DISSOLVED HYDROGEN ANALYZER--A TOOL FOR BOILER CORROSION STUDIES

Several types of waterside corrosion can attack a boiler. In many cases, the only evidence of this corrosion before tube failure is increased hydrogen in the steam. A continuous record of this hydrogen can be obtained with dissolved hydrogen analyzers which utilize the hydrogen's high thermal conductivity to detect as little as 0.2 ppb in steam. Rate of metal loss can be calculated from the amount of hydrogen in the steam, and the pattern of hydrogen release often indicates the type of corrosion. A well planned test program includes tests for sources of hydrogen other than corrosion.