Low Noise

Solutions for
Turbine Bypass
to Air-Cooled
Condensers

ASME

Air-Cooled Condenser Plants Demand

Low- Noise Bypass Equipment

Introduction
In a power plant with an air-cooled condenser (ACC), steam is
carried from the steam turbine exhaust to the condenser via a
large, thin wall, uninsulated duct. Noise sources that discharge into
the ACC duct have much less attenuation than in a water-cooled
condenser. The ACC duct is typically external to the turbine building
and has a very large surface area. High noise levels at the ACC duct
surface can generate unacceptable noise levels at the plant boundary
and in neighboring communities.
This problem is especially important in combined cycle power
stations. Combined cycle power stations have 100% turbine bypass

Low Noise Solutions for Turbine Bypass to Air-Cooled Condensers

systems. The combined steam flow and desuperheater cooling flow

Figure 1: ACC duct on a large combined cycle
power station. The duct is long, large, and
uninsulated.

from the bypass system discharges nearly 50% more mass flow
into the duct than the steam turbine, and at a higher enthalpy. This
large amount of mass flow is discharged into a dump device that is
much smaller than the steam turbine exhaust, concentrating noise
energy into a very small area. Single-stage control valves and dump
elements can generate external noise levels in excess of 130 dBA
at a distance of 1m from the ACC duct surface, and 75 dBA up to
a kilometer from the plant. With many combined cycle plants on
daily cycling, start-up noise can become a severe constraint in plant
operation.
Combined cycle power stations are also relatively compact, and are
much more likely to be sited in a sensitive environment than a large

Figure 2: Noise at the surface of the duct can

propagate to nearby communities.

coal-fired boiler. Plants with excessive noise levels may face financial
penalties and, in some cases, suspension of plant operation. Due to
the large size of the ACC duct, traditional noise treatment methods
like acoustic enclosures or insulation are impractical or insufficient.
The source noise must be treated in order to meet plant noise
requirements.
Complete Noise and Bypass System Specification
It is important to establish correct and complete noise specifications
for ACC systems. Almost all plants establish near field sound
pressure levels of 90 dBA for insulated pipes in order to provide a
safe working environment. In ACC plants the far field requirements
will usually dictate the near field requirements. Far field
requirements of 60 dBA at 400 feet from duct may require near
field requirements of 85 dBA at 3 feet from duct. Since the duct is

Figure 3: Compact dump element with

elliptical or fish mouth discharge. These
designs generate large noise at the surface of
the ACC duct.

not insulated, the noise performance of the bypass system must be

significantly lower than is applied in conventional power stations.

Total ACC Noise is the Result of Many

Individual Noise Sources

In a bypass system, there will be a variety of service conditions

corresponding to the different plant operating modes. Typical
operating modes include full-load trip, duct firing, cold start, and
hot start. The duration and frequency of these operation modes
varies significantly, and the far field noise requirements for the plant
may be different for each operating mode. The noise requirements
and operating conditions for the bypass system must be completly
defined and reviewed to insure that plant noise requirements are
met. The noise requirements and operating conditions also have
a significant effect on the cost, size, and complexity of the bypass
system design.

Figure 4: Compact dump tube.

Sources of Noise in ACC Systems

The noise from the bypass system comes from two primary sources,
the steam bypass control valve and the final dump element that
The sound power and peak frequency of each source must be
controlled in order to reduce overall system noise.
The dominant source in large power stations is the final dump
element in the bypass to condenser systems. The most common
dump element designs feature a large array of 12 mm or 6 mm
drilled holes, densely packed on a flat circular plate, an elliptical
Figure 5: Cracks at a lifting hub on the
surface of an ACC duct. The cracks were
generated by the high power, low frequency
jet generated by a compact dump element.

fish mouth device, or a dump tube (Figures 3 and 4). These designs
can generate noise levels in excess of 130 dBA at a distance of 1m
from the ACC duct surface. The large amount of concentrated sound
power creates vibration that can cause cracks in the duct walls and
dump element mounting ring (Figure 5).

Noise vs Freqency, Drag Resistor and Dump Tubes

160.0

The noise generated by the dump element at the ACC duct surface
Sound Power, dB

140.0

can be significantly reduced by using a combination of smaller

120.0

orifice sizes and multi-stage pressure reduction. Smaller orifice

100.0

sizes shift the peak frequency of jets discharging from the dump
element. Multi-stage pressure reduction reduces the discharge

80.0

velocity of jets on the surface of the dump element. In some cases

60.0

40.0
10

100

DRAG Resistor

1000

Frequency, Hz
Low Noise Dump Tube

10000

100000

Compact Dump Tube

Figure 6: Comparison of the sound power and

frequency spectrum for three dump element
technologies. The DRAG resistor combines
a multi-stage pressure letdown design with
frequency shifting to reduce overall system
noise.

we must apply both approaches in order to achieve the necessary

noise performance. DRAG multi-stage technology provides the best
possible noise performance in bypass to condenser applications
(Figure 6).

