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A deaerator model

Conference Paper · July 2013

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 Recent Advances in Electrical Engineering

A deaerator model
IOANA OPRIẞ
Department of Energy Use and Generation
University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest
Splaiul Independen ei 313, 060042 Bucureẟti
ROMANIA
[email protected]

Abstract: - The modelling of the different components of a power plant represents an useful tool in
activities like design, verification of the control system, optimum operation of the power plant, training
and analyses of behaviour. The deaerator is one of the important equipments in a power plant, because of
its degassing and preheating role, but also because of the cavitation and chocking problems that may
appear due to faulty operation. The use of a deaerator simulation model represents a simple and efficient
way to study its behaviour.
The paper presents a mathematical model of the deaerator, based on the physical laws of mass
and energy conservation. Differential equations are used to analyze the parameters variation over time. The
results obtained during the turbine shut-down are presented as an example .

Key-Words: - deaerator, power plant, model, conservation laws

1 Introduction 2 The deaerator – functionality and

The study of the dynamic behavior of the role in a power plant
various equipments of the power plants is of The main function of the deaerator is to
interest in different fields, starting from research eliminate the gases (primarily the oxygen) from the
and design, to the assistance of operation, decision- feed water before it enters the boiler, in order to
taking, optimization, training and failure analysis. avoid corrosion of the power plant installation..
The deaerator is an important component of the The elimination of gases is based on their
feed-water preheating circuit of a power plant. Its decrease of solubility when the temperature
main role is to discharge the oxygen and to preheat increases. In the deaerator, the temperature is raised
the make-up water. by the addition of steam into the make-up water.
Besides accomplishing its scope, the proper The construction of the deaerator (fig. 1)
operation of the deaerator is important during the consists of two sections [3]:
transitory regimes of uploading or downloading a - the degassing section, in the upper side
power plant. The problems that may appear during - the storage water tank, in the lower side
these periods [1] include: From a functional point of view, the deaerator is
- cavitation in the suction area of the feed-water a direct contact (mixing) heat exchanger for the
pumps feed water. The saturation temperature of water is
- chocking in the deaerator. maintained so that gases are separated and
The paper presents a dynamic simulation model eliminated at the upper side of the deaerator. To do
of the deaerator. The mathematical background of this, in the degassing section water is dropped in
the model consists of the physical laws of mass and counter-current with the ascending steam. At
energy conservation. They are completed with the saturation, the quantity of gases dissolved in water
other relations that link the different physical tends to zero.
parameters [2].
Some results obtained for the turbine shutdown
regime are presented as an example.

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The independent variable in the differential

equations is the time.

3.1 Boundary parameters

From a functional point of view, the fluids that
pass at the border of the deaerator are: the input
steam, the input make-up water, the output
preheated water (at saturation).
For these fluids, some of their parameters represent
known input parameters and others represent
unknown output parameters for the model. This is
why the input parameters of the model may differ
from the functional input parameters in the real
equipment. As an example, the enthalpy of the input
make-up water (which enters the deaerator) is an
output parameter for the model, as it is calculated
within it. Similar, the water flow leaving the deaerator
represents an input parameter for the model, as it is an
Figure 1. The deaerator functional scheme
imposed, given value.
From the model’s point of view, the input
To keep the saturation temperature in the whole (known) parameters are:
degassing system, bubble steam is introduced • for the steam entering the deaerator:
bellow, in the storage water tank. Due to the
- Ds - flow [kg/s]
presence of the water tank, the deaerator represents
- ps - pressure [Pa]
also a preheated water storage reserve for the main
circuit of the power plant. - ts - temperature [°C]
• for the water entering the deaerator:
The model of the deaerator considers the of
following physical processes [4, 5]: - Dw - flow [kg/s]
- pw - pressure [Pa]
- at the saturation phase, vapours and liquid water
are at equillibrum - tw - temperature [°C]
• for the water coming out of the deaerator:
- there is the same pressure in the degassing section
and in the water tank - Do - flow of output, saturated water [kg/s].
- the degassification process is determined
exclusively by the process of water heating The output parameters of the deaerator model
are:
- there is a variation of the level in the water tank,
as an effect of the input/output flows and of the • for the steam entering the deaerator:
processes within the equipment. - hs - enthalpy [J/kg]
The physical processes that are neglected and - ps - pressure [Pa]
implicitly not considered in the model include: - ts - temperature [°C]
- the effects of non-condensable gases • for the water entering the deaerator:
- the variation of the concentration of gases in - hw - enthalpy [J/kg]
steam - pw - pressure [Pa]
- the heat loss in walls. - tw - temperature [°C]
• for the water coming out of the deaerator:
- ho - enthalpy [J/kg]
- po - pressure [Pa]
3 The deaerator model
- to - temperature [°C]
- ρo – density [kg/m3].
The model developed is based on the law of • parameters from inside the deaerator:
conservation of mass and energy written in - ps - pressure [Pa]
unidirectional geometry and with concentrated
- y – level of water in the tank [m].
parameters [6].
The change of any parameter generates a
transient process by which the system is evolving The boundary parameters of the model are
schematised in fig. 2. Thick arrows show the input
towards a new steady-state regime.

