In 1982, TEi Struthers Wells designed and built the first-of-its-kind solar steam generating plant including a central receiver boiler, a steam drum, and the piping and structure system for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) near Bakersfield, California.

TEi Struthers Wells, a pioneer in developing commercial nitrate salt central receivers and steam generating heat exchangers, has a vibrant history of design and manufacturing of high temperature heat transfer systems using HTF, salts, liquid metals, and steam.

TEi Struthers Wells applies state-of-the-art technology in the design of SGS heat exchangers, providing an optimal thermo-mechanical design approach for the economizer, evaporator, steam drum, superheater and reheater.

The design’s unique geometrical features guarantee a trouble-free operation for the heat exchangers that are subject to severe conditions, such as partial loads, offset operation, ramp rates, thermal shocks, etc.

Whether the SGS HX are used in a parabolic trough or molten salt receiver plant for a pure CSP plant or an ISCC (integrated solar combined cycle), TEi Struthers Wells will provide a solution for your needs.

As the industry moves to the use of molten salts for energy storage for the parabolic trough plants, TEi Struthers Wells applies a similar geometric approach in the optimization of the oil to salt heat exchangers. In order to guarantee trouble-free operation, we consider partial loads, offset conditions, ramp rates, thermal shocks, and even the effect of reversing the HTF and salt flows alternating between daytime charge and nighttime discharge mode.

Critical conditions for the initial and daily startups and all operational limits are evaluated and reported to the customer/end user for the protection of the equipment during operation.

State-of-the-art engineering correlations used in the design approach allows TEi Struthers Wells to minimize the size of the heat exchangers, simplifying their handling and transportation.

Steam Surface Condenser

Our condenser designs can incorporate enhanced deareation systems, and/or a variety of turbine exhaust options, which can assist in improving plant layouts. We continually address and refine these and other considerations associated with circular designs where space is at a premium.  The surface condenser is a critical component in the operation of a steam power plant. Condenser failures can result in forced outages and loss of generation capacity. TEi condensers represent an evolution of advanced technology, offering improved thermal efficiency and advanced mechanical design to reduce forced outages and increase availability.

Steam Surface Condenser, Modular Changeouts

As the innovator in heat transfer technology, TEi provides exceptional modular changeout options for steam surface condensers. Modular changeouts are an efficient alternative to the conventional retube. Existing condensers can be refurbished, redesigned, and even upgraded to meet new performance demands and power requirements. Complete surface condenser retrofits are possible and can offer a multitude of benefits. A surface condenser is critical to the efficient operation of a power plant.

Low Pressure Feedwater Heater

Each feedwater heater can extract up to 30% of the turbine throttle steam and is designed to specific thermal conditions and manufactured for a singular purpose. The low pressure feedwater heaters play a key role in maintaining efficient, trouble-free operation of your generation facility and the vertical channel down (VCD) designs offer a small footprint, piping economics and simplified bundle access.

High Pressure Feedwater Heater

TEI’s feedwater heaters are each designed to specific thermal conditions and manufactured for a singular purpose. Whether it be sophisticated designs involving extreme superheat, abnormal flow conditions or dissipation of high energy fluids, TEi has the expertise and experience to offer proven solutions to any design problem. TEi provides innovative and practical concepts to ensure peak heater performance from installation to testing through full or part-load operation. We offer a multitude of design configurations for desuperheater and drains cooler zones as well as the latest in channel closure techniques. The three most common are listed below:

∙ Bolted-Gasketed Closure – This economical, gasketed pill box is easily disassembled for full access.
∙ Seal-Welded Diaphragm Closure – This economical welded closure is leak-proof and easily disassembled for full access. It requires no gaskets.
∙ Breech-Lock Closure – This widely accepted, quick opening closure provides full access to the tubesheet and structural reliability under varying temperature and pressure conditions.

A Solar Receiver Steam Generator (SRSG) is a key component of a Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) generating plant. The SRSG, also known as a boiler or receiver, is a high-efficiency boiler positioned on top of a tower (typically 300 to 400 ft above grade), and surrounded by a field of mirrors (heliostats) that focus and concentrate sunlight onto the receiver tubes. The energy from the sunlight is used to generate and superheat steam in a forced circulation drum-type boiler, with the superheated steam being used to produce electricity.

The latest design for this technology will be supplied to Brightsource’s Invanpah Solar Electric Generating System. Ivanpah will:Be the largest solar thermal plant in the world

• Generate 392 MW, which will serve 140,000 homes in California
• Be the first large-scale solar thermal project built in nearly two decades
• Double the amount of commercial solar thermal electricity produced in the U.S.