Regenerative feed heating system

From the T-s diagram of Rankine cycle it is evident that at the state 2-2’ working fluid
enters the boiler and this temperature is very low temperature at which water is
entering the boiler. As a result of its efficiency of the cycle is lower.
Regeneration
There is a way to overcome this problem by raising the
temperature-of the working fluid (water) before it enters into the
boiler and this process is called regeneration in steam power
plants. Conventional way of doing regeneration in a power plant
is by extracting the steam from the turbine after partial expansion
or partial work done. This steam is used to heat the feed water
and the device in which it happens is called a feed water
heater or a regenerator. Regeneration improves the cycle
efficiency by increasing the initial feed water temperature
before the water, water enters the boiler and also helps in controlling the large the
large flow rate of steam at the turbine exhaust.
Regeneration is commonly used in all power plants where efficiency is of
importance and fuel saving is the motto.
Open or direct feedwater heating comprises of the vessel were extracted steam and
feedwater directly mix with each other. Heated mixture leaves the tank at a
temperature which is in line with the pressure of the mixing chamber.

At the state (6) some steam is taken out or extracted and directed towards the
feedwater heater while the rest of the steam continue to expand in the remaining
stages of the turbine till the end i.e. condenser at a pressure corresponding to
condenser pressure at state (7). The condensate in the condenser is at the
saturation temperature corresponding to the condenser pressure at (7). From
condenser Condensate leaves as a saturated liquid at condenser pressure (1).
Condensate or feedwater from here enters into the open feedwater heater via pump
(1), where it comes in direct contact with the steam extracted from the turbine at (6).
Mixture leaves the open feedwater heater as saturated liquid corresponding to
heater pressure at (3). Second pump raises the feed water pressure equal to boiler
pressure (4), in boiler change of state from water to steam and then superheating of
steam took place to match the turbine inlet parameters.
Effects of regeneration
◇ Increases cycle efficiency.
◇ Increases the steam flow rate.
 ◇ Reduces the steam flow to the condenser.
Types of feed water heaters
Feed water heater is simply a heat exchanger which is arranged so that the water
leaving a condenser is preheated before it is fed to a boiler.
There are two types of feed water heaters
1. The surface type - in which the feet water is passed through tubes, with the
bled steam surrounding them;
2. The direct contact type - in which the steam and water mix together.
Heat transfer in feed water heaters
There are three heat transfer zone in a typical HP surface feed heater.
1. Desuperheating zone – this zone is the last feed heater zone through which
the feed water passes before leaving the heater. When the feed water enters
the zone, it has been heated in the condensing zone to within a few degrees
of the saturation temperature, corresponding to the bled steam pressure at
the entry to the feet heater. The heat in the zone is transferred by conversion
the superheater steam can be considered to behave as a normal gas. The
steam normally leaves that is supporting zone with the residual superheat of
about 27.8 °C.
2. Condensing zone- in the condensing zone the overall coefficient of the heat
transfer is high. The main problem in larger heater is to obtain good steam
distribution to the condensing surface with the minimum pressure loss.
3. Drain cooling zone - it is possible to obtain fairly high heat transfer rate in the
drain cooling zone provided the drains are not reheated by heat transferred
through the shroud around the drain cooler convection zone. If there were no
desuperheating by a steamy atmosphere which would tend to condense on
the shroud and reheat the drain.
Low pressure heater - the heater is horizontal surface type consisting of two
halves, each of half been located inside the upper part of each condenser. The two
halves have been installed in parallel. The steam to both is supplied from the same
extraction point.
Construction – these heaters identical in construction are of vertical surface type
and are designed for the steam to pass over the tubes and condensate to flow
through them. Main elements of heaters
1. Shell.
2. Tube system.
3. Removable water box.
Gland seal condenser
It cools the air steam mixture sucked from turbine end seal. It is of vertical type and
has two sections. An ejector mounted on the cooler, maintains constant vacuum in
the first section. It also sucks the remaining air-steam mixture from first section to
second, where air is let off and steam condensed.