Low Noise Solutions for Turbine Bypass to Air-Cooled Condensers

discharges all steam flow and spraywater flow into the ACC duct.

Low Noise Performance Requires a Total

System Solution

Low Noise Solutions for Turbine Bypass to Air-Cooled Condensers

Figure 7: Comparison of far field noise performance for a CCPS with ACC duct. The first figure shows the noise field around
a plant when the plant is in normal operation, with 85 dBA ambient noise level. The second figure shows the noise field
around a plant when the bypass system is in operation. The bypass system generates 117 dBA at 1m from the duct surface,
and significant far field noise.

Total System Design

The overlay on pages 8 and 9 shows an illustration of

design temperatures for ACC ducting is around 120C

a typical bypass system. The bypass system includes

(250F). To control steam enthalpy to conditions acceptable

many elements, including the steam bypass control

for ACC, steam is saturated at the higher pressures existing

valve, diffusers, one or more desuperheaters, and the

upstream of the dump device. These applications require

final dump element. The total system design must be

very large amounts of spraywater, and the source for this

reviewed to meet noise requirements. Noise sources

is often cold water from the condensate extraction pumps

upstream of the final dump element will transmit

(CEP). The design of the desuperheater, the velocities in

downstream into the ACC duct. The steam bypass

the pipe system, and spraywater control logic must be

control valve and diffusers may require multi-stage

carefully made to ensure reliable operation. Bypass to

technology.

condenser applications require consideration of total system

design and more so in air-cooled condensers where noise

In bypass to condenser applications the temperature

requirements, control and evaporation of spray water are

after desuperheating is saturated because typically

required to be more stringent.

DRAG Multi-Stage Technology

Benefits of DRAG Multi-Stage Technology

CCI designs and manufactures a unique technology that provides
the best possible noise performance. This technology is available for
the steam bypass valve trim and for the final dump element.
The DRAG design divides the flow through the control valve or
dump element into hundreds of multi-path multi-stage streams.
Each flow path consists of a specific number of right angle turns.
These flow paths establish a tortuous path, and each turn reduces
the pressure of the flowing medium. The pressure drop on the last
stage of a DRAG disk is many times less than the pressure drop
on a single-stage orifice. With this technology we can specify the
necessary number of stages to achieve plant noise requirements. CCI
can provide this technology both within the control valve trim and
in the final dump element in the ACC duct.
The DRAG resistor provides additional benefits in bypass to
condenser applications. The steam entering the condenser dump
element is typically wet steam, with 95% to 97% quality. MultiStage conventional drilled hole dump devices are not recommended
as they will gradually be eroded by impinging high velocity wet
steam jets from the individual stages onto the material (diffuser) of
the next stage. DRAG velocity control protects the dump element
from wet steam erosion, and stainless steel construction of the disks
ensures long service life. The DRAG resistor also gives much greater
pipe and system design flexibility. The DRAG resistor can provide
lower system noise with much higher inlet pressures. This gives
plant designers the flexibility to specify higher pressures and smaller
pipes sizes for the intermediate pipe between the bypass valve
and dump element. It also gives the bypass system designer more
flexibility to optimize system velocities for improved noise control
and desuperheating.
Special DRAG Hex Resistors
The DRAG resistor disks for bypass to condenser applications
are assembled from hundreds of disk strips. The disk strips are
held together using a series of pins that cross link the strips. This
unique design provides the durability and toughness required to
withstand the dynamic forces that act on the resistor during a fullload trip. The disks are manufactured from 12 chrome stainless
steel, which resists the thermal gradients and erosion from steam
quality variations associated with condenser discharge systems. The
Figure 9: DRAG multi-stage valve trim
minimizes noise generation through velocity
control.

disks use a special version of the DRAG flow path that has been
optimized for discharge to the condenser applications.

Low Noise Solutions for Turbine Bypass to Air-Cooled Condensers

Figure 8: Image of a typical DRAG resistor

for HRH bypass air-cooled condensers.

DRAG Resistor Dump Element

Incorporating DRAG Technology

Low Noise Solutions for Turbine Bypass to Air-Cooled Condensers

Figure 10: Schematic of a standard DRAG resistor and a typical bell housing assembly.

