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Monitors for Power Plant Condensers

Large increases in turbine back pressure are easily observed and corrective actions are taken promptly, but small amounts of excess back pressure often go unnoticed and can cost millions of dollars over the long haul.  RheoVac instruments continuously monitor air in-leakage, exhauster capacity and other parameters to give you the information needed to identify small deficiencies and diagnose operating problems.  This allows you to keep the condenser system operating at its highest performance level.  Case Studies

Optimize condenser operations with RheoVac instruments

What Are the Benefits?

Air in-leakage can affect back pressure, DO, and corrosion, which in turn can have significant short-term and long-term cost effects on the entire generating unit.   

RheoVac instruments help you to:

  • Reduce heat rate
  • Decrease corrosion
  • Recapture lost load
  • Minimize excess fuel usage
  • Increase availability
  • Improve water chemistry

RheoVac Customer Comments and Experiences

How Do They Work?
RheoVac monitors use unique multi-sensor probes to measure or compute various parameters in the condenser exhaust line.  The four primary sensors measure flow, temperature, pressure and relative saturation.  An electronics unit, connected to either one or more probes, displays the parameters locally, and provides an output, typically Ethernet, to bring all the data to the plant data acquistion system.

Measure air in-leak and other parameters in condenser vacuum line
A RheoVac probe has 4 primary sensorsWhat Are the Key Data Outputs?

  • Air in-leakage: continuously monitoring air in-leakage allows action to be taken before its rising value can affect back pressure.  There is immediate feedback on efforts to reduce the air in-leak, and changes in air in-leakage can be correlated to other plant events.  This is extremely useful in troubleshooting.
     
  • Total mass flow and actual volumetric flow:  these show the actual operating effectiveness of the vacuum  equipment to remove air, other noncondensables and water vapor in comparison with the vacuum equipment’s performance curves.  With this information you know if the pump (or ejector) is working properly.
     
  • Water vapor-to-air mass ratio:  this is a direct measurement of vacuum quality.  Water vapor-to-air mass ratio precisely identifies the point at which excess back pressure will occur.  Once there is excess back pressure, turning on an additional exhauster, or repairing air in-leaks, will reduce back pressure and save you money. 
One or more probes install in condenser exhaust lines
Typical installation for a three probe RheoVac unitHow Are They Installed?

The multi-sensor probes are installed, through supplied isolation ball valves, into the condenser vacuum pipes, between the condenser and the pumps or ejectors.  Depending on generating unit size and pipe layout, one or more probes are used as shown in the drawing.  The electronics unit can be located on the plant floor or remotely in the control room.

How Do I Get One?

Complete a RheoVac RFQ today to send us the application data to review, or visit our contact us page for telephone, fax and email information.

 

RheoVac 950 Specifications:

Line Size 3 to 18”
Wetted Surface 316 SS, engineered plastic
Process Connection 1½" NPT threaded coupling welded to pipe (coupling and all isolation hardware provided)
Temperature – In Pipe

Operating: 40° to 160°F
Maximum: 210°F
Temperature – Environment for Main and Probe Electronics

Operating: 40° to 120°F 
Maximum: 120°F
Operating Pressure 0-10” HgA
Input Power 100-250 Vac, 50/60 Hz
Signal Outputs/Data Access Ethernet 10Base-T
RS232 and RS422
4/20 mA signals (option)
Local Display Backlit LCD
Primary Calibration Accuracy +/- 1 SCFM or +/- 1% FS
Repeatability +/- 0.5% of reading

More information about RheoVac Model 950 (PDF)