Introduction to Power Generation

Lesson 1: Energy Conversion Process

Lesson 2: Boiler Steam Water Cycle
Lesson 3: Basic Turbine Overview
Lesson 4: Plant Cycle
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle

The Plant Cycle discusses the interrelation of the

systems we’ve already talked about. Specifically, it
addresses the issues of heat, cooling, and plant
startup and shutdown. This lesson provides basic
information only.
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle: Feedwater Preheaters

We discussed boiler makeup water purity requirements

earlier. In addition to purity, the temperature of
water sent to the boiler is also important. Water sent
to the boiler must be preheated.
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle: Feedwater Preheaters

Cold water added directly to the boiler creates two

problems:
– It’s inefficient. Cold water reduces the boiler water
temperature as it flows into the drum. This cooling effect
requires higher boiler firing rates for the same amount of
steam production.
– Thermal stress caused by the cold water can damage
economizer and boiler internals.
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle: Feedwater Preheaters

Preheaters minimize stress and improve efficiency by

heating the feedwater to near the boiler operating
temperature before the water actually reaches the
boiler.
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle: Feedwater Preheaters

POP QUIZ - True or False

– Preheating incoming boiler feedwater creates thermal stress
that can damage economizer and boiler internals.
FALSE
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle: Feedwater Preheaters

To improve efficiency, the

heat source usually comes
from the turbine. Steam
(called “extract” steam) is
sent to the feedwater
heater from one or more
of the turbine stages.
Since the goal is to heat
the feedwater as much as
possible, it would make
sense to take the steam
from the turbine stage
that’s nearest the boiler
operating temperature.
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle: Feedwater Preheaters
Although that makes sense for preheating boiler feedwater, it robs the
turbine of the most efficient steam for power production. Cycle
efficiency improves as the extract steam source moves closer to the
turbine exhaust end. Unfortunately, steam close the to the turbine
exhaust is at a much lower temperature than the boiler circulating
water.
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle: Feedwater Preheaters

As a compromise, incoming feedwater is normally

heated in stages. For example, using two feedwater
heaters:
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle: Feedwater Preheaters

The first heater is a low-pressure, low-temperature

heater extracting steam close to the exhaust end of
the turbine.
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle: Feedwater Preheaters

The second heater is a high-pressure, high-temperature

heater extracting steam closer to the high-pressure
end of the turbine.
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle: Feedwater Preheaters
Staged feedwater heating improves efficiency by minimizing
wasted heat. The low-grade heat present at the turbine
exhaust can’t be used to generate power, but it can be used to
preheat water. Any heat extracted prior to the turbine exhaust
improves the cycle efficiency. Any heat remaining in the turbine
exhaust must be removed by the condenser. This remaining
heat is dumped to the cooling tower circulating water and
eventually to atmosphere. It’s wasted.
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle: Feedwater Preheaters

POP QUIZ: The most efficient way to heat feedwater in

a feedwater heater is to utilize:
– A. A separate fuel-fired furnace
– B. Extract steam from the turbine stages
– C. Utilize an air heater
– D. Take steam directly from the boiler steam drum
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle: Feedwater Preheaters

POP QUIZ: The most efficient way to heat feedwater in

a feedwater heater is to utilize:
– A. A separate fuel-fired furnace
– B. Extract steam from the turbine stages
– C. Utilize an air heater
– D. Take steam directly from the boiler steam drum
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle: Feedwater Preheaters
The condensate (or hotwell) pump sends recovered condensate to
the first heater where low-grade heat from the turbine low-
pressure extraction passes through one side of the exchanger
and condensate through the other side. The low-pressure
extraction steam heats the returned condensate 10 to 20
degrees F above the hotwell temperature.
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle: Feedwater Preheaters
Next, steam from a higher-pressure, higher-temperature point on
the turbine flows to finish the heating process. This staged
process, called Regenerative Heating, uses steam from multiple
extraction points on the turbine.
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle: Feedwater Preheaters

Some plants have as many as 16 feedwater heaters fed

from eight different extraction points on the turbine
generator.
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle: Feedwater Preheaters

POP QUIZ - Utilizing several points of extraction from

the turbine is called __________ heating.
– A. Degenerative
– B. Convection
– C. Regenerative
– E. Extraction
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle: Feedwater Preheaters

