ISSN 00406015, Thermal Engineering, 2014, Vol. 61, No. 11, pp. 785–789. © Pleiades Publishing, Inc., 2014.

Original Russian Text © A.V. Kurshakov, A.V. Ryzhenkov, A.A. Bodrov, O.V. Ryzhenkov, A.A. Patakin, E.F. Chernov, 2014, published in Teploenergetika.

STEAMTURBINE, GASTURBINE, AND COMBINEDCYCLE

PLANTS AND THEIR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT

Heat Transfer Enhancement in SteamTurbine Condensers

with the Use of SurfaceActive Substances
A. V. Kurshakova, A. V. Ryzhenkova, A. A. Bodrova, O. V. Ryzhenkova,
A. A. Patakinb, and E. F. Chernovb
a Moscow Power Institute, National Research University, ul. Krasnokazarmennaya 14, Moscow, 111250 Russia
b
TPS23 Mosenergo, ul. Montazhnaya 1/4, Moscow, 107497 Russia
email: info@srcw.ru

Abstract—A technology of the enhancement of the power efficiency of steamturbine plants (STPs) is pro
posed by the treatment of surfaces of a piped condenser system over the steam and water sides with the use of
surfaceactive substances (SAS). The transition of filmwise condensation into dropwise makes it possible to
increase the heattransfer coefficient by 50–70% because of hydrophobization of outside surfaces of the
steam side that results in vacuum extension at minimum operating costs. The resulting data are verified by
laboratory investigations and fullscale tests. The accumulation rate of thermobarrier deposits over the water
side decreases by a factor of 6–8, and, correspondingly, the overhaul life connected with the refinement of
condenser pipes increases. The maintenance of the hydrophobic film of SAS at the outside surface of con
denser pipes can be provided by the periodic injection of SAS on the inlet of a lowpressure cylinder (CLP)
of the turbine both in the period of shorttime stops and during the operation of STPs. At the same time,
because of the additional dispersion of the liquid phase, the rate of dropimpact erosion of the blade row
decreases by 30%.

Keywords: steamturbine plant, condenser, heattransfer intensification, hydrophobization of pipe surface,

surfaceactive substances
DOI: 10.1134/S0040601514110020

Classic thermal power plants (TPPs) with steam
turbine plants (STPs), in spite of the fact that com
binedcycle plants (CCPs) and gasturbine plants
(GTPs) have been brought into service in increasingly
growing scales in recent years, will predominate in the
power engineering of Russia for many more years.
Therefore, the understanding of reserves used until in
the development and operation of traditional TPPs and
tendencies for their development is of significance.
The enhancement of the power efficiency of
powergenerating units is possible first of all by the
improvement of the thermodynamic cycle of STPs.
This can be attained because of an increase in the ini
tial parameters of steam or a reduction in the pressure
of exhaust steam in the turbine. At the same time, the
first way is possibly exclusively for the new TPPs. The
production and maintenance of the optimum pressure
of exhaust steam in the turbine are provided by the
operation of a lowpotential complex (LPC) of TPPs,
which is comprised of a condensing facility. The oper
ation efficiency of the LPC directly affects the effi
ciency of the powergenerating unit. In particular, for
the STP with a T250/30023.5 turbine and a K14000
condenser, a change in the turbine power and the STP
efficiency in the condensation mode with a change in
the exhaust steam pressure by ±1 kPa is 1.83 MW and
0.7%, respectively.
In a majority of cases, the LPC operation problems
connected with the limitation of the cooling water dis
charge, increased water temperature at the inlet of the
condenser, and the insufficient heattransfer effi
ciency result in the limitation of the power of the
powergenerating unit. For example, at an installed
power greater than 9000 MW in Mosenergo, the power
limitation because of the ineffective operation of the
LPC exceeds 1600 MW, i.e., 18% of the installed
power (Fig. 1) [1, 2].
Thus, the pressure in the condensers at Mosen
ergo's TETs25 cogeneration station is significantly
dependent on the temperature of outer air practically
for all turboinstallations. This is connected with the
fact that the power plant has only five watercooling
towers instead of the planned six. As a result, in the
May–October season, the cooling water temperature
increases to 30–34°C instead of a design temperature
of 20°C that, naturally, results in the degradation of
the vacuum in condensers. In this period, the pressure
in the condenser in T250/30023.5 turboinstalla
tions increases to 11–12 kPa instead of a design value
of 5.8 kPa.
The generalization of calculation data and investi
gation results of the efficiency of heattransfer appara
tuses of TPPs showed that heat transfer in condensers
of steamturbine plants is generally limited by heat

