Regenerative :

Heating Process by means of

extraction steam.

Greater the number of extraction stages,

the lower the amount of thermal energy (fuel) required to
generate a given amount of electrical energy (MW).
But optimum number of feed heating stages are required.

Regenerative cycle has a higher thermal efficiency than the basic

Rankine cycle.

The thermal efficiency increases with the number of feed heating stages.

COST ECONOMICS
A typical case study of a 210 MW Thermal Power Plant
Design condition: 210 MW 3% MU 0.0911ata BP
1. Design point
Heat rate

: 1981.1 KCal/KWhr

2. When both the heaters are out of service

Heat rate
: 2049.75 KCal/KWhr
3. Deterioration in heat rate due to non-availablity of heaters,
(2049.75- 1981.1) x 100 % = 3.46 %
1981.1
Say : 3.50%
4. Loss of power output due to deterioration in heat rate
3.50 x 210 = 7.35 MW
100

5.

Assumed data
Generation Cost per unit of power
Fuel efficiency as % of Generation Cost
FUEL COST PER UNIT

6.

: 50%

: Rs. 5.00
: Rs 2.50

Financial loading due to outage of both H.P. Heaters will be

1 KWhr
: one (1) unit
7.35 MW ( 7350 KW)
: 7350 UNITS ( 7350 KWhr) (LOSS OF POWER)
In one(1) day, no. OF UNITS LOST = 7350 x 24 = 1,76, 400 UNITS
- LOSS IN ONE (1) YEAR ( 365 DAYS),
No. OF UNITS
= 365 x 1,76,400
= 64,386,000 UNITS
- Fuel cost for generation of above units
= 64,386,000 x 2.50
= Rs. 16,09,65,000
SAY Rs. 16.00 crores/year.
Hence the net loss due to the outage /non availability of heaters for unit operation is
about
Rs. 16.00

crores per year.

CONCLUSION
Cost of a pair of H.P. Heaters is very very low as compared
to the loss incurred in burning additional fuel.
Thus the investment made in the purchasing a set of Heaters
gets recovered in four(4) to six(6) months of its operations.
Hence it is advisable to put HP Heaters always in service. This
will lead to save the plant from invisible recurring losses &
moreover plant efficiency will be increased by about 3.50%.

What is a Feed Water Heater?

A Power plant component used to pre heat water delivered to a steam

generating boiler

Allows the feedwater to be brought up to the saturation temperature

very gradually

Integral Portion of the power plant thermodynamic cycle.

Serves two (2) purpose

Provide Efficiency gain by increasing the initial water temperature to

the boiler. (Less sensible heat addition, Savings of coal, Lower
Emissions)

Provide Efficiency gain by reducing heat rejected in the condenser.

Feed water inside tubes; Extracted Steam Condenses on shell side.

Condensed Steam from each FWH drains successively to the next lower
pressure heater, which is returned to the Feed Water through a pump or
though the condenser.

Types of Feed Water Heaters

Based on Pressure Consideration & Location in Power Plant
Cycle

Low Pressure Heater (LPH)

Between Condensate Extraction Pump (CEP) & Boiler
Feed Pump (BFP)
Extracts Steam from Low Pressure (LP) Turbine

High Pressure Heater (HPH)

Downstream of Boiler Feed Pump (BFP)
Extracts Steam from High Pressure (HP) Turbine

Types of Feed Water Heaters

Based on Orientation

Horizontal

Verical Channel Down

Most Commonly used

Most stable in regard to level control
Occupy more floor space but reduces building height
Disassembly by shell/bundle removal
Amount of control volume available for liquid level
fluctuation is less
Less stable in regard to level control
Conserve Floor Space but requires more building height
Disassembly by shell removal
Installation Difficult

Vertical Channel Up

Least Frequently Used

Disassembly by bundle removal
It calls for full length sub-cooling zone

Zones in a Feed Water Heaters

De-superheating Zone

Condensing Zone

Incoming Superheated steam enters this zone

Transfers most of its superheat to feed water

Present in all heaters

All the steam is condensed in this area
Major Heat Transfer take place

Sub-cooling Zone

Condensed Steam enters this zone at saturation

temperature.
Convective Heat Transfer

EXPECTATIONS

To provide reliable & trouble free services

Ensure continuous availability

Achieve desired performance of heating the

feed water

Capable of extracting both Latent as well as

sensible heats of steam

Shell/Skirt Assembly
Skin of heater

Sheaths the internals and takes on the piping to & from the heater,
some fittings, inspection openings & heater supports etc.

