What type of pressure do high pressure heaters deal with on their tube side?

High pressure heaters, typically found in power plants, operate by receiving water or steam at a pressure level that is significantly higher than atmospheric pressure. The tube side of a high pressure heater is designed to handle pressures that correspond to the discharge pressure of the feed pump.

The feed pump raises the pressure of the feedwater before it enters the heater, allowing for efficient heat exchange with the steam, which during operation has a substantial pressure rating. This setup ensures that the water can be heated effectively and that it maintains proper flow rates and temperatures for optimal heat transfer processes. Operating at this elevated pressure helps to prevent any boiling that could reduce efficiency.

Understanding the operational environment of the heater is critical, as it must be designed to withstand this high pressure to avoid failure or leakage that could compromise the system's integrity. Thus, high pressure heaters are specifically constructed to handle the conditions presented by the feed pump discharge pressure, making the correct choice evident in the context of their functionality in power engineering systems.