OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL

HIGH PRESSURE FEED WATER HEATER

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 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL

CONTENTS

Sr. No. Description

1.0 GENERAL DESCRIPTION

2.0 PRE-INSTALLATION STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS

3.0 INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

4.0 OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS

5.0 GENERAL PERFORMANCE

6.0 VENTING

7.0 LIQUID LEVEL

8.0 SHUT DOWN

9.0 FIELD WELDING

10.0 BOLTED CONNECTIONS

11.0 GASKETS

12.0 TUBE PLUGGING PROCEDURE

13.0 RECOMMENDED SPARES

14.0 PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

15.0 G.A. DRAWING

 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL

1.0 GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

A Feed Water Heater is a special type of a Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger designed for the
unique application of recovering the heat from the Turbine extraction steam for preheating the
Boiler Feed Water. Its principal parts are water chamber tube sheet, tubes, and a shell. It can
be designed for either low or high feed water pressures and may be installed either
horizontally, vertical channel down, or vertical channel up. The tubes may be either bent
tubes or straight tubes. Feed Water Heaters are defined as high pressure heaters when they
are located in the feed water circuit upstream from the condensate pump which takes its
suction from the condenser Hot-Well.

Each Feed Water Heater bundle will contain from one to three separate heat transit areas or
zones. These are the condensing, de-superheating and sub-cooling zones. Economics of design
will determine what combination of the three is provided in each heater.

A condensing zone is present in all Feed Water Heaters. Large volumes of steam are,
condensed in this zone and most of the heat is transferred here.

The de-superheating zone is a separate counter flow heat exchanger contained within the
heater shell. This zone’s purpose is to remove superheat present in the steam. Because of the
high steam velocities employed, condensation within the de-superheating zone is undesirable.

The sub-cooling zone, like the de-superheating zone, is another separate counter flow heat
exchanger whose purpose is to sub-cool incoming drains and steam condensate.

2.0 PRE-INSTALLATION STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS:

Caution: A pressure gauge on a heater indicates, vessels is filled with nitrogen gas for
shipping. All personnel must be cautioned not to put their head in to vessel
openings to inspect the interior. Nitrogen is colourless and odourless and
suffocation can take place without the sensed providing an alarm.

The heater should be thoroughly inspected for shipping damage as soon as they arrive.
Heaters with an internal nitrogen atmosphere have pressure gauges to show internal pressure
on both shell (steam) and tube (water) side. Heaters are shipped under 1.0 kg/cm² (g) nitrogen
pressure. If the nitrogen pressure has fallen below 0.5 kg/cm² (g) during shipment, it should
be restored to 1.0 kg/cm² (g) pressure.

Heaters should be stored on cribbing and not a contact with the ground. Horizontal heaters
should rest on their supports. Vertical heaters, with no supports should be checked to prevent
turning. The end of the vessel with the condensate water nozzles should be at least 25mm
lower than the other end to prevent condensate from lying in the tubes. Drainage points such
as plugs or nozzle covers, should be at the lowest point.

Heaters shopped without a nitrogen blanket should nozzle cover, or plugs loosened to permit
drainage. An unpressurised heater will breathe during daily temperature changes and
moisture taken in will condense. This condensate must be given a way to drain.
 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL
Heaters with a nitrogen atmosphere, once positioned, should be “blown down” by loosening a
plug or nozzle cover at the low point and allowing any condensate to escape from each side of
the heater. Caution is to be exercised when loosening the plug or cover, because the heater is
pressurised. Personnel should not have any portion of their body in direct line with the plug or
cover. The opening should be immediately resealed. The loss of nitrogen will be very slight.

Nitrogen blanked heaters should be inspected on a regular basis. If the pressure falls below
0.5 kg/cm² (g), it should be restored to 1.0 Kg/cm² (g) pressure. Minor leaks can be stopped,
by a slight uniform tightening of cover bolts or by tightening the threaded bar plugs in
couplings.

If uniform tightening of gasket cover bolts will not stop a leak, the gasket must be replaced to
permit restoration of the nitrogen seal. To minimize the time a vessel is open, all tools and
material should be available before starting the work.

Caution: before beginning to remove the bolts holding a gasket cover, bleed the nitrogen
pressure down to “zero”. Do not attempt to remove a cover or bag plug from a
pressurised vessel.

The recommended gasket material is 3mm thk. Non-asbestos sheet. The gasket should be cut
to fit just inside the bolt circle. If the nozzle cover has a coupling in it, cut a 25mm hole in the
gasket to match that location. While the cover is removed, inspect it and the nozzle end for
any surface condition that could cause a leak.

Replace the cover and new gasket as quickly as possible to minimize nitrogen loss. Secure the
hold down bolts finger-tight and pressurise the vessel with nitrogen. Allow the gas to flow
around the loose cover and seep out air admitted during the change.

