TURBINE AND AUXILIARIES CONDENSATE SYSTEM

CHAPTER 15
CONDENSATE SYSTEM

A typical condensate system consists of the following:

 Condenser
 Condensate pumps
 Air extraction system
 Gland coolers and L.P. heaters
 Deaerator

15.1 CONDENSER
The functions of condenser are:
 To provide lowest economic heat rejection temperature for the steam. Thus saving
on steam required per unit of electricity.
 To convert exhaust steam to water for reuse thus saving on feed water
requirements.
 Deaeration of make – up water introduced in the condenser.
 To form a convenient point for introducing makes up water.

15.1.1 TYPE OF CONDENSER

Condenser is basically a heat exchanger and hence can be of two types:
a). Direct contact type
b). Surface contact type

a). DIRECT CONTACT TYPE (Jet Condenser)

In this type, condensation of steam takes place by directly mixing exhaust steam and
cooling water. Requirement of cooling water is much less here compared to surface
type. But cooling water quality should be equal to condensate quality.

b). SURFACE CONDENSER

This type is generally used for modern steam turbine installations. Condensation of
exhaust steam takes place on the outer surface of the tubes which are cooled by water

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flowing inside them.

The condenser essentially consists of a shell which encloses the steam space. Tubes
carrying cooling water pass through the steam space. The tubes are supplied cooling
water from inlet water box on one side and discharged, after taking away heat from the
steam to the outlet water box, on the other side.

Instead of one inlet and one outlet water boxes, there may be two or more pair of
separate inlet – outlet water boxes, each supplying cooling water to a separate bundle of
tubes. This enables cleaning and maintenance of part of the tubes while turbine can be
kept running on a reduced load.

15.1.2 DESCRIPTION OF CONDENSER

The condenser group consists of two condensers, each connected with exhaust part of
low pressure casing. These two condensers have been interconnected by a by – pass
branch pipe. The condenser has been designed to create vacuum at the exhaust of steam
turbine and to provide pure condensate for re using as feed water for the boilers.
The tube layout of condenser has been arranged to ensure efficient heat transfer from
steam to cooling water passing through the tubes, and at the same time the resistance to
flow of steam has been reduced to the barest minimum.
3 X 50% capacity condensate pumping sets are installed for pumping the condensate
from condenser to the Deaerator through low pressure heaters. Two pumps are for
normal operation and one works as stand by pump.

15.1.3 MATERIALS FOR CONDENSER TUBES

Selection of tube material depends mainly on the quality of cooling water and the cost.
Copper bearing alloys are preferred as copper has very high heat transfer coefficient.
But as copper has very little mechanical strength; it has to be reinforced by alloying
with other metals.

Some sea side power plants are also using Titanium despite high cost, because of highly
corrosive environment.

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15.1.4 TUBE PACKING

The method of attachment of the tubes to the tube plate is very important. These tubes
being brass will expand more than the steel shell when the condenser warms up under
working conditions and allowance must be made for this extra expansion when the
tubes are attached to the tube plate.

The method adopted is to allow the tube to slides through the tube plate as it expands.
This means that the holes must be bigger than the tube and to prevent leakage the gap
between tube and tube plate must be sealed. Linen or metallic packings are used for
sealing purposes.

15.1.5 EXPANDING TUBES

Alternatively, the inlet ends of the tubes may be bell mouthed and expanded.
Occasionally tubes are expanded at both ends and in this case expansion must be
allowed in other ways, for example by a bellows arrangement built into one end of the
condenser.
With double tube plates the tubes are fixed to the tube plates by rolling into form the
required expansion.

15.1.6 TUBE NEST ARRANGEMENT

In addition to designing the condenser to give a low back pressure while using as little
pumping power as possible, it is also necessary to ensure that the condensate is not
under-cooled and that the pressure drop of the steam path through the condenser is as
small as possible.

In early condensers the tube bundles were tightly packed together. As a result, little
steam penetrated to the bottom of the condenser and most of it condensed in the upper
parts of the condenser. Consequently, as the droplets of condensate fell through the
condenser tube nest and struck more tubes, they were cooled below the saturation
temperature of the steam.

It is prevented by providing considerable space around the tube bundles and to

incorporate wide steam lanes to allow steam to circulate freely. The steam can penetrate

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to the bottom of the condenser to assist the even heat distribution to the lower passes of
the condenser.

A further improvement was the introduction of condensate deflectors. These plates or

trays collect the condensate droplets and direct them away fro the lower tubes so that
they fall directly into the hot-well again reducing under-cooling.

15.1.7 CONDENSER LEAKS

a). AIR LEAKS LOCATION

The traditional method of locating air leaks when the turbine is on load is to pass a
lighted paper round the joints which are suspected of having a leak. The flame of the
taper is drawn towards the place where the air is being drawn into the condenser.

