[DEETAF COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING]

PLANT MAINTENANCE WORK AND SERVICE - PRACTICE March 9, 2021

CONDENSER

Functions of Condensers

The main purposes of the condenser are to condense the exhaust steam from
the turbine for reuse in the cycle and to maximize turbine efficiency by
maintaining proper vacuum. As the operating pressure of the condenser is
lowered (vacuum is increased), the enthalpy drop of the expanding steam in the
turbine will also increase. This will increase the amount of available work from
the turbine (electrical output). By lowering the condenser operating pressure,
the following will occur :

Increased turbine output

Increased plant efficiency

Reduced steam flow (for a given plant output)

It is therefore very advantageous to operate the condenser at the lowest

possible pressure (highest vacuum).

Condenser Types

There are two primary types of condensers that can be used in a power plant :

 Direct Contact
 Surface
Direct contact condensers condense the turbine exhaust steam by mixing it
directly with cooling water. The older type Barometric and Jet-Type condensers
operate on similar principles.

Steam surface condensers are the most commonly used condensers in

modernpower plants. The exhaust steam from the turbine flows on the shell
side (under vacuum) of the condenser, while the plant‟s circulating water flows
 [DEETAF COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING]
PLANT MAINTENANCE WORK AND SERVICE - PRACTICE March 9, 2021

in the tube side. The source of the circulating water can be either a closed-loop
(i.e. cooling tower, spray pond, etc.) or once through (i.e. from a lake, ocean, or
river). The condensed steam from the turbine, called condensate, is collected in
the bottom of the condenser, which is called a hotwell. The condensate is then
pumped back to the steam generator to repeat the cycle.

Surface Condenser

The surface condenser is a shell and tube heat exchanger in which cooling
wateris circulated through the tubes. The exhaust steam from the low pressure
turbine enters the shell where it is cooled and converted to condensate (water)
by flowing over the tubes as shown in the diagram. Such condensers use steam
ejectors or rotary motor-driven exhausters for continuous removal of air and
gases from the steam side to maintain.
 Hotwell Steam Power Plant

Above is a : Diagram of a Typical Water-cooled Surface Condenser

For best efficiency, the temperature in the condenser must be kept as low as
practical in order to achieve the lowest possible pressure in the condensing
steam. Since the condenser temperature can almost always be kept significantly
below 100oC where the vapor pressure of water is much less than atmospheric
pressure, the condenser generally works under vacuum. Thus leaks of non-
condensable air into the closed loop must be prevented.

The condenser generally uses either circulating cooling water from a cooling
tower to reject waste heat to the atmosphere, or once-through water from a
river, lake or ocean.

Note : Tubes are brass, cupro nickel, titanium or stainless steel. The tubes are
expanded or rolled and bell mouthed at the ends in the tube sheets.

Figure 2.35 : Typical Power Plant Condenser

64
 Hotwell Steam Power Plant
The diagram depicts a typical water-cooled surface condenser as used in power
stations to condense the exhaust steam from a steam turbine driving an
electrical generator as well in other applications

Condenser Components and their Functions Shell

The shell is the condenser's outermost body and contains the heat exchanger
tubes. The shell is fabricated from carbon steel plates and is stiffened as needed
to provide rigidity for the shell. When required by the selected design,
intermediate plates are installed to serve as baffle plates that provide the
desired flow path of the condensing steam. The plates also provide support that
help prevent sagging of long tube lengths.

For most water-cooled surface condensers, the shell is under vacuum during

65
At the bottom of the shell, where the condensate collects, an outlet is
installed. In some designs, a sump (often referred to as the hotwell) is provided.
Condensate is pumped from the outlet or the hotwell for reuse as boiler
feedwater.

Vacuum System For a steam ejector, the motive fluid is steam.

For water-cooled surface condensers, the shell's internal vacuum is most

commonly supplied by and maintained by an external steam jet ejector system.
Such an ejector system uses steam as the motive fluid to remove any non-
condensable gases that may be present in the surface condenser. The Venturi
effect, which is a particular case of Bernoulli's principle, applies to the operation
of steam jet ejectors.

