--------University Logo

--------PROJECT REPORT
ON

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Project report submitted in partial sulsillment of the requirement for the
award of

Bachelor of Engineering
In

--------------------------------Session 2011-12

Submitted to: -

Submitted By:-

Department of Mechanical Engineering

----------------------------------------------------------------------Page |1

UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, RGPV, Bhopal

Session 2011-12

CERTIFICATE

This is certify that Names has completed their Project entitled Energy Efficient Cooling
Water System for a Thermal Power Plant, and submitted the report. Their work is
accepted in the partial fulfillment for the award of degree of Bachelor of Engineering in
Mechanical Engineering from Rajiv Gandhi Technical University, Bhopal, M.P. in the
Department of Mechanical Engineering, UIT, RGPV, Bhopal.

Internal Examiner

External Examiner

Head of the Department

Date:

Page |2

Contents
Abstract
Introduction and Theory
Power Plant and Types
Thermal Power Plant
Cooling Water System
Steam Condenser (Heat Exchanger)
Frictional Losses and Pressure Drop
Energy and Mass Balance
Pump Sizing
AFT Fathom Model
Input Data and Analysis
Result and Conclusion
Summary
References

Page |3

Abstract
A Hydraulic and Thermal analysis of the cooling water system for a Thermal Power Plant is carried out for
energy efficient system and determined the volumetric flow rate of water through the system, along with
the capacity and number of pumps required for the purpose. A Thermal Power plant is studied thoroughly
with emphasis on Cooling Water System which condenses the low pressure hot steam to water. Heat
exchangers were modeled for the purpose, which were being fed by a fresh cooling water stream from
cooling tower sump tank. 2 Pumps were being modeled for continuous water supply to heat exchangers
with control valves to maintain flow rate.
Selection of piping system is an important aspect of system design in any energy consuming system. The
selection issues such as material of pipe, configuration, diameter, insulation etc have their own impact on
the overall energy consumption of the system. Piping is one of those few systems when you oversize, you
will generally save energy; unlike for a motor or a pump. Complete system of Heat Exchangers, Pumps,
Control Valves and Piping was modeled in AFT Fathom Fluid flow and pipe network analysis software.
Results were analyzed and system was optimized by modeling various design variants using Scenario
Manager in AFT Fathom.

Page |4

Introduction and Theory

Power Plant:
A Power Plant (also referred to as a Generating Station, Power Station, and Power House or Generating
plant) is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Each power plant contains one or
more Generators, a Turbine (or Prime Mover) that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy by
creating relative motion between a magnetic field and a conductor. The energy source harnessed to turn the
generator varies widely.

Types of Power Plants:

A power plant can be of several types depending mainly on the type of fuel used. Most power stations
burn fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas to generate electricity, and some use nuclear power, but
there is an increasing use of cleaner renewable sources such as solar, wind, wave and hydroelectric.
Various types of power plants are Thermal Power Plant
o Coal Fired
o Gas Fired
o Diesel Fired
Nuclear Power Plant
Hydro Electric Power Plant
Solar Power Plant
Wind Power Farms
Geo thermal Power Plant
Tidal Power Plant (Ocean or Wave Energy)

Page |5

Thermal Power Plant:

Thermal power plants use water as working fluid. Nuclear and coal based power plants fall under this
category. The way energy from fuel gets transformed into electricity forms the working of a power plant. In
a thermal power plant a steam turbine is rotated with help of high pressure and high temperature steam and
this rotation is transferred to a generator to produce electricity.
Water is used in two ways in thermal power plants: (a) Internal steam cycle: To create steam via the energy
source (fossil fuel combustion) and convey it to an electricity-generating turbine, and (b) Cooling cycle: To
cool and condense the after-turbine steam (this condensation dramatically decreases the volume of the
expanded steam, creating a suction vacuum which draws it through the turbine blades), and then to
discharge surplus heat to the environment.
In the internal energy transfer water circuit, only a comparatively tiny amount of water is lost. Its
effectively a water > steam > water > steam > water etc. closed-loop system. Clearly, this cannot be
what worries people, as the water consumption for an internal steam cycle is essentially a once-off affair.
The amount of heat discharged to the environment depends principally on the plants thermal efficiency.
High efficiency is achieved by having a large temperature differential, whether it comes from high internal
heat or a low temperature external environment, or both.

