnostic tool for a user selected process if the process has measurable and obtainable parameters with characteristic relationships. Thus, various embodiments of the corrosion and scaling management program product build upon such technology. That is, according to embodiments of the present invention, the corrosion and scaling management program product can function as a master program including iSagacity's Remote Manager software, can function as module for iSagacity's Remote Manager software for diagnosing systems, or can function as a stand-alone program product, to predict the existence and severity of corrosion and scaling tendencies.

[00027] Advantageously, the system can include provisions for customizing the corrosion and scaling management program product according to the needs of the user, and provisions for providing training to user members, particularly operator and engineer/chemists, to enhance implementation of the system. Advantageously, the corrosion and scaling management program product can be modeled to make possible correct identification of routine mechanisms of boiler tube failure, which occur in currently operating boilers. Because availability and reliability of steam plants/systems are key components for increasing system operational life expectancy, periodic expert system analysis can advantageously be a useful tool for evaluating the water chemistry and the potential impact of the chemical treatment program. Proper dissemination of this knowledge and future findings should contribute to fewer incidents of boiler tube failures. Further, human experts can be distracted or rushed and led to incorrect or inconsistent deductions. Advantageously, the corrosion and scaling management program product can consistently apply the same logic and thus provide reliable results, which are more precise given accurate inputs. This can help managers obtain better consistency and accuracy in engineering decisions related to operations, control, and treatment of boiler water systems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[00028] So that the manner in which the features and advantages of the invention, as well as others which will become apparent, may be understood in more detail, a more particular description of the invention briefly summarized above may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings, which form a part of this specification. It is to be noted, however, that the drawings illustrate only various embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of the invention's scope as it may include other effective embodiments as well.

[00029] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a system to manage a steam generating system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00030] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a corrosion and scaling management program product according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00031] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the scatter plot graph illustrating an evaluation of program product results of predicted boiler deposit weights vs. historical measured boiler deposit weights according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00032] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a graph illustrating caustic boiler corrosion vs. boiler water concentration evaluation results according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00033] FIGS. 5A-B is a schematic flow diagram of a method of managing a steam generating system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00034] FIG. 6 is a schematic flow diagram of a method of managing a steam generating system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00035] FIG. 7 is a schematic flow diagram of a method of managing a steam generating system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00036] FIG. 8 is a schematic flow diagram of a method of providing for managing a steam generating system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00037] FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram of a database containing information related predicting boiler corrosion and scaling according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00038] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a plant configuration window according to an embodiment of the present invention; [00039] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of an add/modify boilers configuration window according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00040] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a constant value parameters configuration window for the boilers listed in FIG. 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00041] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a base limits configuration window for the boilers listed in FIG. 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00042] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of a species configuration window for the boilers listed in FIG. 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00043] FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of a species selection window for general corrosion for the system of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00044] FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of a species configuration window for the species listed in FIG. 15 according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00045] FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of a location selection window for general corrosion for the system of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00046] FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of a configure location window for the locations listed in FIG. 17 according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00047] FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram of a plant system parameter data editor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00048] FIG. 20 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the relationship of deposition to various current operational factors according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00049] FIG. 21 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the relationship of various operational factors and deposition to the prediction of scale according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00050] FIG. 22 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the relationship of various operational factors and deposition to the prediction of corrosion according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00051] FIG. 23 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating obtaining cumulative deposit thickness according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00052] FIG. 24 is a formula and table illustrating a deposit weight calculation according to an embodiment of the present invention; [00053] FIG. 25 is a formula and table illustrating a deposit thickness calculation according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00054] FIG. 26 is a graph illustrating the relationship between the concentration factor (CF) underdeposit and heat flux (Q) according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00055] FIG. 27 is a set of formulas and a table illustrating a cumulative amount of deposit calculation according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00056] FIG. 28 is a simplified schematic flow diagram for obtaining scaling tendencies according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00057] FIG. 29 is a schematic diagram of a thermodynamic model output for calcium (ca) species according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00058] FIG. 30 is a simplified schematic flow diagram for determining flow transients according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00059] FIG. 31 is a simplified schematic flow diagram for determining and predicting flow accelerated/assisted corrosion according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00060] FIGS. 32A-E are graphical illustrations of the effects of flow accelerated/assisted corrosion at various concentrations, velocities, and temperatures according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00061] FIGS. 33A-C are tables illustrating the effect of velocity, oxygen, and pH at a given temperature according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00062] FIG. 34 is a simplified schematic flow diagram for determining/picking underdeposit corrosion according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00063] FIG. 35 is a schematic diagram of the output of a thermodynamic engine according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00064] FIGS. 36A-C are graphs illustrating various thermodynamic engine model chemistry according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00065] FIG. 37 is a table illustrating thermodynamic engine model chemistry according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00066] FIG. 38 is a simplified schematic flow diagram for determining/predicting general corrosion tendencies according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00067] FIGS. 39A-B are a graph and an associated table illustrating iron general corrosion according to an embodiment of the present invention; [00068] FIG. 40 is graphical illustration of the pH effect on iron corrosion according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00069] FIG. 41 is a table and schematic block diagram illustrating model dependencies according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00070] FIG. 42 is a table illustrating measured and simulated data relating to the models listed in FIG. 41 according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00071] FIG. 43 is a graph illustrating flow accelerated corrosion tendencies as a function of a flow accelerated corrosion factor and temperature according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00072] FIG. 44 is a graph illustrating underdeposit corrosion relative attack as a function of pH(t) according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00073] FIG. 45 is a graph illustrating general corrosion tendencies according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00074] FIG. 46 is a graph illustrating scaling tendencies as a function of total precipitates and concentration factor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00075] FIG. 47 is a table illustrating a quantity of precipitate for a given solution according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00076] FIG. 48 is a graph illustrating the empirical relationship between flow/load transients and corrosion product transport relationships according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00077] FIG. 49 is a schematic diagram of web page illustrating a system summary of a selected plant system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00078] FIG. 50 is a schematic diagram of selection of a web page illustrating selection of active boilers within the system of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00079] FIG. 51 is a schematic diagram of a web page form allowing the user to create/edit customized reports according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00080] FIG. 52 is a schematic diagram of a tutorials web page including a plurality of predefined tutorial scenarios according to an embodiment of the present invention; [00081] FIG. 53 is a schematic diagram of a web page including hyperlinks to detailed information about a plurality of boilers for a selected system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[00082] FIG. 54 a schematic diagram of a web page including illustrates attributes for a selected boiler of FIG. 53 according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[00083] FIG. 55 is a schematic diagram of a web page table including user selectable hyperlinks detailing corrosion and a plurality of locations according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[00084] The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate embodiments of the invention. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the illustrated embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. Prime notation, if used, indicates similar elements in alternative embodiments.

[00085] Reliability of steam generating systems is the key component of operating industrial steam plants. Achieving such reliability generally depends on a properly managed water treatment program to minimize scale deposition and corrosion. The boiler, for example, should be free of scale forming solids to allow rapid and efficient heat transfer and the water chemistry should not be corrosive to boiler internals. These two main problems, corrosion and scaling, can result in boiler tube failures and inability to produce steam. If corrosion and scaling can be predicted, then a contingency plan can readily be developed. Thus, advantageously, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-54, embodiments of the present invention provide a system, program product, and methods to predict corrosion and scaling tendencies (CAST) in steam generating systems, which provides an early warning signal signaling corrosion and scaling tendencies and correspondingly recommends corrective actions to be taken, to thereby maintain boiler reliability and minimize system downtime. Further, various embodiments of the present invention can predict corrosion and scale tendencies in the boiler and steam cycle, identify real-time water and steam chemistry related problems, verify analytical results, correct actions for problem identified, provide alarming on, for example, chemical feed rates based on current cycle chemistry, identify consequences if a problem is not corrected, chart data, customize report functions, track chemical inventory, provide access to maintenance and operating life reports on-line, and provide operator and engineer/chemist training.

[00086] As perhaps best shown in FIG. 1, illustrated is a system 30 to manage steam generating systems which can predict scaling and corrosion tendencies in steam generating systems, particularly, in boilers and pre-boilers, which can provide corrective actions for problems identified, and which can identify consequences if a problem is not corrected. The system 30 can include a steam generating plant/system including a boiler 31 having at least one that typically a plurality of boiler tubes 33, a pre-boiler 35 operatively connected to the boiler 31, a plurality of sensors and/or monitors 37 positioned to sense or monitor various steam generating system related parameters. At least one data collector 39 is in communication with the sensors and monitors 37. Preboiler cycle components can include feedwater heaters, pump, condensers, and the like, which may be constructed of different materials than the primary boiler. These components are typically connected to the boiler 31 via the flow of boiler makeup water, boiler water and boiler feedwater. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the data collector 39 includes one of various forms of data acquisition software known to those skilled in the art such as, for example, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), data collection system (DCS), or data historian applications to provide steam generating system equipment and solution data. The data collector 39 is positioned accessible to a communication network 41, which can take various forms including, for example, a wired or wireless local user intranet, local area network, wide area network, the Internet, other networks known to those skilled in the art, or a combination thereof.

[00087] The system 30 also includes one or more computers accessible to the communication network to define a corrosion and scaling management server 43 having memory 45 coupled to a processor 47 to store operating instructions. The corrosion and scaling management server 43 can receive steam generating system equipment and solution data from the data collector 39 which can provide for automated retrieval, or can receive data from a stationary or mobile user, described later. The memory 45 can include volatile and nonvolatile memory known to those skilled in the art including, for example, RAM, ROM, and magnetic or optical disks, just to name a few. Note, it should also be understood that the preferred server configuration is given by way of example and that other types of servers or computers configured according to various other methodologies known to those skilled in the art can be used. The server 43 shown schematically in, for example, FIG. 1 represents a server or server cluster or server farm and is not limited to any individual physical server. The server site may be deployed as a server farm or server cluster managed by a serving hosting provider. The number of servers and their architecture and configuration may be increased based on usage, demand and capacity requirements for the system 30.

