For the past 3 years the Westinghouse Electric Corp. has conducted a major program of instrument selection and development and sample analysis to monitor the steam turbine chemical environment and to determine the source of corrodant species that contribute to turbine blade corrosion.

The steam purity monitoring program of the Westinghouse Electric Corp. has accumulated a large data base on the chemical purity of water and steam in modern fossil fuel power plants. Three types of monitoring have been employed:.

Work undertaken by Ontario Hydro, Toronto, to determine levels of feedwater impurities, including corrosion products and condenser cooling water inleakage contaminants, is reviewed. Corrosion product measurement using a grab method gave some useful data but was found to be too labor-intensive. Continuous analysis of corrosion products, in conjunction with a valveless capillary sampler, is now being evaluated as a method. Ion chromatography appears to be a promising technique to determine anions in feedwater. Tests to adapt such an instrument for continuous analysis are planned.

This document was prepared to assist industrial plant operating personnel in avoiding steam purity related problems, and it includes the following descriptive sections: Steam Purity, Problems Caused by Poor Steam Purity, Methods of Detecting Steam Purity Problems, Investigating a Steam Purity Problem, Operating Guidelines to Avoid Steam Purity Problems and Steam Sampling and Analysis.