Tighten the cover uniformly in the conventional star pattern. Do not over tighten and risk
cutting the gasket. Retest with a soap solution or a commercial solution.

Corrosion Protection:
On heaters where nitrogen blanketing or other corrosion protection has been applied, it is
recommended that the heaters be left sealed as long as possible prior to the installation of the
piping. After piping is complete, carbon steel tube heaters should be immediately protected
with the nitrogen blanket or other suitable means of protection against corrosion.
 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL

3.0 INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Feed Water Heaters are shipped in completely assembled condition and ready for installation
on the foundation. The Heaters must be installed as shown on the G.A. drawings in a true
vertical or horizontal plane.

3.1 SETTING HEATERS:

All Heaters are to be lifted into place. Roller supports can be used for roiling the Heaters into
place after lubricating the wheels and moving the Heaters with caution, no sudden starts or
stops.The lifting lugs are designed for an impact loading of 2g. It is suggested not to exceed an
angle of 45° C (forty five degree) off the vertical along the longitudinal Heater centerline.
Proper rigging must be used in lifting assembled Feed Water Heaters. Feed Water Heaters are
usually much heavier than Pressure Vessels of comparable dimensions; therefore, weights
should be secured from G.A. drawing. The fixed supports have been designed so that shims
have to be used to obtain the proper elevation and orientation.

3.2 PIPING CONNECTIONS:

Remove the shipping covers and plugs immediately prior to connection of the piping.
Before connecting the piping inspect all openings in the Feed Water Heater for foreign
material. All of the connections on the GA. drawings must be utilized for the purpose
intended, unless otherwise approved by Engineering Department. All operating vents must be
connected and open during operation of the Feed Water Heater.
Prior to installing the safety relief valves, verify that the valve set pressure is identical to the
design pressure on the Feed Water Heater G.A. Drawing.

3.3 ALTERATIONS OR REPAIRS:

Any alteration or repairs that may become necessary during installing, testing or operation
should be made under direction and in accordance with procedures.

4.0 OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Starting, operating and shut down of a Feed Water Heater requires specific instructions, with
emphasis on load limitations, as well as the order of start-up and shut-down. The plant
operating instructions and the Feed Water Heater G.A. drawing, specifications sheets and
name plates are to be reviewed prior to operating Feed Water Heater.
The following are precautions that should be reviewed before operating Feed Water Heater.

START-UP:
Feed Water Heater operation should not be undertaken if any of the protective devices are
known to be faulty. Feed Water Heaters are not to be operated at fluid temperatures &
pressure higher than those shown on the specification sheet. Feed Water Heaters must not be
subjected to abrupt temperature fluctuations. Hot fluid must not be introduced rapidly neither
when the heater is cold, nor cold fluid when the heater is hot.
Prior to opening the feed water valve, the channel start-up vents are to be opened and remain
open, until all passages have been purged and feed water begins to discharge. After The heater
is completely charged with feed water, open steam inlet valve slowly & raises the steam
pressure slowly & in steps. Steam valve should not be opened before the H.P. heater is
completely charged with feed water.
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To remove air from the shell side of a heater which does not operate under vacuum, the shell
start-up vent valves should be opened prior to the admission of steam to the Feed Water
Heater. The extraction lines must be free of all condensate to prevent damage to the heater
internals by slug flow. When the drains outlet valve is opened, the shell start up vent valves
are to be closed and the operating air vent valves are to be opened.

Continuous venting of air and other non-condensable is assured by keeping the shell
operating vent valves open.

On initial plant start-up of horizontal Heater, having integral drain coolers the liquid level is to
be kept just below the high level alarm point. This will avoid the possibility of flashing at the
Sub-Cooler inlet and approach temperature (difference between drain cooler outlet and feed
water inlet temperature) should be monitored. Higher approach temperature indicates the
probability of flashing at the Sub-Cooler inlet. In this case the liquid level should be raised
until the drains approach temperature approaches the specification sheet value.

Feed Water Heaters are pressure tested before leaving the shop in accordance with ASME
Code requirements. However, normal yielding of Gaskets may occur in the interval between
testing in the shop and installation, at the job site. Therefore all external bolted joints may
require re-tightening after installation and, if necessary, after the heater has reached operating
temperature.

5.0 GENERAL PERFORMANCE:

Feed Water Heater operating conditions and performance should be checked regularly against
the values stated on the specification sheet provided for each heater.

The failure of a Feed Water Heater to perform satisfactorily may be caused by one or more
factors such as:

(1) Air or non-condensable gas blanketing resulting from improper piping installation of lack of
suitable venting.

(2) Flooding resulting from inadequate drainage of condensate.

(3) Operating conditions differing from design conditions.

(4) Tube failure.

