Adverse chemistry (TOC) detected in liquid ring

[Windmillkiller]

Evening all,

First post here so please be gentle!

I'm posting from an independent utility company and am looking for any information relating to the typical behavior of high grade oils when introduced into process vacuum systems.

During recent maintenance activities on our steam turbine barring gear hydro-motor, a quantity of turbine oil was spilled in the ducting of our Air Cooled Condenser. Although cleaned as much as possible we expected some adverse chemistry on startup and instigated close monitoring of the condensate and boiler water systems.

We detected organics in the boiler water and immediately suspected that the oil had made its way into the condensate and then feed water systems and was being broken down to form organic acids in the boiler drums but further testing revealed that the condensate receiver system was clear.

The only area we have noted unusual readings is that we have detected high levels of TOC in the ring water system of our vacuum pumps. (Ring water is highly ammoniated and is recovered and reintroduced to the feedwater system).

Does anyone have any experience of similar problems? I suspect that the oil has been broken down in some manner in the Air Cooled Condenser and that the resultant products are entrained with the non condensable gasses which are extracted from the Dephlagmators, ultimately returning to solution and becoming concentrated in the ring system of the evacuation pumps (much the same way as ammonia does), rather than having an affinity with the ACC water phase and showing up in the condensate receivor system.

I have tried to keep pose the question as simply as possible as I am not an experienced chemist.
Any help would be fantastic.

 

[rmw]

In theory, the only thing your non condensable extraction system should see is non condensable gases and vapor from the process. If the oil has a volatile content that can get into that stream, then you can expect it to show up in the LRVP cooling water, if it is condensable and miscible in water. I don't know enough about your oil to offer more than generalities.

I would have expected to have seen it in your condenser condensate first, however.

rmw