Backpressure steam turbine drives
Backpressure steam turbine drives
(OP)
I have little experience with steam turbines, and I was hoping someone can shed some light on the best way to condense the steam exhaust and recover the condensate. I have a 5psig backpressure turbine at 17,350lbs/hr exhaust. Are there mfrs who make pre-packaged condensers for such an application? Also, am I right to conclude that I would need enough river water flow to remove the latent heat of vaporization to go from saturated steam to saturated liquid, or 960btu/lb at 5lb?
Thanks for any help you can be.
Thanks for any help you can be.





RE: Backpressure steam turbine drives
Joe:
One way to conserve cooling water when condensing back pressure steam from a turbine is to run the exhaust through an air-cooled, finfan tube bundle and let the atmospheric air be the heat sink.
Yes, there are a lot of suppliers of this type of equipment. If you are contemplating using river water as the cooling fluid, then you will indeed need what you estimate to remove the latent heat of condensation - assuming you will maintain the condenser with the 5 psig of vapor pressure, and not flash down to atmospheric pressure.
RE: Backpressure steam turbine drives
RE: Backpressure steam turbine drives
RE: Backpressure steam turbine drives
What type of plant is this? Is there the need to heat anything with low grade heat? For example, the sugar industry uses 5-15 psig back pressure turbine steam exhaust to boil sugar juice to concentrate it. Do you have something to heat.
If not, why can't you exhaust into a vacuum? If you can you can reduce your water rate on the turbine. If you can't then any condenser manufacturer can make a positive pressure condensing unit. Try www.graham-mfg.com for a start. There is also a website www.vacuum-guide.com that has lots of links.
That you have this backpressure to deal with is curious to me.
rmw
RE: Backpressure steam turbine drives
RE: Backpressure steam turbine drives
RE: Backpressure steam turbine drives
I have had experience with older BPSTs and they are almost impossible to reuse from another application.
You must undersatnd that "back pressure steam turbines" (BPSTs)are constructed differently than "condensing steam turbines".
BPSTs are much smaller and do not include the longer (and much more expensive) last stage blades that provide most of the shaft power delivered by the condensing steam units.
BPSTs are commonly found in large process plants with continuous steam demand.
BPSTs are designed to thermally "fit" within an existing steam distribution system. The operation of the BPST must be integrated with the operation of the entire steam distribution system. They can be cost effective when they replace a pressure reducing valve.
htt
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http://www.snm.co.jp/product/inner2_1_2.html
http://njchp.rutgers.edu/files/Steam_Turbines.pdf
Was this BPST used in another application where there was a 5 psig distribution header ? If so, the condensing and steam usage requirements of the LP steam system controls the BPST operating requirements
My opinion only
-MJC
RE: Backpressure steam turbine drives
rmw