| Abstract: |
This edition of Ultrapure Water is devoted to power generation water treatment. This Back to Basics article provides a brief overview of power generation water treatment.
The water treatment scheme at a power plant located outside of a town typically takes raw water from a lake, river, or one or more wells, and removes enough dissolved and suspended contaminants to meet the end use quality required for cooling tower makeup, and high-purity boiler feedwater. Power plants within a town may purchase municipal drinking water as their raw water source.
Power plants create steam by heating water on its way into the boiler and within the boiler. The pressurized steam turns turbine blades attached to a shaft that is attached to an electricity generator. This action creates the flow of electrons (electricity). To see an animation of this, click [http://www.dhptraining.com/NOV2009UPW/turbine.html].
After the steam from the boiler turns the turbine blades, most of the energy of the steam has been expended. The exhaust steam is cooled in a condenser, which is a tube and shell heat exchanger. Cooling water flows through the bore of the tubes and steam is condensed on the outside of the tubes. Condensed steam is reused as boiler feedwater. |