Another method is to spray the suspected area with Freon or other halogen gas. This is
then drawn into the condenser and sucked into the air extraction equipment. If a lighted
glow lamp is placed with its flame above the air discharge port on the air extraction
equipment the normally blue fame will change to orange when the halogen is emitted.

A more modern development of this method is the use of halogen gas detectors. These
are inserted into the air discharge line from the air extraction equipment and a meter
registers when a halogen gas passes the detector. A suitable gas (such as Freon) is
sprayed round the suspected area until the detector registers.

b). CIRCULATING WATER LEAKAGE

There are two kinds of CW leakage, internal and external. Internal leakage into the
steam and condensate space is the more important of these two. Leakage of cooling
water into the condensate can be caused by several faults, but the main ones are:

 Tube to tube plate fixings leakage.

 Internal corrosion and erosion of the tubes.
 External erosion of the tubes
 Fatigue and stress cracking of the tubes.

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External leakage from condenser water boxes and joints is usually due to metal removal
by erosion or corrosion.

15.2 CONDENSATE EXTRACTION PUMPS

Condensate extraction pumps are normally multistage, vertical, centrifugal pumps.
They are generally required to operate on minimum net positive suction head (NPSH).
The condensate pumps operate on few inches of suction submergence.

A vent line connects the hot well from where the condensate pumps take suction with
the condenser. This equalizes the vapour pressure of condenser and hotwell. No. of
stages in the pump is determined by the discharge pressure required for the condensate
cycle.

Condensate water is also used for:

1) Sealing of glands of valves operating under vacuum.
2) Temperature control of L.P. bypass steam.
3) Filling siphons of main ejectors and 15 meter siphon of drain expander.
4) Actuating the forced closing non – return valves of turbine steam extraction lines.
5) Operation of group protection device for bypassing H.P. heaters.
6) For cooling steam dumped through steam throw off device.

15.3 AIR EXTRACTION SYSTEM

Air extraction system is needed to extract air and other non condensable gases from the
condenser for maintaining vacuum. Amount of air to be extracted form condenser
during start up is quite large and the extraction should be done as rapidly as possible so
as to allow the turbine to be started.

 AIR EJECTORS
The operating medium of the ejector can be either high pressure gas or liquid. In
thermal power stations steam of low parameter (4.5 kg/cm², 250ºc) is used for the air
ejector.

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The operating principle is simple – steam is passed through a nozzle and the pressure
energy converted into velocity energy. High velocity fluid aspirated air and other non
condensable gasses form the condenser and moves into diffuser which re – converts the
velocity energy into pressure energy. The pressurized mixture of steam and air is
exhausted, either directly to atmosphere or through coolers to recover the steam in the
form of condensate.

a). STARTING EJECTOR

It is used for accelerating the initial pulling of vacuum. During this period starting
ejector operates in parallel with main ejector. When the vacuum in the condenser
reaches 500 – 600 mm of Hg column, the starting ejector is switched off.
In this the steam – air mixture is exhausted to atmosphere. Generally starting ejector
is single stage and has high steam consumption.

b). MAIN EJECTOR

This is a multi stage type; the number of stages depends on the cooling water
condition. Drains are usually returned to the condenser via suitable loop seals;
cooler condensate as a cooling medium is taken from the extraction discharge, with
a recirculation arrangement to avoid overheating of the ejector at low loads.

c). AIR PUMPS

Air pumps allow greater flexibility as it is not dependent on the boiler for raising
vacuum. Air pumps operated on a separate water circuit and there is no risk of the
concentration of soluble un – condensable gases in the condensate. Air pump can
deal with either starting or normal conditions and therefore a separate starting
arrangement is unnecessary.

These are of three types: rotary, liquid ring and hydraulic. Due to simplicity and
reliability liquid ring type pump are used widely.

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15.4 AN INTRODUCTION TO OLTC

The performance of a Steam Power plant depends upon the condenser vacuum.
Condenser vacuum depends on the cleanliness of the condenser tubes. Scaling in the
condenser tubes reduces the heat transfer rate and hence the vacuum tends to be poor.
To keep the condenser tubes clean ON LOAD TUBE CLEANING SYSTEM is
installed in all the units of TS II. Over sized balls are continuously pressed through the
tubes to keep them clean. This system should always be kept in service whenever the
steam is admitted into the condenser.

15.4.1 SYSTEM DESCRIPTION

A system consists of a ball vessel into which the balls are introduced. “Ball
recirculating pumps” inject these balls into the inlet water pipe of condenser. These
balls are carried by the circulating water to the condenser tubes. Since we are using
oversized balls, the balls are pressed through the tubes. After passing through the first
pass of the condenser, the balls are accumulated in the Reverse Chamber. Then the balls
pass through the second pass of the condenser tubes and reach the outlet water pipe.