Fig.1 Block Diagram of a Thermal Power Plant

Page |6

Cooling Water System:

The largest use of water in power generation is for condenser cooling. Thermal power plants require a large
amount of cooling water to condense the steam turbine exhaust steam. The lower the condensing temperature,
the lower the backpressure on the steam turbine, which increases plant thermal efficiency. Cooling water
system contains steam condenser, supply pumps, cooling tower, piping arrangement and auxiliary equipments.

The most effective method of rejecting this heat is through the use of cooling water. Traditionally, power plants
have used three methods for condenser cooling:
Once-through Cooling,
Evaporative Cooling and
Dry cooling
With Once-Through Cooling, water is withdrawn (typically from a lake, river, or ocean), pumped through a
condenser, and returned to the source at the same rate but at an increased temperature. Once-through cooling
provides the best power plant efficiency of all the alternatives (such as cooling towers) because the source
water tends to be the lowest temperature heat sink available for most of the year.

Page |7

Fig. Once-through Cooling.

Evaporative cooling is often used when larger water volumes are unavailable. The re-circulating water is
cooled either in a Cooling Tower or Cooling Pond and then recycled back to the condenser. Evaporative
cooling typically provides the Second-Best Plant efficiency, because the condensing temperature
approaches the ambient wet-bulb temperature. Plants with cooling towers typically withdraw less than 5%
of the cooling water of a comparable plant with once-through cooling, but the actual water consumption
(evaporative water loss) is higher.

Fig. Wet cooling tower and Evaporative Re-circulating cooling.

Page |8

With Dry Cooling, heat is rejected from the condenser to the atmosphere by passing air over the outside of a
heat exchanger. There are generally two types of dry cooling: direct and indirect. In direct dry cooling, steam is
ducted to the air-cooled condenser (ACC), where it is condensed (Figure). With indirect dry cooling, the steam
is condensed in a traditional condenser by cooling water that is then pumped to an air-cooled heat exchanger.
Hybrid systems combine wet and dry cooling processes.

Fig. Air-cooled condenser

Steam Condenser:
A condenser is a device where steam condenses and latent heat of evaporation released by the steam is
absorbed by cooling water.

Thermodynamically, it serves the following purposes with reference to the P-v diagram shown below.
Firstly, it maintains a very low back pressure on the exhaust side of the turbine. As a result, the steam
Page |9

expands to a greater extent and consequently results in an increase in available heat energy. The shaded
area shown in the P-v diagram exhibits the increase in the work obtained by fitting a condenser unit to a
non-condensing unit for the same available steam properties. In the P-v diagram, line 4-5 is non-condensing
line when the condenser unit is -5notisappli condensing line when the condenser is used Secondly, the
exhaust steam condensate is free from impurities. Thermal efficiency of a condensing unit is higher than
that of a non-condensing unit for the same available steam properties.

Frictional Losses and Pressure Drops

Pipes Losses
Whenever fluid flows in a pipe there will be some loss of pressure due to several factors:
Friction: This is affected by the roughness of the inside surface of the pipe, the pipe diameter,and the
physical properties of the fluid.
Changes in size and shape or direction of flow.
Obstructions: For normal, cylindrical straight pipes the major cause of pressure loss will be friction.
Pressure loss in a fitting or valve is greater than in a straight pipe. When fluid flows in a straight pipe
the flow pattern will be the same throughout the pipe. In a valve or fitting changes in the flow pattern
due to factors size, shape and obstruction will cause extra pressure drops. Pressure drops can be
measured in a number of ways.
This is illustrated by the DArcy equation:

Where:
L = Length (m)
v = Flow velocity (m/s)
P a g e | 10

g = Gravitational constant (9.81 m/s)

d = Pipe inside diameter (m)
hf = Head loss to friction (m)
f = Friction factor (dimensionless)

Before the pipe losses can be established, the friction factor must be calculated. The friction factor will be
dependent on the Pipe Size, Inner Roughness of the pipe, flow Velocity and Fluid Viscosity. The Flow
condition, whether Turbulent or not, will determine the method used to calculate the friction factor.