Motor driven mechanical vacuum pumps, such as the liquid ring type, are also
popular for this service.

Motive fluid nozzle

Diverging
Convergi outlet diffuser
ng inlet
nozzle

Diffuser
throat

Motive Outlet
fluid
 Inlet gas, liquid, or other Figure 2.36 : Diagram of a Typical Modern
Injector or Ejector

Tube
Sheets

At each end of the shell, a sheet of sufficient thickness usually made of stainless
steel is provided, with holes for the tubes to be inserted and rolled. The inlet
end of each tube is also bell mouthed for streamlined entry of water. This is to
avoid eddies at the inlet of each tube giving rise to erosion, and to reduce flow
friction. Some makers also recommend plastic inserts at the entry of tubes to
avoid eddies eroding the inlet end. In smaller units some manufacturers use
ferrules to seal the tube ends instead of rolling. To take care of length wise
expansion of tubes some designs have expansion joint between the shell and
the tube sheet allowing the latter to move longitudinally. In smaller units some
sag is given to the tubes to take care of tube expansion with both end water
boxes fixed rigidly to the shell.

Tubes

Generally the tubes are made of stainless steel, copper alloys such as brass or
bronze, cupro nickel, or titanium depending on several selection criteria. The
use of copper bearing alloys such as brass or cupro nickel is rare in new plants,
due to environmental concerns of toxic copper alloys. Also depending on the
steam cycle water treatment for the boiler, it may be desirable to avoid tube
materials containing copper. Titanium condenser tubes are usually the best
technical choice; however the use of titanium condenser tubes has been
virtually eliminated by the sharp increases in the costs for this material. The
tube lengths range to about 17 m for modern power plants, depending on the
size of the condenser. The size chosen is based on transportability from the
manufacturers‟ site and ease of erection at the installation site.
 Atmospheric relief valves open and close automatically. Each valve needs to be Steam Power Plant

The tube sheet at each end with tube ends rolled, for each end of the
condenser is closed by a fabricated box cover known as a waterbox, with
flanged connection to the tube sheet or condenser shell. The waterbox is
usually provided with man holes on hinged covers to allow inspection and
cleaning.

These waterboxes on inlet side will also have flanged connections for cooling
water inlet butterfly valves, small vent pipe with hand valve for air venting at
higher level, and hand operated drain valve at bottom to drain the waterbox for
maintenance. Similarly on the outlet waterbox the cooling water connection will
have large flanges, butterfly valves, vent connection also at higher level and
drain connections at lower level. Similarly thermometer pockets are located at
inlet and outlet pipes for local measurements of cooling water temperature.

2.5.1 Condensate Pumps

Condensate pumps are those kinds of pumps that are used to collect and
transport condensate back into a steam system for reheating and reuse, or to
remove unwanted condensate.

Condensate pumps have a tank in which condensate can accumulate. The tank
size varies depending on the application. The accumulating liquid raises a float
switch which energizes the pump. The pump then runs until the level of liquid in
the tank is substantially lowered. Some pumps contain a two-stage switch. As
the liquid rises to the trigger point of the first stage, the pump starts working. If
the liquid continues to rise, the second stage will be triggered. This stage may
switch off the HVAC equipment, which is, preventing the production of further
condensate, trigger an alarm or both.

Types of Condensate Pump

Boiler Feed Pump

This pump closes the boiler, steam and condensate loop by returning the
condensate back into the system for reuse.

Sump Pump
66
 Atmospheric relief valves open and close automatically. Each valve needs to be Steam Power Plant

This pump is installed in compartments to remove the unwanted build-up of

water.

In a steam power plant, the condensate pump is normally located adjacent to

the main condenser hotwell often directly below it. This pump sends the water
to a make-up tank closer to the steam generator or boiler. If the tank is also
designed to remove dissolved oxygen from the condensate, it is known as a De
aerating feed tank (DFT). The output of the DFT supplies the feed booster pump
which, in turn, supplies the feed pump (feedwater pump) which returns the
feedwater to the boiler so the cycle can start over.

