VELS INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE ,TECHNOLOGY & ADVANCED STUDIES

SCHOOL OF MARITIME STUDIES, THALAMBUR

DEPARTMENT OF MARINE ENGINEERING

MARINE MACHINERY START UP SEMESTER:8

FEED WATER SYSTEM

WHAT IS A FEED SYSTEM ? 

The feed system completes the cycle between boiler and turbine to enable the exhausted
steam to return to the boiler as feedwater. The feed system is made up of four basic items: the
boiler, the turbine, the condenser and the feed pump. The boiler produces steam which is
supplied to the turbine and finally exhausted as low-energy steam to the condenser. The
condenser condenses the steam to water (condensate) which is then pumped into the boiler by
the feed pump.

Other items are incorporated into all practical feed systems, such as a drain tank to collect the
condensate from the condenser and provide a suction head for the feed pump. A make-up
feed tank will provide additional feedwater to supplement losses or store surplus feed from
the drain tank. 

In a system associated with an auxiliary boiler, as on a motor ship, the drain tank or hotwell
will be open to the atmosphere. Such a feed system is therefore referred to as 'open feed'. In
high-pressure watertube boiler installations no part of the feed system is open to the
atmosphere and it is known as 'closed feed'.

Open Feed System

A open feed system is found in a system with an auxiliary boiler, which is generally on a ship
with a diesel engine. In an open feed system, steam from various systems comes to the
condenser and gets converted into water. This condenser is continuously circulated with sea
water and operates under certain atmospheric pressure or slight vacuum. The condensate,
under the effect of gravity goes to the hot well and feed filter tank. If the condenser is under
vacuum, extraction pump is used to transfer the condensate to the hot well.

Apart from the condenser,the hot well also receives water from the drains of contaminated
systems such as fuel oil heating system, oil tank heating, drain cooler, observation tank etc.
The water from all these drains passes through a filter or internal baffles in order to separate
any kind of oil presence. The water is then passed through a second stage filtration process
which contains charcoal or cloth filters. In case the hot well overflows, the water goes to the
feed water tank, which supplies feed water to the system whenever there is a dearth. A de-
aerated type heater is used in the feed water line in order to remove any dissolved oxygen
from the water. This is basically done to prevent corrosion of the boiler. The system also
consists of a feed regulator which controls and maintains the level of water in boiler drum.
 VELS INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE ,TECHNOLOGY & ADVANCED STUDIES
SCHOOL OF MARITIME STUDIES, THALAMBUR
DEPARTMENT OF MARINE ENGINEERING

MARINE MACHINERY START UP SEMESTER:8

Fig: Boiler open feed system

The Closed Feed System

The high pressurized steam from the boiler enters the steam turbine and exits in the form of
low energy steam, which then enters the condenser. A closed feed system mostly consists of
a regenerative type of condenser, which allows condensation of the steam with less drop in
the temperature level. Once the condensate collects in the condenser, it is extracted with
the help of extraction pumps and is then circulated to the air ejector.

The air ejector does the work of removing dissolved oxygen from the water. This helps to
prevent corrosion of internal parts of the boiler. The condensate is heated as it passes through
the condenser. The air is removed from the condensate using steam operated ejectors.

After the condensate is passed through a gland steam condenser, which further heats the
condensate. The gland steam condenser is a heat exchanger in which the turbine gland steam
is condensed and drained to the atmospheric drain tank. The condensate after getting heated
is then passed through a low pressure heater, which uses bled steam from the turbine. The
main aim of using all these condensers and heat exchangers is to prevent wastage of heat
 VELS INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE ,TECHNOLOGY & ADVANCED STUDIES
SCHOOL OF MARITIME STUDIES, THALAMBUR
DEPARTMENT OF MARINE ENGINEERING

MARINE MACHINERY START UP SEMESTER:8

from the system and thus increase the feed water temperature to assist in the de-aeration
process.

Fig: Boiler closed feed system

Result:

Thus boiler feed water system is studied.