CHAPTER

STEAM CONDENSER
8
 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and injection water is withdrawn using a centrifugal extraction pump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 plant’s
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 Condensers
• 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.
 Surface Condensers
Shell Outlet

Channel Inlet

Channel
Outlet

Shell Outlet

SINGLE SEGMENTAL TRANVERSE BAFFLES

 Surface Condensers
 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.
 Surface Condensers
• 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 Fan Ring
Fan

Inlet
Nozzles
Return
Headers
Inlet
Headers

Outlet
Headers

Outlet
Nozzles Tube Bundle

Drive Assembly

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

Water Cooled Air Cooled

Condensers Condensers

Internal External
Surfaces Surfaces
 Tube Fouling

Deposition or Scaling or Microbiological Corrosion

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

Natural Crystalline
Bio-growth Coal dust
sediment 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
 Tubewall Deposit Layer
Film
800ºF
Tube Metal 785ºF
Temperature 766ºF Inside Tube Temperature

730ºF Film Temperature

700ºF

Fluid
600ºF

520ºF Bulk Fluid

500ºF Temperature

Temperature Profile in Heat Transfer

Cleaning interior surfaces of tubes

Chemical Mechanical

Off Line On Line

Cleaning 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 Brushes Metal Scrapers Hydrodrilling

Water Cleaners ( Pigs )
 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 Automated

pressure cleaning machine
handlance
 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

Permanentl Semi- Portable

y installed automatic service unit
system system
 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.