Abstract: An air-cooled condenser system for steam condensing applications in a power plant Rankine cycle includes an air cooled condenser having a plurality of interconnected modular cooling cells. A method for forming an axial flow baffle for a shell and tube heat exchanger includes providing a baffle workpiece, locating a centerpoint of a first axial flow tube aperture, drilling flow holes around the centerpoint of the flow aperture, and drilling a central tube hole at the centerpoint. A method of cooling high level waste includes surrounding a cask comprising an external surface and an internal storage cavity containing the high level radioactive waste which emits heat with a cooling water header; and discharging cooling water radially inwards from the cooling water header onto the external surface of the cask from the plurality of water dispensing outlets arranged on the cooling water header.

Abstract: An air-cooled condenser system for steam condensing applications in a power plant Rankine cycle includes an air cooled condenser having a plurality of interconnected modular cooling cells. Each cell comprises a frame-supported fan, inlet steam headers, outlet condensate headers, and tube bundle assemblies having extending between the headers. The tube bundle assemblies may be arranged in a V-shaped tube structure. A plurality of deflection limiter beams are arranged coplanar with the tube bundles. Top ends of each deflection limiter beam are slideably inserted in an associated floating end cap affixed to an upper tubesheet which moves vertically relative to the beams via thermal expansion/contraction concomitantly with the tubes. The deflection limiter beams provides guided restraint system for expansion/contraction of the tube bundles which prevents out of plane tube bowing.

Abstract: An air-cooled condenser system for steam condensing applications in a power plant Rankine cycle includes an air cooled condenser having a plurality of interconnected modular cooling cells. Each cell comprises a frame-supported fan, inlet steam headers, outlet condensate headers, and tube bundle assemblies having extending between the headers. The tube bundle assemblies may be arranged in a V-shaped tube structure. A plurality of deflection limiter beams are arranged coplanar with the tube bundles. Top ends of each deflection limiter beam are slideably inserted in an associated floating end cap affixed to an upper tubesheet which moves vertically relative to the beams via thermal expansion/contraction concomitantly with the tubes. The deflection limiter beams provides guided restraint system for expansion/contraction of the tube bundles which prevents out of plane tube bowing.

Abstract: An induced draft air-cooled condenser for steam condensing applications includes a pair of inclined tube bundles defining a interior space therebetween in fluid communication with ambient air heated as it flows through the tube bundles. A fan supported above the interior space comprises rotatable fan blades disposed inside a cylindrical annular fan shroud. A drive mechanism operable to rotate the fan blades includes a motor operably coupled to the fan blades. The motor is supported inside the fan shroud and may be housed in a protective enclosure which may be insulated. A motor cooling system includes an air inlet duct fluidly coupled to ambient air outside the shroud and the enclosure. When the fan operates, cool ambient air is drawn via a vacuum formed by the fan through the duct to cool the motor. The air thus bypasses and is not heated by the tube bundles.

Abstract: An air-cooled condenser system for steam condensing applications in a power plant Rankine cycle includes an air cooled condenser having a plurality of interconnected modular cooling cells. A method for forming an axial flow baffle for a shell and tube heat exchanger includes providing a baffle workpiece, locating a centerpoint of a first axial flow tube aperture, drilling flow holes around the centerpoint of the flow aperture, and drilling a central tube hole at the centerpoint. A method of cooling high level waste includes surrounding a cask comprising an external surface and an internal storage cavity containing the high level radioactive waste which emits heat with a cooling water header; and discharging cooling water radially inwards from the cooling water header onto the external surface of the cask from the plurality of water dispensing outlets arranged on the cooling water header.

Abstract: An air-cooled condenser system for steam condensing applications in a power plant Rankine cycle includes an air cooled condenser having a plurality of interconnected modular cooling cells. Each cell comprises a frame-supported fan, inlet steam headers, outlet condensate headers, and tube bundle assemblies having extending between the headers. The tube bundle assemblies may be arranged in a V-shaped tube structure. A plurality of deflection limiter beams are arranged coplanar with the tube bundles. Top ends of each deflection limiter beam are slideably inserted in an associated floating end cap affixed to an upper tubesheet which moves vertically relative to the beams via thermal expansion/contraction concomitantly with the tubes. The deflection limiter beams provides guided restraint system for expansion/contraction of the tube bundles which prevents out of plane tube bowing.

Abstract: A tubular heat exchanger having a plurality of shell-side and tube-side fluid passes. The heat exchanger includes an elongated cylindrical shell, a head coupled thereto, and a tube bundle positioned in the shell and supported in part by a tube sheet attached to the head. The shell of the heat exchanger may include a plurality of vertically stacked shell-side compartments each defining a shell-side pass. The head of the heat exchanger may have a plurality of tube-side compartments each defining a tube-side pass. A tube-side fluid enters the head and flows through the tube bundle progressively through a series of tube-side passes to heat the fluid with a shell-side fluid. Each shell-side pass contains multiple tube-side passes. The tube-side fluid may perform a plurality of horizontally arranged tube-side fluid passes in each vertically stacked shell-side fluid pass before cascading vertically to a next shell-side fluid pass.

