Turbogenerators
Description
The hydrogen cooler is a fin tube type heat
exchanger. The heat removed from the
hydrogen is transferred to the cooling water.
The cooling water flows through the tubes. The
hydrogen flows over the fins.
There are two coolers located at each end
of the generator. Each cooler is divided into
2012 Siemens Energy, Inc.
two passes which are arranged tangentially in
the stator frame. This design enables the
cooler to be integrated in the gas cooling
system without having to increase the overall
axial length of the generator.
The hydrogen flows through the cooler in a
radial direction while the cooling water is
directed tangentially through the cooler from
the inlet connections to the return water
connections where it reverses and flows back
through the cooler to the outlet connection.
Each cooler compromises two tube passes,
the two tube sheets and two chambers with
nozzles. To increase the heat transfer surface,
copper fins are soldered to the tubes. The
ends of the tubes are expanded into the tube
sheets. To make effective use of the water,
each of the coolers normally operates with two
independent sections where the water passes
twice through the gas stream (two sections,
two pass).
The two side walls of structural steel brace
the cooler and direct the hydrogen flow. They
are attached to the tube sheets.
Flexible gas seals are attached to
extensions from the cooler to seal against the
generator bearing bracket and generator baffle
plate surfaces to prevent hydrogen from
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flowing past the cooler.
.
MKA70 &MDB
Energy Sector
Hydrogen Cooler
The inlet chambers are bolted to the tube
plate and the generator frame over:
1) Gaskets (always present as a
hydrogen seal and sometimes
combined hydrogen and water seal
depending on supplier)
2) O-rings (as a water seal supplier
dependent)
Holes with gaskets and plugs are provided
in the generator frame and inlet chamber to
allow jacking screws to lift or support the
cooler. The configuration allows the chambers
to be removed for such things as inspections,
tube plugging, cleaning, after the generator has
fully coasted down to standstill and the
hydrogen has been vented.
Removal of the hydrogen
cooler from the generator is
not necessary for tube plate
inspections/cleaning and
tube plugging
Fire and explosion hazard due to
escaping hydrogen gas. Do not perform
any work on the hydrogen coolers until the
generator has been shut down and is filled
with air at atmospheric pressure.
The cooling water lines are connected to
the inlet chamber with flexible couplings.
To allow for free expansion of the cooler
piping, the cooling water lines must be
connected so that thermal expansion of piping
will cause no forces or moments at the cooler
connection.
H-20355 / 1
0812E
 Turbogenerators Hydrogen Cooler
Description

An alternative valve and piping

arrangement has each cooler pass capable of
being individually isolated allowing only 25% of
the tubes to be isolated (such as when a given
pass has a tube leak) instead of 50% of the
tubes (each section consisting of two passes).
This would allow for higher generator capability
©2011 Siemens Energy, Inc.

The cooler inlet chamber connections than the standard valve and piping
outside the generator are designed to arrangement. The required cooling water flow
support moments or forces of connecting rate depends on the generator
piping. Connecting piping to these
interfaces must be entirely self- supporting Coolers are vented by either by:
with no forces or moments applied to the
generator connections. Spool pieces 1) Evacuation with sufficiently powerful
connecting the inlet chamber to supply and pumps to purge non-condensable gas
return piping must be used to allow for from the tubes, or
removal of the inlet chambers (see
Generator Outline). 2) Supply sufficient pressure to overcome
a head equal to 2.5 times the height of
Water flows through each cooler section in the coolers above atmospheric
parallel. Stop valves are installed in supply pressure (approximately 9 meters) if the
lines for each cooler section in the standard pumps have sufficient head.
design.
All valves are to be located outside the
Downstream of each section return lines generator frame.
are control valves adjusted to maintain equal
amount of flow through each section.
Downstream of these valves a single control
valve should be installed to allow for
adjustment of the total water flow to the
generator air coolers. These valves ensure
uninterrupted and equal amounts of water flow
through each cooler sections so that proper
cooler performance will not be impaired.
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MKA70 &MDB H-20355 / 2

Energy Sector 0812E