Figure: Moody Diagram, given below can be used to estimate friction factor. Roughness of pipe is
required for friction factor estimation. The chart shows the relationship between Reynolds number and pipe
friction. Calculation of friction factors is dependent on the type of flow that will be encountered. For Re
numbers <2300 the fluid flow is laminar, when Re number is >= 4000 the fluid flow is turbulent.

The following table gives typical values of absolute roughness of pipes, k. The relative roughness k/d can
be calculated from k and inside diameter of pipe.

P a g e | 11

Type of Pipe

Absolute Roughness (mm)

Plastic Tubing

0.0015

Stainless Steel

0.015

Rusted Steel

0.1 to 1.0

Galvanized Iron

0.15

Cast Iron

0.26

Components Losses
Minor head loss in pipe systems can be expressed as:

Where,
= Minor head loss (m)
k = minor loss coefficient
u = flow velocity (m/s)
g = acceleration of gravity (m/s2)

Minor loss coefficients for some of the most common used components in pipe and tube systems
are-

P a g e | 12

Type of Component or Fitting

Flanged Tees Line Flow
Threaded Tees Line Flow
Flanged Tees Branched Flow
Threaded Tees Branch Flow
Threaded Union
Flanged Regular 90 Elbows

Minor Loss Coefficient, k

0.2
0.9
1.0
2.0
0.08
0.3

Threaded Regular 90o Elbows

1.5

Threaded Regular 45o Elbows

0.4

Flanged Long Radius 90o Elbows

0.2

Threaded Long Radius 90o Elbows

0.7

Flanged Long Radius 45o Elbows

0.2

Flanged 180o Return Bends

0.2

Threaded 180o Return Bends

1.5

Fully Open Globe Valve

10

Fully Open Angle Valve

Fully Open Gate Valve

0.15

1/4 Closed Gate Valve

0.26

1/2 Closed Gate Valve

2.1

3/4 Closed Gate Valve

17

Forward Flow Swing Check Valve

Fully Open Ball Valve

0.05

1/3 Closed Ball Valve

5.5

2/3 Closed Ball Valve

200

The above equations and table can be used for calculating pressure drops and energy loss associated in
pipes and fittings. The details of all losses are available with piping handbooks Crane - Flow of Fluids through Valves, Fittings and Pipe,
Idelchik - Handbook of Hydraulic Resistance,
Miller - Internal Flow Systems.

P a g e | 13

Energy and Mass Balance

The fundamental relationship of conservation of mass and energy mathematically describe the flow and
pressure distribution within a pipe network under steady state condition. Conservation of mass at a junction
node (Equ.-1) and conservation of energy (Equ.-2) were derived from pipes in parallel and pipes in series
between two end points for steady state hydraulic conditions.

Equation 1

Equation 2

Where,
hL

Total Head loss

lpath

Number of Pipes in Series

Kl

Coefficient of Pipe l containing information about Diameter, Length and Pipe Roughness

Exponent from Head Loss equation

Ql

Flow rate in pipe l

qj

Nodal withdrawal/supply at node j

These can be extended to general networks, The resulting set of simultaneous quasi linear equations
can be solved for the pipe flow and nodal heads for steady state as well as for step-wise (quasi) dynamic
(known as Extended Time/Period simulation or ETS/EPS).

P a g e | 14

Conservation of Mass:
A junction node is a connection of two or more pipes. Although demands are distributed along
pipes, these demands are lumped at junctions and defined as qnode
For a junction node i, conservation of mass can be written as-

Equation 3
Where,
qi

External Demand (Withdrawal),

Jin,I

Set of pipes supplying flow to node i

Jout,I

Set of pipes carrying flow from node i

l Jin =

l is in the set of pipes in Jin

This equation can be written for every junction node in the system.

