What effect does a low feedwater inlet temperature have on a system?

When the feedwater inlet temperature is low, it negatively impacts the steam production efficiency of a system. This is primarily because the steam generation process requires more energy to convert water into steam when the water starts at a lower temperature. The specific heat capacity of water means that it takes a significant amount of energy to raise the temperature of the feedwater to its boiling point.

As a result, with a lower feedwater temperature, more fuel must be consumed to reach the necessary temperature for steam generation, leading to inefficiencies in the process. Thus, steam production becomes less efficient, and the system may struggle to maintain optimal performance. Hence, low feedwater inlet temperature corresponds directly to reduced steam production efficiency.