🔍 Key Concepts

• Function of the DC heater (de-aerating condenser or dearator) in a steam plant and what flows into and out of it • How make‑up feed water is introduced into the cycle and its effect on levels and pressures • Meaning of condensate depression and what happens to it when more/less water is added or heat is removed/added

💭 Think About

• Trace the path of make‑up feed water from the source to the DC heater and ask yourself which variable it most directly affects first: pressure, level, or temperature-related quantities • Consider which of the three listed parameters are closely linked to volume/level changes versus heat/temperature changes • Think about steady full‑ahead operation: would a normal amount of make‑up water cause all three changes at once, or is that unlikely in stable plant conditions?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify how DC heater pressure is normally controlled (by steam source or by water addition?) • Check what primarily determines DC heater level (inflow vs outflow, and which flows are affected by make‑up feed) • Confirm how condensate depression is defined (difference between saturation temperature and actual condensate temperature) and whether adding relatively cooler make‑up water would tend to increase or decrease that difference