FeedwaterHeaters,Coolers

Optimizationofthermodynamicdesign

LPFeedwaterHeaters
HPFeadwaterHeatersoftubesheetandheadertype
SeparateDesuperheaterofextractionsteam
DuplexHeatersandDisdtrictHeaters
Water/waterCoolers

M.YoussefPatentList:PatentListforFeedwaterHeaters

HeatexchangersareespecificallytreatedbyTPT.
Inthefeedwaterheaters(FWHs)thetubebundleconsistsofbendtubesofUorWformandthetubesare
connectedtothetubesheetorheaders.TheFWHsarearrangedasverticalorhorizontalheaters.
Thetubematerial,tubediameterandwatervelocityareselectedforthefeedwaterheatersaccordingto
operationalsafetystandardsandeconomicalmeasures.

HPFeedwaterheatersaredesignedassinglezone,twozoneorthreezoneheaters:
Condensingheatexchangers(typeCO)
Condensingsectionwithanintegralsubcooler(typeCO+SC)
Condensingsectionwithanintegraldesuperheaterandanintegralsubcooler(typeCO+DS+SC)
ToppingdesuperheatercrossconnectedtothefirstHPheater(typeDS)

Heatflowin:
Desuperheatersection3Condensingsection2Subcoolersection1

Q3=Mwx(hw3ohw3i),Q2=Mwx(hw2ohw2i),Q1=Mwx(hw1ohw1i)[kW]
Q3=Mstx(hs3ihst3o),Q2=Mstx(hs2ihc2o),Q1=Mconx(hc1ihc1o)[kW]

Heatingarea:
Ash=Qsh/(k3.dTlog3),Acon=Qcon/(k2.dTlog2),Asc=Qsc/(k1.dTlog1)[m2]

Heattransfercoeffitientk:k3,k2andk1[kW/m2K]
Log.temperaturedifference:dTlog3,dTlog2anddTlog1[K]

FeedwaterHeaterofTubesheetType:
TubesheetHPheatersaredesignedastwozonesorthreezonesalongwithacondensingsection,a
desuperheaterandanintegralsubcooler.
Theuseofadesuperheaterreducestheterminaltemperaturedifference(TTD)oftheentireFWH.Anegative
TTDcanbeachievedbytheuseofadesuperheater.Theappropriatelimitofthesteamdesuperheatingis
givenbytheconditionofthedryouterwallofthetubeattheoutletofthedesuperheater.Thetubewall
temperatureshouldberemainabovethelocalsaturationtemperatureinalloperationconditions.
Theuseofaseparatecrossconnecteddesuperheaterimprovestheheatconsumptionandincreasesthe
feedwatertemperatureattheboilerinlet.
Draincoolersareemployedbecauseofheatconsumptionimprovementincaseofdraininsertionintothe
lowerheaterthroughthecontrolvalve.

Tubesandtubebundlecarrier:
Thetubesareexpandedbyrollingintothetubesheet.Thebundlecarrierisdesignedsuchthatthetubesare
protectedagainstdeformationandvibrationandcanfreelyexpand.Thesupportplateswiththetubebundles
canfreelymoveinlongitudinalandcrossdirectiondespitetheunequalthermalexpansionduetothehotand
coldtubeleg.Thesupportplatesshowfurthermoresupportsintheshapeofwingsinorderforlateral
guidanceofthebundlecarrierattheinnerwallofthesteamshell.Thebundlecarrierconsistsofsupport
plates,sidemetalsheets,spacersandtierodswhichcanbequicklyassembledwithlittleweldingworkand
economically.

LPFeedwaterHeater:

(Patent:tubebundlecarriers)
TheLPFWHsareusuallyarrangedashorizontalheatersandsometimesarebuiltvertical.
LPFWHsaredesignedassinglezonewithacondensingsectionortwozoneswithacondensingsectionand
integralsubcoolersection.Draincoolersareemployedbecauseofheatconsumptionimprovementincaseof
drainintroductionintothelowerheaterthroughthelevelcontrolvalve.
HorizontalLPHeaterscanbebuiltwithpartialbundle(flooded)subcooler.Thissecurelyoperatedsubcooler
typeisdevelopedbyABB/ALSTOM.
FullbundlesubcoolerwithsuckedinletcondensateshouldnotbeusedinLPHeaters.Thesuckedcondensate
causessteamflashingandcavitationinthefirstSCchamber,whichleadstotheriskoferosion.
Condensingheaterswithoutsubcoolersectionhaveabetterheatconsumptionifthedrainflowsforwardby
usingadrainpump.AdrainpumpisusedusuallyforthedrainofLPheatersNo.2and4.