[00088] The system 30 can also include a corrosion and scaling knowledge database 49 accessible to the processor of the corrosion and scaling management server 43 and having database records related to the steam generating system, described later. It should be understood that database 49 can be a single consolidated database or a plurality of databases. A plurality of stationary user computers 51 are generally positioned remote from the corrosion and scaling management server 43. The stationary user computers 51, positioned accessible to the communication network 41, have a processor and memory coupled to the processor to store operating instructions therein to send and/or receive steam generation system data to the corrosion and scaling management server 43, and can include a display in communication with the processor to display steam generation system data using an associated user web browser. A plurality of mobile user terminals 61, such as, for example, a laptop computer, cell phone, pager, personal digital assistant, or other similar devices known to those skilled in the art, are generally positioned remote from the corrosion and scaling management server 43 and are accessible to the communication network 41. The mobile terminals 61 can have a processor and memory coupled to the processor to receive from and/or send steam generation system data to the corrosion and scaling management server 43 either directly or through one of the stationary user computers 51.

[00089] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, provided is a corrosion and scaling management program product 71 stored, for example, in the memory 45 of the corrosion and scaling management server 43 which advantageously can determine and/or predict corrosion and scaling in the boiler or boilers 31 of the steam generating system. The corrosion and scaling management program product 71 can be in the form of microcode, programs, routines, and symbolic languages that provide a specific set for sets of ordered operations that control the functioning of the hardware and direct its operation, as known and understood by those skilled in the art. Note, although illustrated as such, the corrosion and scaling management program product 71 need not reside in its entirety in volatile memory, but can be selectively loaded, as necessary, according to various methodologies as known and understood by those skilled in the art.

[00090] As shown in FIG. 2, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the corrosion and scaling management program product 71 can include various functional modules, objects, or groups of instructions that perform related operations. For example, the corrosion and scaling management program product 71 can include a data receiver 73 positioned to receive steam generating system parameters data including heat flux data for each boiler tube 33 and boiler site-specific chemistry data. The data receiver 73 can include a data transfer tool or equivalent to access, real time, the system parameters and chemistry data directly from the sensors or monitors 37 or receive the data entered manually via user computer 51 or mobile user terminal 61.

[00091] A data timeliness determiner 75, responsive to the received steam generating system parameters data and responsive to selected or preselected time limitation criteria, can screen the data for timeliness; and an analytical susceptibility determiner 77, responsive to the received steam generating system parameters data and responsive to preselected steam generating system criteria, can determine susceptibility of the data to continued diagnostic analysis. A data integrity determiner 79, responsive to the received steam generating system parameters data and responsive to preselected data integrity criteria, can determine the integrity of the received data, and a data impact determiner 81, responsive to the received steam generating system parameters data and responsive to preselected steam generating system impact criteria, can determine individual impact of the data on the steam generating system. The impact criteria can originate, for example, from data published by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), American Boiler Manufacturers Association (ABMA), local plant operation guidelines, or other available technical data.

[00092] The corrosion and scaling management program product 71 can include a boiler deposit thickness and concentration determiner 83, which responsive to the received data, e.g., boiler specific heat data and site-specific chemistry data, can determine a boiler deposit thickness and associated concentration factor across a boiler deposit (not shown) in each boiler tube 33.

[00093] Corrosion and scaling problems that occur in industrial boiler steam cycles result from an interaction of the materials of construction and the water used for steam generation. The primary basis for predicting the performance of these systems generally must first include a detailed understanding of the properties of the solutions at the elevated temperatures and pressures found in the steam cycle (e.g., 300-900 psig). Key properties of the solution can include: pH, electrochemical potential, solubility properties, etc. for typical impurities and additives in a steam cycle. A thermodynamic model determiner ("plant chemistry simulator") 85, responsive to the received data and thermodynamic properties of the boiler solution, can determine a boiler solution thermodynamic model, to thereby model transport of chemical species in the boiler 31. The thermodynamic model determiner 85 is thus an integral part of the real-time chemistry monitoring and diagnostic system.

[00094] According to an embodiment of the program product 71, the thermodynamic model determiner 85 can access or incorporate EPRTs MULTEQ thermodynamic engine or other having similar functions. The thermodynamic engine used by or incorporated within the program product 71 uses the current concentration of each species to be concentrated to calculate or otherwise determine the composition and pH of an aqueous solution as a source solution concentrated by evaporation. The thermodynamic engine considers the equilibrium relation including combination of species, precipitation reactions, and volatilization, to calculate concentration variation in the liquid phase as boiling proceeds along the saturation curve to temperatures of, e.g., 335°C. It also calculates activity coefficients over the entire concentration and temperature range of interest. The thermodynamic engine includes an extensive database of the properties of additives and impurities typically found in steam cycles which can be stored in database 49 or elsewhere. The database can be applied over a range of temperature, e.g., from 25°C to 350⁰C or so, and pressures, e.g., from atmospheric to well over 2000 psi.

[00095] The thermodynamic engine is coupled with unit operations models of the components in the steam generating system/plant 30 including: condensers, dearators, boilers, turbines, etc., to extend the capability of the thermodynamic engine to specific components and locations in the steam plant. Beneficially, the thermodynamic model determiner 85 can be used to predict the pH (at room temperature and elevated temperature), concentrations of impurities, treatment chemicals (e.g. hydrazine, sodium phosphate, morpholine, etc.), oxygen, solubility of scaling components, and the electrochemical potential at any location in the steam plant in real-time. The thermodynamic model determiner 85 also allows for the customization of conditions of each of the industrial boilers to create the model which can be used to provide the predictive capabilities. That is, the chemistry can be determined in realtime using the plant models and the thermodynamic engine. By using such models to calculate the key quantities of interest (e.g. high temperature pH, solubility, etc.), this methodology is rendered directly compatible with existing corrosion and scaling algorithms and correlations. Further, this methodology allows the thermodynamic model determiner 85 to account for plant design and operational changes.

[00096] A cyclic chemistry determiner 87, responsive to the received data and responsive to the thermodynamic model, can determine a cyclic chemistry of solution under deposit in contact with the boiler tube 33, providing additional real-time chemistry modeling of the system. The cyclic chemistry of solution under deposit can include an amount and specific type of salts or other precipitates that precipitate in the boiler tube deposit, and the resulting chemistry under the boiler tube deposit including species specific concentrations and pH(t), described later.

[00097] A boiler deposit attributes determiner 91, responsive to the cyclic chemistry and responsive to the boiler deposit thickness and concentration factor, can determine boiler deposit attributes including boiler tube deposit weight, thickness, and composition throughout the boiler and steam cycle. A boiler scaling tendency determiner 93, responsive to the boiler tube deposit attributes, can correspondingly determine scaling tendency in the boiler tube 33 throughout the boiler and steam cycle. The boiler scaling tendency determiner 93 can be integrated with the real-time chemistry modeling provided by the cyclic chemistry determiner 87 and/or thermodynamic model determiner 85 to provide such scaling tendency determination real-time. The determined scaling tendency defines predicted scaling, current or projected conditions remaining the same.

[00098] The corrosion and scaling management program product 71 can include a boiler tube deposit insulating value determiner 95, a boiler tube wall temperature determiner 97, and a boiler corrosion tendency determiner 99. The boiler tube deposit insulating value determiner 95, responsive to boiler tube deposit attributes can determine a boiler tube deposit insulating value. The boiler tube wall temperature determiner 97, responsive to the heat flux in the boiler tube and the boiler tube deposit composition, can determine boiler tube wall temperature. The boiler corrosion tendency determiner 99, responsive to pH, velocity, oxygen, temperature, and/or phase (1/v) at specific plant locations designated by the user, can determine and predict various corrosion tendencies. These can include, for example, flow accelerated corrosion, under deposit corrosion, and general corrosion. The determined corrosion tendency defines predicted corrosion or corrosion effects, current or projected conditions remaining the same. The boiler corrosion tendency determiner 99, responsive to the boiler tube wall temperature, can also determine other forms of corrosion including, for example, a tube bulging tendency form of corrosion.

[00099] According to an embodiment of the corrosion and scaling management program product 71, the boiler scaling tendency determiner 93 and boiler corrosion tendency determiner 99, in combination, provide for both corrosion and scaling predictions. Once the system chemistry properties are determined, correlations for corrosion and scaling can be used to predict both the onset and the extent of various forms of general and localized corrosion and scaling. A pre-generated mathematical model or simulator of the process can be formed and used to diagnose the process data. The model can be custom built from scratch using an engineering toolkit, or can be formed from a commercial simulator. The model serves a few functions. It can be used to predict the conditions in locations of the system where local measurements would be difficult to make. The model output can also be used to validate process measurements. The model can also be used to form virtual "fingerprints" of system behavior. This virtual fingerprinting can be used to match plant conditions to the observed chemistry and plant chemistry design. For example, operational transients such as a deaerator malfunction, high iron and copper ingress, and demineralizer problems can be detected by matching the plant chemistry to a library of plant scenarios that are updated as plant conditions change. This diagnostic capability can significantly add value to the prediction of corrosion and scaling. Coupled with the corrosion and scaling tendency determiners 93, 99, this modeling can provide the user with not only the consequences of operating under the current plant conditions, but an assessment of root cause of abnormal conditions and corrective actions required to restore normal operations.

[000100] The corrosion and scaling management program product 71 can include an abnormal condition determiner 101, which can provide real-time identification of water and steam chemistry related problems through use of the pre-generated mathematical model or simulator of the process to diagnose the process data. A set of fingerprints or scenarios for the steam generating plant/system, or a portion thereof, described above, can be formed by simulating a faulted condition and tracking how each of the measurements throughout the plant should change when the scenario occurs. Through use of a pattern recognition algorithm, the real time data can be continuously compared to a library of scenarios for the best match. More particularly, the abnormal condition determiner 101, responsive to the cyclic chemistry, determined scaling tendency, and determined corrosion tendency, can compare such data to the previously determined fingerprints to determine an abnormality in the cyclic chemistry and predicted scale and corrosion, if so existing.

