FAULT ANALYSIS IN CONDENSER

During normal operation of the condenser any fault can occur which will directly affect the
condenser working and its performance decreases drastically, so we have to find the fault,
observe its nature and cause of the of and how we can attend it so that the plant will operate
smoothly without any fault occur in the condenser.
The various faults occur in the condenser during its normal operation are as follows:-

S.No Fault Symptoms Cause Remedy

CW flow is less
a.) ΔT is high Attend the
Performance of pump
one WCP is poor
b.) ΔT
is higher
Condenser tubes
corresponding to Clean the tubes
turbine loading &
Power output choked
Locate and plug
1.)Excessive air
the points of air
ingress
Low ingress
vacuum in 2.) Poor
performance of air
1 ejectors
the c.) TTD steam & Attend the
TTD Condensate
excessive ejectors
condenser

3.) Gland seal Correct seal

steam pressure steam supply
Low pressure

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 Rapid fall in a.) C.W 1.) Severe air Locate and plug the
2 condenser
supply, gland ingress points of air ingress
Vacuum
seal system,
2.) Leakage in
air venting &
piping/valves Locate and plug the
condensate
connected to leakage points
pumping are
vacuum system
normal
a.) Ejector
Excessive air Locate and plug the
operation is
leakage leakage points
normal
b.) Turbine
gland seal Defective gland
Rectify the defect
steam pressure seal system
low
c.) No water Leakage through
Leak test supply to the valve glands Establish sealing water
glands of connected with supply
3 reveals high
h/t valves vacuum system

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 a.) Inlet
temperature of
TTD Steam and water & h /t
TTD Condensate Condenser tubes
are normal. ΔT
4 than at fouled on water Clean the tubes
and P are
reference side
Power high
b.) Inlet
temperature of
water & h /t
are normal. P Circulating water
Increase the CW flow
is low and ΔT
is high flow is less

c.) Inlet
temperature of
water, ΔTP
&h/t
Failure of hot
are normal.
well Level Attend the defect
Hot-well level
Controller
is high
TTD Steam > Hot well level
TTD Failure of hot well
5 Condensate Level Controller Attend the defect

is high
6 Conductivity ---- Circulating water Locate the failed tube
of leakage into the and plug its ends
Condensate condenser
is high
7 Dissolved ---- 1.) Excessive air Locate and plug the
oxygen in ingress leaking points
condensate
is high

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Symbols used:
P : Reference Power output
t1 : Circulating water inlet temperature
t2 : Circulating water outlet temperature
t : t2-t1

P : Circulating water pressure drop across condenser tubes

t3 : Hot well (Main condensate) temperature

t4 : Exhaust steam temperature

h/t : Rate of Vacuum drop in condenser

h : Vacuum drop in mmHg

t : Time in minutes

tg : Terminal Temperature Difference (TTD) Steam/C.W

tg : t4 – t2

tg1 : Terminal Temperature Difference (TTD) Condensate/C.W

: t3 – t2

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