The extreme temperatures and pressures needed for steam generation in power plants amplify the corrosive oxidizing effects of dissolved oxygen. Feedwater used in these applications must be deaerated to parts-per-billion trace levels to ensure that oxygen does not prematurely damage boiler tubing.
Image Credit: Hamilton Process Analytics
Dissolved oxygen is measured before and after deaeration to confirm that the treated water is appropriate for the boiler.
After use in the turbine, the steam is condensed and pumped back with the boiler feedwater for reuse. Dissolved oxygen is repeatedly measured in the condensate pipelines to detect outside leaks that may result in trace oxygen infiltrating the process.
Due to the elevated temperatures and pressures involved in power plant systems, dissolved oxygen is often measured in a sample line that has been pre-conditioned to decrease temperature and pressure. The measurement passes the dissolved oxygen sensor in a flow cell and is disposed down a drain.
Hamilton offers optical (VisiTrace® mA) and polarographic (OxyGold® G) dissolved oxygen sensors for power generation.
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Hamilton Process Analytics.
For more information on this source, please visit Hamilton Process Analytics.