Among all the titanium and titanium alloys, titanium Grade 2 is most widely utilized. Ti gr2 tube, as per ASTM B338, unalloyed titanium tube, is widely used in power plant applications covering condensers, cooling systems, piping and tubing, turbine blades, and generator retaining rings, etc.
More and more power plants are constructed in coastal areas using seawater as its coolant. Seamless & weldedтитанови тръби and titanium sheets were firstly introduced to the manufacture of titanium condensers in 1970s. Due to its outstanding corrosion & erosion resistance to sea water and cost effectiveness in long-term run, titanium is superseding copper alloy in coastal power plant applications.
International Equivalent Standards
- ASTM B338 / ASME SA-338: seamless and welded titanium and titanium alloy tubes for condensers and heat exchangers.
- JIS H4631: titanium and titanium alloys – tubes for heat exchangers.
- GB/T 3625: titanium and titanium alloy tube for condensers and heat exchangers.
Ti Gr2 Tube VS. Copper Alloy Tube
Before titanium was introduced to the industry, copper alloys were commonly chosen for the manufacture of condensers for the coastal power plant application. Why choose titanium over traditional copper alloys? It depends on the comprehensive consideration of quality, total investment, maintenance, working life, and relative facilities. The final total investment is the crucial factor affecting material selection.
The table below shows the comparison between ti Gr2 tube and copper alloys(C70600 & C71500) for tube material selection of a 125 MW power plant condenser in India.
| Item | Titanium Gr. 2 | C70600 | C71500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density, g*cm3 | 4.5 | 8.9 | 8.9 |
| Tube Spec., mm | Φ25 x 0.5 x 7575 | Φ25 x 1.0 x 7575 | Φ25 x 1.0 x 7575 |
| QTY, pcs | 11968 | 11968 | 11968 |
| Unit Weight, kg/pc | 1.57 | 5.08 | 5.08 |
| Total Weight, ton | 18.8 | 60.0 | 60.0 |
| USD/kg | 26.66 | 3.00 | 5.00 |
| Initial Total USD | 501333 | 265888 | 304000 |
| Working Life | 40 | 2~3 | 2~4 |
| Ave. Investment / Year, USD | 12533 | 60833 | 76000 |
| Total Investment in 40 Years, USD | 501333 | 2433320 | 3040000 |
Generally, ti gr2 tube has much longer service life and results in much more cost-effective investment than copper alloys.