[000101] Some specific examples of how this methodology can be used to predict important corrosion and scaling issues to address the effects of abnormal conditions in industrial boilers include: analyzing the buffering capacity of a sodium phosphate system; analyzing the effectiveness of an oxygen scavenger; determining scaling due to excess of water hardness; and determining flow accelerated corrosion.

[000102] The consequences of abnormal conditions resulting in corrosion can be determined by first determining the buffering capacity of the sodium phosphate systems. Sodium phosphate is used for pH control in many industrial boilers. The ability to control pH with sodium phosphate as a buffer is both a function of the concentration and the specific acid or caustic introduced into the system. In real-time, the corrosion and scaling management program product 71 can calculate the resulting pH from ingress of any impurity or additive to the system including; strong acids (e.g. hydrochloric, sulfuric), weak acids (e.g. organics, carbon dioxide), strong bases (e.g. sodium or potassium hydroxide) and weak bases (e.g. lime). These calculations can be performed for complex solutions comprising mixtures of acids, bases and salts. Once the at temperature pH of the un-buffered solution is coupled with the electrochemical potential, general corrosion correlations for materials of construction (e.g. carbon steel, copper alloys, etc.) can be used to predict corrosion rates as a function of temperature and location throughout the steam plant. The general corrosion rates for these materials can be obtained over the range of conditions of interest. From this, the consequences of ingress of many impurities into the system in real-time can be predicted.

[000103] The consequences of abnormal conditions resulting in pitting can be determined by first determining the effectiveness of the oxygen scavenger. Using the thermodynamic model determiner 85, the consumption of oxygen by oxygen scavengers can be readily determined or otherwise predicted. The determiner 85 can use a first order rate expression in conjunction with the system residence time to predict the reaction rate. The reaction rate is considered plant specific and varies with time. Once the local oxygen concentration is calculated, the electrochemical potential can be computed. The tendencies for localized forms of corrosion such as pitting are observed to be strong functions of the electrochemical potential. A set of correlations for the pitting potential as a function of temperature and key impurities known to breakdown the passive film (such as chloride) can also be included in the calculation. The tendency for pitting is then predicted using these correlations. Also, through use of the virtual fingerprinting coupled with the pitting correlations, the pitting risk associated with events such as loss of the oxygen scavenger due to feed pump failure can be provided in realtime.

[000104] The consequences of abnormal conditions resulting in scaling can be determined by first determining excessive water hardness. The potential for scaling due to hardness components is observed, for example, to be a direct function of the solubility of a given hardness compound. The thermodynamic database includes solubility products for all of the important scale forming compounds. Additionally, the database includes solubility products for more complex precipitates that can be observed under specific conditions. For example, a mixture of magnesium, calcium and silica salts can form the following compounds at the temperature and pressures of interest in industrial boilers:

[000105] The actual formation of these compounds is a complex function of the final solution composition. The thermodynamic engine can be provided data to perform the necessary calculations. The propensity for scale formation can be defined as a direct function of the super-saturation ratio defined as the product of the concentration of the hardness species to the solubility product. This ratio can be computed in real-time for each component in the steam plant and a risk factor can be output. As described earlier, the virtual fingerprinting can allow for the identification of the root cause of system problems that could increase the scaling risk factor. Scenarios that would be identified by the virtual fingerprinting that could be related to scaling tendency include: demineralizer problems, changes in source water composition, changes in water treatment regimes, condensate corrosion products, etc.

[000106] The rate of scale formation once the solubility has been exceeded is a more complex problem. It is a function of the scaling component and the local thermal hydraulic parameters. For example, boiling deposition processes will drive iron scaling in boilers. These processes are known to be a function of the heat flux, concentration, and fluid velocity. In steam turbines, the deposition of silica due to solubility limitations is also strongly dependent on design issues. Mechanistic models can be applied to determine the rate of scale formation once solubility has been exceeded.

[000107] The consequences of an abnormality or abnormal conditions resulting in flow accelerated/assisted corrosion (FAC) can be determined. In a number of industrial applications, flow accelerated corrosion is a major problem. Flow accelerated/assisted corrosion is a strong function of the "at temperature" pH, local hydraulics, and material susceptibility. These factors are often considered during plant design, however, local at temperature pH and flow variations may not be properly accounted for as operational changes are implemented. The thermodynamic model determiner 85 will compute the local at temperature pH variations and flow rates in any part of the steam plant as a function of steaming rates and other plant conditions. This information coupled with the piping dimensions and material properties allows the flow accelerated/assisted corrosion rates to be predicted.

[000108] The above was a non-inclusive list of corrosion and scaling issues. Additional local corrosion mechanisms such as, for example, intergranular corrosion (IGA) and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) can be addressed using the same approach. Also, oil ingress in refinery boilers, iron and copper ingress in other boilers can also be similarly addressed.

[000109] An alert manager 103, responsive to an abnormal condition, can initiate notification of a user of the abnormal condition. The abnormal condition may not only be of an abnormal system model, but can include abnormalities of individual chemical species or parameters such as, for example, chemical feed rates that violate specified limitations, excessive temperatures, excessive boiler concentration thickness or concentration factor, or critical chemical inventory, etc. A chemical inventory tracker 117 can track chemical inventory to provide for the critical chemical inventory functionality. That is, the chemical inventory tracker 117 can provide the ability to track chemical tank levels for all tanks that have electronically stored level instrumentation. The chemical inventory tracker 117, either directly or through the alert manager 103, can also execute an alarm function and/or e-mail the request to reorder chemicals response to the chemical tank levels. [000110] A corrective action determiner 105, responsive to the cyclic chemistry, determined scaling tendency, and/or determined corrosion tendency, can determine at least one corrective action, and a consequences determiner 107, responsive to the abnormal condition, can determine long-term consequences of not pursuing the at least one determined corrective action. That is, the consequences determiner 107 can provide consequences of prolonged out of specification chemistry conditions to thereby aid the user in determining the significance of the abnormal condition. Both the suggested corrective action or actions and predicted consequences can be displayed on a web page to enhance user contingency planning.

[000111] A suspect measurement identifier 111, responsive to the received data, can identify potential suspect measurements, and a diagnostic input and results formatter 113, responsive to the abnormal conditions, determined scale tendencies, and/or determined boiler corrosion tendency, can display diagnostic input and associated results.

[000112] An analytical results verifier 115, responsive to the diagnostic results, can verify integrity of the diagnostic results. The analytical results verifier 115 provides the capability to assess the quality of the current data relative to the simulation models. The analytical results verifier 115 can perform the following assessments on each data point to verify analytical results: an out of confidence assessment evaluates whether or not the current data is outside of a range that is 1.96 times the measured standard error; a spike in data assessment which evaluates whether the data exceeds a user defined confidence limit; a slow evolving trend assessment which evaluates data trends over about a one hour period of time; a fast evolving trend assessment which evaluates data trends over about a five minute time period; a bad sensor test assessment which ranks the susceptibility of each piece of data to screen for instrument errors; and a related data algorithms assessment which allows for internal verification of data based on known algorithms for known parameters such as, for example, ammonia, pH, and conductivity, etc.

[000113] A report manager 121, responsive to the diagnostic input and diagnostic results, can provide preformatted charted reports, customizable reports, and online accessibility to maintenance and operating life reports. The report manager 121 can provide the ability to chart all measured data, virtual data, diagnostic evaluations, and bad sensor test results as a function of time. Charting can be performed directly on an assigned web page. The report manager 121 can provide the ability to group pre-defined charts into a report. The report can be customizable over the web and can be saved for reuse over time. The report manager 121 can also provide the ability to link to documents such as inspection reports for availability to the client on-line, all of the time.

[000114] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the corrosion and scaling management program product 71 can include a training program manager 131 positioned to receive and store training documentation and positioned to provide analytical, e.g., site- specific simulations of identified problems and chemistry contingencies, along with tutorial figures and text, to train operators and other users on boilers and steam cycle chemistry. This training can beneficially help both the operators and the chemists determine and analyze potential scaling and corrosion tendencies based on the variation of input data.

[000115] An embodiment of the corrosion and scaling management program product 71 was described for illustrative purposes with respect to various functional modules, objects, or groups of instructions that perform related operations. According to embodiment of the present invention, the instructions within the program product 71, however, are not so limited and can be provided in various formats to perform the above described operations and much of the method steps described below that can be performed by a computer such as, for example, the corrosion and scaling management server 43.

[000116] As identified above, the system 30 can also include a corrosion and scaling knowledge database 49 accessible to the processor of the corrosion and scaling management server 43 and having database records related to the steam generating system. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the database records can include boiler tube deposit attributes, such as, for example, an amount and type of precipitates in the boiler deposit, deposition of transported metal oxides deposits in the boiler 31, deposit weight, deposit thickness, deposit composition, concentration factor for the deposit, and/or insulating value of the deposit on the boiler tube or tubes 33. The data records can also include boiler scaling tendency, boiler corrosion tendency, deposition of transported metal oxides deposits, boiler specific heat flux, boiler abnormal conditions, and/or steam generating system substance thermodynamic properties

[000117] Advantageously, benchmarks have been designed and used to test and evaluate the system, methods, and corrosion and scaling program product in a refinery and a gas treating facility. Both of the benchmarks illustrated below were designed to reflect the different manufacturing facilities and the different boilers used. Brief descriptions of two benchmarks follow. [000118] As shown in FIG. 3, a preliminary evaluation of the data shows a reasonable correlation of the modeling to the actual measured data. The figure shows the calculated amount of deposit for an industrial boiler plotted against historical measured deposit weights from multiple tube locations in a bank of nine similar industrial boilers. As expected, there was an amount of scatter to the measured data, but the accuracy was sufficient to effectively predict deposit weights for planning purposes. In actual application, the model advantageously can be adjusted as measured data is obtained, thus greatly improving the fit of the curve. Further, advantageously, the ability of the model to project deposit weights can be used to plan for chemical cleanings and other maintenance and management activities.

