POWER PLANT INSTRUMENTATION PRACTICES

Chapter no 1 name: INTRODUCTION

Section no: 2.2 Introduction

SECTION 2.2 Regenerative Cycle/Heaters/Extraction System :-

Regenerative Cycle mainly consists of heaters and steam extraction systems which is tentatively
depicted in Fig.I/2.2-1 titled, Extraction Steam/ Regenerative Cycle/Flow/Schematic Diagram. Before
going to boiler, the condensate, also known as feed water, is heated at various points to
avoid irreversible mixing of cold condensate with hot boiler water which causes loss of cycle efficiency.
Different methods are adopted to do so reversibly by interchange of heat within the system and thereby
improving the cycle thermal efficiency. The method is called Regenerative Feed heating and the cycle
is called Regenerative Cycle. This is implemented by extracting or bleeding small quantities of steam
from suitable points though out the turbine stages utilizing the heat contents of extracted or bled steam
.The vessels where the exchange of heat takes place are called heaters. Here the steam totally condenses
in the heater shell and allowed to pass to the next lower pressure heater shell in order to maintain its own
level .The outlet water leaves the heater with a higher temperature than inlet .
In different cylinders or turbine stages there are numbers of extraction outlets used for regeneration or
heating feed water through number of heaters with suitable temperature and pressure called Gland Steam
Coolers(GSC),Low Pressure Heaters(LPH) and High Pressure Heaters(HPH) to ultimately match the
boiler feed water inlet temperature. Extraction steam is also provided from the turbine for deaeration of
feed water and in many plants for separate Boiler Feed Pump driven by Steam Turbine in addition to
motor driven feed pump.
The condensate from condenser hotwell first passes through the GSC to gain some heat or
temperature then to proceed to Ejector for gaining further heat/ temperature (not shown in this diagram).
In GSC all the gland steams are collected from glands provided at different casings of turbine to prevent
leakage of pressurized steam to atmosphere .The heat contained are utilized for condensate heating.
Ejector is provided for sucking the air ingress in the condenser and help in maintaining the vacuum
therein by ejecting steam at a very high velocity. Both these vessels get the initial steam from Auxiliary
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POWER PLANT INSTRUMENTATION PRACTICES

Chapter no 1 name: INTRODUCTION

Section no: 2.2 Introduction

Steam Header at no load or low load condition of the turbine and switch over to extraction steam or cold
reheat header as the case may be.
LPH 1 is normally installed in the steam chest between low pressure turbine(LPT) exhaust and condenser
in order to reduce the load on the condenser itself and heat gained by the
condensate after leaving ejector.
LPH 2 gets condensate from LPH 1outlet and extraction steam from LPT at a slightly higher pressure
called Ex 2.Similarly LPH 3 gets condensate from LPH 2outlet and extraction steam from LPT at a
pressure higher than Ex 2 called Ex 3. Next comes the extraction steam for Deaerator from the IPT
exhaust which is called EX 4 or fourth extraction. It serves two purposes; one being the heating of
condensate from LPH 3 outlet ,the other is of very important service namely deaeration of condensate .
After the Deaerator, condensate goes to the Boiler Feed Pump(BFP) or Boiler Feed
Booster Pump suction, as the case may be depending on size of the plant, and thereafter renamed
popularly as Boiler Feed Water (BFW) or Feed Water in short.
The BFP discharge feed water then goes to HPH 5and then to HPH 6 before proceeding finally to the
boiler through economiser. HPH 5 is provided with the heating steam from intermediate extraction of IPT
called as fifth extraction or EX 5.HPH6 5 is provided with the heating steam from HPT exhaust or CRH
line called as sixth extraction or EX 6.
2.2.1Various Valves & their operations
2.2.1.1 Main Steam Stop Valve
The boiler outlet steam passes through stop valve before going to the consumer/user end called the Main
Steam Stop Valve (MSSV or MSV).The main purpose of this vital accessory is to isolate the boiler by
interrupting steam circuit during start up, shut down or in case of emergency. Normally this valve is
motor operated. For bigger size of the plant, a small by-pass valve is provided to facilitate easy opening
of the main steam stop valve. During start up, the pressure upstream of the MSV becomes more and more
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POWER PLANT INSTRUMENTATION PRACTICES