HPFeedwaterHeaterofTubesheetType:
(PatentAU1404792:HPFeedwaterHeater)
IntheHPfeedwaterheatersthetubebundleconsistsofbendtubesofUformandthetubesareconnectedto
thetubesheet.
TheHPFWHsareusuallyarrangedasverticalheatersandsometimesarebuilthorizontally.
HorizontalHPHeaterscanbebuilt:
withpartialbundle(flooded)subcooleror
withfullbundle(suction)subcooler.
Theheaterperformanceismainlydefinedbytheterminaltemperaturedifference(TTD)atthefeedwater
outletandbythetemperaturedifferenceatthedrainoutletordraincoolingapproach(DCA).

HeaderTypeFWH:

ThistypeofHPFWHhasbeendevelopedtomeettheincreasinglysevereoperatingconditionsinlarge
turbogeneratorplants.Thesemayincludehighheatrates,suddenloadvariationsandfrequentstartupsand
shutdownsincaseofpeakloadpowerplants.TheheadertypeHeatershavelowermaximumstressesduring
transientoperatingconditionandthereforefewerpotentialfailuremechanismsthantubesheetheaters.

Theheadertypeheaterprovidesgreateroperationflexibility,duetokeydesignpointssuchas:complete
separationofinletandoutletheaders,smallwallthicknessofthecylindricalheadersandmultibendtubes
(Wtubes)enclosedinashell.Bymeansofnipplesthetubesareindividuallyweldedattheirendstoseparate
inletandoutletheaderpipes.Thetubesareofalowcarbonsteelalloyas16Mo3.

Bymeansofgridtypesupportdesigns,thesteamflowinthedesuperheatingzoneandthecondensateflowsin
thedraincoolerzonereducepressurelossesintheseregions.

FormoreinformationonHeaderTypeFWHsee:
"HeaderTypeFWHeaterasRetrofitforCyclingUnits"
Dr.M.Youssef,PowerGenEurope93:Mai2527,1993Paris
Headertypeheatersarebuiltforverticalorhorizontalarrangementsaccordingtotheturbineroom
organisation.Thehorizontalheadertypeheaterwithanintegralsubcoolersectionarenormallyequippedwith
apartialbundle,fulllengthandcompletelyfloodeddrainsubcooler.

Thefeedwaterflowsthroughthetubebundlesandthebledsteampassesontheshellsidethroughanintegral
desupperheatingzone.Thebledsteamiscondensedinacondensationzone,afterwardstheresultingdrain
flowsthroughthesubcooler.Inthelowerheaterzonethecondensateflowsinthesubcoolerincounterflowto
theincomingfeedwaterandledwithadefinedvelocityaroundthetubes,ensuringtherequireddraincooling
approach.

ThetechnicaldataandeconomicaloptimumisgivenbythecalculationoftheThermaldata,flowvelocities,
pressurelosses,operationloads,heatingareaandfabrication.

DuplexHeaters:
(Patent:DuplexFWHeater)
(DuplexFWHeater)Duplexfeedwaterheatersforasteampowerplantarearrangedhorizontaland
normallyareinsertedintothecondenserneck.Aduplexheaterconsistsoftwoheatexchangermodules(LP
Heater1/LPHeater2)inacommonshell.TheModulesareappliedaspurecondensingheatexchanger
modulesorwithacondensingzoneandwithanintegraldraincooler.Thetwoheaterspacesaredefined
throughapartitionwallintheshellandturbineextractionsteamofdifferentpressureandtemperatureisfed
viainletnozzles.ThewatertobeheatedflowsfromthewaterboxthroughtheUtubesofthefirstheat
exchangermodulewhiletheextractionsteamwiththepressureP1condensesontheoutersurfaceofthe
tubes.Thewaterheatedinheater1,flowsthroughtheUtubesofthesecondheatexchangermoduleandis
furtherheatedthroughtheextractionsteamwiththepressureP2(P2>P1)andflowsagainintothewaterbox
totheoutletnozzle.
Thecondensateisdischargedatthebottomthroughtwoormorenozzles.Thecondensateflowofheater2is
controlledthroughacontrolvalvewhichcontrolsthelevelsintheheatexchangerspace2.Ataheat
exchangermodulewithanintegraldraincoolerzoneafloodedsectionalbundleischosen.Thecondensateof
heater1flowsviaasiphonintothecondenser.
Noncondensinggasesaresuckedoffoverventingtubeswhicharepositionedinthebundlelaneatthezones
ofthelowestpressure.
Theflowsinthewaterboxareachievedthroughthedividingthewaterboxintothreespacesbymeansoftwo
internalshroudsorangularplates.Thewaterboxinletnozzleisconnectedwiththefirstshroudandthewater
outletnozzlewiththesecondshroud.Betweenbothshroudsthefeedwaterflowsfromheater1toheater2.