[000119] As shown in FIG. 4, further testing at another facility showed the tendency for caustic corrosion based on reported chemistry and boiler design. Again, preliminary testing to show the value of the system, methods, and program product was performed. The boiler chemistry and design were used to determine the point at which caustic corrosion would be a concern. The results showed that by concentrating the boiler water by a factor of 10 (which is typical of a clean boiler tube), the solution chemistry in contact with the boiler tube had developed a caustic corrosion tendency. The ρH(t) did not become appreciably elevated until the concentration factor exceeded 1000. Because, according to an embodiment of the present invention, one of the algorithms in corrosion and scaling management program product 71, can calculate the concentration factor in real time, this can be used to predict when the formation of caustic conditions is imminent in the boiler 31.

[000120] Advantageously, in such a real-time approach, the local boiler tube chemistry can be readily modeled using the steam generating system/plant parameters, current operating and chemistry data, and cumulative calculated deposits. The modeling aspects of the program product 71 can allow for a site-specific application of the technology. By using rigorous models to calculate the key quantities of interest (e.g. high temperature, pH, solubilities), embodiments of the present invention can be directly used with existing corrosion and scaling algorithms and correlations. Most importantly, the corrosion and scaling management program product 71 can automatically account for system/plant design and operational changes.

[000121] As shown in FIGS. 1-55, embodiments of the present invention generally include methods of managing a steam generating system, and particularly those for managing corrosion and scaling in a boiler 31 and/or pre-boiler 35. For example, as perhaps best shown in FIGS. 5A-B, a method according to an embodiment of the present invention can include retrieving or otherwise receiving steam generating system attributes (block 141), such as, for example, plant parameters, current operating and chemistry data, and cumulative calculated deposits which can be entered via a web page form (see, e.g., FIGS. 10-19) provided to and/or displayed by the stationery user computers 51 or mobile user terminals 61. FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary plant configuration window including plant names selection, data channels, scenarios, alerts, e-mail, boilers, and general corrosion. FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary add/modify boilers configuration window. FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary constant value parameters configuration window for the boilers listed in FIG. 11. FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary base limits configuration window for the boilers listed in FIG. 11. FIG. 14 illustrates an exemplary species configuration window for the boilers listed in FIG. 11. FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary species selection window for general corrosion for the system. FIG. 16 illustrates an exemplary species configuration window for the species listed in FIG. 15. FIG. 17 illustrates an exemplary location selection window for general corrosion for the system. FIG. 18 illustrates an exemplary configure location window for the locations listed in FIG. 17.

[000122] FIG. 19 illustrates an exemplary plant system parameter data editor. Alternatively, at least a portion of the data, particularly the current operating and chemistry data, can be retrieved over the communication network 41 from the data collector or collectors 39. At least a portion of the data can also be retrieved from other apparatus known to those skilled in the art such as, for example, apparatus including SCADA, DCS, ODBC Compliant Databases, and Data Historians.

[000123] The received data then undergoes a series of algorithms. For example, the data can be screened for timeliness (block 143) and key pieces of data can be reviewed to ensure that the steam generating system is in a condition to be analyzed (block 145). That is, according to embodiment of the present invention, a program product such as, for example, the corrosion and scaling management program product 71, can determine if the steam generating system is in a normal mode of operation (block 147) and can suspend diagnosis if it is determined conditions exist where performing a diagnosis is inappropriate or not possible (block 149). For example, if the steam generating system is off line or out of service, diagnosis can be suspended (block 151) to prevent adulterating the corrosion and scaling knowledge database. Specifically, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of layers of screening, e.g. seven, are applied to each data channel to determine, for example, integrity of the data (block 153) and individual impact on the overall steam generating system (block 155). This screening process can be implemented as a prerequisite to identifying suspect measurements and abnormal conditions, described below.

[000124] A complete system-level diagnostic routine can be applied to the data (block 157) to identify or otherwise determine if an abnormal condition exists. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a library of abnormal conditions for the steam generating system can be maintained in a database, such as, for example, the corrosion and scaling knowledge database 49. The diagnostic algorithm can first identify if an abnormal condition exists (block 159). If so existing, the diagnostic algorithm can then determine if the abnormal condition is known or unknown (block 161). Finally, the diagnosis can be provided to the user (block 163) on an, e.g., secure web page (not shown). In addition, abnormal conditions can be alerted directly to the user's e-mail, text pager, cell phone, or PDA for an immediate response (block 165). The diagnostic routine can evaluate each data channel individually and as they interrelate. The diagnostic routine can also identify and list suspect measurements in a separate area or section of the web page for the user to investigate (block 167). A suspect measurement is generally either an invalid instrument result or a leading indicator of an event. As such, suspect measurements should require user interaction and attention. Both the input data and results can be reported on the secure web page for visualization (block 169).

[000125] The diagnostic routine can also determine a corrective action and provide for visualization corrective action statements (block 171), and then determine and provide for visualization the consequences to long-term operation in the diagnosed condition (block 173). As stated previously, individual alerts can be established on data channels as specified by the user. Additionally, the diagnostic data can be stored remotely on a SQL back end database (not shown) and/or in the corrosion and scaling knowledge database 49 (block 175). The method can similarly use a series of algorithms in order to determine the corrosion and scaling conditions inside the boilers 31 and the general corrosion conditions that exist in the pre-boiler 35.

[000126] As perhaps best shown in FIG. 6, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a method of managing a steam generating system, particularly, predicting corrosion and scaling in a boiler 31 and/or pre-boiler 35 is provided. Boiler predictions are primarily driven by two factors, the characteristics of the boiler deposit and the modeled chemistry of the solution under the deposit that is in contact with the boiler tubes. According to an embodiment of the present invention, such boiler deposit calculation takes into account two different mechanisms that are occurring simultaneously on the boiling surface: deposition of particulate such as, e.g., iron and copper oxides, that are transported to the boiler or boilers 31, and precipitation of salts such as, e.g., calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate, within the boiler 31 at the boiling surface.

[000127] According to embodiment of the present invention, the corrosion and scaling management program product 71 can receive boiler deposit parameters (block 181), for example, via entry by a user via a boiler deposit parameter web page form (see, e.g., FIG. 19 ), automated retrieval through the network 41, and/or through a previous automated diagnostic determination. Various modules of the corrosion and scaling management program product 71 utilize deposit attributes, general corrosion, flow transition effects, underdeposit corrosion, scale, and flow assisted corrosion calculations to then determine the corrosion and scaling tendencies. The deposit data/calculations can include the cumulative deposit thickness and concentration factors for high and low heat flux areas. The flow transition effects relate transients in the system to changes in corrosion product transport. The underdeposit corrosion data/calculations include acid induced, caustic induced, chelant, and those related to overheating. The scale data/calculations include precipitates formation. The flow assisted corrosion data/calculations include those responsive to varying temperature and velocity. Various functional models capable of performing such calculations were described previously. FIG. 20 illustrates the exemplary relationship of the deposition to various current operational factors. FIGS. 21 and 22 illustrate the exemplary relationship of various determined/calculated operational factors and deposition to the prediction of scale and corrosion, respectively.

[000128] The program product 71 or associated program product module can also model the chemistry of the solution under the deposit that is in contact with the boiler tubes 33 of the boiler 31 (block 183). The program product 71 can also, e.g., via the data collector 39, receive and use the boiler specific heat flux data (block 185) along with site-specific chemistry data (block 187) to determine a deposit thickness and concentration factor across the deposit for each selected or preselected boiler 31. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the deposit thickness and concentration factor across the deposit is utilized in subsequent algorithms. [000129] A thermodynamic model as known by those skilled in the art can be readily provided or formed (block 189) in response to retrieving or receiving thermodynamic properties of substances typically found in the solution under the deposit in contact with the boiler tubes 33. The thermodynamic model, along with the received data, can be used to calculate or otherwise determine the amount and specific types of salts that precipitate in the deposit (block 191) as well as the resulting chemistry under the deposit in contact with the boiler tube or tubes 33 (block 193) including specie specific concentrations andpH(t).

[000130] In addition, the amount and type of precipitates along with the deposition of transported metal oxides, e.g., iron and copper, are accumulated for deposits in each boiler 31 (block 195). This data is used to determine the deposit weight, deposit thickness, deposit composition, and overall scaling tendency of the boiler 31 (block 197). FIG. 23 illustrates a flow diagram illustrating obtaining cumulative deposit thickness. FIGS. 24-25 illustrates deposit weight and thickness calculations, respectively. FIG. 26 illustrates the relationship the relationship between the concentration factors (CF) and heat flux (Q). FIG. 27 illustrates a corresponding calculation including parameters for calculating the cumulative amount of deposit, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 28 illustrates a simplified flow diagram for obtaining scaling tendencies and FIG. 29 illustrates a thermodynamic model output for calcium (ca) species. The cumulative tube deposit data can be stored and maintained for each boiler 31 (block 199) in the corrosion and scaling knowledge database 49.

[000131] The corrosion and scaling management program product 71 can also formulate a flow transient model. FIG. 30 illustrates a simplified flow diagram for determining flow transients in response to flow, pH, load, and metals such as iron and copper.

[000132] The corrosion and scaling management program product 71 can also determine the various types of corrosion and thereby predict the corrosion tendencies (block 201). For example, flow accelerated/assisted corrosion can be determined and predicted from the modeled chemistry, e.g., pH and dissolved oxygen (DO), and the modeled thermodynamics, e.g., velocity and temperature. FIG. 31 illustrates a simplified flow diagram for determining/predicting flow accelerated/assisted corrosion. FIG. 32A-E graphically illustrates the effects of flow accelerated/assisted corrosion at various metal concentrations, velocities, and temperatures; and FIGS. 33A-C illustrate, in tabular form, the effect of velocity, oxygen, and pH, respectively, at a given temperature. [000133] Underdeposit corrosion can also be determined and predicted from the determined concentration factors, chemistry/thermodynamics model parameters, e.g., pH, species concentrations, and the determined boiler deposit attributes. FIG. 34 illustrates a simplified flow diagram for determining and predicting underdeposit corrosion due to acid or another caustic solution, chelants, and an overheat condition. FIG. 35 illustrates the output of the thermodynamic engine including precipitates formed for various concentration factors, pH, and temperature for boiler water having sodium Na, phosphate PO4 at 30 ppm, and chloride Cl and sulfate SO4 at 0.1 ppm each. FIG. 36A illustrates the concentration factor pH and temperature response according to the exemplary embodiment. FIG. 36B illustrates a multidimensional comparison for various concentrations of sodium in a boiler at various levels of pH and specific conductivity. FIG. 36C illustrates a multidimensional comparison of feedwater at pH(25) with respect to single and two phase solutions to varying pH(T) values at a given temperature. FIG. 37 illustrates an exemplary table showing thermodynamic engine solution chemistry.

