Experience with water chemistry control at FBTR

Operating experience of FBTR has shown that an efficient water chemistry control plays a major role in minimizing corrosion related failures of steam generator tubes and ensuring steam generator tube integrity. To meet the stringent feed water and steam quality specifications, online monitoring techniques have been employed in the steam/water circuit. These have helped in achieving feed water of exceptional degree of purity and running the steam generator for more than 21000 hours without any tube leak. Condenser cooling and service water systems of FBTR serve as plant heat sink for various cooling systems. The heat is rejected in a common induced draft cooling tower. Palar river water serves as the make-up to the system. The construction of the system was completed in 1980. Since then, the sub-systems were commissioned one by one. This paper describes the experience gained in chemistry maintenance of the feed water and condenser cooling and service water systems of FBTR. (author)