Patent Document ID: 9841184
Application ID: 13580334
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for evaluating simultaneously the effects of multiple, interdependent heat-exchanger degradation modes for a heat exchanger of a power plant in the context of a series of alternative heat-exchanger remediation strategies that include individual options for remedying one or more of the degradation modes, the method comprising: receiving probabilistic time-varying predicted future progressions of heat exchanger performance metrics for a plurality of alternative heat-exchanger remediation strategies, wherein the probabilistic time-varying predicted future progressions are based on a single, integrated probabilistic analysis of the effects of multiple, interdependent heat-exchanger degradation modes, the performance metrics including: a secondary side operating pressure of the heat exchanger, a heat-transfer efficiency of the heat exchanger, a fraction of defective components within the heat exchanger that are subject to one or more heat-exchanger degradation modes, and an electrical power output of the plant; receiving probabilistic time-varying predicted future progressions of financial metrics describing the accumulated financial benefit of each of the plurality of alternative heat-exchanger remediation strategies; and selecting and implementing one of the plurality of alternative heat-exchanger remediation strategies based on the received probabilistic time-varying predicted future progressions of the heat exchanger performance metrics, wherein the time-varying predicted future progressions of heat-exchanger performance metrics for a plurality of alternative heat-exchanger remediation strategies account for routine post-outage heat-transfer transients that result from operating the plant in accordance with each of the plurality of alternative heat-exchanger remediation strategies, and wherein implementing the selected one of the plurality of alternative heat-exchanger remediation strategies includes performing at least one of the following acts: chemical cleaning, applying at least one dilute chemical, lancing tube sheet sludge, in-bundle water-jet lancing, tube bundle flushing, ultrasonic energy cleaning, adding a polymeric dispersant, changing secondary water chemistry, repairing a defective heat-exchanger tube by plugging, repairing a defective heat-exchanger tube by sleeving, lowering a primary fluid temperature, repairing at least one tube moisture separator component; or replacing at least one tube moisture separator component.