[000134] General corrosion tendencies can also be determined and predicted at specific selected or preselected locations as designated by the user using, for example, the following data: pH, oxygen, temperature, velocity, and/or phase (Vv). FIG. 38 illustrates a simplified flow diagram for determining and predicting general corrosion tendencies. FIGS. 39A-B illustrate iron general corrosion, and FIG. 40 illustrates the pH effect on the iron corrosion according to the exemplary embodiment.

[000135] A tube bulging tendency form of corrosion can be predicted (block 203). The insulating value of the deposit on the boiler tube (block 205), and the tube wall temperature can be first determined or calculated (block 207) based on the heat flux on the boiler tube 33 and the determined deposit composition. This data is then used to determine and predict a tube bulging tendency form of corrosion.

[000136] Advantageously, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the above described steps can be performed for multiple locations in each boiler 31. Further, the analysis can be focused on the highly susceptible areas for each boiler 31 to provide managers and operating personnel an initial warning system. Note, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the corrosion and scaling management program product 71 can also monitor pre-boiler corrosion. [000137] As perhaps best shown in FIG. 7, according to embodiment of the present invention, each time new boiler data is entered, the deposit and tube surface conditions are updated and the corrosion and scaling tendencies are analyzed. For example, when boiler inspections are performed and tube deposit information, such as deposit weight, are collected (block 221), the user is provided a boiler inspection web page form (block 223), see, e.g., FIG. 19, to enter new boiler data (block 225) to thereby manually update the cumulative calculated parameters with the measured data (block 227). The system 30, through, for example, the corrosion and scaling management program product 71, can then automatically update the deposit calculation parameters (block 229) to thereby provide customized analytical scheme tailored to the particular boilers and/or steam generating cycle. Corrosion tendencies can then further be predicted (analyzed) at the user determined locations in the steam generating system (block 231).

[000138] As noted previously, FIGS. 20-22 illustrate various parameters used in predicting scaling and corrosion tendencies, according to an embodiment of the present invention. More particularly, and as perhaps best shown in FIGS. 41 and 42, each of the various deposit, corrosion, scaling, and flow transient factors include various dependencies that can and generally should be measured and analyzed simultaneously as part of the decision process to enhance the analysis of the scaling and corrosion tendencies, the recognition of abnormal conditions, and the prediction of consequences of continued operation under the abnormal conditions, to allow for informed management decisions directed to both operation and maintenance decisions.

[000139] According to the following exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the cumulative deposit is calculated from a summation of the weights of the different materials forming the deposit which relate to the concentration factors for both high and low heat flux. The flow accelerated/assisted corrosion tendency is calculated using feedwater pH, condensate oxygen, and predetermined corrosion data. The tendency for flow accelerated/assisted corrosion is then calculated as a function of temperature and velocity. The flow accelerated/actuated corrosion factor shown in FIG. 43 and predictive of flow accelerated/actuated corrosion is for a feedwater pH of 9.1 and a condensate oxygen of 10 ppb. A constant of Ie4 was applied to the function to scale the factors.

[000140] The underdeposit corrosion relative attack illustrated in FIG. 44 is calculated using the data from the thermodynamic engine and the calculated or otherwise determined concentration factors for the deposit. The underdeposit pH(t) is calculated and compared with corrosion and/or predetermined pH(t) data. The thermodynamic engine can also be used to determine species concentrations under deposit. Limits can then be established for specific species' corrosion concentrations. A comparison of the high and low heat flux concentration factors can then be used to determine overheating of the boiler tube. A ratio of high to low heat flux concentration factors of, e.g., greater than 3 can be indicative of tube overheating.

[000141] The tendency for general corrosion is calculated as a function of pH and oxygen. In the illustrated embodiment shown in FIG. 45, predetermined corrosion data for pH and oxygen was used to calculate corrosion tendencies at various temperatures. The corrosion tendencies plotted as a function of a general corrosion factor and temperature was determined at a pH of 9.1 with oxygen concentrations of 0, 10, 30, and 50 ppb.

[000142] The tendency for scaling, shown in FIG. 46, is calculated as a function of total precipitates. The quantity of precipitates for a given solution according to various concentration factors is shown in tabular form in molals in FIG. 47. In the illustrated example, the solution is boiling water including the precipitates sodium Na, phosphate PO4, chloride Cl, and sulfate SO4.

[000143] The flow transition graph shown in FIG. 48 illustrates an empirical relationship between flow/load transients and corrosion product transport relationships. When condition 1, illustrating a plot between feedwater iron content and feedwater conductivity, changes to condition 2, the results yield an increase in corrosion product transport.

[000144] As perhaps best shown in FIG. 8, advantageously, embodiments of the present invention also include a method of managing a steam generating system. For example, a method of managing a steam generating system can include providing a knowledge-based predictive program product, e.g., corrosion and scaling management program product 71, which, can provide corrosion and scaling tendency predictions for a boiler of a steam generating system, responsive to thermodynamic and transport processes of a steam cycle of the steam generating system (block 251). The data and predictions can be displayed in varying levels of detail. FIG. 49 illustrates a system summary of a selected plant system 30 including a table of various high-level system parameters. FIG. 50 illustrates selection of active boilers 31 within the system 30. FIG. 51 illustrates an exemplary web page form allowing the user to create/edit customized reports. [000145] As described previously, the corrosion and scaling management program product 71 can access or otherwise receive inputs including type of boiler, capacity, steam rate, design pressure and temperature, heat flux, operating pressure and temperature, firing medium, number of tubes, types and metallurgy, type of manufacture of boilers, operating data, type of treatment programs, daily control log sheet, quality of feedwater, boiler water and steam analysis data, and can utilize thermodynamic modeling to produce a plurality of automated corrosion and scaling predictions utilizing the program product 71. The thermodynamic model can consider disassociation, vapor/liquid and liquid/solid equilibrium in a multi-component aqueous solution which can be coupled with appropriate heat and material balances to describe both the local chemistry and cycle transport of impurities and additives. Thermodynamic properties for the substances normally found in the steam generating system can include: heat capacity, entropy, enthalpy of formation and combustion, phase transition enthalpies and temperatures, and vapor pressure.

[000146] Advantageously, such methodology can allow for the reduction of routine human expert analysis requirements and can enhance human expert utilization. The human expert can use this tool to handle routine situations more quickly and thus, can be freed from the cumbersome aspects of detailed data review and archiving and consulting support materials and related files, especially where the expert would otherwise receive multiple sets of insignificantly different input parameters. Such methodology can be a great time saver to the human expert, especially in areas where justification is repeatedly requested for such insignificantly different inputs. Further, in order to standardize results, according to an embodiment of the present invention, all predictions reached can be produced from the inputs and the decision-making schema incorporated therein. This tool has value to both the expert and operations personnel alike.

[000147] The method can also include providing a dynamic knowledge repository (block 253) including an archive of system data and diagnosis for a plurality of substantially similar steam generating systems. See, e.g., FIG. 9. The system data can include boiler performance, corrosion, and scaling data. Advantageously, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the repository is developed based on agreement among the experts to archive system data and diagnosis. This archive can be analyzed by corporate experts, as corporate has vast experience on boiler performance, corrosion and scaling. This feature is particularly advantageous as it allows continuous update of the repository (block 255), thus creating or otherwise providing a "learning function" that is not static and that dynamically improves over time.

[000148] The method can further include providing computer-based corrosion and scaling prediction training including corrosion and scaling simulation models (block 257) which can be responsive to user selectable inputs, e.g., scenarios, to thereby provide expert knowledge to a plurality of preselected personal to enhance corrosion and scaling awareness and to reduce loss of expertise through human expert attrition. FIG. 52 illustrates an exemplary tutorials web page including a plurality of predefined tutorial scenarios. Advantageously, this allows for transferring knowledge from an expert to a successor or for expanding an awareness of corrosion and scaling issues with operational personnel. Such methodology can also provide a company or other entity with not only some measure of protection against loss of expertise through attrition (preservation of knowledge), but a reliable education tool for staff involved in plant operations and maintenance.

[000149] Accordingly, the method can include providing a plurality of non-specialist personnel access to expert knowledge through the knowledge-based predictive program product, e.g. corrosion and scaling program product 71, in response, for example, to unavailability of a human expert (block 259), to allow non-specialist personnel to solve well understood problems, to thereby enhance human expert utilization and efficient use of manpower. That is, such method can result in freeing human experts from repeatedly executing substantially similar tasks and can allow the human experts to concentrate on acquiring new knowledge, to thereby improve manpower utilization efficiency. The method still further can include either the experts or the non-experts/specialists utilizing the knowledge-based predictive program product tool to produce a plurality of automated corrosion and scaling predictions (block 261), to allow for proactive management and maintenance of the steam generating system. For example, FIG. 53 illustrates an exemplary web page including hyperlinks to detailed information about a plurality of boilers for a selected plant/system 30. FIG. 54 illustrates an exemplary web page including attributes for a selected boiler. FIG. 55 illustrates an exemplary web page table including user selectable hyperlinks detailing corrosion and a plurality of locations.

