The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.

Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd.

Masaki Yamamoto

Koji Nagata

Mamoru Nishikawa

Tetsuro Atsumi

Katsumi Yasui

Atsushi Kawabe

A method of monitoring the inner surfaces of copper-alloy condenser tubes of a condenser through which seawater flows as a coolant by controlling a ferrous-ion injecting operation to inject ferrous ions into the coolant for forming a protective film on the inner surfaces of the condenser tubes, and a sponge-ball cleaning operation to clean the inner tube surfaces by passing sponge balls through the condenser tubes. During an initial period of exposure of the condenser tubes to the coolant after installation of the condenser tubes in the condenser, the ferrous ions are injected into the coolant to form the protective film on the inner surfaces of the condenser tubes until the polarization resistance of the condenser tubes has reached 10.sup.4 .OMEGA.cm.sup.2. Subsequently, the ferrous-ion injecting operation and the sponge-ball cleaning operation are executed while the polarization resistance and heat transfer rate of the condenser tubes are monitored. The injecting and cleaning operations are performed to maintain within suitable ranges the polarization resistance and the heat transfer rate of the condenser tubes. These ranges may vary, depending upon whether the coolant is non-chlorinated seawater, chlorinated seawater, or sulfide-ion polluted seawater.

Method for monitoring copper-alloy tubes for maintaining corrosion

A condenser including a plurality of condenser tubes through which a coolant is caused to flow, a device for injecting ferrous ions into the coolant before it passes through the condenser tubes to form a protective film on an inner surface of the condenser tubes, and a device for introducing sponge balls into the condenser tubes for cleaning their inner surfaces. The condenser has a by-pass line extending outside the body of the condenser, in parallel connection with the condenser tubes. The by-pass line has a monitor tube of the same material and size as the condenser tubes, so that the coolant flows through the monitor tube under the same conditions as the coolant flowing through the condenser tubes. The monitor tube is equipped with a device for measuring a polarization resistance of the monitor tube, and a device for sensing a fouling condition of the inner surface of the monitor tube. The injection of ferrous ions into the condenser tubes and the cleaning of their inner surfaces with the sponge balls are adjusted in response to the measured or sensed polarization resistance and fouling condition of the monitor tube.

Condenser having apparatus for monitoring conditions of inner surface of

Growing community of inventors

Akashi, Japan

Masaki Yamamoto