Water Box Assembly

Hemispherical shaped
heavy component
Provides the chamber for
the Feed Water to be fed
into and out of U-tubes
Takes the attachment of
heavy Inlet/Outlet Feed
Water piping. Besides,
the Manway access is
also provided through
this assembly.

Tube plate
Tub shaped Carbon Steel Forging.
Separating wall of shell side and tube side, with all the tubes
attached to it.
Offers a leak tightness between the two fluids.
Channel Side Face is weld over-laid with SS-304

Tube Nest Assembly

Comprises of the tube bundle- tubes, baffles, zone dividing plates,
support plates, skid bars etc.
All these parts (other than tubes), exist to support the tubes either
thermally (functionally) or mechanically.

MAJOR VARIANTS OF DESIGNS OFFERED BY BHEL

1. Single Zone Heaters - Condensing Zone
2. Two Zone Heaters - Condensing + DC Zone

3. Three zone Heaters - DS + Condensing + DC Zone

4. Independent Drain Coolers

Feedwater heater design is also a function of Installation position i.e.,

-

Horizontal

Vertical
- Header-up
- Header-down

THE
PERFORMANCE

Terminal Temp. Difference (TTD) (TSAT -TFWO )

Measure of How Close the outlet feedwater temperature is to the
heater saturation
temperature.
The difference between Sat. temp. of extraction steam (on Shell Side)
and FW outlet temp. (Tube side)
Increase of TTD by 10F in top heater increase in heat rate by 0.016%
(deterioration)
Increase of TTD by 10F in other heaters increase in heat rate by
0.013% (deterioration)

Drain Cooler Approach (DCA) (Tdrainout-TFWI )

Measure of How close the heater drain outlet temperature is to

the feedwater inlet
temperature.
The difference between Drain Outlet Temp (Shell Side) and FW
inlet temp. (Tube side).
Increase of DCA by 10F increase in heat rate by 0.005%
(deterioration)

A feed water can be said to be having good performance, if actual TTD & DCA
are close to the ones chosen as design point.

Effect of decrease of TTD in heater below the top heater

FW temp rise increases Extr steam qty increases Main Power output
decreases slightly Higher FW temp. (inlet) to next higher heater
Extraction qty for that heater (higher stage) decreases
Net qty. of steam available for expansion, between two extraction points
increases, increasing the power output.
The combined effect is a net improvement in efficiency.

Effect of decrease of TTD in the top heater

FW temp rise high Extraction steam quantity increases Power output

decreases.
Higher FW temp. to economizer , reduces the duty of same. But net qty. of
steam available for expansion, between two extraction points decreases,
decreasing the power output.
The combined effect has to be evaluated comparing the lower heat input
with loss in power output.

Effect of decrease of DCA in heater below the top

heater
As drain out temp. of a heater lowers increase in extraction
load of lower stage heater, while decrease of same in the
subject heater, increasing the steam qty between two ext.
points and hence the power output, increasing the net
efficiency.

Effect of decrease of DCA in the top heater

Lowering DCA shall mean decrease in extraction qty. of top
heater i.e., increase in power output. Also the extraction
pressure increases slightly, increasing the FW out temp
slightly . On the other hand reheater duty increases, too. The
gains achieved may or may not overcome this deficit. It is
cycle-dependent. However, the net effect is improved cycle
efficiency and output.

Amt. Of Superheat (oF) Suggested TTD(oF)

150-200

200-250

-1

250-300

-2

HEI recommends DCA not to be less than +10 oF(5.5 oC)

Although all heaters should be in service to ensure best plant

performance, it is not always possible.
Heaters are expected to behave, in following manner against the
off-design condition:

Top Heater Out condition: Extraction pressure and extraction qty

increases in lower heater, thereby increasing the FW out temp, as
compared to its designed value.

Lower Heater Out condition: Extraction pressure and extraction qty

increases in top heater. The FW temperature rise in higher heater
is more as compared to normal condition but FW out temp. is
much less than design point.
This condition should not be prolonged as chances of tube
failure due to increased incident velocity of steam are
higher.

 Low-load operation: In HP Heater 5, Temp rise remains

almost the same as design condition
due to inlet steam temp being the
same i.e., Degree of Superheat is good.

In HP Heater 6 the rise observed

lessens with the load as the degree of
superheat also lessens.

Moreover, Wet wall of De-superheating zone

sharply deteriorates the DS Zone performance, badly
affecting the rise in FW Temp at part loads.

