Using condenser performance measurements to optimize condenser cleaning

Because plant personnel perform condenser monitoring primarily to determine cleaning schedules, the accuracy and repeatability of a technique should be viewed within the context of a condenser cleaning schedule. Lower accuracy is acceptable if the cleaning schedule arising from that system is identical to a cleaning schedule arising from a technique with higher accuracy. Three condenser performance monitors were implemented and compared within the context of a condenser cleaning schedule to determine the relative advantages of different condenser monitoring techniques. These systems include a novel on-line system that consists of an electromagnetic flowmeter and an RTD mounted in a compact waterproof cylinder, an overall on-line system, and routine plant tests. The fouling measurements from each system are used in an optimization program which automatically computes a cleaning schedule that minitrack the combined cost of cleaning and the cost of increased fuel consumption caused by condenser fouling. The cleaning schedules resulting from each system's measurements are compared. The optimization routine is also used to evaluate the sensitivity of optimal cleaning schedules to fouling rate and of the cost in dollars for non-optimal cleaning