Silica Residue Contamination

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OMT1 Participant Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 3	Silica Residue Contamination 03/18/2013 1:36 AM
	Just wondering if anybody has or is experiencing silica residue build up on their equipment, in particular compressor and turbine blades. We inject demineralised water into our gas fired turbines, but Im lead to believe that air is the major source of silica contamination. Any info or dicussion on the subject would be great.
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PWSlack Guru Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: In the bothy, 7 chains down the line from Dodman's Lane level crossing, in the nation formerly known as Great Britain. Kettle's on. Posts: 32175 Good Answers: 839	#1 Re: Silica residue contamination 03/18/2013 5:24 AM
	Silica build-up indicates poor water treatment upstream. Silica is soluble in steam and if it isn't wanted in the turbine, then eliminate it at source in the ater treatment plant. Call a water treatment specialist and get the equipment and its operation reviewed and upgraded. It has nothing to do with air. __________________ "Did you get my e-mail?" - "The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place" - George Bernard Shaw, 1856
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OMT1 Participant Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 3	#2 In reply to #1 Re: Silica residue contamination 03/18/2013 6:05 PM
	The problem is we have spent alot of time and money investigating this issue and testing to make sure our water treatment plant is in correct working order. As of late our WTP has been proven to be producing demin water that is well within the requirements for injection into our turbine. When we removed the turbine blades and had the residue analyised the independant labs reports stated that, quote "silica contaminated demin water alone would not account for all the deposit formed. It is therefore suspected that the air entering the turbine would be significantly contributing if not the primary source of the deposit'' It is worth noting we never experienced silica issues until after we changed our air filters.
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PWSlack Guru Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: In the bothy, 7 chains down the line from Dodman's Lane level crossing, in the nation formerly known as Great Britain. Kettle's on. Posts: 32175 Good Answers: 839	#3 In reply to #2 Re: Silica residue contamination 03/19/2013 6:45 AM
	Then with this additional information, the following suggestions are just in from the KrisDel™ Department of the Bleedin' Obvious (at considerable cost): Check that the air filters themselves are not releasing silica while in use. Revert to the original type of air filter, and see if it makes a difference. Why did the air filters get changed? Someone found some cheaper ones? __________________ "Did you get my e-mail?" - "The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place" - George Bernard Shaw, 1856
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