785
786 KURSHAKOV et al.
N, MW
321
300
246
200 176 181
100
69
35
0
TETs22 TETs20 TETs21 TETs23 TETs26 TETs11 TETs8 TETs27 TETs25 TETs16 TETs17
Fig. 1. Power limitation on the TPP of Mosenergo because of the ineffective operation of the LPC.
transfer from the steam side in the absence of a ther
mobarrier deposited on heattransfer surfaces and
admissible air inflows.
One of the directions of the heat transfer enhance
ment is the application of various profiled pipes: with
artificial roughness, profiled twisted, longitudinally
profiled, of double profile, and opposite spiral [3].
Enhancement of heat transfer on the tube profiled
surface is achieved owing to the fact that the average
thickness of condensate film decreases under the
effect of surface tension forces, that there is a change
in the film motion trajectory, and that there is flow tur
bulization. At the same time, there is a need to take
into account that the use of such pipes results in an
increase in the hydrodynamical resistance of heat
transfer apparatuses.
The other, more effective method is the transition
of the film condensation into the drop condensation
by subjecting the outside surface of pipes to hydropho
bization. During film condensation, the heat is trans
ferred from steam to the wall through the condensate
film, which presents the main thermal resistance.
During drop condensation, the thermal resistance is
absent or substantially decreases. The steam contacts
immediately with the wall between drops at a part of
the pipe [4].
The detailed analysis of laboratory and commercial
tests allowed us to select, as a promising hydrophobisa
tor, surfaceactive substances based on aliphatic film
forming amines with hydrocarbon radical C16–C20 (in
particular, octadecyl amine), whose molecules can be
adsorbed by the pipe surface during the shutdown of
equipment or during operation by the SAS injection in
steam.
The surfaceactive substance may be adsorbed at
the interphase boundary if, being present in the sur
273
233
108
18
5
face layer, it equalizes the difference in polarities of
these phases. At the same time, the polar group is
directed always in the side of the more polar phase. If
phases are water and metal, hydrocarbon radicals form
the hydrophobic Langmuir “palisade.” In this case,
the water cohesion forces (forces of intermolecular
interaction) exceed forces of water adhesion to hydro
carbon radicals, and water assembles into a drop.
Thus, the steam phase condensed in the form of the
continuous film on the outside surfaces of condenser
pipes is transformed in the drop form.
The investigation of the effect of the transfer of the
film condensation into the drop concensation upon
the intensity of heat transfer due to the hydrophobiza
tion of the pipe condenser system with the use of SAS
was carried out on an experimental test bench allowing
for studying the steam condensation in a wide pressure
range (4–100 kPa)[5].
The outside surface of the pipe system of one con
denser of the experimental test bench was treated by
emulsion of filmforming amines for attaining the
hydrophobic effect (Fig. 2).
The heattransfer coefficient at the transfer of the
film condensation into the drop one increased
depending on the thermohydraulic operation mode by
70% with an investigation error of 13–22%.
Hydrophobization of the outside surfaces of con
denser pipes with the use SAS promotes the intensifi
cation of heat–mass exchange also in the pipe space
because of the additional dispersion of the liquid phase
and, consequently, an increase in the interphase con
tact area that, as a result, leads to a decrease in the
overcooling of condensate.
The no less significant and actual problem of the
efficiency enhancement of the operation of operating
power units is the accumulation of deposits on the
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 HEAT TRANSFER ENHANCEMENT IN STEAMTURBINE CONDENSERS 787