[000150] As perhaps the shown in FIG. 9, embodiment to the present invention can include a computer memory element containing, stored in signal bearing media, a database, such as, for example, database 49. The database 49 can contain data in computer readable format such as, for example, data describing cumulative boiler tube deposit attributes for one or more boilers of a steam generating system, e.g., boiler 31, data describing overall scaling tendency of the boiler 31, data describing overall corrosion tendency of the boiler 31, data describing abnormal conditions for the boiler 31, and data describing thermodynamic properties of a plurality of substances found in solution in contact with the boiler 31. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the data describing cumulative boiler tube deposit attributes can include data describing an amount and type of precipitates in the boiler deposit, data describing deposition of transported metal oxides deposits in the boiler, data describing deposit weight, deposit thickness, and/or deposit composition and/or data describing insulating value of the deposit on the boiler tube. The data describing cumulative boiler tube deposit attributes can also or alternatively include data indicating boiler specific heat flux for the boiler, and data describing boiler thickness and concentration factor for the deposit for the boiler.

[000151] It is important to note that while embodiments of the present invention have been described in the context of a fully functional system, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the mechanism of the present invention and/or aspects thereof are capable of being distributed in the form of a computer readable medium of instructions in a variety of forms for execution on a processor, processors, or the like, and that the present invention applies equally regardless of the particular type of signal bearing media used to actually carry out the distribution. Examples of computer readable media include but are not limited to: nonvolatile, hard-coded type media such as read only memories (ROMs), CD-ROMs, and DVD-ROMs, or erasable, electrically programmable read only memories (EEPROMs), recordable type media such as floppy disks, hard disk drives, CD-R/RWs, DVD-RAMs, DVD-R/RWs, DVD+R/RWs, flash drives, and other newer types of memories, and transmission type media such as digital and analog communication links.

[000152] As shown in FIGS. 1-55, embodiments of the present invention also include a computer readable medium that is readable by a computer to determine and/or predict corrosion and scaling in a boiler, e.g., boiler 31, of the steam generating system. For example, in an embodiment of the present invention, a computer readable medium includes a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, such as, for example, server 43, cause the computer to perform the operations of receiving steam generating system attributes including boiler attribute data, predicting corrosion and scaling conditions in a boiler 31 prior to equipment degradation responsive to the received boiler attribute data, determining proper corrective actions responsive to the predicted corrosion and scaling conditions, determining consequences of neglecting the predicted conditions, especially when abnormal, and providing to a user the determined consequences of neglecting the abnormal conditions. The steam generating attributes can include, for example, type of boiler, capacity, steam rate, design pressure and temperature, heat flux, operating pressure and temperature, firing medium, number of tubes, types and metallurgy, type of manufacture of boilers, operating data, type of treatment programs, daily control log sheets, quality of feedwater, and boiler water and steam analysis data. The instructions can also include those to perform various other operations such as, for example, predicting general corrosion concerns in the pre-boiler equipment prior to equipment degradation, determining and predicting underdeposit corrosion and flow accelerated/assisted corrosion, providing chemistry diagnostics for the system responsive to the received boiler attribute data, identifying suspect instruments, providing a suggested remedial action responsive to the predicted corrosion and scaling conditions, and determining long-term consequences of current conditions on generating system equipment.

[000153] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a computer readable medium includes a set of instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the operations of receiving steam generating system parameters data including, for example, attributes such as heat flux data for a boiler tube, e.g., boiler tube 33, and boiler site-specific chemistry data, determining boiler deposit thickness and concentration factor across a boiler deposit in the boiler tube 33 responsive to the received data, and determining a boiler solution thermodynamic model responsive to the received data and responsive to associated boiler solution thermodynamic properties to thereby model transport of chemical species in the boiler 31. The instructions can also include those to perform the operations of determining a cyclic chemistry of solution under boiler deposit in contact with the boiler tube 33 responsive to the received data and responsive to the thermodynamic model, determining boiler deposit attributes including boiler deposit weight, thickness, and composition, responsive to the cyclic chemistry and responsive to the boiler deposit thickness and concentration factor, and predicting a scaling tendency or tendencies in the boiler tube 33 responsive to the boiler deposit attributes. The cyclic chemistry of solution under deposit in contact with the boiler tube can include an amount and specific type of salts or other precipitates that precipitate in the boiler tube deposit and resulting chemistry under the boiler tube deposit including species specific concentrations and ρH(t) as known to those skilled in the art.

[000154] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the instructions can further include those to perform the operations of determining an abnormality in the cyclic chemistry and predicted scale responsive to the cyclic chemistry and determined scaling tendency, determining a corrective action responsive to the determined boiler scaling tendency when abnormal, and determining long-term consequences of not pursuing the determined corrective action responsive to the abnormal condition. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the instructions can also or alternatively include those to perform the operations of determining a boiler tube deposit insulating value responsive to boiler deposit attributes, determining boiler tube wall temperature responsive to the heat flux in the boiler tube 33 and the boiler tube deposit composition, and determining a tube bulging tendency form of corrosion responsive to the boiler tube wall temperature.

[000155] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the instructions can further include those to perform the operations of determining an abnormality in the cyclic chemistry, predicted scale, or predicted corrosion responsive to the cyclic chemistry, predicted scaling tendency and/or corrosion tendency, notifying a user of an abnormal condition responsive to the abnormal condition, and determining at least one corrective action responsive to at least one of the following: the cyclic chemistry, determined scaling tendency, and determined corrosion tendency, particularly if an abnormal or unexpected condition exists. The instructions can still further include those to perform the operation of determining long-term consequences of not pursuing the at least one determined corrective action responsive to the abnormal condition.

[000156] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the instructions can include those to perform the operations of screening the data for timeliness responsive to the received steam generating system parameters data and responsive to preselected time limitation criteria, determining susceptibility of the data to continued diagnostic analysis responsive to the received steam generating system parameters data and responsive to preselected steam generating system criteria, determining the integrity of the received data responsive to the received steam generating system parameters data and responsive to preselected data integrity criteria, and determining individual impact of the data on the steam generating system responsive to the received steam generating system parameters data and responsive to preselected steam generating system impact criteria.

[000157] According to embodiment of the present invention, the instructions can include those to perform the operations of tracking chemical inventory responsive to at least portions of the received data, identifying potential suspect measurements responsive to the received data, and providing diagnostic input and associated results for display responsive to any abnormal conditions, the predicted scale tendencies, and the determined corrosion tendencies, defining diagnostic results. The instructions can also include those to perform the operations of verifying integrity of the diagnostic results responsive to the diagnostic results, and providing preformatted charted report data, customizable reports, and online accessibility to maintenance and operating life reports responsive to the diagnostic input and diagnostic results.

[000158] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the instructions can further or alternatively include those to perform the operations of receiving and storing training documentation, and providing analytical simulations of chemistry contingencies to train users to determine (predict) potential scaling and corrosion tendencies.

[000159] In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed a typical preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, the terms are used in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims. The invention has been described in considerable detail with specific reference to these illustrated embodiments. It will be apparent, however, that various modifications and changes can be made within the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the foregoing specification.

Claims

THAT CLAIMED IS:

1. A system (30) to manage a steam generating system, the system (30) comprising a steam generating system including a boiler (31) having at least one boiler tube (33), the system (30) being characterized by: a computer defining a corrosion and scaling management server (43) having memory (45) coupled to a processor (47) to store operating instructions therein; and corrosion and scaling management program product (71) stored in the memory (45) of the corrosion and scaling management server (43) and including instructions that, when executed by the corrosion and scaling management server (43), cause the corrosion and scaling management server (43) to selectively perform one or more of the following operations: predicting a boiler scaling tendency in the at least one boiler tube (33) responsive to determined boiler deposit attributes, or predicting a boiler corrosion tendency in the at least one boiler tube (33) responsive to a plurality of thermodynamic attributes.

2. A system (30) as defined in Claim 1, wherein the operation of predicting a boiler scaling tendency includes the operation of determining a boiler scaling tendency responsive to an amount and specific types of a plurality of precipitates that precipitate in a boiler deposit and resulting chemistry under boiler deposit for the at least one boiler tube (33).

3. A system (30) as defined in Claim 2, wherein the corrosion and scale management program product (71) further comprises instructions to perform the operations of: determining at least one corrective action responsive to determining an abnormal boiler scaling tendency; and determining long-term consequences of not pursuing the at least one determined corrective action.

4. A system (30) as defined in any of Claims 1-3, wherein the operation of predicting a boiler corrosion tendency includes performing one or more of the following operations of: predicting a flow assisted corrosion tendency responsive to a plurality of determined thermodynamic model attributes; predicting an under deposit corrosion tendency responsive to a determined boiler deposit concentration factor, pH, and species concentration values; predicting a general corrosion tendency responsive to a plurality of determined thermodynamic model attributes including pH, temperature, and electrochemical potential; or predicting a boiler tube bulging tendency form of corrosion responsive to a determined boiler tube wall temperature for the boiler (31).

5. A system (30) as defined in Claim 4, wherein the corrosion and scale management program product (71) further comprises instructions to perform the operations of: determining at least one corrective action responsive to determining an abnormal corrosion tendency; and determining long-term consequences of not pursuing the at least one determined corrective action.

6. A system (30) as defined in any of Claims 1-5, wherein the chemistry under the deposit includes species specific concentrations and pH(t), the system (30) being further characterized by: a computer network (41) in communication with the corrosion and scaling management server (43); and at least one user computer (51, 61) positioned remote from the corrosion and scaling management server (43), accessible to the communication network (41), and having a processor and memory coupled to the processor to store operating instructions therein and to send steam generation system data to the corrosion and scaling management server (43), and a display in communication with the processor to display steam generation system data using an associated user web browser.

7. A system (30) as defined in any of Claims 1-6, wherein the system (30) is further characterized by a corrosion and scaling knowledge database (49) accessible to the processor (47) of the corrosion and scaling management server (43) and having database records related to the steam generating system; and wherein the corrosion and scale management program product (71) further comprises instructions to perform the operation of storing and maintaining in the database (49) cumulative boiler tube deposit data for the boiler (31).

