Mechanical Engineering Department

ME332 Operation and Management of Power Plants

Prof. Osama A El Masry

Steam Condenser I
Prof. Osama El Masry

Direct Contact Condenser

This type of condenser is suitable where conditions permit condensation of exhaust

steam by direct contact with the cooling water.
The vacuum is created in the chamber by an air ejector. The cooling water is sprayed
into the chamber an the fine spray contacts the steam. The steam condenses and falls
to the bottom of the condenser chamber with the injection water. The condensed steam
and injection water is withdrawn using a centrifugal extraction pump

Barometric Condenser
Barometric Counter-Current
Condensers have no moving
parts. Little maintenance is
required and provision can
be
made
for
internal
inspection of the unit.
Because of the barometric
leg, no water removal pump
is required

Barometric Condenser

Multi-Jet Barometric Condensers are generally employed where low cost water
is available in ample quantity. It is the simplest design of all barometric
condensers, and requires no auxiliary air pump or pre-cooler.
- Recommended for operation under fairly constant loads where there is
relatively little air leakage, and where water is not too scarce and does not
need to be recirculated.

Jet-Type Condenser

Multi-Jet Spray Type Barometric Condensers are generally employed

where large capacities are required and where wide fluctuations in water
temperature or steam load occur.

Surface Condensers
Surface condensers are the
most commonly used
condensers in modern power
plants. The exhaust steam
from the turbine flows on the
shell side (under vacuum)
of the condenser,
while the plants
circulating water
flows in the
tube side.

Surface Condensers
The source of the
circulating water can be
either a closed-loop (i.e.
cooling tower, spray
pond, etc.) or once
through (i.e. from a lake,
ocean, or river). The
condensed steam from the
turbine, called
condensate, is collected in
the bottom of the
condenser, which is called
a hot well. The
condensate is then
pumped back to the steam
generator to repeat the
cycle.

Surface Condensers

Surface Condensers
Surface condensers are basically a shell
and tube heat exchanger consisting of
water boxes for directing the flow of
cooling water to and from horizontal tubes.
The tubes are sealed into fixed tube sheets
at each end and are supported at
intermediate points along the length of the
tubes by tube support plates. Numerous
tubes present a relatively large heat transfer
and condensing surface to the steam.
During operation at a very high vacuum,
only a few kgs of steam are contained in
the steam space and in contact with the
large and relatively cold condensing
surface at any one instant.

 surface condenser have improved by cutting down the bundle to half and

making two smaller bundles beside each others to overcome the high pressure
drop problem .
Baffles are used to help the steam distribution and accelerate condensation rate
The shell is fabricated from carbon steel plates and is stiffened as needed to
provide rigidity for the shell.
Intermediate plates are installed to serve as baffle plates that provide the
desired flow path of the condensing steam. The plates also provide support that
help prevent sagging of long tube lengths.
At the bottom of the shell, where the condensate collects, an outlet is installed.
In some designs, a sump (often referred to as the hot well) is provided.
Condensate is pumped from the outlet or the hot well for reuse as boiler feed
water.

Shell Outlet
Channel Inlet

Channel
Outlet

Shell Outlet
SINGLE SEGMENTAL TRANVERSE BAFFLES

 Tube sheets of sufficient thickness usually made of stainless steel is

provided, with holes for the tubes to be inserted and rolled. This is
to avoid eddies at the inlet of each tube giving rise to erosion, and
to reduce flow friction. To take care of length wise expansion of
tubes some designs have expansion joint between the shell and the
tube sheet allowing the latter to move longitudinally.
Size: modern condensers use 7/8 or 1.0 in tube of 18 gauge
thickness
Condensers may have up to four passes; one and two pass
condensers are the most common. In a single pass condenser, the
cooling water makes one passage from end to end, through the
tubes. Single pass condensers have an inlet waterbox on one end
and an outlet water box on the other end. Two pass condensers have
the cooling water inlet and outlet on the same water box at one end
of the condenser, with a return water box at the other end.

 A single pass condenser is commonly used where the water is supplied from natural

sources such as rivers or oceans. If the source of circulating water is at all limited, a
two pass condenser will probably be the best selection since a single pass condenser
requires more cooling water per square foot of condenser surface and per kilowatt of
electrical generation. Usually, a two pass condenser is used with cooling towers or a
cooling lake.
Waterboxes: The tube sheet at each end with tube ends rolled, for each end of the

condenser is closed by a fabricated box cover known as a waterbox, with flanged

connection to the tube sheet or condenser shell. The waterbox is usually provided
with man holes on hinged covers to allow inspection and cleaning. These waterboxes
on inlet side will also have flanged connections for cooling water inlet butterfly
valves, small vent pipe with hand valve for air venting at higher level, and hand
operated drain valve at bottom to drain the waterbox for maintenance. Similarly on
the outlet waterbox the cooling water connection will have large flanges, butterfly
valves, vent connection also at higher level and drain connections at lower level.

Condenser Temperature Profile

Change in Condenser Temperature Profile

Change in Turbine Load and Condenser

Pressure

Variation in Condenser Pressure

Air Cooled Condensers

Hood or Plenum

Inlet
Nozzles

Return
Headers

Inlet
Headers

Outlet
Headers
Outlet
Nozzles

Tube Bundle
Drive Assembly

Supports

Fan Ring
Fan

Dry Cooling
Steam ducted to air-cooled
condenser
Condensation inside finned
tubes - analogous to automobile
radiator
Cold water approaches
bulb temperature

dry

Steam Condensers

Water Cooled
Condensers

Internal
Surfaces

Air Cooled
Condensers

External
Surfaces

Tube Fouling

Deposition or
Scaling or
Particulates Crystallization

Microbiologica
l

Debris

Corrosion
Products

Deposition or Particulates
Are fine particulates that
settles on the tube
surface due to gravity
under low flow
condition.