internal surfaces of condenser pipes, which is a com

plex negative affect that is expressed in a decrease in
the output power, increase in power costs for the over
coming of the additional hydraulic resistance during
the circulation of cooling water, and intensification of
corrosion processes.
Results of investigations [6] testify that the deposit
accumulation rate on surfaces of brass condenser
pipes treated by SAS emulsion is manifold lower than
on the original surfaces under identical conditions.
Figure 3 illustrates the deposit accumulation process
on the initial surface and on the surface treated by
SAS. Figure 4 shows the effect the SAS molecular
layers formed on the pipe surfaces have on the deposit
accumulation process at different temperatures of
operating medium.
With parameters characteristic for actual condi
tions of operation of service water systems of TPPs,
the deposit accumulation rate on the internal surfaces
of condenser pipes of steam turbines with the forma
tion of molecular layers of SAS decreases by a factor of
6–8 (by a factor of 17 at a water temperature of 50°C).
To determine the stability of molecular SAS layers
formed on the internal surfaces of pipes, experimental
investigations were carried out at operating parameters Fig. 2. Steam condensation on the condenser pipe surface
of the operating medium of the water recycling system. modified by SAS emulsion.
Their results testify to an insignificant change in the
specific sorption of SAS for 500 h of the operation of
the circuit at the various flow rates of the operating turbine by the steam and water sides by means of SAS.
medium (Fig. 5). The analysis of the state of the surface of check sam
The treatment of the pipe system of the condenser ples showed:
under conditions of operating TPPs is performed on a (i) The average wetting angle of samples of the pipe
shutdown turbine set by filling the steam and water space increased from 79 to 111° that testifies the guar
spaces of the condenser with the water SAS emulsion anteed hydrophobization of the surface; and the orga
at the concentration and pH optimum for the pipe
material (MNZh 51, L68, or LO 701) under quasi noleptical study also verified their complete nonwetta
static conditions and temperature of 80–85°C. In the billity.
case of pipe muddiness on the water side, their prelim (ii) The specific SAS sorption on samples of water
inary cleaning is carried out. chambers exceeded the minimum admissible value
The treatment parameters (duration, concentra required for forming the continuous film.
tion, pH of the SAS water emulsion, the correcting
pH reagent) are chosen based on the analysis of pre
liminary investigations. g, g/m2
For thermostating and the partial mixing of the
SAS water emulsion in the pipe space, heating steam
with temperature t ≥ 110°C is supplied into conden 6
sate tanks through special bubble facilities. The treat
ment quality is determined by the state of the surface
of check samples mounted in the pipe space and in 4 1
water chambers. The hydrophobization degree of the
sample surface by the limiting wetting angle is fixed
over the steam side, and the specific SAS sorption is 2
2
fixed over the water one. After the treatment termina
tion, the condenser is drained, and it is again prepared
for start after the renewal of the operating circuit. 0 10 20 30 40
In April 2013, the personnel of Mosenergo's Time, h
TETs23 cogeneration station fulfilled the operation Fig. 3. Kinetics of deposit accumulation g on original sur
complex on the modification of the pipe system of a faces and those treated by SAS emulsion. (1) Original sur
KG262002 twin condenser of a T110/12012.85 face and (2) surface with the molecular layer of SAS.

THERMAL ENGINEERING Vol. 61 No. 11 2014

788 KURSHAKOV et al.

∂g 2 The surface was treated by SAS after the pipes had

, g/(m h)
∂τ been cleaned from carbonate deposits using the
Atyumat installation. As a result, the temperature dif
ference decreased by half in comparison with 2012 and
0.06 was 7.4°C, and vacuum within the condenser was
1 89.3% at a cooling water discharge 12 500 t/h, input
water temperature of 29°C, and steam consumption in
0.04 the condenser in 240 t/h. In this case, the turbine in
the condensation mode “on limiting vacuum” (no
less than 85%) may be loaded to 110–114 MW, and
0.02
the maximum load in the condensation mode was
2 65 MW in summer 2012 after the similar cleaning of
0 the pipe system.
30 40 50 t, °C For periods of May 5 to May 12, 2012, and May 22
Fig. 4. Influence of fluid temperature on the rate of to May 29, 2013, we calculated average heattransfer
deposits accumulation on the condenser tubes brass sur coefficient K for the given condenser by the following
faces. (1) Original surface and (2) surface with the molec equation:
ular layer of SAS.
K = Gsr/(FΔtl),
g, g/m2 where r is the heat of phase transitions, Δtl is the loga
0.30 rithmic temperature difference, F is the area of heat
transfer in the condenser, and Gs is the steam con
sumption.
3 The comparison of averaged K (Fig. 6) testifies that
the hydrophobization of surfaces of the pipe con
1 denser system substantially intensifies heat transfer
2 (K rose by greater than 50% in comparison with 2012).
Straitgh lines are constructed by the approximation of
0.25 obtained data by the leastsquares method.
0 100 200 300 400 500
Time, h During the operation of STPs, the steam–drop
Fig. 5. Influence of the operating fluid motion velocity on flow in the exhaust manifold of the lowpressure cylin
the amount of deposits formed on the inner surfaces of der (CLP) before the inlet of the condenser pipe pack
brass pipes coated by SAS molecular layers. Velocity, m/s: has substantial heterogeneity over velocities (approxi
(1 ) 1.0, (2) 1.5, and (3) 2.0. mately from 80 to 300 m/s) because of which there is

