Abstract: In the operation of a main steam condenser of a steam turbine driven by a boiler and having a gland steam condenser, the gland steam condensate is normally fed from the gland steam condenser into the main condenser condensate. To avoid contamination of the main condenser condensate by oxygen-rich water, for at least part of the start-up period of the turbine, the gland steam condensate and other drain accumulating in the condenser is prevented from entering the main condenser condensate which is to be fed to the boiler. The gland steam condensate is fed to said main condenser and stored in a reservoir separate from the hot well thereof, to undergo de-aeration before being fed into the main condenser condensate.

Abstract: An apparatus for collecting cleaning bodies in a tubular heat exchanger capable of collecting the cleaning bodies with a high collection efficiency against the temporary introduction of a large amount foreign matter such as falling tools in a cooling water system and against the deflected flow of the cooling water from the upstream side. A rectifying member rectifies or regulates the deflected flow of the cooling water from the upstream side whereby it is possible to collect the cleaning bodies without any adhesion and stagnation of the cleaning bodies in the cooling water on V-shaped collection lattices. It is also possible to trap a large article such as a falling tool between a guide member disposed downstream of the collection lattices and the collection lattices, and to introduce only the cleaning bodies into the guide member. Furthermore, the downstream port of a cleaning body discharge pipe opens toward the downstream side to thereby prevent the clogging of the port with the foreign matter or the like.

Abstract: A device for cleaning inner surfaces of heat exchanger tubes including a pair of main cleaning device bodies each having a moving device and a brush driving device disposed on opposite tube plates on which each opened end of the heat exchanger tubes is disposed. At least one of the pair of main cleaning devices is provided with a cleaning brush changing device, and each brush driving devices is made to correspond to the opened end of the same heat exchanger tube so that pressurized fluid is alternately supplied to each of the corresponding brush driving device from a pressurized fluid supplying unit and thereby the cleaning brush is moved. As a result of this, only one cleaning brush can clean a multiplicity of heat exchanger tubes. Furthermore, since a brush changing device is provided, the cleaning brush can be at need replaced by fresh one so that a further number of heat exchanger tubes can be cleaned.