Two “Ball separators” are located in the outlet pipes. It consists of two screens, which
are fixed at an inclination of 30 so as to form a “V” in the outlet water pipes. The balls
get trapped in the screens and are collected in a transverse channel. From these
transverse channels, these balls are extracted with circulating water by the Ball
recirculating water pumps.
Separate system is provided for A and B side of the condenser.

15.4.2 STARTING PROCEDURE:

The OLTC SYSTEM drawing may be referred.

1. Check for any LC pending.

2. Check for 415 V supply to control panel.
3. Check whether the condenser (A & B) sides are in charged condition.
4. Check for the opening of following valves:
i. Two extraction valves from each ball separator of A & B sides of the

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condenser.
ii. Two injection valves to each inlet pipe of A & B Sides of the condenser.
iii. Impulse line valves to the DP switch & the DP transmitter.
iv. Suction and Discharge valves of the flushing pumps.
v. Suction and Discharge valve of the ball circulating pumps( only for stage II)
5. Check for the closing of following valves:
i. Inlet and outlet Motor operated valve / Hand operated valves of the ball vessel
for Stage I / Stage II respectively.
ii. Ball vessel outlet bypass valve (hand operated).
6. Check whether the screens of the ball separator are in the operation position.

15.4.3 START UP PROCEDURE (Manual)

For any one side of the Condenser
1. Open the air vent of the ball vessel
2. Open the manual operated (ball vessel outlet valve) bypass valve partially and fill
up the vessel, then close the valve.
3. Open the ball vessel lid, introduce the balls and squeeze them under water so as to
remove the air trapped in the balls.
4. Close the lid of the ball vessel. Open the bypass valve gradually and keep the
valve in full open condition.
5. Start the ball circulating pumps. Keep the system selector switch in manual
position for stage I OLTC.
6. Open the ball vessel inlet valve (mov-stage I, hand operated-stage II).
7. Close the ball vessel air vent after releasing the air.
8. Open the ball vessel outlet valve (mov-stage I, hand operated-stage II) after 5
minutes.
9. Observe the balls circulation through the view glass provided in the ball vessel.
Repeat the procedure for the other side of the condenser.

15.4.4 SHUT DOWN PROCEDURE (Manual)

1. Close the ball vessel outlet valve (mov-stage I, hand operated stage II)
2. Observe the collection of balls in the vessel for duration of 30 minutes.
3. Close the ball vessel inlet valve (mov-stage I, hand operated stage II)

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4. Stop the ball-recirculating pump.

5. Close the ball vessel outlet manually operated bypass valve.

The above procedure is for one side. Shutdown may be done simultaneously for the
other side in the same way.

15.4.5 BACK WASHING OPERATION

With the continuous operation of the ball cleaning system there is a possibility of debris
in the circulating water getting accumulated on the ball separator screens, which may
result in obstruction of circulating water flow through the condenser outlet pipe. Hence
the screens have to be cleaned periodically. For this purpose, the backwash operation is
adopted. During the backwash operation the screens are brought almost parallel to the
direction of flow of circulating water, to facilitate effective cleaning of the screens.

15.4.6 BACK WASHING SEQUENCE

The procedure mentioned below is for one side. Similar operation has to be carried out
for the other side.

1. Close the ball vessel outlet valve (mov-stage I, hand operated-stage II)
2. After a collection time of 30 minutes, close the ball vessel inlet valve (mov-stage
I, hand operated-stage II)
3. Stop the ball-recirculating pump.
4. Press the back wash button (BW) in the panel and check whether the screens have
moved to Back wash position

For flushing of DP transmitter and switch line the following may be done:

15.4.7 EMERGENCIES
1. Tripping of one of the circulating water pump

It is to be noted that there is no protection to the ball recirculating pumps except

electrical overload. Hence

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In the event of tripping of one CWP, the turbogenerator still in service, one of the
condenser outlet valve is kept choked. If the 2nd circulating water pump could not be
started quickly, for the system in the choked side of the condenser the following may be
done:

a) Collect all the balls in the ball vessel.

b) Close the vessel inlet valve.
c) Stop the Ball recirculating pump.
d) Close the manual operated ball vessel outlet bypass valve.

2. Tripping of both circulating water pump

a) Stop the ball recirculating pumps immediately. Close the inlet, outlet, bypass
valves.
b) Start the CWPS as soon as possible.
c) Start the system and observe for ball recirculation.

3. Tripping of one Ball recirculating pump

a) Close the vessel inlet and outlet valves of the tripped system immediately to avoid
reverse rotation.
b) System may be taken into service after attending the fault.

4. Tripping of both Ball recirculating pumps

a) Close the vessel inlet and vessel outlet valves immediately and switch off the
panel supply.
b) System may be taken into service after attending the fault.

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15.4.8 ROUTINE CHECK UP

1) Ball recirculating pumps bearing oil level.
2) Position of ball vessel inlet and outlet valve and bypass valve.
3) Position of ball separator screen.
4) DP across the ball separator screen.
5) Condenser A & B sides’ inlet and outlet valve position.

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