Open Feedwater Heaters An open (or direct-contact) feedwater heater is basically a mixing chamber, where the steam extracted from the turbine mixes with the feedwater exiting the page 560 pump. Ideally,

the mixture leaves the heater as a saturated liquid at the heater pressure. The schematic of a steam power plant with one open feedwater heater (also called single-stage regenerative cycle) and the T-s diagram of the cycle are shown in Fig. 10-16.