IJSRD - International Journal for Scientific Research & Development| Vol.

3, Issue 03, 2015 | ISSN (online): 2321-0613

Effect of Condenser Backpressure on Power Plant Heat Rate and

Thermal Efficiency
Rakesh Bhoi1 Nirvesh Mehta2 Kedar Bhojak3
1,2
Department of Mechanical Engineering
1,2
LDRP-ITR, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
Abstract— Thermal power plants are used to generate cooling water. Such condensers use steam ejectors or rotary
electricity by using fossil fuels. Optimizing operating motor-driven exhausters for continuous removal of air and
condition can considerably improve condensing and vacuum gases from the steam side to maintain vacuum. Basically, a
of condenser hence efficiency. Steam exhaust pressure condenser is a device where steam condenses and latent heat
affects the performance of turbine. Variation in condenser of evaporation released by the steam is absorbed by cooling
backpressure about design can impact the economic water. Thermodynamically, it serves the following purposes
operation of a unit with respect to heat rate. The study has with reference to the P-v diagram shown in Figure 1. Firstly,
been carried out for the load of 210 MW GSECL thermal it maintains a very low back pressure on the exhaust side of
power plant. the turbine. As a result, the steam expands to a greater extent
Key words: Condenser, back pressure, power, heat rate, and consequently results in an increase in available heat
thermal efficiency energy. The shaded area shown in the P-v diagram exhibits
the increase in the work obtained by fitting a condenser unit
I. INTRODUCTION to a non-condensing unit for the same available steam
The main purposes of the condenser in power plant are properties. In the P-v diagram, line 4-5 is non-condensing
condensing the exhaust steam from the turbine for reuse in line when the condenser unit is -
the cycle and to maximize turbine efficiency by maintaining 5‟notisappli condensing line when the condenser is used
proper back pressure (vacuum). As the operating pressure of Secondly, the exhaust steam condensate is free from
the condenser is lowered; the enthalpy drop of the impurities. Thermal efficiency of a condensing unit is higher
expanding steam in the turbine will increase. This will than that of a non-condensing unit for the same available
increase the amount of available work from the turbine steam properties [1, 2].
(electrical output). By lowering the condenser operating
B. Factors Affecting Condenser Back Pressure [2]
pressure, the following will occur [1]:
1) Variation in design cleanliness factor with load
 Increased turbine output; 2) Amount of latent heat to be removed – a function
 Increased plant efficiency; of both generator load, (i.e., exhaust flow rate) and
 Reduced steam flow (for a given plant output). condenser backpressure
It is therefore, very economical and beneficial to 3) Cooling water inlet temperature
operate the condenser at the lowest possible pressure 4) Cooling water flow rate – number of C.W. pumps
(highest vacuum). operating and/or extent of tube sheet fouling
5) Degree of fouling of the condenser tubes
II. DESCRIPTION 6) Concentration of non-condensibles which have
accumulated in the condenser shell or,
A. Condenser Types [1] alternatively, the amount of air in-leakage into the
There are two primary types of condensers that can be used system
in a power plant: 7) Performance of air removal system
 Direct Contact At any given point in time the combined status of these
operating factors will determine the relationship between
 Surface condenser
heat rate and load. The first two factors are inherent in the
Direct contact condensers condense the turbine exhaust design of the unit and are difficult to change; while the other
steam by mixing it directly with cooling water. The older factors can be improved by appropriate maintenance. The
type Barometric and Jet-Type condensers operate on similar two factors most amenable to some form of on-line control
principles [2]. Steam surface condensers are the most are the cooling water inlet temperature and flow rate. The air
commonly used condensers in modern power plants. The removal system should be healthy and no air leakage into
exhaust steam from the turbine flows on the shell side of the the condenser. Instrumentation should be provided to check
condenser, while the circulating cooling water flows in the the air in the system.
tube side. The source of the circulating water can be either a
closed cycle or open, (i.e., from a lake, ocean, or river). The III. POWER AND HEAT RATE CALCULATION
condensed steam from the turbine, called condensate, is
collected in the bottom of the condenser, which is called a Calculation based on boiler follow mode in which fuel firing
hot well. The condensate is then pumped back to the steam are kept constant and effect of condenser back pressure on
generator to repeat the cycle [2]. The surface condenser is a power output will be noted [2].
shell and tube heat exchanger in which cooling water is Required data [3,4]:
circulated through the tubes. The exhaust steam from the M1-steam flow inlet to HP turbine, Kg/h
low pressure turbine enters the shell where it is cooled and
converted to condensate by exchanging the latent heat to M2-steam flow inlet to IP turbine, Kg/h

