Project On Condenser Vacuum Improvement St-I (4*60 MW)

By
TAREKH ALLI AHAMAD KHAN (Sr. Engg.)
PRANAY KUMAR (Engg.)



CONTENTS
Stage-I vacuum system
Description Of Rankine Cycle of a condensing type
steam turbine

How Vacuum Is created in condenser and its
importance

Why vacuum remains low in stage-I units (specially
during summer)

Effect of Low Condenser Vacuum on Plant
Performance

Improvements methods (Practices & Suggestions)

Benefits



STAGE-I VACUUM SYSTEM

EJECTOR :
MANUFACTURER: WORTHINGTON CORP,USA
EVACUATION CAPACITY: 2700 LB/HR (1.21 T/HR)
STEAM SUPPLY: 3000 LB/HR (1.34 T/HR)

COOLING WATER PUMPS (1,2,3,4)
MANUFACTURER: WORTHINGTON PUMPS INDIA LTD.
TYPE: VERTICAL,SINGLE I/L,HI FLO PROPELLER PUMPS
CAPACITY: 40850 GPM
HEAD: 86FT (2.867 M)
MOTOR: 3.3KV,3-Ph,1.045HP (779.57KW),180KA, 494 RPM
COOLING WATER PUMPS (5,6)
MANUFACTURER: BHEL,
MOTOR: ASYNCHRONOUS MOTOR,860KW,3.3KV,3 Ph,50HZ,592 RPM
COOLING TOWER:
MANUFACTURER :MARLEY CORPORATION
NO OF CELLS : 12
TYPE : INDUCED DRAFT,DOUBLE CROSS FLOW TYPE
FAN : 08 NO OF BLADES,336 DIA,BLADE ANGLE 11 -13 DEG.
MOTOR : SC INDUCTION MOTOR,0.415KV,3 Ph,50HZ,130 A,1460 RPM.
DESIGN PARAMETERS :
INLET WATER TEMP 50 DEG
O/L WATER TEMP 38DEG
EFFICIENCY 75 %




CONDENSER
Condenser in stage-I units is a surface type heat
exchanger.with two-pass arrangement.. Cooling water is pumped
into each of the condenser pass by vertical CW pumps through inlet
pipes.Water enters the inlet chamber of front water box at the
top,passes horizontally through the titanium tubes to the water box
at the rear end,takes a downturn,passes through the lower cluster of
tubes,and reaches the outlet chamber at the bottom in the front
water box and leaves the condenser through outlet pipes.
Steam exhausted from the turbine comes in
contact with the outside of condenser tubes,losses its
latent heat to the cooling water and converted into
water.This condensed water is collected in the bottom of
the condenser called hotwell and pumped into the system
by Condensate Extraction Pumps.

CONDENSER DESIGN DATA :

COOLING WATER FLOW : M3/Hr.
MANUFACTURER : WORTHINGTON Corp,USA
COOLING WATER SURFACE AREA : 45000 sq.ft (4180.30 sq.mtr)
NO. OF COOLING TUBES : 7020, 7/8 O.D.,28 2.5 in length.
TUBE MATERIAL : TITANIUM SB-338 GRADE-II
MAIN TUBE PLATE : MS WITH TITANIUM CLADED.
WATER BOX : MS WITH FRE LINING ( GLASS FIBRE REINFORCED
EPOXY LINING) OF 3MM THICKNESS.
ABSOLUTE PRESSURE WITH 90 DEG F : 741 mmHG.
DESIGN VACUUM : 787 mmHG





RANKINE CYCLE



As we can see from the rankine cycle diagram,on which the thermal power
plant operates,
Process 1-2 here mechanical work is done on the system by various
pumps (CEP,BFP etc) to increase the working pressure at constant entropy
(ideally isoentropic).Wp
Process 2-3 Here heat is added to the system at constant pressure
(Isobaric).Qb
Process 3-4 Here the super-heated steam expands in the turbine at
constant entropy (ideally) to produce external shaft work,which rotates
the generator to produce electricityWt
Process 4-1 Here the expanded steam from the turbine is condensed in
the condenser .Qc
ENTROPY
T
E
M
P
E
R
A
T
U
R
E


Wt
Qb
Qc
Wp
So we can see that the lower the condenser pressure and temperature
(higher vacuum),more the work done by the steam turbine and more the
efficiency.

HOW VACUUM IS CREATED & ITS IMPORTANCE
As steam enters into the condenser it comes in contact
with cooling water tube surfaces which carry CW waters.So the
steam condensation takes place.As the specific volume of
water is less than that of steam,low pressure (vacuum) is
created inside the condenser.The steam also contains non-
condensate gases which are to be removed from the condenser
in order to sustain the vacuum.This work is done by Ejector
which sucks the non-condensate gases with the help of steam
in a convergent-divergent nozzle.
If we maintain higher vacuum then turbine will be able to
do more work,i.e more enthalpy drop takes place at lower
pressure.So we will generate more power and system efficiency
improves.Also if vacuum remains low,then chances are there
that at last stage blades steam will have higher moisture
content leading to higher blade erosion.
If condenser vacuum is maintained low,then pressure drop
across turbine is low.So turbine will do less work for a
particular MS flow,i.e in order to get same MW we have to push
more steam to turbine (1
st
stage pressure will be high).
Also to generate more steam we have to burn more fuel,use
more air.So specific fuel consumption will be high & auxiliary
power consumption will be high.More coal burning means more
ash,so ESP performance will deteriorate.More erosion will be
there in Boiler,Economizer APH and ESP areas.