Conservation of Energy:
The2nd governing law is that energy must be conserved between any two points. Along the path
between nodes A and B that only includes pipes, conservation of energy can be written as:

Equation 4
Where,
HA

Total energy at node A

HB

Total energy at node B

hL,l

Head loss in pipe l

Kl

Loss coefficient in pipe l

Ql

Flow rate in pipe l

P a g e | 15

[ ]

Pump Sizing
To size a pump, one must define:
The flow rate of liquid the pump is required to deliver.
The total differential head the pump must generate to deliver the required flow rate

This is the case for all types of pumps: centrifugal or positive displacement. Other key
considerations for pump sizing are the net positive suction head available (NPSHa) and the power
required to drive the pump.

The steps to follow to select a centrifugal pump are:

Determine the flow rate: To size and select a centrifugal pump, first determine the flow rate. In an
industrial setting, the flow rate will often depend on the production level of the plant. Selecting the
right flow rate may be as simple as determining that it takes 100 gpm (6.3 L/s) to fill a tank in a
reasonable amount of time or the flow rate may depend on some interaction between processes that
needs to be carefully analyzed.
Determine the static head: This is a matter of taking measurements of the height between the
suction tank fluid surface and the discharge pipe end height or the discharge tank fluid surface
elevation.
Determine the friction head: The friction head depends on the flow rate, the pipe size and the pipe
length.
Calculate the total head: The total head is the sum of the static head (remember that the static head
can be positive or negative) and the friction head.
Select the pump: Can select the pump based on the pump manufacturers catalogue information
using the total head and flow required as well as suitability to the application.

P a g e | 16

AFT Fathom Model

Input Data and Analysis

Problem Statement for AFT Fathom:
To determine volumetric flow rate will be delivered by the pump to the heat exchangers in the system. A
secondary objective is to determine the best pump for the system.

The Complete network of cooling water system is modeled in AFT Fathom, with Pumps, Heat Exchangers,
Control valves, Pipes and fittings. Below are the input data to system in AFT Fathom software-

Fluid Used: Downtherm J (Liquid) at 150F (65.56 C), Density 51.9053 lbm/ft3 and Dynamic Viscosity
1.30381 lbm/hr ft. Thermal and heat transfer calculations are ignored.
DOWTHERM A heat transfer fluid is a eutectic mixture of two very stable compounds, biphenyl (C12H10)
and diphenyl oxide (C12H10O). The fluid is dyed clear to light yellow to aid in leak detection.

P a g e | 17

1. Condenser (Heat Exchangers)

2 Heat Exchangers : J12

and J13

Resistance Curve

Height Elevation : 2
Feet

Volumetric
Flow rate
(gpm)

Pressure
Drop
(psid)

0
500
1000

0
10
40

2. Control Valve (controlling Flow rate through Heat Exchangers)

1 Control Valve : J8
Elevation : 2 Feet

Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV)

Control Set point

50 psig (Static)

3. Centrifugal Pump (Fresh Water form reservoir to Condenser)

2 Pumps : J4 and
J5
Elevation : 2 Feet

Pump Curve Input

Volumetric
Flow rate
(gpm)
0
500
1000

Head (Feet)
70
60
40

4. Pipes

Pipe

Length
(Feet)

Size

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

20
3
5
5
5
5
3
200
10
5

6 inch
4 inch
4 inch
4 inch
4 inch
4 inch
4 inch
6 inch
6 inch
4 inch

P a g e | 18

Type

Hydraulic
Diameter
(Inches)

SCH 40
SCH 40
SCH 40
SCH 40
SCH 40
SCH 40
SCH 40
SCH 40
SCH 40
SCH 40

6.065
4.026
4.026
4.026
4.026
4.026
4.026
6.065
6.065
4.026

Material

Roughnes
s (inches)

Junctions
(Up,Down
)

Steel - ANSI
Steel - ANSI
Steel - ANSI
Steel - ANSI
Steel - ANSI
Steel - ANSI
Steel - ANSI
Steel - ANSI
Steel - ANSI
Steel - ANSI