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 Effect of Condenser Backpressure on Power Plant Heat Rate and Thermal Efficiency
(IJSRD/Vol. 3/Issue 03/2015/429)

M3-steam flow inlet to LP turbine Kg/h H1-Enthalpy of

steam inlet to HP turbine, KJ/kg H2-Enthalpy of steam
outlet from HP turbine, KJ/kg H3-Enthalpy of steam inlet to
IP turbine, KJ/kg H4-Enthalpy of steam outlet from IP
turbine, KJ/kg H5-Enthalpy of steam inlet to LP turbine,
KJ/kg H6-Enthalpy of steam outlet from LP turbine, KJ/kg
Power= M1 (H1-H2) +M2 (H3-H4) +M3 (H5-H6) = 210
MW Heat rate calculation:
HR=Qin/Wnet
HR=mass rate of fuel×C.V/Wnet=165000×3377×4.187/210
KJ/Kwh =11109 KJ/Kwh
=2653 Kcal/Kwh
Efficiency=860/HR Fig. 2: Condenser Back Pressure Vs Heat.
1) Blade reduction in condenser back pressure results
IV. RESULT in decrease in steam quality or increase in the water
particle which create the drag and lead to lower
Table 1 shows power, Efficiency and Heat Rate. turbine output.
2) Lower steam quality is also responsible for erosion
on LP turbine.
3) Higher reduction in pressure results in water outlet
from condenser to freeze.
Therefore, due to above limitation the optimum
condenser pressure is maintained between 0.069 and 0.138
bar [5].

VI. CONCLUSION
Table 1: Power, Efficiency and Heat Rate Thermal power plant efficiency and heat rate are affected by
condenser back pressure so there should be provision to
V. PARAMETRIC STUDY control cooling water flow rate and online air removal
system to control condenser back pressure. Thus we can
Figure 1 shows the effect of condenser back pressure on the
increase the thermal efficiency of thermal power plant by
cycle efficiency. It shows that efficiency of cycle decreases
maintaining the condenser back pressure within the
with increase in back pressure. Decreasing the cooling water
optimum range possible.
temperature and hence pressure will result in increase power
output for the same steam mass flow rate and constant fuel
REFERENCES
input. It also decreases the heat rate of power plant [5].
[1] P.K.Nag, Power Plant Engineering. Tata McGraw-Hill
Education, 2002.
[2] Richard E. Putman, Dr.Joseph W. Harpster Economic
Effect of Condenser Back Pressure on Heat Rate,
Condensate Sub-cooling and Feed Water Dissolved
Oxygen.
[3] Ankur Geete, A.I.Khandwawala, Energy Analysis of
120 MW Thermal Power Plant with Different
Condenser Back Pressure and Generate Correction
Curves. Int. J. Curr. Eng. Technol. March- 2013; 3(1):
164–167p.
[4] BEE, Energy performance Assessment for Equipment
and Utility Systems.
[5] Amir Vosough, Alireza, Sadeghvosough, et al.
Fig. 1: Condenser Back Pressure vs Efficiency. Improvement in Power Plant Efficiency with Condenser
Figure 2 shows the effect of condenser back Pressure. Int. J. Multidiscip. Sci. Eng. 2011; 2(3): 38–
pressure on heat rate. The LP turbine outlet enthalpy 43p, ISSN 2045-7057.
depends on the condenser pressure. Enthalpy drop increases
with decrease in condenser back pressure. Therefore, to
increase the turbine power output condenser pressure should
be maintained lower as far as possible however, it is a
function of the ambient temperature. However, there are
certain limitations of very low condenser back pressure [5].

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