THE INFLUENCE OF THE THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF COOLING WATER ON THE OPERATION EFFICIENCY OF STEAM TURBINE CONDENSERS

Abstract

When generating electricity in power plants, the efficiency of heat transfer depends on the quality of the coolant. At present, the physical and chemical parameters of the cooling water are controlled to determine its tendency to the processes of deposition of sparingly soluble salts or corrosion, but such an important thermophysical parameter as the thermal conductivity of recycled water is not controlled. Therefore, it is necessary to know the theoretical influence of the thermal conductivity coefficient on the heat exchange process in the steam turbine condenser and develop instruments and methods for its determination and control.

The paper makes a theoretical assessment of the effect of the thermal conductivity coefficient on the heat transfer process in the condenser of a steam turbine and shows that a decrease in the thermal conductivity coefficient within 8–11% gives an increase in the temperature of the exhaust steam and, accordingly, reduces the efficiency of the condenser by 1%. It is also proposed to develop an installation for determining the thermal conductivity of water and, based on the results of experimental studies, it is shown that using such an installation it is possible to determine the thermal conductivity of liquids with a systematic error of -3.2% and a random error of ±1%.