Loss in capacity and operational availability in steam power plants is often caused by adverse conditions in turbine condensers.

The hidden cost of fouling

Fouling in condenser tubes comes in two fundamentally different forms, each with its own mechanism and consequences.

Macrofouling is caused by larger debris carried into the cooling water circuit: shells, seagrass, fibres, algae, and other organic or inorganic particles. These materials can partially or fully block tube inlets, dramatically disrupting hydraulic flow and heat transfer.

Microfouling refers to thin layers of deposits on the inner surfaces of cooling tubes — biofilms, limescale, corrosion products, or particulate matter. Even a deposit of just a fraction of a millimetre can significantly reduce heat transfer.

High-performance filters of the PR-BW series developed by Taprogge are arranged immediately upstream of the object to be protected in order to provide optimal protection of main and auxiliary condensers. Obstructions of tube sheets and leakages caused by tube erosion are effectively counteracted. Technically harmonised with the systems for water extraction, they enhance the availability of the cooling system. Macrofouling is avoided.

Taprogge systems for continuous tube cleaning automatically and continuously avoid the formation of deposits and scaling (micro fouling) within the cooling tubes that could impair the heat transfer. In such a way, they are specially aimed at increasing the thermal efficiency of the cooling system. Microfouling is avoided.

Taprogge systems consisting of high-performance filters and continuous tube cleaning systems have become state-of-the-art to ensure efficiency in power plants, both for once-through cooling and for cooling tower systems.