CIRCULATING WATER SYSTEM

INTRODUCTION
In the thermal cycle, the condenser is a
heat sink where the unutilized heat energy is
rejected. The system in which water fed to the
condenser that carries the rejected heat to the
cooling tower and operates in a closed cycle is
named as circulating water system.
FUNCTIONS OF CIRCULATING WATER SYSTEM
The primary function of the circulating water
system is to condense the exhaust steam of
turbine by the removal of its latent heat of
condensation in the condenser. It also serves
1)

To cool the auxiliary cooling water in

Plate heat exchangers.

2)

To cool the lubricating oil in the lub oil

coolers of Turbo-generator.
3)

To cool the seal oil in the seal oil

coolers of Generator.
4)

To supply the water for the disposal of

ash.

5)

To meet the water requirement of Fire

Service and Mulsifire systems.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SYSTEM
The circulating water pump house has
totally eight circulating water pumps.

Two

pumps are needed to supply circulating water

for each unit.

Two additional pumps are kept

as standby for all the three units.

The cold circulating water flowing from the
basin of cooling tower is diverted to a pond
called FOREBAY.

From the fore bay, the

circulating water is supplied to the suction pit

of the circulating water pump.
The fore bay water level is maintained at
an adequate level, since low level will lead to
starvation
tripping
vacuum.

of circulating water pumps and

of

the

unit

on

Condenser

low

The water level in the fore bay is

maintained between +5 and +10 divisions in

the scale provided.
Cold-water tunnel takes the cold water to
condenser of single unit. The same tunnel can

also get the water from the standby pump,

which

is

common

for

two

units.

In

the

discharge pipe of each pump, an automatic air

releasing

cum

vacuum

breaker

valve

is

provided.
The cold-water tunnel is provided with
manholes near the pump house and near the
unit. The cold-water tunnel near the condenser
divides into two separate channels to supply
water for both water boxes of the condenser.
Auxiliary circulating water booster pump
draws the circulating water from the condenser
-A side intake channel.

Auxiliary circulating

water booster pump boosts up the circulating

water pressure and supply it to plate type heat
exchangers provided for cooling the auxiliary
cooling

water.

The

hot

circulating

water

returning from the plate heat exchangers joins

with outtake channel of -A side.
From the condenser -B side intake channel,
the circulating water is drawn by lub oil cooler
booster pump to supply the cooling water of
about 300 m3/hr to lub oil coolers of Turbine

and seal oil coolers of generator.

The hot

water returning from the above coolers is

utilized for the disposal of ash.

Also a direct

line from the outtake channel of condenser -B

side is taken to supply water (900 m 3/hr) to ash
disposal pump house.
The two hot water channels from the
condenser

join a common hot water tunnel

outside the turbine hall. Hot water tunnel

carries the hot circulating water to the cooling
tower. Manholes with provision of air vents are
provided in the hot water tunnels also.
From the hot water tunnel, two steel pipes
finally take the hot water to both sections of
distribution system of natural draught cooling
tower. The incoming natural air in the cooling
tower

cools

the

hot

water

and

the

cold

circulating water flows down to the basin.

From the basin, the cold water flows to the fore
bay through open channel.

Filter screens are

provided at the outlets of the basin to filter the

debris.

MAKE UP SYSTEM
Even though the circulating water is on
closed

cycle,

the

losses

occur

evaporative cooling and the drift.

due

to

Apart from

the above, the water utilized for the disposal

of ash and fire service is not recoverable. In
order to make up the losses, an artificial lake
of capacity 17,08,605 m3 is located in the north
west of the powerhouse. It receives its water
supply from Mines-II through two pipelines.
From the lake, the make up water is added to
the fore bay by gravity through a line with a
level control valve. The same make up line can
also receive the water directly from the two
make up lines (from Mines-II).
CIRCULATING WATER PUMP
The circulating water pump is of single
stage, vertical, mixed flow pump of capacity

16,500 m3/hr at the delivery pressure of 1.5

Kg/cm2. The impeller is below the water level in
the

fore

condition.

bay

and

it

is

always

in

primed

Each pump consists of the bowl

assembly with impeller, the column assembly,

the line shaft and the motor skirt.
BOWL ASSEMBLY
The bowl assembly consists of suction bell,
impeller shroud and bowl.
The bowl is a vane diffuser that is used to
convert the kinetic energy of water pumped by
the impeller into pressure energy.

