CONDENSER PERFORMANCE

Engineering & Technical Services

Condenser Operation

The function of the condenser is to

condense the steam exhausted from the
LP turbine by removing its latent heat of
vaporization. The heat removed from the
steam is transferred to the circulating
water flowing inside the condenser tubes.

In addition to condensing the exhaust

steam from the turbine, the condenser
must be capable of collecting air and other
non-condensable gases for removal by the
air ejector or vacuum pump.
Principles of Operation

Most utility-sized condensers are classified into three types. This classification relates to
the three most prominent, interrelated functional duties of the condenser.

Deaeration

Reheating

Condensing
Deaeration

In addition to helping the condenser maintain vacuum, the air removal system
begins the process of deaerating the condensate used in the system.

Deaeration is a mechanical process (as opposed to scavenging, which is a chemical

process) that reduces the solubility of air in water and provides a means of venting
or disposing of the air once it is released from the water.

Since oxygen is a principal factor in most corrosion processes, this helps to protect
the piping and equipment in the condensate system, upstream of the deaerator.
Reheating

In addition to aiding with the deaeration of condensate, the reheat function of the
condenser helps to improve the overall efficiency of the power plant.

Ideally, the condensate in the hotwell is a saturated liquid. Any further cooling of the
condensate means that ultimately additional heat must be added in the boiler to make
up for the "extra" heat that was rejected to the circulating water.

To avoid an unnecessary loss of heat energy, the condenser is designed to direct the
condensate into the path of the incoming steam or vice versa and so allowing the
warm steam to give up its latent heat to the condensate, reheating the condensate
back to saturation, and commencing the condensation process.
Condensing

The primary function of the condenser is to condense the steam exhausting from
the main turbine, allowing the water (condensate) to be pumped back to the boiler
and maintaining a high vacuum (low back pressure) at the turbine exhaust. This
increases the amount of work that the turbine can perform, reduces stress on the
latter stages of the turbine, and improves overall cycle efficiency.

For the condenser to operate properly and continue to condense steam, it must work
in conjunction with an air removal system. The air removal system helps to establish
the initial vacuum in the condenser, before the turbine is placed in service, and helps
the condenser to maintain vacuum during normal operation by removing air and
other non-condensable gases from the condenser. These non-condensables could
"blanket" the tubes and interfere with heat transfer.
Condenser Performance

Virtually every aspect of condenser performance is based on the ability of the

condenser to transfer heat and to maintain low backpressure.

This is affected by the ability of the condenser to transfer heat and by the
temperature of the cooling medium (circulating water). The temperature difference
between the circulating water and the condensing steam provides the "driving
force” for the heat transfer. The effects of the various parameters are best seen by
analyzing the heat transfer equations.
Condenser Performance Variables

Condenser pressure is the

primary indication of
condenser performance. In
general, lower condenser
pressure will provide increased
efficiency and output.
Condenser performance is
driven by five primary variables
that ultimately impact
condenser pressure. These are:
•Cooling water inlet temperature
•Heat load
•Circulating water flow
•Tube fouling
•Air in-leakage
High Circulating Water Inlet Temperature

High circulating water inlet temperature

has a significant effect on unit
performance.

• Results from the increase in condenser

pressure.
Heat Load

An increase in the heat load on the condenser will increase the condenser pressure.
During normal operation, the increase in heat load would normally be a result of an
increase in unit load. If the heat load increases for other reasons, then the condenser
pressure increases and unit performance suffers. Some of the typical reasons for an
increase in heat load are:
•Cycle isolation problems, such as high energy startup drains, bypass
lines or emergency drains sending excess steam to the condenser.
•Reduction in turbine efficiency requiring more steam flow to yield the
same unit load.
•Increase in flow passing capability of the turbine, causing condenser
heat load to exceed design limitations.

A sudden increase in heat load will normally be the result of a cycle isolation problem.
Circulating Water Flow
Low circulating water flow through the
condenser tubes results in an increase in
the average circulating water temperature.
Since a decrease in flow results in a
decrease in water velocity through the
tubes, the water has more "residence time"
in the tubes, absorbs more heat, and
therefore increases the average water
temperature.

If insufficient circulating water flow is suspected, the following items should be checked:

•Proper number of circulating water pumps in service.

•That the pumps are operating properly (check the pump amperage)
•That the discharge valves are fully open (check the pump discharge pressure)
Tube Fouling and Scaling
The cleanliness of the tubes in the
condenser has a significant impact
on the condenser's ability to transfer
heat from the exhaust steam to the
circulating water. Tube fouling is
usually caused by organic growths
attaching to the water side of the
condenser tubes.