0.0018
0.0018
0.0018
0.0018
0.0018
0.0018
0.0018
0.0018
0.0018
0.0018

1, 2
2, 3
2, 4
4, 6
3, 5
5, 7
7, 6
6, 8
8, 9
9, 12

11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

5
3
5
5
3
5
5
3
3
200

4 inch
4 inch
4 inch
4 inch
4 inch
4 inch
4 inch
4 inch
4 inch
6 inch

SCH 40
SCH 40
SCH 40
SCH 40
SCH 40
SCH 40
SCH 40
SCH 40
SCH 40
SCH 40

4.026
4.026
4.026
4.026
4.026
4.026
4.026
4.026
4.026
6.065

Steel - ANSI
Steel - ANSI
Steel - ANSI
Steel - ANSI
Steel - ANSI
Steel - ANSI
Steel - ANSI
Steel - ANSI
Steel - ANSI
Steel - ANSI

5. Fittings ( Branches and Elbows)

Branch

Inlet
Elevation
(Feet)

(Pipe
#1) K In,
K Out

(Pipe
#2) K In,
K Out

(Pipe
#3) K In,
K Out

J2
J6

2
2

(P1) 0, 0
(P4) 0, 0

J9

(P9) 0, 0

J10

J15

J16

(P2) 0, 0
(P7) 0, 0
(P10) 0,
0
(P13) 0,
0
(P19) 0,
0
(P18) 0,
0

(P3) 0, 0
(P8) 0, 0
(P12) 0,
0
(P15) 0,
0
(P20) 0,
0
(P19) 0,
0

(P12) 0,
0
(P11) 0,
0
(P14) 0,
0

Bend

Inlet
Elevation
(Feet)

Type

Angle
(Degrees)

Loss
Factor

J3

Standard
Elbow

90

0.50922

J7

Standard
Elbow

90

0.50922

J11

Standard
Elbow

90

0.50922

J17

Standard
Elbow

90

0.50922

6. Reservoir (Cooling Tower Sump or Fresh Water Source)

Reservoir

Liquid
Elev.
(Feet)

Surface
Pressure
(psig)

J1

10

40

P a g e | 19

(Pipe
#1) K
In, K
Out
(P1) 0,
0

(Pipe #2) K In, K Out

(P20) 0, 0

0.0018
0.0018
0.0018
0.0018
0.0018
0.0018
0.0018
0.0018
0.0018
0.0018

12, 15
9, 10
10, 13
13, 16
10, 11
11, 14
14, 17
17, 16
16, 15
15, 1

7. Scenario Manager (Input for different Pump Characteristic Curves)

Original Pump

Pump A

Pump B

Pump C

Volumetric
Flow rate
(gpm)

Head
(Feet)

Volumetric
Flow rate
(gpm)

Head
(Feet)

Volumetric
Flow rate
(gpm)

Head
(Feet)

Volumetric
Flow rate
(gpm)

Head
(Feet)

0
500
1000

70
60
40

0
500
1000

58
54
45

0
500
1000

70
65
55

0
500
1000

60
58
55

P a g e | 20

Results
Following results were obtained from the analysis and calculations For Pumps:

Pump

Vol. Flow
(gal/min)

Mass Flow
(lbm/sec)

J4
J5

478.9
410.3

55.39
47.45

Stagnation
Pressure
Head rise
Rise
generated
Speed
generated by Pump (Percent)
by Pump
(feet)
(psid)
21.85
22.54

60.62
62.53

100
100

Overall
Power
(hp)

6.104
5.394

For Heat Exchangers:

Heat
Exchanger

Volumetric
Flow
(gal/min)

Mass Flow
(lbm/sec)

J12
J13
J14

311.2
296.9
281.4

35.99
34.34
32.54

Stagnation
Pressure
Head loss
drop
across
across
Heat
Heat
Exchanger
Exchanger
(feet)
(psid)
3.874
10.748
3.527
9.785
3.167
8.787

For Control Valve:

Control Valve

Vol. Flow
(gal/min)

Mass Flow
(lbm/sec)

J8

889.5

102.9

Stagnation
Pressure
drop across
valve (psid)
9.992

Head loss
across
valve (feet)

Cv

Loss Factor
(K)

Valve
State

27.72

256.7

18.28

Open

For Pipes:

Pipe

Mass Flow
Rate
(lbm/sec)

Vol. Flow
Rate
(gal/min)

Velocity
(feet/sec)