Chapter no 1 name: INTRODUCTION

Section no: 2.2 Introduction

while the pressure downstream is almost zero. The differential pressure across the valve and the valve size
itself being very high for high capacity plants, the operating thrust/torque required is also very high while
opening the valve from fully closed position. To circumvent the situation, a small by pass valve is
provided which opens first with less thrust/torque (line size being small) and upon building up of pressure
at the downstream, the MSV can then open requiring less thrust/torque. During normal operation of the
plant the valve remains in full open condition.
2.2.1.2 Non Return(Check) Valve
The function of this valve is to allow the fluid flow to the forward direction under pressure but check the
fluid flow in the reverse direction .Here the construction of the valve plug is such that it moves up from
the seat when pressure applied from the bottom of the plug is higher than that of top of the plug and
remain in that position as long as the differential pressure multiplied by the plug area is higher than the
spring force applied to the plug for keeping the valve in shut off position. In the reverse condition when
pressure at downstream (top of plug) is higher than upstream(bottom of plug) ,the plug moves down by
the force due the nature of the differential pressure aided by the spring force and sits tightly on the seat to
arrest any flow .Non Return or Check Valve are provided in every flow path irrespective of steam or
water service wherever there is a chance of return flow under any operating condition. The valve is
normally self actuated that is no external power is required.
2.2.1.3 Start Up Vent Valve
This type of valve is provided in the main steam header and as the name implies is required for the start
up period only. The valve is of regulating service and through this valve steam is allowed to vent out of
the system to the atmosphere as required determined automatically or manually for purging and/or heating
of the pipe lines. These valves are in general motor operated.
2.2.1.4 Safety (Pop Up)Valve
These valves are of immense importance so far as safety of the plant vis- a vis of the personnel are
concerned. Whenever there is a pressure build up in the pipe line beyond limit, the valve should operate
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POWER PLANT INSTRUMENTATION PRACTICES

Chapter no 1 name: INTRODUCTION

Section no: 2.2 Introduction

or pop up to release the steam to atmosphere until pressure comes down to safe value. Though it is loss of
energy and mass of working fluid but is inevitable during any untoward situation uncontrollable by
normal control system.
There are various types of safety valves namely, Electromatic Safety (or Relief)Valve Spring Loaded
Safety Valve, Dead Weight Safety Valve, Fusible Plug, etc.
2.2.1.5 Electromatic Safety (or Relief)Valve:This is a pilot solenoid operated valve which gets energized from the pressure switch at very high set
point and allows working fluid to operate the actuator of the safety valve. It can be operated through
remote manual command as well from the control room/tower.
2.2.1.6 Spring Loaded Safety Valve:Normally this valve operates as a last resort to the safety system against high pressure .Under
normal operation of the plant, the spring tension is high enough to hold the valve plug on its seat to
ensure closed position until the very high pressure set point reaches. At this point and above, the force
against the spring is more to lift the plug over its seat and allow extra steam to escape unless the steam
pressure comes down to normal value. The discharge capacity should be selected such that the same is
equal to the evaporative capacity to avoid frequent build up of pressure vis- a vis actuation of this valve.
Other type of safety valves are not in use now a days and hence not discussed.
2.2.1.7 Blow Down Valve:This type of valves are provided to remove sludges, sediments and other impurities collected at the
bottom most location in the water flow path. It also provides the means of complete draining of the
system. There are two types of Blow Down Valve namely Continuous and Intermittant blow down valve.
2.2.1.8 Continuous Blow Down Valve :The function of this valve is to open continuously so as to maintain the dirty material level to a minimum
value. The opening of the valve is varied as per requirement with predefined control signal. The

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Chapter no 1 name: INTRODUCTION

Section no: 2.2 Introduction

motorized actuator gets manual commands also as operators prerogative in addition to automatic
controls.
2.2.1.9 Intermittant Blow Down Valve :It is valve for blowing down the dirty water as per the need. Its operation may be predefined based
on cyclic or time framed full open/close signal or manual command from the operator with motorized
actuator.
2.2.1.10 Drain Valve:During the start up of the plant after a prolong shut down or a cold start up, the pipelines, various
equipment need to be warmed up before loading the boiler. To achieve the requirement, heating steam is
admitted phase by phase in a very slow manner to avoid dissimilar heating vis a vis expansion of various
casings and pipes. While heating metal works, the steam gets condensed and collected at the bottom of
pipeline with a siphon sort of design at different strategic locations. At the bottom, condensed water is
drained out through this valves with motorized actuator when the level in the drain pipe reaches a
predefined value to avoid frequent operation.. Level switches are provided for automatic operation.
Manual command is provided for operators action.
2.2.1.11 Steam Trap:Function of this type of element is provided to drain out the condensed water from steam pipes and
jackets used for heating and thus resulting in partial condensation and at the same time arresting the steam
inside from escaping and hence the name. Generally there are two types of steam traps often available;
Float type or Bucket type and Thermal Expansion type. The operation is self contained and mechanical
type without requiring any external power and hence not discussed further in detail.
2.2.1.12 Steam Separator:As the name implies its function is to separate water particles suspended in generated steam from
boiler and carried by the flow of steam to the turbine or engine in general. To serve the purpose properly

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POWER PLANT INSTRUMENTATION PRACTICES

Chapter no 1 name: INTRODUCTION

Section no: 2.2 Introduction

its location calls for minimum distance from the steam generator so as not to allow water particles along
with steam for the greater part of the transportation line. In the Drum type Boiler, it is provided in the
drum itself where the water particles drop in the water section.
Some arrangement is made so as to guide the steam path to impinge on a series of baffles. The
water particles being heavier material have higher inertia and due to this fact it fall below after it strikes
the baffles by gravitational force at the bottom of the vessel. The dry steam practically unaffected by this
arrangement gets out for transportation. The collected water is then drained out through drain line.

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