In a once through cooling system, the operator is more limited in methods of controlling
fouling and scaling. In most cases, a mechanical cleaning method is necessary. This
mechanical cleaning can be performed off-line, on-line with altered operations, or on-line
with the aid of a continuous condenser cleaning system.
Condenser cleanliness is defined as the ratio of actual heat transfer coefficient to ideal heat
transfer coefficient and is typically used to quantify tube fouling and scaling.
Mathematically, cleanliness is defined as follows:

The analysis of a condenser (or any heat exchanger) is governed by the 1st Law of
thermodynamics, conservation of energy. So, the energy removed from the steam in the
condenser is equal to the energy gained by the circulating water plus energy lost to the
environment.

where:
Q = Rate of heat transfer (condenser duty), Btu/hr
U = Overall heat transfer coefficient of the condenser, Btu/hr·ft2·°F
A = Heat transfer surface area of the condenser in ft2
∆TLM = Log mean temperature difference between the condensing steam and the
circulating water, °F
The heat absorbed by the circulating water is given by:

Q = Rate ofheat transfer (condenser duty), Btulhr

Ww = Weight flow of the circulating water, in lblhr
cp = Heat capacity of the circulating water, in BTU/lb·°F.
To-Ti= Circulating water temperature rise, as above

Since all of the heat from the condenser is transferred to the circulating water, the two
expressions for Q must be equal.
A procedure to calculate the condenser cleanliness is provided below. It is based on the use
of heat load using the circulating water side conditions. The following parameters are
required to do the calculation.
Condenser geometry
L = tube length in feet
OD = tube outside diameter in inches
G = tube gauge
ID = tube inside diameter in inches (Can also use tube gauge and outside diameter to determine ID)
N = number of tubes in condenser (This is the total number of tubes, not tubes per pass)
Np = number of tube-side passes (Typically 1 for open cooling)

Plant measurements
TCW = Circulating water inlet temperature in °F
THW = Circulating water outlet temperature in °F
mCW = Circulating water flow in pounds per hour (lbm/h)
wCW = Circulating water flow in gallons per minute (gpm)
Pcond = Condenser pressure in psia
Tsat = Saturation temperature corresponding to Pcond
Other Parameters
C = Correction factor based on OD
CWCF = Cooling water correction factor
CTCF = Condenser tube correction factor
based on G and tube material
The log mean temperature difference (∆TLM) in the condenser is first calculated using the
following relation:

where:
Tsat = Saturation temperature of the steam in the condenser
Ti =Circulating water inlet temperature
To = Circulating water outlet temperature.

The heat transfer in the condenser (Q Btu/h) is then computed using the equation below.
The number 499.7 is a conversion factor based on water density, heat capacity, volume
conversion from gallons to ft3 and time conversion from minute to hour.
The factor (To-Ti) is called the temperature rise of the condenser, (TSAT-To) is the
terminal temperature difference, and (TSAT-Ti) is the initial temperature difference.
Measurements of these temperature parameters are useful tools in diagnosing
condenser problems.

The actual heat transfer coefficient (Ua Btu/h-°F-ft2) is then computed.

The cooling water linear velocity (V ft/s) is calculated using the relation below. The
constant 0.002228 is a constant to convert water volume to ft3 from gallons and time to
sec from min.
The ideal heat transfer coefficient (Ui Btu/h-°F-ft2) is calculated as follows. Refer to the
Table for calculating C.

To account for the specific condenser in question the ideal heat transfer coefficient is
modified to yield the design heat transfer coefficient (Ud Btu/h-°F-ft2). Refer to the Table
for the empirical constants.

The cleanliness factor (CF) is calculated using the same relation provided at the beginning
of this section.
Air In-Leakage

Air in-leakage can occur through gland seals or through leakage in the piping and
components under vacuum. The effect of air in-leakage on the condenser vacuum is that
the pressure increases and unit efficiency decreases. If a high condenser pressure
condition exists, the investigation of the cause should include a check of the vacuum
pump air flow meters. If the meter indicates an excessively high airflow, the cause of the
high condenser pressure is most likely an air in-leakage problem.

Common causes for air leakage and items included in the investigation should include:

•Inadequate turbine shaft sealing (low seal steam pressure)

•Vacuum breaker leaks
•Air leaking in expansion joints
•Leakage through various components under vacuum
Air in-leakage can occur through any component connected to the main condenser and
subject to vacuum. This includes items such as:

•Condenser and hot well instrumentation

•Heater drains
•Steam piping traps and drains
•Drains from various condensate collection points
•Condensate pump shaft seals
•Hot well make-up piping
•Flash tanks

During investigation for sources of air in-leakage, the operator should address all
components connected to the condenser. Items, such as traps, heaters, and drain tanks,
which may be vented to the atmosphere and use their level as a seal from the condenser,
should be checked.
Thank You