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Surface condenser
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Surface condenser
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expensive and cannot achieve as low a steam turbine exhaust pressure (and
temperature) as a water-cooled surface condenser.
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Surface condensers are also used in applications and industries other than the
condensing of steam turbine exhaust in power plants.
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Contents [hide]
1 Purpose
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2 Why it is required
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7 Testing
Simple English
8 See also
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9 References
Edit links
10 External links
Purpose
[edit]
efficiency, and also to convert the turbine exhaust steam into pure water
(referred to as steam condensate) so that it may be reused in the steam
generator or boiler as boiler feed water.
Why it is required
[edit]
The steam turbine itself is a device to convert the heat in steam to mechanical
power. The difference between the heat of steam per unit mass at the inlet to
the turbine and the heat of steam per unit mass at the outlet from the turbine
represents the heat which is converted to mechanical power. Therefore, the
more the conversion of heat per pound or kilogram of steam to mechanical
power in the turbine, the better is its efficiency. By condensing the exhaust
steam of a turbine at a pressure below atmospheric pressure, the steam
pressure drop between the inlet and exhaust of the turbine is increased, which
increases the amount of heat available for conversion to mechanical power.
Most of the heat liberated due to condensation of the exhaust steam is carried
away by the cooling medium (water or air) used by the surface condenser
[edit]
The adjacent
diagram depicts a
typical watercooled surface
condenser as used
in power stations to
condense the
exhaust steam
from a steam
turbine driving an
electrical generator
as well in other
Diagram of a typical water-cooled surface condenser
Shell [edit]
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.
At the bottom of the shell, where the condensate collects, an outlet is installed.
maintained
by an
external steam jet ejector system. Such an ejector system uses steam as the
motive fluid to remove any non-condensible 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.
Tubes [edit]
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 55 ft (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. The outer
diameter of condenser tubes typically ranges from 3/4 inch to 1-1/4 inch, based
on condenser cooling water friction considerations and overall condenser size.
Waterboxes [edit]
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.
In smaller units, some manufacturers make the condenser shell as well as
waterboxes of cast iron.
Corrosion
[edit]
these tubes are exposed to higher corrosion rates. Some times these tubes are
affected by stress corrosion cracking, if original stress is not fully relieved during
manufacture. To overcome these effects of corrosion some manufacturers
provide higher corrosive resistant tubes in this area.
[edit]
As one might expect, with millions of gallons of circulating water flowing through
the condenser tubing from seawater or fresh water, anything that is contained
within the water flowing through the tubes, can ultimately end up on either the
condenser tubesheet (discussed previously) or within the tubing itself. Tube side
fouling for surface condensers falls into five main categories; particulate fouling
like silt and sediment, biofouling like slime and biofilms, scaling and
crystallization such as calcium carbonate, macrofouling which can include
anything from zebra mussels that can grow on the tubesheet, to wood or other
debris that blocks the tubing, and finally, corrosion product (discussed
previously).
Depending on the extent of the fouling, the impact can be quite severe on the
condenser's ability to condense the exhaust steam coming from the turbine. As
fouling builds up within the tubing, an insulating effect is created and the heat
transfer characteristics of the tubes are diminished often requiring the turbine to
be slowed to a point where the condenser can handle the exhaust steam
produced. Typically, this can be quite costly to power plants in the form of
reduced output, increase fuel consumption and increased CO2 emissions. This
"derating" of the turbine to accommodate the condenser's fouled or blocked
tubing is an indication that the plant needs to clean the tubing in order to return
to the turbine's nameplate capacity. A variety of methods for cleaning are
available including online and offline options depending on the plant's sitespecific conditions.
[edit]
Vacuum evaporation
Vacuum refrigeration
Ocean Thermal Energy (OTEC)
Replacing barometric condensers in steam-driven ejector systems
Geothermal energy recovery
Desalination systems
Testing
[edit]
National and international test codes are used to standardize the procedures
and definitions used in testing large condensors. In the U.S., ASME publishes
several performance test codes on condensers and heat exchangers. These
include ASME PTC 12.2-2010, Steam Surface Condensers,and PTC 30.1-2007,
Air cooled Steam Condensers.
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]
a b
Babcock & Wilcox Co. (2005). Steam: Its Generation and Use (41st edition
a b
Training Institute
5. ^ Energy savings in steam systems
External links
[edit]
Heat exchangers
Steam power
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