Many utility power plants are approaching the end of their design life, with engineers conducting life extension studies for boilers and related auxiliary equipment. To accommodate a changing operating environment, redesigning components and equipment to replace those which have reached the end of their useful life is increasingly common practice, says engineering, manufacturing, construction and maintenance service provider Steinmüller Africa. Steinmüller Africa process engineer Keyur Patel says heat exchangers, which form part of the auxiliary equipment that heats the feed water entering the boiler, are vital components that need to be maintained to ensure optimal functioning of the power station. “If the temperature of the feed water going into the boiler is lower than the design condition, the overall efficiency of the plant will decrease.”
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