Smart Elbow® deflection elbow prevents power plant’s leaks

October 15, 2012 by Miaja Cornelius

At PECO Energy Company’s Eddystone facility, standard type 316L stainless pipe elbows frequently wore out, creating a wide range of costly problems. The Philadelphia-area power plant was experiencing magnesium oxide leaks from the bottom and top of their stainless-steel elbows in the line that releases pressure from the system. A hole would appear every four to six months due to wear in the elbow, releasing a mass of MgO dust throughout the plant. While an obvious environmental safety concern, the powdery material also caused expensive cleanup and repairs — about $4000 a year in labor alone. For the full case study, click here.

The Eddystone plant uses a magnesium oxide-based scrubbing process to maintain acceptable levels of sulfur dioxide emissions in order to meet Federal emissions standards. The MgO system is required to be running whenever the generating plant is operating. Since the leaks were also causing EPA regulatory concerns (as well as OSHA concerns about plant safety during the continual repairs), plant engineers needed a solution able to withstand the system’s demands 24 hours a day, long term.

After careful consideration, plant engineer Gavin Heckler says they chose to replace the failing stainless-steel elbows with six, 3-inch carbon steel Smart Elbow models from HammerTek Corporation. Smart Elbow deflection elbows are intelligently engineered to rely on deflection, not impact, to change flow direction, which decreases wear. They also use a flange installation, rather than weldment, making them easier (and less costly) to mount.

According to Heckler, the standard stainless elbows lasted about four months if the MgO systems were operating at full capacity, 24 hours per day. Under similar conditions, “…the HammerTek elbows have been installed for one and one-half years and are still functioning fine.” He added, “We’ve installed them in a second silo vent system.”