T.S. Patriot State Engineering Manual

Patriot State was the training ship of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy from 1986 to 1998.

Condensate System Operation

Filling

Before the air ejector, condensate, a feed system can be put in service, it is necessary to fill the various water reservoirs connected with the system. The main reservoirs connected with the system are:

• reserve feed tanks
• second stage feed heater
• boilers
• main and auxiliary condenser hot wells

The reserve feed tanks are normally filled from the distilling plant. If water from the distilling plant is not available, the tank may be filled with the deck fill connections or from the potable water system under emergency conditions. The second stage feed heater is filled from the reserve feed tanks via the port feed pump. The initial filling of the second stage heater and boilers may be accomplished by supplying distilled water from shore side via the filling line to the reserve feed tanks. By this method, the second stage heater can be filled directly from this filling line and the 3" port feed pump discharge line to the condensate system. From the second stage heater, the water will flow by gravity through one of the feed pumps and auxiliary feed line to the boilers. It should be noted that all the valves between the second stage heater and boilers should be open to accomplish the above operation. To speed up the process, only one boiler should be filled at a time. After filling one boiler, it can be started and when there is sufficient steam, the other boiler can be filled using a feed pump. The head of water should be maintained while filling the boilers by keeping the second stage heater filled. Main and auxiliary condenser hot wells may be filled from the reserve feed tanks by the port feed pump via the recirculating line or by gravity from the second stage heater via the dump line and recirculation line.

Draining

When the reservoirs mentioned in this section must be drained for inspection, maintenance, or repair, they may be drained as follows:

1. Boilers may be pumped down by the port feed pump via a swing ell connection to the boilers blow piping. The water wall headers are provided with drains to the bilge.
2. Main and auxiliary condenser hot wells may be pumped down by discharging condensate to the second stage feed heater via the condensate pumps. In the event the water is contaminated, it may be drained directly to the bilge from the hot well of each condenser.
3. Second stage feed heater may be drained to the reserve feed tank via the normally closed by-pass line to the condensate dump line.

Starting Up

The following procedure is recommended for starting up the air ejector, condensate, and feed system in conjunction with placing the propulsion or generator turbines in service:

1. Establish a visible water level in the hot well gauge glass by the methods outlined in "filling" and insure that the circulating water system is operating properly.
2. Open suction, discharge, vent, and gland sealing valves on condensate pumps to be used.
3. Open all valves necessary to establish a condensate flow to the second stage heater.
4. Start the condensate pump.
5. Ascertain that all valves are open in the recirculating line to the condensers to be used, and that a constant visible water level is maintained in the condenser gauge glass by throttling the recirculating valve.
6. Fill drain loop from air ejector intercondenser by opening valve in the condensate discharge line.
7. Open valves in air suction lines to the air ejectors.
8. Start air ejectors and turbines in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
9. Start the gland exhaust fan.
10. When turbine is under load, close valves in the condensate recirculating line to condensers. Recirculating control is affected manually for the auxiliary condensers and automatically, under normal load, for the main condenser. The main condenser should be put under automatic recirculating control when the manually operated valve is closed.

Securing

The following procedure is recommended for securing the main or auxiliary condensate system in conjunction with its associated turbines.

1. Change the make-up feed, vacuum drag, auxiliary exhaust dump to an operating turbine, if necessary.
2. After securing the turbine, secure the air ejectors.
3. Secure condensate pump and recirculation valve. Watch the hotwell level in case of condensate leakage.
4. When the turbine has cooled sufficiently so that there is no further chance of bowing the rotor and when the condenser is cool, secure the circulating water pump.

Direct comments to William Haynes whaynes@maritime.edu
Mon, Jul 1, 1996
TSPS Engineering Manual ©1995 Massachusetts Maritime Academy