Fireside corrosion in Energy Recovery Boilers and maintenance issues

Fireside corrosion is since a long time the main limitation to increase efficiency of energy recovery boilers of waste to energy (W-t-E) facilities. Nevertheless, the increase of steam conditions in addition with the variation of feeding fuels composition imply greater risks of fouling and corrosion along with heat exchanger failure, loss of plant availability and high maintenance costs. Fireside corrosion mechanisms had already been widely treated in the literature and this paper will review the main critical factors that enhance fireside corrosion of superheater. Recent failure cases will be developed in regards with recent studies that provide interesting routes to predict corrosion failure and develop maintenance strategy.