Condenser

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CONDENSER

INTRODUCTION
The

entire

heat

energy

in

the

steam

supplied to Turbine cannot be converted into


mechanical work in Turbine. The unutilized
quantity of heat energy has to be rejected to a
sink. Condenser acts as a sink in the thermal
cycle, in which rejection of heat energy takes
place on condensation of exhaust steam of
turbine.
TYPE OF CONDENSER
The condenser is a rectangular shell of
surface type. The type of steam flow in the
condenser is radial flow. The circulating water
path is of double pass type. The type of
circulating water system is closed one. The
condenser is rigidly erected at the concrete
base at 2.0 m level and flexibly connected to
LP Turbine through an expansion joint. It
primarily consists of,
1.Hotwell

2.Condensing chamber
3.Condenser neck
4.Expansion joint between condenser and LP
turbine
5.End tube plates
6.Tube nest
7.Water boxes
8.Air removal system
CONDENSING CHAMBER
The condensing chamber is a shell, where
the

exhaust

contact

steam

with

of

the

turbine

tube

comes

into

and

gets

nest

condensed. It is erected at the concrete base


and welded to the condenser neck at its top.
HOTWELL
The

Hotwell

condenser
condensate.

to
It

is

the

form
is

lower

part

storage

water

of

tank

reserve

in

the
of
the

thermal cycle along with deaerator and boiler


drum. There is a separating wall of height 0.6
m

in

the

hotwell

between

both

parts

of

condenser. The normal hotwell water level is


1000

mm

of

wcl.

Its

storage

capacity

is

designed for 3 minutes.


CONDENSER NECK
The condenser neck is designed such that
the exhaust steam of turbine reaches the
condensing

chamber

with

relatively

low

velocity and very low-pressure drop.


LP heater-1 is located horizontally at the
neck in the transverse direction to the axis of
turbo-generator. The steam bled from turbine
(7

th

extraction) is used for preheating the main

condensate in LPH-1. LP heater-1 is located at


the

condenser

neck

due

to

the

following

advantages.
1.Since

the

empty

space

between

condensing chamber and LP turbine is


effectively utilized, no separate space is
needed for LP heater-1
2.Piping is avoided as LP heater-1directly
receives steam from LP turbine.

3.Possible generation of vortexes in the


empty space by the exhaust steam is
avoided.
EXPANSION JOINT
A flexible expansion joint connects the
condenser neck to the body of LP turbine. It is
provided for allowing free expansion of the
turbine irrespective of condenser, which is
rigidly fixed at the bottom foundation.
END TUBE PLATES
The end tube plates are perforated plates
that

separate

the

water

boxes

from

the

condensing chamber. There are four end tube


plates, two on each side of the condenser to
have divided water box construction. The tube
plates are designed to provide perfect sealing
so that the purity of main condensate is not
affected as well as to withstand against the
pressure

difference

between

chamber and the water box.


TUBE NEST

condensing

Cupronickel alloy tubes are provided for the


following reasons
1.To provide high mechanical strength so as
to withstand the impact of exhaust steam.
2.To

have good

thermal

conductivity

for

better heat transfer.


3.To

have

high

resistance

for

corrosion

caused by circulating water.


The tubes have outer diameter of 25.4 mm
with minimum thickness of 1.24 mm to have
high rate of heat transfer. There are 19661
tubes in total. Out of 19661 tubes, 122 tubes
have been provided with higher thickness of
1.65 mm in the top layer of condenser to
withstand

tube

erosion

caused

by

direct

impingement of exhaust steam.


The tubes are rolled on to the end tube
plates and the entire assembly follows the
thermal expansion of the tubes due to the
flexibility of the diaphragms. The tubes are
placed horizontally with an incline downwards

to enable the emptying of tube nest, when the


condenser is not in service.
WATER BOXES
Since the condenser is constructed with
divided water boxes, there are totally four
water boxes of cylindrical shape. Two front
water boxes are divided with a horizontal plate
to have two passes of circulating water. The
water makes its entry at the top and leaves at
the bottom of the front water box. The rear
water boxes act as interconnecting chamber
for top and bottom passes.
AIR REMOVAL SYSTEM
The pattern of exhaust steam flow is radial
and the steam flows radially towards the
center

of

each

zone.

Hence

air

and

uncondensed steam will reach the center space


of the tube nest in each zone. In each zone, a
pipe is provided with perforated holes over its
surface

for

collecting

the

air

and

the

uncondensed vapour. The direction of drawing

of air and uncondensed vapour is opposite to


that of circulating water. Due to the above
arrangement, the reduction in specific volume
of air and uncondensed vapour takes place
resulting in reduction of load on the steam air
ejector. (Ref: FIG-14, FIG-16, FIG-17 & FIG-18)
THERMAL DATA (100 % MCR)
Rate of steam flow

: 430,086

kg / hr
Enthalpy of steam from turbine

: 576.65

kcal / kg
Temperature of exhaust steam from turbine:
45.7 0C
Pressure in condenser

: 74.68 mm

of mercury column
(Cleanliness factor of 85 %)
Condensate temperature at hotwell : 45.7 0C
Temperature

of

ejector: 41.6 0C
Suction

air

vapour

mixture

at

air

Oxygen content at CEP discharge

: 0.03 cc /

litre
Design circulating water inlet temperature : 34
0

Circulating water outlet temperature


0

42.5

Total circulating water flow

29,110

m3 / hr
Pressure drop across tubes (95 % clean tube)
: 0.5 ksc
Circulating water velocity

2.0

sec

CONDENSER
CONSTRUCTIONAL FEATURES
0
1
0
2

Number of
condenser per
unit

One

Type
Radial flow surface condenser
single shell, divided water box
with two water passes in each

section. Rectangular in
construction.
a)
122
Numbers
of
thickness
16
BWG
(1.65mm) and OD 1.0
inch, in the top layer of
the
condenser
for
protection of condenser
tubes from erosion by
exhaust
steam
impingement.
0
3

Number of
tubes

Material:
CuNi:
(SB111 alloy 706)

90-10

b)
19,539 Numbers of
tube of thickness 18 BWG
(1.24mm) and OD 1.0
inch, in the other zones of
the condenser.
Material: CuNi: 90-10 (SB111
alloy 706)
0
4

Design Data:
(a) Design
pressure
(b) Test
pressure
(c) Design

Shell
Full vacuum
Kg/cm2.
Water weight
Kg/cm2.
120 0C.
0
C.

Tube
5
7.5
50

Temperatur
e.
0
5
0
6
0
7
0
8
0
9

1
0

1
1

1
2
1

Total length of
tubes
Total
condensing
surface area
Number of end
tube plates.
Material of end
tube plates.
Inclination of
the tubes to
facilitate
draining.
Type of
provision made
to take
differential
expansion
between tubes
and shell.
Type of
connection
between
condenser and
turbine
Hot well storage
capacity
(Normal level to
low level)
Length of the

9234mm.
14,376 m2.
4 (Two on each side).
Muntz metal (B171 alloy 365).
50mm raised on the return
water box side.

Flexible diaphragm.

Stainless steel expansion joint.

3 minutes.

13,432mm.

condenser

1
4

Width of the
8,000mm.
condenser.
Number of
sacrificial
anodes in the
8
water boxes and
reverse
chambers
Material of the
sacrificial
Soft Iron.
anode.

1
5

1
6

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