Drain Levels in Heaters

Increase in drain level some tubes of condensing zone get

submerged reducing the steam extraction qty
FW outlet temp decrease TTD (TSAT -TFWO ) increases.
Drain flow to DC Zone decreases DCA (Tdrainout-TFWI ) decreases.

Decrease in drain level drain outlet temp. is being observed high

chances are that low drain level has broken the water seal between
steam and DC zone and that the steam has got into DC zone.
This may partially or fully destroy the effectiveness of DC Zone.
Moreover, high velocities may lead to erosion and/or vibration
Tube Failure.
Hence, monitoring of drain levels is critical to
operating health of a heater.

Poor air venting system

Symptoms
: Decreased FW Temp. rise, increased TTD &
DCA,
despite same FW flow.
Cause
: Non-condensibles or air have a tendency to
stick to
tube outside surface forming a blanket
that resists the
heat transfer across the tube
surface.

Fouling on tube inside surface could also lead to same symptoms.

Proper & continuous venting of air is very essential for heaters
performance. Operating Air-vent connection has a SS orifice plate
connected to its line, sized to create pressure-differential and pass air
.
To ensure proper venting during operation, the orifice plate
assembly must be installed.

Leakage in Pass-Partition of Water Box

Symptoms - Decrease in Temperature Rise

Increase in TTD
- No change in DCA.
- Pressure drop decreases
- Extraction steam flow decreases.

Fouling on tube inside surface

Symptoms - Decrease in Temperature Rise

Increase in TTD
- DCA also increases due to increase in Drain
Out Temp.

HIGHER RATINGS
FEED WATER HEATERS

PRESENT SCENARIO
- Till now, Higher ratings (500 MW and above), HP Heaters were being
offered in Double Stream Flow (2 x 50%) i.e. Qty of each Extraction
Steam & Feed Water is divided into two equal portions to be fed
separately to two heaters. A typical HBD looks like:

BHEL now proposes to go for Single Stream (1 x 100%)

Larger size High Pressure Feed Water Heaters. This will
have following benefits:
Elimination of extra equipments.
Reduction of fittings.
Simplification of the system.
Reduction in C&I items.
Reduction in Piping.
Reduction in Valves.
Saving of space at site.
Cost benefit.

Salient Parameters
Existing
(Twin Stream - 2 x 50%)

Proposed
(Single Stream - 1 x 100%)

HP Heater 5 HP Heater 6 HP Heater 5 HP Heater 6

Shell Side Design Pr
(kg/cm2g)

24

Tube Side Design Pr

(kg/cm2g)

Shell ID (mm)
Shell Length (m)

57

24

57

350

350

1500

2050

8.97

10.555

9.55

10.45

No of U-Tubes (no)

1181

2384

Water Box OD (mm)

1620

2090

Feed Branch ID (mm)

300

335

Salient Parameters
Existing
(Twin Stream - 2 x 50%)

Proposed
(Single Stream - 1 x 100%)

HP Heater 5 HP Heater 6 HP Heater 5 HP Heater 6

Shell Side Design Pr
(kg/cm2g)

21

54

21

54

Tube Side Design Pr

(kg/cm2g)

230

230

Shell ID (mm)

1400

2100

Shell Length (m)

9.81

11.61

10.375

11.90

No of U-Tubes (no)

1020

2634

Water Box OD (mm)

1480

2150

Feed Branch ID (mm)

457

470

Salient Parameters
Existing
(Twin Stream - 2 x 50%)

Shell Side Design Pr (kg/cm2g)

HPH 5

HPH 6

21

62

Proposed
(Single Stream - 1 x 100%)

HPH 7 HPH 5
90

21

HPH 6

HPH 7

62

90

Tube Side Design Pr (kg/cm2g)

350

350

Shell ID (mm)

1500

2100

Shell Length (m)

8.555

10.975

9.375

8.85

12.850

No of U-Tubes (no)

1531

2634

Water Box OD (mm)

1770

2150

Feed Branch ID (mm)

350

460

Pressure drop (kg/cm2) (max)

1.00

1.50

8.925

1.10

Salient Parameters
Existing
(Twin Stream - 2 x 50%)

Shell Side Design Pr (kg/cm2g)

HPH 5

HPH 6

27

74

HPH 7 HPH 5
97

27

360

Tube Side Design Pr (kg/cm2g)

1700

Shell ID (mm)
Shell Length (m)

Proposed
(Single Stream - 1 x 100%)

8.085

HPH 7

74

97

360
1600

11.765

HPH 6

8.105

2150
9.25

13.600

No of U-Tubes (no)

1673

2634

Water Box OD (mm)

1830

2150

Feed Branch ID (mm)

366

460

Pressure drop (kg/cm2) (max)

1.20

1.70

7.50

1.10

THE
MAINTENANCE

PROTECTION OF HEATER DURING MANUFACTURING &

BEFORE DISPATCH
-

Care during handling & tube insertion.