8. A system (30) as defined in any of Claims 1-7, wherein the corrosion and scale management program product (71) further comprises instructions to perform the operations of: receiving boiler system parameters including heat flux data for the at least one boiler tube (33) and boiler site-specific chemistry data; determining boiler deposit thickness and a concentration factor across the boiler deposit for the boiler (31) responsive to boiler specific heat flux data and boiler site-specific chemistry data; determining an amount and specific types of a plurality of precipitates in the boiler deposit and resulting chemistry under the deposit responsive to the boiler deposit thickness and concentration factor; accumulating the amount and type of precipitates and deposition of transported metal oxides for the boiler deposit; and determining boiler deposit attributes including deposit weight, deposit thickness, and deposit composition.

9. A system (30) as defined in any of Claims 1-8, wherein the corrosion and scale management program product (71) further comprises instructions to perform the operations of: determining a disposition of particulate transported to a boiler (31) of a steam generating system; determining precipitation of salts within the boiler (31) of the steam generating system at a boiling surface; determining boiler deposit attributes responsive to the deposition of particulate and the precipitation of salts within the boiler (31) at the boiling surface; modeling chemistry of solution under the boiler deposit in contact with the at least one boiler tube (33); and predicting boiler attributes responsive to the boiler deposit attributes and modeled chemistry of the solution under the deposit in contact with the at least one boiler tube (33).

10. A system (30) as defined in Claim 9, wherein the operation of predicting boiler attributes includes predicting scaling tendencies within the boiler (31); wherein the operation of predicting boiler attributes includes predicting corrosion tendencies within the boiler (31); and wherein the corrosion and scale management program product (71) further comprises instructions to perform the operations of: providing suggested remedial actions responsive to abnormal scaling or corrosion tendencies, and providing long-term consequences of current conditions on the boiler (31).

11. A system (30) as defined in any of Claims 1-10, wherein the corrosion and scale management program product (71) includes: a data receiver (73) positioned to receive steam generating system parameters data including heat flux data for the at least one boiler tube (33) and boiler site-specific chemistry data; a boiler deposit thickness and concentration factor determiner (83) responsive to the received data to determine boiler deposit thickness and concentration factor across a boiler deposit in the at least one boiler tube (33); a thermodynamic model determiner (85) responsive to the received data and predetermined thermodynamic properties to determine a boiler solution thermodynamic model to thereby model transport of chemical species in the boiler (31); a cyclic chemistry determiner (87) responsive to the received data and responsive to the thermodynamic model to determine a cyclic chemistry of solution under deposit in contact with the at least one boiler tube (33); a boiler deposit attributes determiner (91) responsive to the cyclic chemistry and responsive to the boiler deposit thickness and concentration factor to determine boiler deposit attributes including boiler tube deposit weight, thickness, and composition; and a boiler scaling tendency determiner (93) responsive to the boiler tube deposit attributes to determine the scaling tendency in the at least one boiler tube (33).

12. A system (30) as defined in Claim 11, wherein the corrosion and scale management program product (71) further comprises: an abnormal condition determiner (101) responsive to the cyclic chemistry and determined scaling tendency to determine an abnormality in the cyclic chemistry and an abnormality in predicted scale; and a corrective action determiner (105) responsive to the determined boiler scaling tendency to determine at least one corrective action.

13. A system (30) as defined in Claim 12, wherein the corrosion and scale management program product (71) further comprises: a consequences determiner (107) responsive to the abnormal condition to determine long-term consequences of not pursuing the at least one determined corrective action.

14. A system (30) as defined in any of Claims 1-13, wherein the corrosion and scale management program product (71) further comprises: a data receiver (73) positioned to receive steam generating system parameters data; a thermodynamic model determiner (85) responsive to the received data and predetermined thermodynamic properties to determine a boiler solution thermodynamic model to thereby model transport of chemical species in the boiler (31); a cyclic chemistry determiner (87) responsive to the received data and responsive to the thermodynamic model to determine a cyclic chemistry of solution under deposit in contact with the at least one boiler tube (33); and a boiler corrosion tendencies determiner (99) responsive to a plurality of determined thermodynamic attributes to determine the corrosion tendency in the at least one boiler tube (33).

15. A system (30) as defined in any of Claim 14, wherein the cyclic chemistry of solution under deposit in contact with the at least one boiler tube (33) includes an amount and specific type of salts that precipitate in the boiler tube deposit and resulting chemistry under the boiler tube deposit including species specific concentrations and pH(t); wherein the corrosion and scale management program product (71) further comprises: a boiler tube deposit insulating value determiner (95) responsive to boiler tube deposit attributes to determine a boiler tube deposit insulating value, and a boiler tube wall temperature determiner (97) responsive to the heat flux in the boiler tube (33) and the boiler tube deposit composition to determine boiler tube wall temperature; and wherein the boiler corrosion tendency determiner (99) is responsive to the boiler tube wall temperature to determine a tube bulging tendency form of corrosion.

16. A system (30) as defined in either of Claims 14 or 15, wherein the corrosion and scale management program product (71) further comprises: an abnormal condition determiner (101) responsive to one or more of the following: the cyclic chemistry to determine an abnormality in the cyclic chemistry, determined scaling tendency to determine an abnormality in the predicted scale, or determined corrosion tendency to determine an abnormality in the predicted corrosion; and an alert manager (103) responsive to an abnormal condition to initiate notification of a user of the abnormal condition.

17. A system (30) as defined in Claim 16, wherein the corrosion and scale management program product (71) further comprises: a corrective action determiner (105) responsive to the cyclic chemistry, determined scaling tendency, and determined corrosion tendency to determine at least one corrective action; and a consequences determiner (107) responsive to the abnormal condition to determine long-term consequences of not pursuing the at least one determined corrective action.

18. A system (30) as defined in any of Claims 14-17, wherein the corrosion and scale management program product (71) further comprises: suspect measurement identifier (111) responsive to the received data to identify potential suspect measurements; and diagnostic input and results formatter (113) responsive to the abnormal conditions, determined scale tendencies, and determined boiler corrosion tendency to display diagnostic input and associated results.

19. A system (30) as defined in any of Claims 11-18, wherein the corrosion and scale management program product (71) further comprises: a data timeliness determiner (75) responsive to the received steam generating system parameters data and responsive to preselected time limitation criteria to screen the data for timeliness; an analytical susceptibility determiner (77) responsive to the received steam generating system parameters data and responsive to preselected steam generating system criteria to determine susceptibility of the data to continued diagnostic analysis; a data integrity determiner (79) responsive to the received steam generating system parameters data and responsive to preselected data integrity criteria to determine the integrity of the received data; and a data impact determiner (81) responsive to the received steam generating system parameters data and responsive to preselected steam generating system impact criteria to determine individual impact of the data on the steam generating system.

20. A system (30) as defined in Claim 19, wherein the corrosion and scale management program product (71) further comprises: a report manager (121) responsive to the diagnostic input and diagnostic results to provide preformatted charted report data, customizable reports, and online accessibility to maintenance and operating life reports; and a training program manager (131) positioned to receive and store training documentation and positioned to provide analytical simulations of chemistry contingencies to determine potential scaling and corrosion tendencies.

21. A method to manage a steam generating system, the method being characterized by the steps of: receiving steam generating system attributes including boiler attribute data; and predicting one or more of the following: a corrosion tendency or a scaling tendency in a boiler (31) prior to equipment degradation responsive to the received boiler attribute data.

22. A method as defined in Claim 21, wherein the step of predicting a corrosion tendency includes one or more of the following: predicting flow assisted corrosion tendencies responsive to a plurality of determined thermodynamic model attributes; predicting under deposit corrosion tendencies responsive to a determined boiler deposit concentration factor, pH, and species concentration values; predicting general corrosion tendencies responsive to a plurality of determined thermodynamic model attributes including pH, temperature, and electrochemical potential; or predicting a boiler tube bulging tendency form of corrosion responsive to a determined boiler tube wall temperature for the boiler (31).

23. A method as defined in either of Claims 21 or 22, being further characterized by the step of: predicting general corrosion concerns in the pre-boiler equipment prior to equipment degradation.

24. A method as defined in any of Claims 21-23, being further characterized by the steps of: providing chemistry diagnostics for the system responsive to the received boiler attribute data; and identifying suspect instruments.

25. A method as defined in any of Claims 21-24, being further characterized by the steps of: providing a suggested remedial action responsive to one or more of the following: the predicted corrosion condition or the predicted scaling condition; and determining long-term consequences of the current conditions on steam generating system equipment.

26. A method as defined in any of Claims 21-25, wherein the step of receiving steam generating system attributes includes receiving at least three of the following: type of boiler (31), capacity, steam rate, design pressure and temperature, heat flux, operating pressure and temperature, firing medium, number of boiler tubes (33), types and metallurgy of boiler tube (33), type of manufacture of boiler (31), operating data, type of treatment programs, daily control log sheet, quality of feedwater, and boiler water and steam analysis data.

27. A method as defined in any of Claims 21-26, wherein the step of receiving steam generating system attributes includes receiving steam generating system parameters data including heat flux data for a boiler tube (33) of a boiler (31) and boiler site-specific chemistry data, the method being further characterized by the steps of: determining boiler deposit thickness and concentration factor across a boiler deposit in the boiler tube (33) responsive to the received data; determining a boiler solution thermodynamic model responsive to the received data and responsive to associated boiler solution thermodynamic properties to thereby model transport of chemical species in the boiler (31); determining a cyclic chemistry of solution under boiler deposit in contact with the boiler tube (33) responsive to the received data and responsive to the thermodynamic model; and determining boiler deposit attributes including boiler deposit weight, thickness, and composition, responsive to the cyclic chemistry and responsive to the boiler deposit thickness and concentration factor.

28. A method as defined in Claim 27, being further characterized by the steps of: determining an abnormality in one or more of the following: the cyclic chemistry responsive to the cyclic chemistry determination, predicted scale responsive to the determined scaling tendency, or predicted corrosion responsive to the determined corrosion tendency, defining an abnormal condition; determining a corrective action responsive to the determined abnormal condition; and determining long-term consequences of not pursuing the determined corrective action responsive to the abnormal condition.