Stag.
Pressure
difference
from inlet
to outlet
(psid)

1
2

102.83
47.45

889.2
410.3

9.875
10.34

1.064
0.093

P a g e | 21

fL/D

0.6285
0.1549

3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

P a g e | 22

55.39
55.39
47.45
47.45
47.45
102.87
102.87
35.99
35.99
66.88
34.34
34.34
32.54
32.54
32.54
32.54
66.88
102.87

478.9
478.9
410.3
410.3
410.3
889.5
889.5
311.2
311.2
578.3
296.9
296.9
281.4
281.4
281.4
281.4
578.3
889.5

12.07
12.07
10.34
10.34
10.34
9.879
9.879
7.843
7.843
14.575
7.484
7.484
7.092
7.092
7.092
7.092
14.575
9.879

0.209
0.209
0.155
0.155
0.093
3.436
0.172
0.090
0.091
0.181
0.083
0.083
0.045
0.074
0.074
0.045
0.181
2.715

0.2561
0.2561
0.2581
0.2581
0.1549
6.2849
0.3142
0.2624
0.2624
0.1524
0.2632
0.2632
0.1585
0.2642
0.2642
0.1585
0.1524
6.2849

Summary & Conclusion

The Pump result section shows that pump head requirements are 60.62 and 62.53 feet for the stated system having
3 heat exchangers which requires maintaining the flow rate of 281 to 311gpm. The control valve which is
controlling the pressure to heat exchangers at 50 psig is having a pressure drop addition to system of 10 psid and
for this coefficient of valve will be 257. The loss factor associated with control valve is 18.28. Mass flow rate, mean
velocity and pressure difference at inlet and outlet of pipe are shown along with the loss factor values.
Overall power requirement for the system is 11.494 hp (equivalent to 12 hp). The system I also analyzed for three
different types of pumps to the same system by using different characteristic curves by the help of Scenario
Manager Feature of the AFT Fathom software. Without changing the rest of the system data into the Fathom model
only pump data was changed in 3 different scenarios created for Pump A, Pump B and Pump C and all results of all
three were displayed in single window (shown in picture below).

From above results it has been analyzed that, total power for both of the pumps in case of original pump is 11.498
hp, for Pump A is 10.20 hp, for pump B is 12.278 hp, for pump C is 10.875 hp. On concluding using pump A will be
effective in terms of energy and cost.

P a g e | 23

References
1) Parametric Analysis of Surface Condenser for Thermal Power Plant - Vikram Haldkar, Abhay
Kumar Sharma, R.K.Ranjan and V.K.Bajpai , Gyan Ganga Institute of Engg.& Tech., Jabalpur,
M.P., INDIA, NIT Kurukshetra (Institute of National Importance), INDIA (Accepted 25 November
2013, Vol.3, No.4 International Journal of Thermal Technologies ISSN 2277 - 4114 (Dec 2013))
2) Applied Flow Technology, Fathom 8.0- Help File - FATHOM.chm
3) D. Keffer, ChE 240: Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer
4) Conservation of Mass in a Piping Network - Samantha Rochelle Heim, BS- Mechanical
Engineering (Honors Associate), Oregon State University,University Honors College
5) Mechanical Energy Balance: Intro and Overview - Faith A. Morrison, Associate Professor of
Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI
6) http://www.learnengineering.org/2013/01/thermal-power-plant-working.html
7) http://bravenewclimate.com/2009/11/20/tcase6/
8) http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Current-and-Future-Generation/Cooling-Power-Plants/
9) http://electrical4u.com/power-plants-types-of-power-plant/
10) http://www.powermag.com/water-conservation-options-for-power-generation-facilities/
11) http://www.pipingguide.net/2010/01/cooling-water-system-1.html
12) http://websupport.completewatersystems.com/entries/23615486--The-Challenge-of-Cooling-TowerPumping
13) http://www2.spiraxsarco.com/resources/steam-engineering-tutorials/steam-distribution/pipes-andpipe-sizing.asp
14) http://blackmonk.co.uk/2009/11/11/how-to-size-a-pump/
15) http://www.pumpfundamentals.com/tutorial3.htm

P a g e | 24