It houses

the impeller, the guide vanes and the bearing.

Suction bell is the inlet element of the
pump and it provides proper guidance to the
water entering the impeller. Impeller shroud is
fixed between suction bell and bowl. The
profile of the shroud is closely matched with
the impeller outer profile in order to minimize
the backflow and leakage loss.
The impeller of the pump is overhung semiopen

and

mixed

flow

type

with

double

curvature vanes. The flow pattern is radial as

well as axial.

COLUMN PIPES
Column

pipes

with

discharge

pipe

are

connected with the bowl. The top column pipe

is fixed with the motor skirt and the pump is
hanging down on the top column pipe.

The

discharge pipe is located beneath the motor

floor level.
SHAFT
There

are

totally

five

line

shafts

to

transmit the power from the motor to the

impeller shaft. The type of the fluid that the
pump can handle is clear, cold fresh water with
small amount of suspended solids or abrasive
particles.

The water handled by the pump

itself lubricates the line shaft bearings. There

are totally 7 Nitril rubber bearings with bronze
sleeve along the shaft. As Nitril rubber bearing

requires pre-lubrication, all seven bearings

were replaced with FENOSTOS bearing.
The pump is provided with a thrust bearing
of tilting pad type and it is the combination of
thrust and journal bearing. It is used to take up
the water thrust developed by the pump.
The

pump

and

the

motor

shafts

are

coupled by a flexible coupling in order to allow

a slight mismatch between the pump and the
motor shafts.
MOTOR
The prime mover of the pump is a 3-phase
induction motor of rating 6.6 KV, 1400 KW and
494 rpm. The motor skirt supports the driving
motor and it also encloses the pump thrust
bearing

assembly

and

pump-motor

main

coupling. The motor is provided with tilting

pad thrust and journal bearing at the top and
tilting pad journal bearing at the bottom.
(Ref: FIG-11, FIG-12, FIG-13, FIG-13A & FIG-14)
CIRCULATING WATER PUMP
01 Total number of
8 ( 50% Capacity )

pumps.
No. of pumps
02 required for each
unit for full load.
No. of pumps as
03
stand by.
04 Manufacture.

2
2 (for all the 3 units).

06 Total head.

JYOTI LIMITED, BARODA.

1300 VM 6 A 12 vertical,
mixed flow.
24 MWC.

07 Design capacity.

16,500 m3/hr.

08 Speed.

494 rpm.

09 Shut off head.

45 MWC.

10 Number of stages.
Provision to take
11 up the end thrust
of the pump rotor.

One.
Vertical, tilting pad thrust
and guide bearing at pump
top with oil bath lubrication.

05 Type of the pump.

By water flowing through

coil in the oil bath.
Provision for
cooling the oil in
12 the oil bath of the
thrust and guide
bearing.

1)
Source of cooling
water A taping from
the pump discharge.
2)
Required quantity
24 1pm.
3)
Required pressure
0.8 Kg/cm2.

Line shaft guide

bearings.
a) No of guide
13 bearings.
b) Type.
c) Lubrication.
Type of line shaft
14
coupling.

7
FENOSTOS bearing with
bronze sleeve.
Self water lubrication.
Flanged Rigid.

MOTOR
01 Manufacturer by
02 Type.
03 Voltage.

JYOTI LIMITED, BARODA.

3 phase, 50 Hz vertical solid
shaft squirrel cage
induction motor CUCACA
1120.
6.6 KV.Y

04 RPM

494

05 Number of poles.

12

06 Kilowatt rating.

1400 KW.

07 Insulation class.