Theheatexchangerspacesaredefinedthroughapartitionwallintheshell.Thepartitionwalliscarriedoutto
amajorpartasadoublewalltoprovideinsulation.Therebythefirstwallwhichfacestheheatexchanger
spacewiththehigherpressureispressurebearingandthesecondwallwhichfacestheheatexchangerspace
withthelowerpressureservesasheatinsulationandmanufacturedofthinsheetmetal.Fortransmittingthe
forcebetweenthetwowallsthinmetalsheetsareprovided.Thespacebetweenthetwowallsisopenthrough
anumberofholesatthebottomofthewalltothesteamspacewiththelowerpressureP1.Theinsulation
providesareductionintheheatlossflowandapowersaving.
Theloadresultingfromthepressuredifferenceatthepartitionwallistransmittedviathesupportplatesof
heater1tothesteamshell.Theflexibilityandthesupportofthepartitionwallavoidexcessivestressatthe
connectionplaceshellpartitionwallduetoheatexpansionandoverbending.

DistrictHeaters:

Districtheaters(DHs)arebuiltascondensingheatexchangersorwithanintegraldraincoolerzone.DHsare
designedforhorizontalorverticalinstalation.DHsaretubesheettypetubebundleheatexchangerswith
straightorUtubes.Thetubesareexpandedintothetubesheet.Bymeansofsupportplatesthetubebundle
areprotectedagainstharmfulvibrations.
Thesteamflowisdistributedovertheentirebundleacrossanannularspacebetweentheshellandthe
tubebundle.Theheatingwaterflowsthroughtheheatexchangertubes,whiletheextractedsteamcondenses
ontheoutersurfacesofthetubes.Thecondensateaccumulatsintheheaterhotwell.Theincondensiblegases
areextractedoverthebundlelengthinthezonesoflowestpressure.Asufficientventingprovidesagoodheat
transfercoefficientsforassuringamaximumutilizationoftheinstalledheattransfersurfaces.Thetube
bundleisusuallyprotectedagainsterosionduetohighvelociyatthesteaminletnozzlebyanimpingement
plate.
Water/WaterCoolers:
(Patent:Condenserwithintegralwatercooler)
(Condenserwithintegralwatercooler)
Thewaterwatercoolersareusedforbackcoolingofwaterorcondensateofcoolingcycleandarearranged
nearthecondenser.Waterwatercoolers(WWCs)aredesignedforhorizontalinstalation.WWCsaretubesheet
typetubebundleheatexchangerswithstraighttubesandwithoneortwopasses.Thetubesareexpandedinto
thetubesheet.
Thecoolingwaterinterthewaterboxandflowsthroughtheheatexchangertubes(tubeside,coldside),while
thewatertobecooled,herecalledcondensate(shellside,warmside)flowsontheoutersurfacesofthe
tubes.Bymeansofsupportplatesthecondensateisdeflectedincountercrossflowtothecoolingwaterand
thetubebundleareprotectedagainstharmfulvibrations.

FailuresofHPFeedwaterHeaterTubes:

Thetubefailureisoneofthemajorcausesofforcedoutagesinfossilfiredpowerplants.Thecausesofthese
failuresarerelatedtodesignproblems,fabricationproblemsandoperationalproblems.Thesebasicproblems
canresultinvarioustypesofdamagetoheatertubes.Forexample,designproblemsarerelatedtohigh
velocityintubes,vibration,materialselection,andtubetotubesheetjoint.Problemsrelatedtofabrication
includesupportplatedrilling,welds,tubetotubesheetjointfabrication.Operationalproblemsarerelatedto
cycling,startup,layup,lowloadoperation,operationwithexcessiveflow,flowoutofleakingtubes,water
chemistryetc.Theseproblemsresultinavarietyofdamagestothefeedwaterheatertubes.
Thetopofproblemare

Steamimpingementindesuperheatandcondensingzone
Tubevibrationcausedbyhighcrossvelocity

Tubefailuresinaheatercanbeavoidedbyawellplannedinspection.Inspectionsduringplannedoutagesand
inspectionsduringforcedoutages.

Failuresindesuperheater

Failurescanoccurindesuperheaterandcausedamages
Damagecausedbysteamcondensationatthedesuperheateroutlet
Highinletsteamvelocity
Tubevibrationcausedbyhighsteamcrossvelocity
Damageatthedesuperheateroutletduetointeractionofcondensateandsteamflow

Failureinsubcooler

Excessivecondensatevelocitiesleadtolocalflashingofthecondensateandsubsequentcollapseofthe
vapourbubbles,whichisharmfulwhenthisagitationoccursclosetotubesorothererosioncorrosionprone
materials.
Tubevibrationcausedbyhighcondensatecrossvelocity

TPTcanhelpyouinFWHquestions:
Improvementofheatexchangerdesign
Failureanalysis
solvingofproblems
Measurementofheatexchanger:conception,observation,evaluation