Service Information Letter

WARNING! Potential for Personal Injury and Equipment Damage High Temperature Plate-Formed Headers
Introduction
This Service Information Letter is being issued to ALSTOM Power, Inc. (ALSTOM) customers which our records indicate have plate formed superheater and reheater outlet headers of 2-1/2% chromium, 1% molybdenum (SA387D) designed to operate at 1050F or higher with a contract date of 1964 or earlier. A SA387D plate formed superheater outlet header has recently cracked and leaked at the long seam weld after approximately 187,000 hours of operation. Failure occurred at one of the peaks in element steam temperature along the header and has been positively established as being creep-rupture cracking. While the cracking favored the OD surface, i.e. significantly longer at OD than ID, there is positive evidence that the initial cracking occurred beneath the OD surface. Therefore, shearwave ultrasonic examination, searching for longitudinally oriented sub-surface cracks, is considered necessary. Additionally, surface replication to detect creep voids or micro cracks is recommended. These recommended examinations might be restricted to areas of peak temperature if known, but we suggest that additional examination might be performed to provide a more general condition assessment of the header. The additional examinations could be limited to surface NDE and diameter readings, or expanded to include replication and UT of the entire weld seam, replication of nipple socket, girth welds, and internal examination of nipple bore holes. The location of the weld seam may be indicated on specific contract drawings. If the location is not known, a physical inspection of the header should then be made to locate it. Often sequential metal stamped

SIL No. 185-1

numbers are located adjacent to the weld (numbers used to locate original fabrication radiography). If the weld location is not obvious, polishing and etching at likely locations may be required. Please contact your local ALSTOM Technical Services Representative, if you have questions or require assistance. ALSTOM is well qualified and equipped to provide the nondestructive examinations necessary to assess the condition of the long seam weld and other areas of the header. This Service Information Letter is offered as part of ALSTOMs continuing effort to assist you in the safe and effective operation of your equipment. However, we do not guarantee that this information will be applicable to your equipment under the conditions that prevail in your facility.

Recommendations
While some factors such as unusually low stress rupture properties of this particular header may explain this failure, we are recommending that the weld seam be examined on the SA387D plate formed headers as described above.

Power Service

ALSTOM Power Inc. 2000 Day Hill Road, Windsor, CT 06095-0500 www.service.power.alstom.com
Please note: The information in this bulletin is of a general nature and may not be applicable for use in any specific application. 1985, 2006 ALSTOM. Printed in U.S.A.