"Clearing the Vessels" of a Million-Kilowatt Unit — Auxiliary Steam Purging Accelerates on Unit 7 of the Luohe Million-Kilowatt Project

en.Wedoany.com Reported - In the golden autumn of August, the construction site of the Phase IV 2×1000 MW ultra-supercritical double-reheat coal-fired power project at Luohe Power Plant, undertaken by China Energy Engineering Group Construction Co., Ltd., is bustling with activity. Following the completion of chemical cleaning of the unit, the auxiliary steam purging work for the boiler and turbine of Unit 7 is being accelerated, as the million-kilowatt unit steadily advances from "installation complete" toward "ready for ignition."

Auxiliary steam purging is a critical procedure that must be completed before a new unit is officially put into operation. During the manufacturing, transportation, installation, and welding of pipelines in a newly built unit, residues such as welding slag, oxide scale, rust, and construction debris are inevitably left inside. These seemingly insignificant "contaminants," once carried at high speed by steam, can at best block valves and pipelines, and at worst directly impact turbine blades, causing major equipment accidents. By using steam to perform high-intensity flushing and cleaning of the auxiliary steam system pipelines, through multiple cycles of "pressurization—flushing—cooling—re-flushing," until the outlet target plate passes inspection and the system meets cleanliness standards, hidden hazards are eliminated for subsequent boiler ignition, pipe flushing, and overall unit startup.

During the purging period, steam exhaust at the site is orderly and controllable. Considering that the exhaust generates significant intermittent noise, the project team has installed sound insulation and noise reduction barriers at the boundary between the construction site and the residential area, strictly controlled working hours with no nighttime operations, issued advance notices to the surrounding area before operations, assigned dedicated personnel for on-site supervision during operations, and immediately ceased steam exhaust upon completion of purging. The entire process involves no discharge of waste gas or wastewater, minimizing the impact on the surrounding environment and residents to the greatest extent possible.

As a key power project under Anhui Province's 14th Five-Year Plan, the Luohe Million-Kilowatt Project has now entered the critical commissioning phase. From alkaline cleaning to remove impurities from the water-steam system, to aerodynamic field testing to verify the combustion system, and now auxiliary steam purging to clear the "vessels" of the thermal system, the smooth progress of each milestone brings the unit one step closer to its commissioning target. Currently, the project is firmly focused on the commissioning goal, coordinating the subsequent pipe flushing, overall startup, and other tasks. All builders are seizing the golden construction period, striving with a decisive attitude to accomplish the annual targets. (Yan Kailin)