Two pumps in succession are used to provide sufficient Net Positive Suction
Head to prevent cavitation and the subsequent damage associated with it.

Circulating Pumps

Condenser circulating pumps are used to pump cooing water through the
condenser. The source of the cooling water can be the sea, lake, river or a
cooling tower. Low speed –horizontal-double suction-volute centrifugal pumps
are used for this application. This pump has a simple but rugged design that
allows ready access to interior for examination and rapid dismantling if repairs
are required.

Atmospheric Relief Valves

Atmospheric relief valves provide automatic protection of costly condenser

equipment. These valves are as important as trip throttle valves, over speed
governors, and other devices for power plant protection. Atmospheric relief
valves are designed and manufactured with the finest materials and the highest
quality workmanship.

67
installed vertically and properly leveled for smooth operation. Special ring seals
and a water seal is provided for zero leakage in full vacuum conditions. Each
valve opens immediately when pressure increases slightly above atmospheric
pressure. Higher than atmospheric set pressures can be provided with internally
spring loaded discs. During regular maintenance and as many times as possible,
each atmospheric valve should be opened by turning the hand wheel clockwise
then closing the valves by turning counter clockwise. This process ensures non-
binding and self-cleaning valve action.

Requirements of a Good Condensing System

The requirements of ideal surface condenser used for power plants are as
follows :

(a) The steam entering the condenser should be evenly distributed

over the whole cooling surface of the condenser vessel with
minimum pressure loss.

(b) The amount of cooling water being circulated in the condenser

should be so regulated that the temperature of cooling water
leaving the condenser is equivalent to saturation temperature of
steam corresponding to steam pressure in the condenser. This
will help in preventing under cooling of condensate.

(c) The deposition of dirt on the outer surface of tubes should be

prevented. Passing the cooling water through the tubes and
allowing the steam to flow over the tubes achieve this.

(d) There should be no air leakage into the condenser because

presence of air destroys the vacuum in the condenser and thus
reduces the work obtained per kg of steam. If there is leakage of
air into the condenser air extraction pump should be used to
remove air as rapidly as possible.
 2.6 COOLING TOWER

Functions

Cooling Towers have one function :

 Remove heat from the water discharged from the condenser so

that the water can be discharged to the river or recirculated and
reused.

2.6.1 What is a Cooling Tower

A cooling tower extracts heat from water by evaporation. In an evaporative

cooling tower, a small portion of the water being cooled is allowed to evaporate
into a moving air stream to provide significant cooling to the rest of that water
stream.

Cooling Towers are commonly used to provide lower than ambient water
temperatures and are more cost effective and energy efficient than most other
alternatives. The smallest cooling towers are structured for only a few litres of
water per minute while the largest cooling towers may handle upwards of
thousands of litres per minute. The pipes are obviously much larger to
accommodate this much water in the larger towers and can range up to 12
inches in diameter.

2.6.2 How Cooling Towers Work

When water is reused in the process, it is pumped to the top of the cooling
tower and will then flow down through plastic or wood shells, much like a
honeycomb found in a bee‟s nest. The water will emit heat as it is downward
flowing which mixes with the above air flow, which in turn cools the water. Part
of this water will also evaporate, causing it to lose even more heat.
 Steam Power Plant

One way to distinguish between cooling towers is how the air and water
interact, open cooling towers or closed cooling towers. Open cooling towers,
also called direct cooling towers, allow the water to come into contact with
outside air. If cooled water is returned from the cooling tower to be used again,
some water must be added to replace the water that has been lost. Pollutants
are able to enter into the water used in these processes and must be filtered
out. Another method of combating the excess minerals and pollutants is some
means of a dissolved solid control, such as a blow down. With this, a small
percentage of the flow is drained off to aid in the removal of these
contaminants. This is fairly effective, but not as efficient as filtration.