Natural
sediment

Bio-growth

Coal dust

Crystalline
solids

Scaling or Crystallization Fouling

Scale occurs when the saturation point of dissolved

constituents in the
cooling water is exceeded.

Scale can provide sites for local under scale corrosion

Pitting under scale in stainless steel

tube

Debris
Caused by any substance whose size is close to, or greater than,
tube
internal diameter.

Examples :

Rocks
Cooling tower materials
( Plastic fill , wood )
Large pieces of rusted
steel
Aquatic animals ( Small
fishes )
Any other substance
that enters the
circulating water can
obstruct
cooling water flow

Tubewa
ll
800F
Tube Metal785F
Temperature
700F

Deposit
Fil Layer
m
766F Inside Tube
Temperature
730F Film
Temperature
Fluid

600F

500F

520F Bulk
Fluid
Temperature

Temperature Profile in Heat Transfer

Cleaning interior surfaces of tubes

Chemical

Off Line
Cleaning

Mechanical

On Line
Cleaning

Chemical treatment
Several chemicals, often in combination, are used to control
condenser tube fouling.

Chemical treatment methods

:
PH control ( lowering PH to 5.8 or 4 )
Scale inhibitors
Corrosion inhibitors ( Zinc & phosphates for carbon steel )

Utilized for recirculating cleaning system

because of :
1) The concentration of dissolved constituents is significant,
increasing the
threat of scaling and corrosion.

2) Once-through cooling systems often discharge directly into a

river, lake,
or ocean where chemicals concentrations are restricted.

Disadvantages of chemical treatment:

Expensive.
Job duration is excessive.
Subsequent disposal of the chemicals requires serious
consideration due to potential environmental hazard.

Mechanical cleaning
Off line cleaning

High Pressure Molded Plastic

Water
Cleaners
( Pigs )

Brushes

Metal
Scrapers

Hydrodrilling

High pressure water :

The water is directed in a high pressure towards the tubes.

Disadvantages:

The time taken to clean a condenser can become

extended.
Could damage tube sheet or tube coatings.

Pigs
They are molded plastic cleaners .
Quit popular for softest types of deposits such as mud , silt and
microbiological fouling

Plastic tube cleaners

Brushes
Used to remove micro / macro fouling, soft organic scales,
some corrosion by-products.
Useful for cleaning tubes with thin wall metal inserts or epoxy
type coatings.

Metal Scrapers
Used for harder types of deposits such as calcium carbonate.
The blades are mounted on a spindle.
One end of the spindle is a serrated plastic disc that allows a
jet of water to propel the cleaners through the tube.

Metal U-tube Cleaners

How does this technique work?

Spring loaded tube cleaner (Bullets) are shot through fouled
Condenser
tubes using specially designed water guns at
1.5-2.5 MPa water pressure with velocities 3-6 m/s.
Tube cleaners exit at the end of the condensers, hitting a
collection screen hung at the other end.
These cleaners are collected, cleaned and used again. Normally
a bullet can be used 10 to 15 times.

Water Gun & its pumping system

Hydrodrilling

Used to remove difficult deposits from the inside of tubes .

Hard deposits such as ( Calcium, sulfur and oxides).
Could be used on-site therefore eliminating the need for
bundles to
be sent off-site for cleaning treatments.
Polishes tube internal diameter to as-new condition.

Advantages of Hydrodrilling
It uses a small a volume of water (2 to 3 GPM at 200 to 300
PSI) that

is filtered and recycled through a booster pump.

Greater heat transfer efficiency.

Less scheduled cleaning time and cost.

Cleaning effects for a calcium carbonate scale:

Before

After

In-Line Mechanical Cleaning

The tube cleaning system consists of:

Balls that are slightly larger in diameter than the tubes.

Ball injection nozzle.
Ball strainer.
Ball recirculating pump.
Ball collector.

Sponged balls

Ball
Strainer

Air Cooled Condensers

External surfaces fouling

Dirt, dust & debris

Insects & bird

carcasses

Pollen & Leaves

Cleaning External Tubes

Surfaces

Fire hose

High pressure
handlance

Automated cleaning
machine

Fire hose
Uses low pressurized water but with high volume flow rates.
Has low washing effect.

Advantages:
The galvanized surfaces of the tubes and fins are not damaged
by this method.
Disadvantages:
Unit must be taken out of service and scaffolding erected.
Improvements are quite small, since only a portion of debris is
removed, remainder being compacted between tube fins

High pressure handlance

Low water consumption and a high water pressure
Latter can damage galvanized surfaces and/or snap off fins
Unit must be taken out of service and scaffolding erected
Again, improvements are quite small since only portion of
debris is
removed, remainder being compacted between tube fins

Automated Cleaning Machine

60 GPM at 1,000-2,000 psi water pressure avoids fin and tube
surface
damage.
Adjustable nozzle design, distance from surface and jet energy.
Water contains no additives.
Fouling removed effectively and uniformly.
No need to shut unit down or erect scaffolding.
Nozzle beam optimally matched to tube bundle geometry with
a constant jet angle.

Forms of Automated Cleaning

Machine

Permanently
installed
system

Semiautomatic
system

Portable service
unit

Permanently installed system

The system is supplied for each side of the ACC & controlled
automatically

Semi-automatic system
The guide rails are permanently installed.
The nozzle beam carriage being moved from section to section
by the labour.

Portable service unit

The unit has a portable nozzle beam carriage and control unit

Cleaning Results
During
cleaning

Fouled

Cleaned

Conclusion
Surfaces should be kept clean
to increase generation capacity
& reduce the associated costs.