Estimation of Oxidation Kinetics and Oxide Scale Void Position of Ferritic-Martensitic Steels in Supercritical Water

Abstract EN

Exfoliation of oxide scales from high-temperature heating surfaces of power boilers threatened the safety of supercritical power generating units.

According to available space model, the oxidation kinetics of two ferritic-martensitic steels are developed to predict in supercritical water at 400°C, 500°C, and 600°C.

The iron diffusion coefficients in magnetite and Fe-Cr spinel are extrapolated from studies of Backhaus and Töpfer.

According to Fe-Cr-O ternary phase diagram, oxygen partial pressure at the steel/Fe-Cr spinel oxide interface is determined.

The oxygen partial pressure at the magnetite/supercritical water interface meets the equivalent oxygen partial pressure when system equilibrium has been attained.

The relative error between calculated values and experimental values is analyzed and the reasons of error are suggested.

The research results show that the results of simulation at 600°C are approximately close to experimental results.

The iron diffusion coefficient is discontinuous in the duplex scale of two ferritic-martensitic steels.

The simulation results of thicknesses of the oxide scale on tubes (T91) of final superheater of a 600 MW supercritical boiler are compared with field measurement data and calculation results by Adrian’s method.

The calculated void positions of oxide scales are in good agreement with a cross-sectional SEM image of the oxide layers.