(5) Mal-distribution of flow.

Abrupt flooding, unusual noise or loss of feed water temperature rise can indicate tube failure
if such a condition occurs, the heater must be removed from service as quickly as possible
Tube failures tend to have a chain reaction effect; impingement on adjacent tubes can cause
additional failures.
 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL

6.0 VENTING:
Proper venting is necessary on Feed Water Heaters. All operating air vent connections must be
piped to permit continuous venting.

The venting system in a Feed Water Heater is designed to assure that all points where non-
condensable gases could collect are vented. Failure to utilize all of the operating air vents can
lead to corrosion damage and/or loss of performance due to air blanketing.

A sharp distinction must be drawn between start-up vents and operating air vents, as
identified on the G.A. drawings. Start-up vent must be closed during on - the – line

Operation, and IN NO EVENT is start-up vents to be piped up to a manifold serving the

operating air vents.

Vents should not be cascaded. The reason for venting is to remove non-condensable gases.
Cascading of vents defeats this purpose by imposing on each succeeding heater in the cascade
a load for which the vent system is not designed.

Vent flow controls is best accomplished through the use of properly sized orifices constructed
of stainless steel or other suitable erosion / corrosion resistant material. The orifice plate shall
be placed in operations vent pipe. Isolation Valves in vent piping should either be locked in the
open position or some other suitable means provided to assure that such valves cannot be
closed during normal operation.
H.P. Heater may be charged only above 60% load in order to operate satisfactorily.

7.0 LIQUID LEVEL:

A check of the Feed Water Heater liquid level should be a constantly monitored. Low levels
must be avoided.

A low liquid level in the Feed Water Heater occurs when the liquid level indicated on the gauge
glass falls below the normal liquid level.

Low level operation of horizontal heater results in flashing at the sub cooling zone inlet. This
flashing can lead to erosion failure of the tubing. On a carbon steel tube Feed Water Heater it
is extremely important that flashing at the Sub-Cooler inlet does not take place since this type
of tubing is more susceptible to erosion than others.

Evidence of low level operation is obtained by examining Sub-Cooler performance. If the sub-
cooling zone approach temperature (drains outlet temperature minus Feed Water Heater inlet
temperature) is close to the normal rated value, there is reasonable assurance that the level is
adequate. If the drain approach is high, operation is less than desirable level and rising of the
liquid level is required.

Generally, if vapor is by-passing into the sub-cooling zone inlet, the noise level in the drains
outlet piping is relatively high and is often accompanied by noticeable movement in the drains
piping.
 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL

8.0 SHUT DOWN:

In order to avoid corrosion of internal parts, water must be prevented from remaining in a
Heater. Heater should be drained & dried completely preferably with dry hot air.
Check the condition of Gaskets in the flange joints, if the Gaskets are clarified, same shall be
replaced.
The level gauges should be cleaned & accuracy should also be checked.

9.0 FIELD WELDING:

It is become necessary to perform manual welding on a pressure vessel in the field the
followings as given below should be observed.

9.1 CERTIFICATION:
All welding must be performed using qualified welding procedure by IBR qualified welders.

9.2 GENERAL PRECAUTIONS ON WELD MATERIAL APPLICATION:

Do not apply Carbon Steel Electrodes or Filter Wire to high Nickel material such as Stainless
Inconel of Monel.
Do not apply Stainless Steel to Inconel, Monel or any Copper base Alloy.
1. Proper preheat dryness and cleanliness of the welding area are very important when
welding. This is particularly true with tube to tube sheet welds.
2. If the bolted connection leaks, the nuts can be tightened in the pattern outlined above,
one flat at a time. The spacing between the flanges must be equal throughout the
tightening process. This will assure the Gasket surface will not be distorted.
3. If a connection continue to leak, it must be disassembled and examined for the
following:
A. Indication of a leak path, such as a gauge across the Gasket surface.
B. Evidence of interference between the mating connections.
C. Evidence of distortion or out of roundness of either of the mating Gasket surfaces.
This usually best checked by measuring the Gasket compression every 45 deg.
around the Gasket itself. Thickness measurements should also be taken close to
both the I.D. and O.D. of the compressed portion of the Gasket to check against any
possible rotation of the flange during bolt tightening.
D. Evidence of bolt diameter reduction, or “necking,” which would indicate an
overstressing of the bolts.
4. In order to insure that all bolted flanged joints remain tighten, such joints should be
tightened uniformly immediately after the Heater has been placed in service
For the first time, and again after the Heater has been operated at full, load for the first
time. Ii is recommended that periodic checks be made during the first six months of
operation to insure proper tightness of all bolted joints.