29. A method as defined in Claim 28, being further characterized by the steps of: tracking chemical inventory responsive to at least portions of the received data; identifying potential suspect measurements responsive to the received data; displaying diagnostic input and associated results responsive to the abnormal condition, the predicted scaling tendency, and the predicted corrosion tendency defining diagnostic results; verifying integrity of the diagnostic results responsive to the diagnostic results; and providing preformatted charted report data, customizable reports, and online accessibility to maintenance and operating life reports responsive to the diagnostic input and diagnostic results.

30. A method as defined in any of Claims 27-29, being further characterized by the steps of: determining a boiler tube deposit insulating value responsive to boiler deposit attributes; determining boiler tube wall temperature responsive to the heat flux in the boiler tube (33) and the boiler tube deposit composition; and predicting a tube bulging tendency form of corrosion responsive to the boiler tube wall temperature.

31. A method as defined in any of Claims 27-30, being further characterized by the steps of: screening the data for timeliness responsive to the received steam generating system parameters data and responsive to preselected time limitation criteria; determining susceptibility of the data to continued diagnostic analysis responsive to the received steam generating system parameters data and responsive to preselected steam generating system criteria; determining integrity of the received data responsive to the received steam generating system parameters data and responsive to preselected data integrity criteria; and determining individual impact of the data on the steam generating system responsive to the received steam generating system parameters data and responsive to preselected steam generating system impact criteria.

32. A method as defined in any of Claims 27-31, wherein the cyclic chemistry of solution under deposit in contact with the boiler tube (33) includes an amount and specific type of salts that precipitate in the boiler tube deposit and resulting chemistry under the boiler tube deposit including species specific concentrations and ρH(t).

33. A method as defined in any of Claims 21-32, being further characterized by the steps of: receiving and storing training documentation; and providing analytical simulations of chemistry contingencies to train users to determine potential scaling and corrosion tendencies.

34. A method as defined in any of Claims 21-33, being further characterized by the steps of: performing boiler inspections on a steam generating system boiler (31); collecting boiler deposit data; providing a boiler inspection web page form to manually enter and update cumulative calculated boiler deposit parameters with the measured boiler deposit data including boiler deposit and boiler surface conditions; updating boiler deposit tendencies calculation parameters responsive to entry of the measured boiler deposit data; and analyzing the boiler deposit data to predict the corrosion and the scaling tendencies in the boiler (31).

35. A method as defined in any of Claims 21-35, being further characterized by the steps of: providing a knowledge-based predictive program product (71) that provides corrosion and scaling tendency predictions for a boiler (31) of a steam generating system responsive to thermodynamic and transport processes of a steam cycle of the steam generating system to thereby reduce routine human expert analysis requirements and to thereby enhance human expert utilization; and producing a plurality of automated corrosion and scaling predictions utilizing the knowledge-based predictive program product (71) responsive to a plurality of input parameters.

36. A method as defined in any of Claims 21-35, being further characterized by the step of: providing computer-based corrosion and scaling prediction training including corrosion and scaling simulation models responsive to user selectable inputs to thereby provide expert knowledge to a plurality of preselected personal to enhance corrosion and scaling awareness and to reduce loss of expertise through human expert attrition.

37. A method as defined in any of Claims 21-36, being further characterized by the steps of: providing a dynamic knowledge repository including an archive of system data and diagnosis for a plurality of substantially similar steam generating systems, the system data including boiler performance, corrosion, and scaling; and allowing continuous update to thereby provide a learning function that dynamically improves over time.

38. A method as defined in any of Claims 35-37, being further characterized by the steps of: providing access to the knowledge-based predictive program product (71) to a plurality of non-specialists; and allowing well understood problems to be solved by one or more of the plurality of non-specialists using the knowledge-based predictive program product (71) to free human experts from repeatedly executing substantially similar tasks and to allow the human experts to concentrate on acquiring new knowledge, to thereby improve manpower utilization efficiency.

39. A computer readable medium that is readable by a computer, the computer readable medium comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the operation of receiving steam generating system attributes including boiler attribute data, the operations being further characterized by: predicting corrosion and scaling tendencies in a boiler (31) prior to equipment degradation responsive to the received boiler attribute data; and determining proper corrective actions responsive to the predicted corrosion and scaling tendencies.

40. A computer readable medium as defined in Claim 39, wherein the operation of determining a proper corrective action includes providing a user a suggested remedial action responsive to the predicted corrosion and scaling conditions, the operations being further characterized by: determining long-term consequences of current conditions on generating system equipment.

41. A computer readable medium as defined in either of Claims 39 or 40, the operations being further characterized by: predicting general corrosion concerns in the pre-boiler equipment prior to equipment degradation.

42. A computer readable medium as defined in any of Claims 39-41, the operations being further characterized by: providing chemistry diagnostics for the system responsive to the received boiler attribute data; and identifying suspect instruments.

43. A computer readable medium as defined in any of Claims 39-42, wherein the operation of receiving steam generating system attributes further includes the operation of receiving at least three of the following: type of boiler (31), capacity, steam rate, design pressure and temperature, heat flux, operating pressure and temperature, firing medium, number of boiler tubes (33), type and metallurgy of boiler (31), type of manufacture of boiler (31), operating data, type of treatment programs, daily control log sheet, quality of feedwater, and boiler water and steam analysis data.

44. A computer readable medium as defined in any of Claims 39-43, wherein the operation of receiving steam generating system attributes further includes the operation of receiving steam generating system parameters data including heat flux data for a boiler tube (33) of a boiler (31) and boiler site-specific chemistry data, the operations being further characterized by: determining boiler deposit thickness and concentration factor across a boiler deposit in the boiler tube (33) responsive to the received data; determining a boiler solution thermodynamic model responsive to the received data and responsive to associated boiler solution thermodynamic properties to thereby model transport of chemical species in the boiler (31); determining a cyclic chemistry of solution under boiler deposit in contact with the boiler tube (33) responsive to the received data and responsive to the thermodynamic model; and determining boiler deposit attributes including boiler deposit weight, thickness, and composition, responsive to the cyclic chemistry and responsive to the boiler deposit thickness and concentration factor.

45. A computer readable medium as defined in Claim 44, the operations being further characterized by: determining an abnormality in one or more of the following: the cyclic chemistry responsive to the cyclic chemistry determination, predicted scale responsive to the predicted scaling tendency, or predicted corrosion responsive to the predicted corrosion tendency, defining an abnormal condition; and determining a corrective action responsive to the abnormality when determined.

46. A computer readable medium as defined in Claim 45, the operations being further characterized by: determining long-term consequences of not pursuing the determined corrective action responsive to determining the abnormality .

47. A computer readable medium as defined in any of Claims 44-46, the operations being further characterized by: determining a boiler tube deposit insulating value responsive to boiler deposit attributes; determining boiler tube wall temperature responsive to the heat flux in the boiler tube (33) and the boiler tube deposit composition; and predicting a tube bulging tendency form of corrosion responsive to the boiler tube wall temperature.

48. A computer readable medium as defined in any of Claims 44-47, the operations being further characterized by: screening the data for timeliness responsive to the received steam generating system parameters data and responsive to preselected time limitation criteria; determining susceptibility of the data to continued diagnostic analysis responsive to the received steam generating system parameters data and responsive to preselected steam generating system criteria; determining the integrity of the received data responsive to the received steam generating system parameters data and responsive to preselected data integrity criteria; and determining individual impact of the data on the steam generating system responsive to the received steam generating system parameters data and responsive to preselected steam generating system impact criteria.

49. A computer readable medium as defined in any of Claims 44-48, wherein the cyclic chemistry of solution under deposit in contact with the boiler tube (33) includes an amount and specific type of salts that precipitate in the boiler tube deposit and resulting chemistry under the boiler tube deposit including species specific concentrations and ρH(t).

50. A computer readable medium as defined in any of Claims 45-49, the operations being further characterized by: tracking chemical inventory responsive to at least portions of the received data; identifying potential suspect measurements responsive to the received data; providing diagnostic input and associated results for display responsive to the abnormal condition, the determined scale tendency, and the determined corrosion tendency, defining diagnostic results; verifying integrity of the diagnostic results responsive to the diagnostic results; and providing preformatted charted report data, customizable reports, and online accessibility to maintenance and operating life reports responsive to the diagnostic input and diagnostic results.

51. A computer readable medium as defined in any of Claims 39-50, the operations being further characterized by: receiving and storing training documentation; and providing analytical simulations of chemistry contingencies to train users to determine potential scaling and corrosion tendencies.

52. A computer memory element containing, stored in signal bearing media, a database (49), the database (49) characterized by containing the following data in computer readable format: data describing cumulative boiler tube deposit attributes for a boiler (31) of a steam generating system having at least one boiler tube (33); and data describing one or more of the following: a scaling tendency of the boiler (31), or a corrosion tendency of the boiler (31).

53. A computer memory element as defined in Claim 52, wherein the data describing cumulative boiler tube deposit attributes includes: data describing an amount and type of precipitates in the boiler deposit; and data describing deposition of transported metal oxides in the boiler (31).

54. A computer memory element as defined in either of Claims 52 or 53, wherein the data describing cumulative boiler tube deposit attributes includes: data describing deposit weight, deposit thickness, and deposit composition; and data describing an insulating value of the deposit on the boiler tube (33).

55. A computer memory element as defined in any of Claims 52-54, wherein the data describing cumulative boiler tube deposit attributes includes: data indicating boiler specific heat flux for the boiler (31); data describing boiler deposit thickness for the deposit for the boiler (31); and data describing boiler concentration factor for the deposit for the boiler (31).

56. A computer memory element as defined in any of Claims 52-55, the database (49) being further characterized by containing the following data in computer readable format: data describing an abnormal condition for the boiler (31); data describing a corrective action for the abnormal condition; and data describing consequences of not taking corrective action for the abnormal condition.