2 replies to this topic

[Shahid Qamar]

Hi all,

Can anybody tell me - in the case of a high level in a surface condenser Hotwell on a turbine - if upon reducing the level in the Hotwell by opening the drain to atomsphere, we will lose the system's vaccum or not?

Can anybody explain this to me?

Cheers

Shahid Qamar
email; sqtanoli@gmail.com

Edited by Art Montemayor, 06 March 2010 - 05:05 PM.
unclear english explanation

[Zauberberg]

Yes you will loose vacuum and not only so - but you will also expose yourself to extremely hazardous situation of introducing (sucking) air into hydrocarbon atmosphere inside the condenser.

If there is a blockage in barometric legs of surface condenser, that usually happens when higher molecular weight hydrocarbons get condensed and subcooled below their pour point. You can try to melt them by running the unit at lower vacuum (higher absolute pressure) temporarily, thus introducing the process stream at higher temperature. Another option is to try to throttle the cooling water flow, but that has to be done extremely careful in order not to create back-pressure surge upstream of vacuum equipment.

First try to determine the root cause of high level inside the surface condenser and then you can start to consider possible remediation actions. Keep it safe, in any case.

[fallah]

Can anybody tell me in case of high level in Hotwell of surface condenser of condensing turbine ,so to reduce the level in Hotwell we can open Drain to atomsphere or not ,

if drain will open we will lost vaccum or not

It depends on the degree of vacuum and level of condensate in the hotwell.

In cases i have faced the pressure in surface condenser shell were around 0.07 bara and for these conditions,as an example, if level of water (top of water level to drain outlet) be equal to or lower than around 9.3 m you can not open the drain to the atmosphere because of air sucking possibility.

Of course,seems there isn't any surface condenser in which the condensate level could be as high as above mentioned order of magnitude!