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 Recent Advances in Electrical Engineering

(known) parameters and thin arrows show the indices: w- water

output (unknown) parameters. s- steam
o- output water

The density is calculated from the mass

conservation equation (1) and the internal energy
from the energy conservation equation (2). The
pressure within the deaerator is:

ps = f ( ρ , u ) (3)

Similar, the other parameters of the fluids are

obtained from the water-steam properties [2, 8]:

t s = f (ρ , u ) (4)

h', ρ ' = f ( p, t ) (5)

Figure 2. Boundary parameters for the h", ρ" = f ( p, t ) (6)

deaerator model

where:
3.2 The equations of conservation ts – temperature at saturation [°C]
ρ’ , ρ” – water/steam density at saturation
The core of the model is given by the equations [kg/m3]
of mass and energy conservation, written for the h’ , h” – water/steam enthalpy at
deaerator. Differential equations are used to analyze saturation [J/kg]
the parameters variation over time [7].
In the model, the following equations of The pressure at the base of the deaerator (the
conservation are used: outlet water pressure) is given by :

• The equation of mass conservation: (7)

p0 = p s + ρ ⋅ g ⋅ y
dρ = 1 [D + D − D ] (1)
s w o where:
dτV g – acceleration of gravity [m/s 2]
y – level of water in the tank [m]
where:
ρ – density [kg/m3] The water level in the deaerator of the tank is
V – volume [m3] given by considering the volumes of the two phases
τ – time [sec] (steam and water). Making the assumption that the
variation of the level is linear with the variation of
• The equation of energy conservation: the volume of the condensate, the level is given by:

D ⋅ + D ⋅ − D ⋅ h − V ⋅ u dρ y = h ⋅ ρ − ρ" (8)
w w s s o
h h ⋅
r

ρ '− ρ"
du o
dτ
=
dτ ρ⋅ where:
V hr – height of the storage water tank [m]
(2)
Fig. 3 describes the structure of the modelling
where: algorithm for the deaerator.
u – internal energy [J/kg] The input and output parameters of the model
D - flow [kg/s] are the boundary parameters listed in chapter 2.1.
h - enthalpy [J/kg]
ρ – density [kg/m3]

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 Recent Advances in Electrical Engineering

(a) outlet water flow

Figure 3. Modelling algorithm for the deaerator

The initial conditions of the model contain the (b) water level
geometrical dimensions of the deaerator, the initial
values of the physical parameters and other
constants.
To control the level in the storage water tank, a
control model is used [9]. Such a model is not the
subject of this paper.
The mathematical model was written using the
Advanced Continuous Simulation language
(ACSL), developed by Mitchell and Gauthier
Associates [10].

4 Simulation example (c) outlet water temperature

The model was used to simulate the deaerator

from the primary circuit of the cogeneration 50
MW power plant [11].
To check the dynamic behaviour of the model,
transitory operation regimes are studied, especially
during the turbine loading and shut-down.
To control the water level inside the water
storage tank, an automation model was added to the
deaerator model (not described in the paper) [6].
The control model opens or closes the
supplementary feed-water valve to bring and
maintain the level of water in the storage tank at the
prescribed value. (d) outlet water pressure
Fig. 4 contains the results of the transitory
regime during the turbine shut-down. Figure 4. Simulation results

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 Recent Advances in Electrical Engineering

At the turbine shut-down regime, the steam References:

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written in concentrated parameters. The independent
parameter of these equations is time.

ISBN: 978-960-474-318-6 107

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