A simulation model for a vertical U-tube steam condenser in which the condensate is stored at the bottom well is developed in this paper. The U-tubes carrying the coolant are partially submerged in the stored condensate and thus the bottom well acts as a heat exchanger. The storage of hydraulic and thermal energies is represented using a coupled pseudo-bond graph model. Advection effects are mo...

This thesis presents a series of three related studies with the aim of developing a surface that promotes robust dropwise condensation. Due to their remarkably low droplet adhesion, superhydrophobic surfaces were investigated for application to dropwise condensation. Although precise model superhydrophobic surfaces were necessary to gain insight into these phenomena, it was recognized that wide...

Steam is the typical working fluid to drive turbo-generators in coal-fired power plants. It an effective fluid, but some of its energy extracted unusable form when condensed. A Power Recovery Cycle (PRC) using a more volatile Secondary Working Fluid (SWF) added steam cycle could improve efficiency. PRCs have been applied flue gas and for combined systems not traditional plant cycles. This paper...

Poor control of steam generator water level is the main cause of unexpected shutdowns in nuclear power plants. Such shutdowns are caused by violation of safety limits on the water level and are common at low operating power where the plant exhibits strong nonminimum phase characteristics. In addition, the steam generator is a highly complex, nonlinear and time-varying system and its parameters ...

In cold winter weather, the air-cooled condensers (ACCs) face serious freezing risks, especially with part load of the power generating unit. Therefore, it is of benefit to investigate the heat transfer process between the turbine exhaust steam and cooling air, by which the freezing mechanism of the finned tube bundles can be revealed. In this work, the flow and heat transfer models of the cool...

Industrial visits represent important activities in any engineering undergraduate programme that contribute to the achievement of various essential learning outcomes and programme objectives. This paper reports on an attempt to make the industrial visit an integral part of the course. This is achieved through identifying learning outcomes and a suitable industrial site to achieve them. In this ...

Concentration and composition of monoterpenoids in plant tissue affects a variety of environmental and ecological issues such as plant defenses, plant classification, and phytotoxicity. Developing the techniques for extracting and estimating the concentration and composition of monoterpenoids must be speciesspecific because monoterpenoid storage location varies between species. Ashe juniper f,J...

Inferred pH means pH calculated from straight and cation conductivity. The calculation can be applied to condensate, feedwater, and boiler water. Although not widely used in the United States, inferred pH is popular in Europe. Some plant chemists find inferred pH useful because it eliminates the need to measure pH directly, which without proper equipment can be a difficult task. This paper disc...

A qualitative physics which captures the depth and breadth of an engineer's knowledge will be orders of magnitude larger than the models of today's qualitative physics . To build and use such models effectively requires explicit modeling assumptions to manage complexity . This, in turn, gives rise to the problem of selecting the right qualitative model for some purpose . This paper addresses th...

A model-based least-squares algorithm with a time-varying forgetting factor is developed for leak detection in boiler steam-water systems. The algorithm has been tested using real industrial data from Syncrude Canada, and has proven to be effective in detection of boiler tube or steam leaks; proper implementation of the algorithm would lead to early leak warning, which is important in maintaini...