Long Term Operating Experience With Corrosion Control In Industrial Axial Flor Compressors

Abstract

One of the primary causes of flow path failures in industrial axial flow compressors has been attributed to or is related to corrosion damage. Over the years, a number of corrosion mitigations have been utilized by various manufacturers and users. This paper summarizes several long term monitoring and assessment programs that evaluated the effectiveness of the mitigation steps and makes recommendations for future operation. The monitoring programs included detailed metallurgical analyses of corroded stator and rotor blades, material captured in inlet filter pads, flow path deposits and corrosion coupons. The hardware was examined at various run time intervals that ranged between 2 to 12 years. When possible, corrosion damage was mapped and quantified. The hardware was then returned to service and later re-evaluated in the exact same locations after the additional operating time.