Use of clarified water for testing.

Testing of water used for hydrotest to ensure chloride content

within 20 ppm.

Effective draining & drying of heater.

Protection of both shell side & tube side by filling nitrogen at

0.30 kg/cm2g.

Monitoring nitrogen pressure.

PROTECTION OF HEATER DURING TRANSIT & STORAGE

-

Heaters should be checked for shipping damages, if any, on

receipt of heaters at site.

During transit & storage heaters shall be positioned carefully

ensuring clear visibility of gauges indicating nitrogen.

In case of longer storage, nitrogen pressure shall be checked

regularly & at least once in three months.
During rainy season, frequency of check shall be increased.

In case of fall in pressure, nitrogen shall be filled through the

Schroder valve provided on nozzle blanks of both shell side &
tube side.

Heaters shall be kept

commissioning.

Heaters shall be stored in covered/ closed shed & in a clean &

raised area providing clear accessibility to the pressure gauges.

nitrogen protected/

sealed before

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
-

Heaters shall be installed in position as

arrangement & instructions given in GA drgs.

Ensure provision of desired

indicated in heater drgs.

Each heater has a set of essential instruments & fittings.

These instruments & fittings shall be installed as per
instruction given in the drgs.

Appropriate illumination arrangement shall be done for

the local instruments.

Ensure installation of safety devices namely shell relief

valve and water expansion release valve.

maintenance

per

the

clearances

HEATER CONNECTION TO SYSTEM PIPING

-

Fabrication work in the associated piping work shall be completed

before connecting heater to the system.

All the pipelines shall be cleaned & flushed thoroughly ensuring its
freedom from the presence of any foreign particles, corrosion products,
etc.

Welding of heater nozzles with its piping shall be done carefully

preventing flow of any foreign material inside piping.

Heaters shall be kept fully isolated & dry till they are put in operation.

Presence of moisture will initiate corrosion attack.

Heaters shall be charged/commissioned as early as possible after

connecting with piping to eliminate/reduce corrosion attack.

Complete feed heating system shall be checked for leak tightness by

performing hydrostatic test as per design requirements. Hydrostatic test
shall be done using chloride free DM water, or chloride if present, its
content shall be limited to 20 ppm.
Quality of water shall be checked before putting in use.

HEATER OPERATIONS
INITIAL START-UP
-

Both shell side & feed side of heater shall be flushed using DM water.

Check all Instruments & Fittings attached are functional.

Check Safety Relief Valve are fitted both on feed side & shell side and
are functioning.

Ensure make & break of Level Switches and functioning of Alarm

Annunciation device.

Open Channel Vent Valves & Shell Start Up Vent Valve to remove air
filled in heater.

Slowly open the feed side isolation valve allowing feed water to pass
through the heaters.

Avoid sudden rise of pressure.

Stabilize the Feed Water flow.

After ensuring release of all entrapped air, close Vent Valve.

Ensure the Shell Side Drain & Vent Valves are kept Open in the
process of Heater Charging.

After stabilizing Feed Side slowly, start allowing steam to enter

in the heater by gradually opening the isolation valve to prevent
thermal shocks/ abrupt temp/pressure variations.

Open the Shell Starting Vent Valve to extract air & noncondensibles entering the heater along with process steam.

Close the Shell Start-up Vent valve.

Establish the normal Condensate Level in the heater.

Ensure installation of Vent Orifice plate in the heater operating

vent line.

Check and ensure heater vents are not cascaded and each vent
line is independently connected to deaerator.

Heater Charging shall be done only when the Unit load is atleast
40% of MCR.

GENERAL PERFORMANCE
-

Heater performance shall be checked regularly and observed

parameters shall be recorded. Heaters shall be operated at
design condition or close to design condition.

Any abrupt variation in performance needs thorough review of

system and shall be reported to the equipment/system designer.

Failure of heater performance could be due to :

-

Blanketing of bundle by air and non-condensibles.

Flooding of heater due to accumulation/inadequate drainage

of condensate.

Operating condition differing from design condition.

Tube failure

SHUT DOWN
-

Whenever a unit shutdown is taken, immediately isolate the

heater from shell side and shell side drain shall be opened to
discharge all condensate and avoid formation of stagnant
condensate.

