Horizontal Moisture Separator Heater with Polygonal Tube Bundle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing moisture separator heaters in nuclear power-generating plants face challenges in reducing pressure loss while maintaining cost-effectiveness and earthquake resilience, as increasing the width of the heating tube bundle narrows the manifold space, making installation difficult and costly, and existing solutions either require larger casings or multiple heaters, which are costly and prone to damage during earthquakes.
Innovation Solution
A moisture separator heater with a tubular casing extending horizontally, featuring a polygonal heating tube bundle and a plate-like separator that reduces pressure loss by allowing steam to flow laterally through the heating tube bundle, and includes an inflow regulating part with a spiral moisture removing passage to manage steam flow and reduce moisture burden on the separator.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the width of the heating tube bundle is increased, then the pressure loss is reduced, but the manifold space is narrowed making installation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The heating tube bundle is configured with a polygonal shape where the longitudinal edge extends in the axial direction and the transverse edge extends in the vertical direction, utilizing the vertical dimension to increase the steam flow area without expanding the horizontal width, thereby reducing pressure loss while maintaining adequate manifold space for installation
2Loss of energy
If a larger casing is employed to accommodate wider heating tube bundle, then the pressure loss is reduced, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By orienting the heating tube bundle with its transverse edge in the vertical direction rather than horizontal, the design increases the effective steam flow area within the same casing footprint, reducing pressure loss without requiring a larger and more expensive casing
3Volume of moving object
If the casing extends in vertical direction, then the structure is compact, but the center of gravity is high making it vulnerable to earthquake damage
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of extending the casing in the vertical direction to achieve compactness, the design inverts the approach by extending the casing in the horizontal direction with the heating tube bundle's transverse edge oriented vertically, achieving both compact footprint and low center of gravity for earthquake resistance
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design reduces pressure loss, suppresses cost increases, and enhances earthquake resilience by lowering the center of gravity and allowing uniform steam flow, ensuring effective moisture removal and heat exchange without the need for larger casings or multiple units.
Implementation Method 1
The steam having joined at the steam collecting part is heated when passing through the heater to have an increased temperature
Implementation Method 2
The wet steam having flowed out to the separator side has moisture removed when passing through the separators
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
A moisture separator heater includes: a casing having a tubular shape, extending in a horizontal direction and having both end portions closed; a manifold chamber provided in the casing and configured so that steam flows in an axial direction of the casing; a separator provided in the casing and in a longitudinal direction of the casing along the manifold chamber and configured to remove moisture in the steam; and a heating tube bundle provided in the casing and on a downstream side of the steam flowing out of the separator. The heating tube bundle has a polygonal shape in a lateral view and has a longitudinal edge extending along the axial direction of the casing and a transverse edge extending in a vertical direction.