CAUSES OF LOW VACUUM IN CONDENSER

POOR EJECTOR PERFORMANCE
HIGH CW TEMPERATURE AT CONDENSER INLET
SCALE FORMATION INSIDE CONDENSER TUBES WHICH CAUSES
INSUFFICIENT HEAT TRANSFER
LEAKAGE IN DRAIN LINES OF LP HEATERS,LOW PRESSURE LINES
CONNECTED TO CONDENSER
PASSING IN VENT LINES CONNECTED TO CONDENSER,
POOR CT FANS PERFORMANCE
POOR VENTING DURING CONDENSER CHARGING
Stage-I Case
Cooling Tower area is close to CHP & Ash-Handling
area.
Water at the Condenser inlet is high,leading to less
heat transfer.Also it causes more scale formation
specifically in second pass.
In summer season when ambient temperature
remains high and humidity remains high the range
for CW system becomes low causing.So vacuum
system performance deteriorate more.
CW 5 & 6 taking high current,so no scope for
loading them more.


EFFECT OF LOW VACUUM ON PLANT PERFORMANCE
If condenser vacuum is maintained low,then pressure drop
across turbine is low.So turbine will do less work for a
particular MS flow,i.e in order to get same MW we have to push
more steam to turbine (1
st
stage pressure will be high).
Also to generate more steam we have to burn more fuel,use
more air.So specific fuel consumption will be high & auxiliary
power consumption will be high.More coal burning means more
ash,so ESP performance will deteriorate.More erosion will be
there in Boiler,Economizer APH and ESP areas.
GTCHR (Gross Turbine Cylinder Heat-Rate) will be more.1
mmHG drop in vacuum leads to 1.5 Kcal/KWhr rise in Heat
Rate.
1
st
Stage Blading pressure will remain high.
Boiler performance will be less.
Auxiliary power consumption will be more.
Last stage blade erosion will be more.
Lesser the vacuum we operate,harder the scales will be
inside the tubes,so harder to remove during cleaning.
Rankine cycle efficiency will be less.






IMPROVEMENT METHODS (PRACTICES & SUGGESTIONS)
Chemical dozing in CW water to reduce scale forming
elements like calcium,magnesium.
CT blow-down to reduce cycle of concentration in CW
waters.
Construction of Chlorination plant to reduce algae in
CW.
JET & BULLET cleaning of condenser tubes for inside
tube scale removal.
Use of FRP blades in CT Fans for improved CT
performance.
Thorough checking of ejector system,vent lines,drains
to condenser during annual over-hauling.











BENEFITS :
Condenser Tube Cleaning Effect
Before cleaning (06.04.2010)
Unit Vacuum CW I/L Steam Flow Load Corrected vacuum
#1 643 32.98 253 61 646.92
#2 635 32.88 261.7 62.5 638.52
#3 609 34.11 251 59 617.44
#4 625 34.26 275 62 634.04

After Cleaning (28.04.2010)
Vacuum CW I/L Steam Flow Load Corrected vacuum
655 34.37 249.5 61 664.48
658 34.32 255 62 667.28
639 35.94 259.5 62 654.76
653 36.05 265 61 669.2

Net Gain in Vacc. Gain in HR In Rs
17.56 35.12 13859.42
28.76 57.52 22699.14
37.32 74.64 29455.21
35.16 70.32 27750.40
TOTAL 118.8 237.6 93764.16



Monetary gain (Rs) 93764.16 per day
Per unit Coal cons. (MT) 1225
Total coal cons.(MT) 4900 per day
Coal cost Rs/MT 919.20
Sp coal Kg/Kwhr 0.809
GCV Kcal/Kg 3527
HR Kcal/Kwhr 2853

Expenditure Incurred( In Rs) : 400000
Pay Back Period(In Days): 4

If rebulleting is required after 3 months,
Saving for 3 months : 2812925
Cleaning Cost: 100000
Net savings: 2712925

1
ST
stage blading pressure is reduced
approximately 5-6 ksc.
Boiler loading reduced to maintain same MW
output.
APC reduced.

Para. UNIT U#1 U#2 U#3 U#4
VACUUM ANALYSIS
LOAD


Throttle pr. AT
TURBINE I/L

MS FLOW


VACUUM


EXH. HOOD PR.


CW INLET


CWOUTLET


CW HDR. PR.


H/W O/L TEMP.


EXH.HOOD TEMP


CONDENSER DIFF.
PR (A/B)

COND. AIR O/L
TEMP.(A/B)

EJECTOR PR.


SEAL STEAM PR.


HUMIDITY


AMBIENT TEMP