A Thirty Year Service Exam: Titanium Tubed Surface Condensers

The first installation of Grade 2 titanium condenser tubing in a US powerplant occurred in the fall of 1971 as a partial retube of the then, PG&E Moss Landing Unit No. 7 generating station. At the time of this partial retube, “Mighty Moss” was the largest fossil powerplant in the USA generating 750 MWe. Conversely, the first complete titanium-tubed surface condenser installation occurred in 1972 at the 490 MWe ConEdison - Arthur Kill Unit #3. Following comparative testing of competing tube materials, a partial titanium retube, followed by a complete replacement of the remaining aluminum bronze (C608800) tubes, eliminated severe corrosion problems after only 17 months of operation. Thirty years later, both the Moss Landing Unit No. 7 (Duke Energy) and Arthur Kill Unit #3 (an NRG holding) remain fully operational units and a growing fleet of nearly 300 new, modularized and retubed titanium surface condensers have been installed worldwide. These units have provided powerplant operators with three decades of corrosion-free operation — indeed a new industry hallmark of availability and capability. Citing the outstanding performance of titanium over the past 30 years as historical precedent, this paper will provide a brief overview of prior art, investigate new and relevant data, highlight recent process improvements, predict future applications and of course, identify the inevitable cautionary notes.