Closed loop (or closed circuit) cooling tower systems, also called indirect cooling
tower systems, do not allow the water to come into contact with any outside
substance, therefore keeping the water more pure due to the lack of foreign
particles introduced.

Another classification of cooling towers is made between field assembled

towers and factory assembled towers. Field assembled towers are shipped in
pieces and assembled on site by a highly qualified and certified installation
team. Factory assembled towers typically only require the fan motor to be
mounted.

2.10.4 Natural Draft Towers

Natural draft towers are typically about 120 m high, depending on the
differential pressure between the cold outside air and the hot humid air on the
inside of the tower as the driving force. No fans are used.

Whether the natural or mechanical draft towers are used depends on climatic
and operating requirement conditions.

The green flow paths show how the warm water leaves the plant proper, is
pumped to the natural draft cooling tower and is distributed. The cooled water,
including makeup from the lake to account for evaporation losses to the
atmosphere, is returned to the condenser.
Figure 2.38 : Induced Draft 68
 Steam Power Plant

Mechanical Draft

Mechanical draft towers uses fans (one or more) to move large quantities of air
through the tower. They are two different classes :

(a) Forced draft cooling towers

(b) Induced draft cooling towers

The air flow in either class may be cross flow or counter flow with respect to the
falling water. Cross flow indicates that the airflow is horizontal in the filled
portion of the tower while counter flow means the air flow is in the opposite
direction of the falling water.

The counter flow tower occupies less floor space than a cross flow tower but is
taller for a given capacity. The principle advantages of the cross flow tower are
the low pressure drop in relation to its capacity and lower fan power
requirement leading to lower energy costs.

All mechanical towers must be located so that the discharge air diffuses freely
without recirculation through the tower, and so that air intakes are not
restricted. Cooling towers should be located as near as possible to the
refrigeration systems they serve, but should never be located below them so as
to allow the condenser water to drain out of the system through the tower
basin when the system is shut down.

Forced Draft

The forced draft tower, has the fan, basin, and piping located within the tower
structure. In this model, the fan is located at the base. There are no louvered
exterior walls. Instead, the structural steel or wood framing is covered with
paneling made of aluminum, galvanized steel, or asbestos

Figure 2.38 : Induced Draft 69

 Figure 2.37 : Mechanical Draft

During operation, the fan forces air at a low velocity horizontally through the
packing and then vertically against the downward flow of the water that occurs
on either side of the fan. The drift eliminators located at the top of the tower
remove water entrained in the air. Vibration and noise are minimal since the
rotating equipment is built on a solid foundation. The fans handle mostly dry
air, greatly reducing erosion and water condensation problems.

Induced Draft

The induced draft tower show in the following picture has one or more fans,
located at the top of the tower, that draw air upwards against the downward
flow of water passing around the wooden decking or packing. Since the airflow
is counter to the water flow, the coolest water at the bottom is in contact with
the driest air while the warmest water at the top is in contact with the moist air,
resulting in increased heat transfer efficiency.
 They are equipped with mechanical draft fans to augment airflow.
Consequently, they are also referred to as fan-assisted natural draft
towers. The intent of their design is to minimize the power required for
the air movement, but to do so with the least possible stack cost
impact. Properly designed fans may need to be operated only during
periods of high ambient and peak loads.

Air out

Water
in

A
ir in

Outflow
 Figure 2.39 : Hybrid Draft

2.7 STEAM POWER STATION CONTROL

2.7.1 Basic Components of a Control System

Most control functions are implemented by means of a computer-

based system, so we shall now briefly look at a typical configuration
known as DCS.

DCS stands for „distributed control system‟. The term „distributed‟

means that several processors are operating together. This is usually
achieved by dedicating tasks to different machines. It does not
necessarily mean that the separate computers are physically located in
different areas of the plant.
Figure 2.40 shows how a typical system may be arranged. The following

notes relate to individual parts of that system.