Yuba Feedwater Heaters
Overview
We are the dominant supplier of feedwater heaters to the power generation industry.
Features
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E-mail this pageSPX Heat Transfer understands power generation. We are dedicated to engineering and manufacturing feedwater heaters that exceed requirements and deliver measurable performance.
Our engineering process employs design programs to evaluate pressure drops, study velocities throughout the feedwater heater, eliminate tube vibration and examine performance at overload conditions.
Yuba feedwater heaters meet varying load conditions, thermal cycles and requirements that can be imposed by forced outages.
Design Features include:
- venting systems with positive control of vent flows
- pass partitions with multiple designs for access
- large corner radii on high pressure tubesheet-to-channel junctions
- thick drain cooler end plates
- single and double desuperheating section zones for moderate and extreme steam temperatures
- U-tube bend supports of larger radius bends
Hemilok® Head Closure
High pressure feedwater heaters are subject to thermal shock in cyclical service.
Any high pressure feedwater heater in cyclical use is subject to thermal and pressure loads of a magnitude not encountered during base loaded continuous service. Therefore, high pressure feedwater heaters mandate special designs to prevent the high stresses prevalent in cylindrical channels in cyclical service. The design of the juncture between the tubesheet and a cylindrical barrel is especially critical since the tubesheet changes temperature at a much greater rate than the cylindrical barrel.
Recognizing the need for a full access head capable of withstanding the demands of high cyclical use, our engineers created the Hemilok head, an innovation so unique it was granted a United States patent in 1989. This is one of the few patents granted in feedwater heater technology.
Our design employs an internal spherical shape which is stronger than a cylinder and has lower mass to minimize the temperature difference that causes high stresses between the tubesheet and the cylindrical barrel. The Yuba product design provides a large radius at this junction to prevent stress magnification without a corresponding increase in the outside diameter and the mass of the barrel. Hemilok technology will prevent the large stresses inherent in the previous designs for base loaded units and will provide the fatigue life required for cycling and load-following units.
The Hemilok brand design provides full access for maintenance and employs shear keys to take the large hydraulic end load. The shear keys, which are also specially shaped to prevent fatigue cracks, minimize bolting in the gasketed design and reduce component weights for ease in opening and closing.
The Hemilok brand design assures fatigue free operation in difficult service. It provides additional space for ease of full access maintenance which is especially applicable in channel sizes below 48" inside diameter. They are available in all sizes and all high pressure applications, including supercritical applications with design pressures over 5000 psi.