STEAM CONDENSERS HYDROTEST PRESSURE

[yaar123]

Hello to all,

What should be Hydrotest pressure of Steam Condensers? is this anywhere defined?

 

[crshears]

Where in the world are you located? What if any AHJ [authority having jurisdiction] prevails in your area? Does the condenser operate at atmospheric pressure? Greater than atmospheric? Partial Vacuum? All of these make a difference...

"Undefined problems have an infinite number of solutions."

CR

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." [Proverbs 27:17, NIV]

 

[EdStainless]

Normally for steam condensers that run at vacuum they are designed to be able to be filled with water. just filling them is much higher pressure than they would ever be able to see in service so it takes reinforcement.
There is information on this in the HEI Steam Condenser Standard.

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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube

 

[crshears]

Hi Ed, I recall from my steam days that the near-perfect-vacuum condensers in our plant had special jack screws that could be spun up against reinforcing plates on the underside of the condenser to enable the box to carry the mass of the tons of water used to fill the condenser steam side for leak tests...but the OP provided virtually no info, hence the query.

CR

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." [Proverbs 27:17, NIV]

 

[EdStainless]

CR, if you condenser is hung from the turbine neck then yes, you have to support it before you fill it with water. Ones that sit on spring packs should have been designed to handle the range of empty-full vacuum to being filed with water.

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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube

 

[crshears]

Hi Ed, those condensers were indeed on springs so changes in the weight of the condenser would not cause turbine shaft misalignment...but the weight of test water far exceeded the normal fluctuations in condenser mass and would have sprung the springs, hence the jackscrews.

CR

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." [Proverbs 27:17, NIV]

 

[metengr]

CR has it correct.

 

[metengr]

Typically we pull vacuum with air evactors and check for leaks in the waterboxes. No need to flood the condenser.