DISASSEMBLY:
1. Protection must be provided to assure that, on completion of bolt removal, parts will
not fall free or shift, possibly leading to injury of personnel or damage to equipment.
2. All mating flange should be adequately match-marked before disassembly is started.
3. Bolts are to be loosened in the reverse of the tightening pattern shown above.
 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL
10.0 BOLTED CONNECTIONS:

ASSEMBLY:
1. All bolted connections are to be tightened uniformly and in a diametrically staggered
pattern. This will ensure a uniform stress over the entire Gasket surface. The
procedure to use in tightening is as follows:

A. Tighten up all bolls hand tight.

B. Take up bolts, one at a time.
C. Continue until the bolts are torque to the value given in the table below:

Sr. No. NOMINAL DIAMETER OF STUD TORQUE

MM KG- M

01 M16 x 2.5 16

02 M20 x 2.5 28

03 M24 x 3 65

04 M27 x 3 110

05 M30 x 3 150

06 M36 x 3 210

Torque values are based on Steel Bolting, well-lubricated with a heavy graphite and oil mixture.

11.0 GASKETS:

1. Gasket selection should be in accordance with original design.

2. The use of a non-hardening compound is recommended to aide in holding the Gasket
in place during bolt-up. The use of masking tape or a hardening compound is not
recommended.
3. Gasket surfaces must be inspected for cleanliness and absence of scratches, erosion
etc. before Gaskets are installed.
4. If there is any evidence of damage on Gasket surfaces, or if there is any question with
regard to Gasket material and/or type, this should be referred to DIL.SAS Department.
5. If there is any evidence of damage on Gasket surfaces, of it there is any question with
regard to Gasket surfaces, the flat side of Gasket must be in contact with the nubbin.

12.0 TUBE PLUGGING PROCEDURE:

If any tube fails, both ends of the U-tube must be plugged with plugs. The other end of given
tube will be exactly opposite the given tube end on the other side of the partition plate. A
simple way to check is to blow a jet of air or water into the given tube end and note the other
end of tube through which it returns.
 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL
Proceed as follows for plugging of leaky tube:
a. Remove channel cover.
b. Pressure the steam space (shell side) by air /water and mark leaking joints.
c. Before plug insertion into the tube hole both the plug sand tube hole are to be
thoroughly cleaned with acetone or equivalent solvent and wipe with clean cloth.
d. Make suitable tapered plugs from carbon steel (SA 105) material of 40 mm
length & diameter of the plug shall be 0.3 mm less than ID of the tube at A side
and 1mm bigger than tube diameter at B side as illustrated in below figure.
Break Corners

A B

40mm

e. Before plug insertion into the tube hole both the plug and tube hole are to be
thoroughly cleaned with acetone or equivalent solvent and wipe with clean cloth.
f. Put the plug in position (flush with tube end) and weld.
g. The plugs shall be covered layers of weld metal until they are flush with the face
of the tube sheet. Each layer shall be carefully cleaned and inspected before the
subsequent layer is deposited dyepenetrant.
h. Exceptional care shall be exercised to avoid any burn through the ligaments of
adjacent tube joints.
j. Before closing the water box, the effectiveness of plugging shall be checked by air
and soap leak test of the plugs by applying air or nitrogen at 1 kg/cm²(g)
pressure on the shell side. The soap solution shall be applied to the face of the
tube sheet for air bubble test. If any leaks are revealed, the leaks shall be
repaired. The heater shall by hydraulic tested at shell side to a pressure
approximately 10% below the shell side design pressure. Hold the pressure for at
least 4 hours and check for any droplets or weepage.
k. After successful plugging, channel cover shall be assembled.
l. The heater shall by hydraulic tested to the design pressure on tube side.
m. The heater can be returned to service after ensuring there are no leakages.

DETAILS OF TUBE PLUGGING

SR. TUBE SHEET TUBE PLUG WELDING FILLER SIZE VOLTS CURRENT GAS

NO. M.O.C. M.O.C. PROCESS WIRE (MM) (V) (AMPS) FLOW

M.O.C. RATE

FT³/HR

1 C.S. WITH S.S. C.S. TIG ER 2.4 16-20 75-120 12-20

S.S. WELD 209

OVERLAY OR

EQUI.
 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL

13.0 RECOMMENDED SPARES:

1) Gaskets – 200%
2) Tube plugs – 10 nos.
3) Fasteners – 10% (Min. 4 nos. studs with 2 nuts for each stud)

14.0 PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE:

HP HEATER
Weekly Monthly 3 Months Annually 3 Years 5 Years Remark

Visual inspection of heater √  

Check of Gasket
√   
leakages
Visual inspection of
channel shell √  By opening of channel
flange provided on
Check of tube fouling & channel shell
leakage  √
Check of operating vent
orifice chocking  √ 
Instrument Calibration √  
Check of relief valves
leak tightness and set  √
pressure

15.0 G.A. DRAWING: ATTACHED