Table 1: Standard DRAG Resistor Configurations

HRH Bypass Steam

Flow (excl spray water)

Nominal
Diameter (DN)

Resistor Height
(HR)

Max Resistor
Diameter (DMAX)

Bell Housing
Diameter

33 (82 cm)
100000 - 300000 lbm/hr
(45450 - 136360 mt/hr)

24 (61 cm)

39 (99 cm)
47 (120 cm)

70 100
40 (102 cm)
(180 254 cm)

54 (137 cm)
40 (102 cm)
175000 - 450000 lbm/hr
(79545 - 204550 mt/hr)

30 (76 cm)

48 (122 cm)
55 (140 cm

85 125
44 (112 cm)
(216 318 cm)

64 (163 cm)
49 (125 cm)
300000 - 675000 lbm/hr
(136360 - 306820 mt/hr)

36 (91 cm)

57 (145 cm)
66 (168 cm)

105 150
51 (130 cm)
(267 381 cm)

76 (193 cm)
57 (145 cm)
450000 - 900000 lbm/hr
(181800 - 450000 mt/hr)

42 (107 cm)

66 (168 cm)
76 (193 cm)

125 175
60 (154 cm)
(318 445 cm)

86 (219 cm)
Notes:
The size of the DRAG resistor may require the use of a bell housing to avoid excessive ACC duct blockage.
- The bell housing diameters above assume that the DRAG resistor is 100% contained in the bell housing and
assumes an ACC duct pressure of 2 psia (.13 bara), and an enthalpy of 1170 BTU/lbm ( 2720 kJ/kg).
- The bell housing diameter may be reduced if the DRAG resistor is only partially contained.

dif
bre

Preferred System Configuration

Total System Design

For every bypass system, CCI performs a
complete system noise analysis using industry
standard IEC & ISA calculation methods,
optimizing system geometry and intermediate
operating conditions to intelligently manage
steam velocity and minimize noise generation in
regions of area expansion.

Closed-Coupled Horizontal Piping

Arrangement
Installing the bypass valve and desuperheater
horizontially and close to the ACC duct eliminates
the need for pipe elbows. This provides the
simplest solution for system control and
minimizes the risk of wet steam erosion.

CCIs DRAG
multi-stage valve trim
minimizes noise generation
through velocity control.

Small Diameter Drilled-Hole Technology

Small diameter drilled-hole valve trim and flow
diffusers greatly minimize audible noise generation by
breaking up large diameter jets and frequency shifting.

DRAG Multi-Stage Dump Device

CCIs DRAG multi-stage technology
incorporated into a condenser dump device.

Alternate Configurations

SUMMARY
ACC plants can be a noise problem because:
n Turbine bypass systems dump into a large-diameter,
uninsulated, thin-walled duct.
n They are commonly located very close to residential areas.
Total ACC noise is a product of many individual sources:
n Bypass valves
n Regions of area expansion

n Dump Devices

Low noise performance requires a total system

solution:
n DRAG Multi-Stage Valve Trim
n Small-Drilled-Hole Diffusers
n DRAG Multi-Stage Dump Device
n Intelligently designed system geometry

Low Noise Solutions for Turbine Bypass to Air-Cooled Condensers

DRAG Technology

Alternate Configuration: Two-Stage Desuperheating

In some situations, it is necessary to break up the

desuperheating into two separate stages. This is due to
the fact that turbine bypass systems, especially IP bypass
systems, operate with wet steam downstream of the
desuperheater. The system geometry determines if twostage desuperheating is necessary. This includes:
Systems with long outlet pipe runs: Long pipe runs
flowing wet steam lead to excess spraywater fallout and can
lead to a water hammer effect on the dump element.
Systems with pipe elbows: Pipe elbows not only increase
spraywater fallout, but are also very prone to erosion
caused by water droplets in the wet steam flow. In addition,
elbows located close to the dump element can lead to nonuniform temperature gradients that can cause damage.
Two-stage desuperheating works by splitting the
desuperheating to maintain superheated steam in the
intermediate piping before the ACC duct. This minimizes
the risks associated with flowing wet steam. The remainder
of the spraywater is injected immediately before the
condenser dump element.

Low Noise Solutions for Turbine Bypass to Air-Cooled Condensers

Two-Stage Desuperheating

Alternate Configuration: Two-Stage Desuperheating

documents:
CCI Installation Guidelines
CCI Preventative Maintenance
Program

Preventative
Maintenance
Program for
Turbine Bypass
Systems

Low Noise Solutions for Turbine Bypass to Air-Cooled Condensers

For more information,

refer to the following

Contact us at: info@ccivalve.com

For sales and service locations worldwide,
visit us online at: www.ccivalve.com
Throughout the world, customers rely on CCI companies to solve their
severe service control valve problems. CCI has provided custom solutions
for these and other industry applications for more than 80 years.

DRAG is a registered trademark of CCI.

20 08 CCI
893 04/08 5K