Abstract: An indirect dry cooling system suitable for steam condensing applications in a power plant Rankine cycle in one embodiment includes an air cooled condenser having a plurality of interconnected modular cooling cells. Each cell comprises a blower and tube bundle assemblies each including inlet headers, outlet headers, and plurality of tubes extending between the headers. In one embodiment, the tube bundle assemblies may be shop fabricated as a unit to form an A-frame or V-frame cell construction The tubes may be finned. Steam circulating in a closed flow loop on the tube side from a steam turbine is cooled in each cell by ambient air blown through the tube bundles, thereby forming liquid condensate. The condensate is collected and returned to the Rankine cycle for reheating to form steam to drive the turbine.

Abstract: An indirect dry cooling system suitable for steam condensing applications in a power plant Rankine cycle includes an air blast chiller having a plurality of interconnected modular cooler cells. Each cell includes a blower and tube bundle including inlet headers, outlet headers, and plurality of tubes extending between the headers. In one embodiment, the tube bundles form an A-frame cell construction being structurally self-supporting from a base. Each of the tubes may be finned. Cooling water circulating in a closed flow loop on the tube side between the air blast chiller and turbine steam condenser is cooled by ambient air blown through the tube bundles. The cooled water flows through a second tube bundle in the condenser which condenses steam. The heated cooling water returns through the air blast chiller to complete the cooling water cycle.

Abstract: A steam conditioning system for discharging bypass steam into a condenser of a steam powered generating plant and other uses. The system includes a steam conditioning device comprising an inner evaporative core and an outer shell. The core may be formed of a tubular piping section disposed at least partially inside the outer shell forming an annular space therebetween. An inlet end of the core receives steam from a piping header fluidly connected to an upstream desuperheating pressure reducing station which injects liquid coolant into the steam stream. Steam discharges through the core outlet end into the outer shell, reverses direction, and flows into the condenser. In one embodiment, the steam conditioning device may be disposed inside the dome of the condenser except for the inlet end. The device intends to increase flow residence time to evaporate entrained carryover coolant droplets in the incoming steam before release to the condenser.

Abstract: An indirect dry cooling system suitable for steam condensing applications in a power plant Rankine cycle includes an air blast chiller having a plurality of interconnected modular cooler cells. Each cell comprises a blower and tube bundle including inlet headers, outlet headers, and plurality of tubes extending between the headers. In one embodiment, the tube bundles form an A-frame cell construction being structurally self-supporting from a base. Each of the tubes may be finned. Cooling water circulating in a closed flow loop on the tube side between the air blast chiller and turbine steam condenser is cooled by ambient air blown through the tube bundles. The cooled water flows through a second tube bundle in the condenser which condenses steam. The heated cooling water returns through the air blast chiller to complete the cooling water cycle.

Abstract: An indirect dry cooling system suitable for steam condensing applications in a power plant Rankine cycle in one embodiment includes an air cooled condenser having a plurality of interconnected modular cooling cells. Each cell comprises a blower and tube bundle assemblies each including inlet headers, outlet headers, and plurality of tubes extending between the headers. In one embodiment, the tube bundle assemblies may be shop fabricated as a unit to form an A-frame or V-frame cell construction The tubes may be finned. Steam circulating in a closed flow loop on the tube side from a steam turbine is cooled in each cell by ambient air blown through the tube bundles, thereby forming liquid condensate. The condensate is collected and returned to the Rankine cycle for reheating to form steam to drive the turbine.

Abstract: A tubular heat exchanger comprising a plurality of shell-side and tube-side fluid passes. The heat exchanger includes an elongated cylindrical shell, a head coupled thereto, and a tube bundle positioned in the shell and supported in part by a tube sheet attached to the head. In one embodiment, the shell of the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of vertically stacked shell-side compartments each defining a shell-side pass. The head of the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of tube-side compartments each defining a tube-side pass. A tube-side fluid enters the head and flows through the tube bundle progressively through a series of tube-side passes to heat the fluid with a shell-side fluid. Each shell-side pass contains multiple tube-side passes. In one embodiment, the tube-side fluid performs a plurality of horizontally arranged tube-side fluid passes in each vertically stacked shell-side fluid pass before cascading vertically to a next shell-side fluid pass.

Abstract: A steam conditioning system for discharging bypass steam into a condenser of a steam powered generating plant and other uses. The system includes a steam conditioning device comprising an inner evaporative core and an outer shell. The core may be formed of a tubular piping section disposed at least partially inside the outer shell forming an annular space therebetween. An inlet end of the core receives steam from a piping header fluidly connected to an upstream desuperheating pressure reducing station which injects liquid coolant into the steam stream. Steam discharges through the core outlet end into the outer shell, reverses direction, and flows into the condenser. In one embodiment, the steam conditioning device may be disposed inside the dome of the condenser except for the inlet end. The device intends to increase flow residence time to evaporate entrained carryover coolant droplets in the incoming steam before release to the condenser.