POP QUIZ - Utilizing several points of extraction from

the turbine is called __________ heating.
– A. Degenerative
– B. Convection
– C. Regenerative
– E. Extraction
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle: Deaerators

Both the low-pressure and high-pressure feedwater

heaters in the previous examples are called “closed
feedwater heaters” because they’re closed to
atmosphere. Open feedwater preheaters, called
deaerators, also exist. Their purpose is to remove air
and other noncondensable gases from the boiler
feedwater
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle

Deaeration is the process of removing dissolved oxygen and other

gases from the boiler feedwater. Removal of dissolved oxygen is
critical to safe and reliable boiler operation. The corrosion rate
of mild steel doubles for every 18 degree F increase in
temperature in the presence of oxygen. If the oxygen is not
removed, oxygen corrosion occurs rapidly. Corrosion is
especially severe in the economizer because that’s where boiler
makeup water temperature increases the most. All oxygen must
be removed from the feedwater. For this reason, chemical
oxygen scavengers are added to the water leaving the deaerator
to ensure that any residual oxygen is scavenged before the
feedwater reaches the boiler.
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle
Deaeration occurs in two
stages. The first is
Mechanical Deaeration. Air
and non-condensable gases
are scrubbed out of the
deaerator to atmosphere
through a vent on top of
the pressure vessel. The
extraction steam and
condensate come in
contact with each other
inside the deaerator vessel,
so the deaerator is called
an open feedwater heater.
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle

POP QUIZ - The process of Mechanical Deaeration

– A. Removes air and other non-condensable gases from
boiler feedwater
– B. Mixes extraction steam from the turbine with the
feedwater
– C. Takes place in an “open heater”
– D. All of the above
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle

POP QUIZ - The process of Mechanical Deaeration

– A. Removes air and other non-condensable gases from
boiler feedwater
– B. Mixes extraction steam from the turbine with the
feedwater
– C. Takes place in an “open heater”
– D. All of the above
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle

Chemical deaeration removes any remaining dissolved

oxygen from the boiler feedwater. No mechanical
deaeration process is perfect. Some dissolved
oxygen will always remain. For this reason, a
chemical oxygen scavenger is fed, usually to the
storage section of the deaerator, to react with and
scavenge any dissolved oxygen that remains in the
boiler feedwater after mechanical deaeration.
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle
The deaerator is usually fed from an intermediate extraction on the
turbine. The steam and feedwater mix in the dome or upper
section of the deaerator where mechanical deaeration occurs.
The water then falls into the lower or storage section of the
deaerator where the chemical oxygen scavenger is added.
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle

POP QUIZ - The deaerator is _________ type of feedwater heater.

– A. A closed
– B. A shell-and-tube
– C. An open
– D. An unfiltered
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle

POP QUIZ - The deaerator is _________ type of feedwater heater.

– A. A closed
– B. A shell-and-tube
– C. An open
– D. An unfiltered
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle: BFW Pumps
After deaeration, the oxygen-free
water is pumped on by the
boiler feedwater water pumps.
These pumps are usually the
largest capacity pumps in the
plant. They must be capable
of supplying full water flow to
the boiler at a pressure high
enough to overcome the
maximum boiler operating
pressure. The highest
pressure in the plant is found
at the discharge of the boiler
feedwater pumps.
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle
Why use a condensate pump and a boiler feedwater pump? If the
hotwell (condensate) pump were designed as a boiler feedwater
pump, then the entire boiler makeup water system would have
to be built to withstand extremely high pressure. By placing the
boiler feedwater pumps after some of the equipment, only a
portion of the feedwater system is subject to high pressure.
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle

POP QUIZ - True or False

– The highest pressure in the plant is at the boiler steam
outlet header.
FALSE
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle
The following diagram shows the basic plant cycle. Proper
operation of every component is essential. Failure of any link in
the chain will result in a plant shutdown.
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle

The arrows show basic cycle flow paths. Specific

configurations will vary from plant to plant, but this
introduction provides a basic overview.
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle

POP QUIZ - True or False

– The boiler feedwater pump is located between the hotwell
(condensate) pump and the low pressure feedwater heater.
FALSE
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle

This introduction discusses plant equipment generally,

but provides no specifics on the individual
components. Additional site training will address
specific plant designs and equipment.
Lesson 4 - Plant Cycle

End of Lesson