2012
May 4 May 5 May 6 May 7 May 8 May 9 May 10 May 11 May 12 May 13
6500
Heat transfer coefficient K, W/(m2 K)

6000

5500

5000
54.2%

45.5%
63%

4500

4000

3500
1
3000 2

2500
May 21 May 22 May 23 May 24 May 25 May 26 May 27 May 28 May 29 May 30
2013
Fig. 6. Heattransfer coefficient of the KG262002 condenser before and after subjecting the pipe bundle to treatment with SAS emulsion.
(1) 2013 and (2) 2012.

THERMAL ENGINEERING Vol. 61 No. 11 2014

 HEAT TRANSFER ENHANCEMENT IN STEAMTURBINE CONDENSERS
the possibility for the partial washout of the hydropho
bic SAS film from the outside surfaces, first of all, of
the first rows of the pipe bundle. To maintain it, it is
appropriate to perform the periodic shortterm injec
tion of the water SAS emulsion into steam at the inlet
of the turbine CLP (into bypass steam conduits from
the meanpressure cylinder into the CLP). The batch
ing mode is chosen subject to graphs of the turbine
start–shutdown.
The injection of SAS presupposes attaining the
concentration of its molecules in condensed steam up
to values corresponding to pressure of the SAS satura
tion at the condenser temperature. In this case, we can
speak of the water vapor condensation from the mix
ture of steam with hydrophobizator or (at the suffi
ciently high concentration of the latter) the vapors
mixture condensation with the formation of liquid
phases of water and hydrophobizator on the surface of
pipe bundle. Knowing pressure in the condenser and
the SAS vapor pressure, the maximum possible con
centration of SAS within the condenser at which the
guaranteed drop condensation of water vapors is pro
vided without the SAS condensation on the walls of
cooling pipes can be determined.
The injection of the water SAS emulsion into
bypass steam conduits before the turbine CLP can be
realized with the use of various facilities:
(i) through orifices uniformly arranged over the cir
cumstance; and
(ii) by means of Pitot tubes installed within the
steam conduit, including ones provided by external
courses.
No special measures are required in the case of the
SAS passage through the STP condenser without a
block demineralizer because of casual batching and
small concentrations. This is testified by the experi
ence obtained by specialists of MEI during conserva
tions of power equipment.
One of the most important properties of SAS is the
capability to be absorbed at interphase boundaries in
the form of the monomolecular film and to reduce the
water surface tension by greater than three times,
which results in the intensification of drop fragmenta
tion under conditions of the steam–drop flow. The
injection of the water SAS emulsion into the flow
through part of the turbine CLP makes it possible to
substantially decrease the erosion wear of operating
blades, first of all, under action of the largedispersed,
most erosionhazardous water drops [7]. At the same
time, blade surfaces, including exit edges of the power
apparatus, are covered by the hydrophobic coating,
which promotes a decrease in the thickness of liquid
films traveling over the blade surface and an additional
fragmentation of largedispersed fractions descending
the exit edges.
THERMAL ENGINEERING Vol. 61 No. 11 2014
789
Measurements by means of a special optical probe
of the dispersion composition of the stream–drop flow
in the flowthrough parts of CLPs of the K16012.8
(Tashkent GRES) and K30023.5 (Syr Darya GRES)
steam turbines operating on the nominal load com
pletely supported this fact. In the peripheral part of
operating blades, which was most subject to erosion
wear, in the K30023.5 turbine, the modal size of
drops decreased from 49 to 33 µm before the last stage
and from 86 to 40.5 µm behind the same one, i.e., by
twice on average.
Thus, the periodic injection of the water SAS
emulsion into the turbine CLP makes it possible, on
the one hand, to certainly provide the maintenance of
the hydrophobicity of the surfaces of the pipe con
denser system and to intensify heat transfer over the
right side during the transition into the drop conden
sation mode and, on the other hand, to enhance sub
stantially the erosion–corrosion wear resistance of the
blade apparatus of the turbine CLP.
In conclusion, it should be noted that the applica
tion of SAS technologies with the use of filmforming
amines with hydrocarbon radical C16–C20 allows one
to enhance the economy and reliability of TPP STPs.
This article is dedicated to the memory of
V.A. Ryzhenkov.
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Translated by S. Ordzhonikidze