Simulation of the transient condensation process in steam pipes during start up of a steam power plant

Abstract

This paper introduces a model predicting the unsteady conditions in vertical pipes of a steam power station during start up of the plant. Knowing the time depending variation in the rate of condensation in the pipe is helpful for optimizing the design of the drainage system, which removes the condensate collected from the pipes. At present this system is designed on the basis of the total amount of condensate produced in a particular pipe during start up of the power plant. The model presented will provide a design based on the true maximum flow rate during said period. The paper describes the mass and energy balances for the gas and the condensate as well as the energy balance for the wall. All equations are transformed into a set of differential and algebraic equations and solved at once. The model was subsequently applied on genuine industrial scenarios. The results obtained from the model are discussed in detail and compared with experimental data. In all situations considered, the maximum condensate flow rate calculated was less than 50% of the estimated value using standard design methods.