After isolating the shell side, isolate the feed side slowly and
open the drain valves.

If the shut down duration is longer, protect both sides of the

heater by filling the nitrogen or any inert gas to prevent
corrosion of parts. Alternatively, fill the heater with DM
water/oxygen free condensate.

BY PASSING
-

During the unit operation, whenever any of the heater is

bypassed due to any reason, its feed water is passed on the
higher stage heater and thus the loading of this heater
increases.

Duration of heater by passing to be kept minimum.

Excessive steam extraction in heater may lead to :

Localized higher velocity zones resulting in huge vibrations

which may cause tube failure.

High flow of steam, increases excessive flow through drain

cooler causing problems in drain control system and level
build up.

Impingement velocity increases.

SOME DOS AND DONTS

A.
1.

Dos
In operation

Before initial startup, check flushing & cleaning of associated piping.

Open the water box vent valve to remove the entrapped air.

First charge the feed side slowly & establish the smooth flow.

Charge the shell side slowly and avoid thermal shocks/jerks.

Close the shell vent and open the operating vent.

Ensure fitting of orifice plate in vent line.

Keep the feed side isolation valve fully opened during the heater
operation.

Keep a close watch on heater parameters.

For isolating the heater, close the steam isolation valve before closing
the feed side.

2. During maintenance
-

Isolate the heater before attempting any maintenance work.

Prevent passing of bled steam and feed isolation valves. Check

leak tightness regularly.

Use manhole door cover removal trolley to open the manhole door
as per the instruction given in the manual.

Replace defaced/ worn-out fasteners.

Replace the gasket whenever joint is opened.

B.

Donts

Do not isolate the feed side when the steam supply is on.

Never close the shell operating vent valve during operation.

Do not allow the steam to enter into the heater when there is no
water inside the tubes.

Do not disturb/ alter the shell & water box safety relief valve
settings.

Do not operate the heater with the suspected tube leakage.

Do not operate the heater with leaky gasket joint.

Do not perform the hydrostatic test on shell side when the

turbine is in operation or in hot condition.

Do not operate the heater when the unit load is below 40 % MCR.

Do not reuse old/used gaskets & worn out/ defaced fasteners

MAINTENANCE FEATURES
1. Identification of leaky tubes

Vacuum pull test

Air pressure test

Water fill test

2. Plugging of both ends of leaky tubes

Follow recommended procedure given in O&M manual.

Weld plug with tube/ tube plate and check weld deposit by DP
test.

WATER QUALITY IN POWER PLANTS

Common requirements of Feed Water :
-

Free from dissolved solids i.e. Cu, Fe, SiO2, etc.

Organic matter

Dissolved gases

Aggressive chemicals i.e. chlorides & sulphides.

Presence of above elements leads to corrosion damage at

localized spots.

WATER QUALITY IN POWER PLANTS

Recommended limits for Feed Water are
MAXIMUM LIMITS
CONCENTRATIONS
TOTAL SOLIDS
0.050 ppm

TYP.
0.020 ppm

SILICA AS SiO2

0.020 ppm

0.002 ppm

IRON AS Fe

0.010 ppm

0.003 ppm

COPPER AS Cu

0.002 ppm

0.001 ppm

OXYGEN AS O2

0.007 ppm MAX (7 mg/m3)

HARDNESS

0.0

0.0

pH VALUE

9.2-9.5

9.45

ALL VOLATILE TREATMENT (AVT) FOR FEED WATER

-

AMMONIA (NH3) FOR pH CONTROL

HYDRAZINE (N2H2) FOR O2 SCAVENGING

0.002 ppm

Failures in SS tubes
Types of failures
-

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) growth of cracks in corrosive

(presence
of chloride) environment.

Pitting corrosion small holes in the metal

Crevice corrosion occuring in confined spaces

All the above corrosions are extreme in presence of chloride ions.

Susceptibility increases with ..

- Increase in chloride concentration

- Increase in oxygen concentration
- Degree of sensitization.

- Increase in temperature.
- Decrease in ph value.
- Carbon content in tubes.

CONTROL MEASURES
-Low Carbon material (C<=0.05 %)
-Exclude oxygen from the system
Extremely important during shut down and bypass.

-Use of chloride free DM water only.

-Maintain pH value in the recommended range (9.2 9.5)

 The erosion problem was due to tri junction weld between

tubeplate, waterbox & dividing plate.
The dividing plate is fabricated in two parts.
RESOLUTION
The problem has been resolved by providing a built up edge at this
tri-junction.

BACK

Back