本科毕业论文-运行中的汽轮机系统真空下降原因的分析.doc

毕业设计（论文）题目 运行中的汽轮机系统真空下降原因的分析 学 校：河南理工大学站 名：义 马 函 授 站年 级 名 称：08电厂热能动力装置学 生 姓 名： 指 导 教 师： 河南理工大学成人高等教育2O10 年 10 月 20 日摘 要在现代大型电站凝汽式汽轮机组的热力循环中，凝汽设备是凝汽式汽轮机组的一个重要组成部分，它的工作性能直接影响整个汽轮机组的安全性、可靠性、稳定性和经济性。汽轮机的真空下降会使汽轮机的可用热焓降减少，除了经济性降低，汽轮机出力也会降低；排汽缸及轴承座等部件受热膨胀引起动静中心改变，汽轮机产生振动；排汽温度过高，可能会引起凝汽器的铜管胀口松弛，破坏凝汽器的严密性；使轴向推力明显增加；真空下降使排汽容积流量减小，产生涡流及漩流，同时产生较大的激振力，易使未级叶片损坏；而凝汽器真空度又是汽轮机运行的重要指标，也是反映凝汽器综合性能的一项主要考核指标。凝汽器的真空水平对汽轮发电机组的经济性有着直接影响，如机组真空下降1%，机组热耗将要上升0.6%1%。因此保持凝汽器良好的运行工况，保证凝汽器的最有利真空；是每个发电厂节能的重要内容。而凝汽器内所形成的真空受凝汽器传热情况、真空系统严密性状况、冷却水的温度、流量、机组的排汽量及抽气器的工作状况等因素制约。因此有必要分析机组凝汽器真空度下降的原因，找出预防真空度下降的措施，提高凝汽器性能，维持机组经济真空运行,直接提高整个汽轮机组的热经济性。目 录第一章 前言 1 第一节 凝汽设备的作用 2第二节 凝汽设备的运行监督与工作原理 2第二章 汽轮机真空下降的原因 5第一节 汽轮机真空下降的主要特征 5第一节 汽轮机真空度下降的原因分析 6第三章 汽轮机真空度下降的预防措施 13第四章 结论 16附录：参考文献第 一 章 前 言在现代大型电站凝汽式汽轮机组的热力循环中，凝汽设备是凝汽式汽轮机组的一个重要组成部分，主要由凝汽器、凝结水泵、循环水泵、抽气器等组成，其系统连接如图所示（后附）。第 一 节 凝 汽 设 备 的 作 用凝气设备主要由凝汽器、循环水泵、凝结水泵、抽气器等组成。一、凝汽器的作用凝汽器的作用是降低汽轮机的排气压力即形成高度真空，以增大蒸汽在汽轮机内的理想焓降；冷却汽轮机排汽成为凝结水，回收工质和一部分热量；在机组启、停中回收疏水；对凝结水和凝汽器补水进行一级真空除氧。二、抽气器的作用抽气器的作用有二：一是在机组启、停过程中，抽出凝汽器内的空气，建立启动真空；一是在机组运行中，连续不断地抽出凝汽器内漏入的空气等不凝结气体和蒸汽，维持凝汽器内的真空，以保证凝汽器的工作效率和提高机组经济性。 三、循环水泵和凝结水泵的作用循环水泵的作用是连续不断地向凝汽器及其他冷却器（空冷器、冷油器）等提供一定压力和流量的冷却水，以保证它们工作需要。凝结水泵的作用是将凝汽器中的凝结水连续不断地输送出去，送至除氧器作为锅炉给水，以达到回收工质的作用。第 二 节 凝汽设备的运行监督与工作原理一、 凝汽器的运行与监督（一） 凝汽器运行好坏的标志（1） 能否达到最有利真空；（2） 能否使凝结水的过冷度最小；（3） 能否保证凝结水品质合格。（二）凝汽器的最有利真空 凝汽器的最有利真空是指在汽轮机排气量、凝汽器冷却水入口温度一定时，通过增加冷却水流量使汽轮发电机的功率增加。当发电机增加的功率与循环水泵多耗的功率之差最大时的真空。它应该经过技术经济比较来确定，一般由实验来确定。（三）凝结水的过冷却凝汽器排汽口温度与凝结水温度之差称为凝结水的过冷度。凝结水过冷却一方面降低了电厂的热经济性，增大了煤耗-一般过冷度每增加1，煤耗率约增加0.10.15；另一方面使凝结水含氧量增加，加快了设备管道系统的腐蚀，降低了设备的安全性和可靠性。凝结水过冷度一般要求不超过0.51。凝结水过冷度增大的原因主要有：（1）凝汽器设计不合理；（2）凝汽器汽侧积存空气；（3）凝汽器水位高，淹没一部分冷却管，造成凝结水过冷却；（4）冷却水漏入凝汽器汽侧，导致凝结水过冷却；（5）冷却水水温过低，凝汽器热负荷过小，尤其是抽气机组在冬季供热时，可能出现这种情况。（四）凝汽器的热力特性凝汽器真空与凝汽量及冷却水温度的变化关系称为凝汽器的热力特性，掌握凝汽器热力特性是正确分析凝汽器运行状态和维护的依据。根据凝汽器热力特性可以分析出，提高凝汽器真空可采取下列措施：（1）降低冷却水进口温度；（2）增加冷却水量；（3）降低传热端差，即保持传热面清洁或改进旧设备，增加传热面积和传热效果。二、抽气器抽气器的任务是将漏入凝汽器内的空气和少量不凝结的蒸汽连续不断抽出，在运行中维持凝汽器真空；在启机前建立启动真空。因此抽气器运行状态的好坏对机组的安全性和经济型起着很大的作用。（1）抽气器的工作原理抽气器是喷射泵的一种应用形式。它由喷嘴、混合室、扩散管等组成。工作介质通过喷嘴，将压能转变为速度能，利用卷吸作用的原理在混合室中形成高于凝汽器的真空，将凝汽器中的空气等汽、气混合物抽出，通过扩散管再将速度能转变为压能，最后以略高于大气压的压力将混合物排至大气。（2）射水抽气器射水抽气器是以水为工作介质，一般由专设的射水泵供给，压力在0.20.5mpa，压力水经水室进入喷嘴，将压力水的压能转换成速度能高速射出，在混合室形成高度真空，将凝汽器中的汽、气混合物抽出，与水混合，经扩散管排至大气。射水抽气器主要由水室、喷嘴、混合室、扩散管和逆止阀等组成。其消耗的水量约为凝汽机组冷却水总量的10左右，工作水源可选为工业水或循环水。由于工作水经抽气器后水温较低，故可回收至循环水泵入口。第 二 章 汽轮机真空下降的原因在现代大型电站凝汽式汽轮机组的热力循环中，凝汽设备是凝汽式汽轮机组的一个重要组成部分，它的工作性能直接影响整个汽轮机组的安全性、可靠性、稳定性和经济性。而凝汽器真空度是汽轮机运行的重要指标，也是反映凝汽器综合性能的一项主要考核指标。凝汽器的真空水平对汽轮发电机组的经济性有着直接影响，如机组真空下降1%，机组热耗将要上升0.6%1%。凝汽器内所形成的真空受凝汽器传热情况、真空系统严密性状况、冷却水的温度、流量、机组的排汽量及抽气器的工作状况等因素制约。因此有必要分析机组凝汽器真空度下降的原因，找出预防真空度下降的措施，从而提高凝汽器性能，维持机组经济真空运行,以便直接提高整个汽轮机组的热经济性。第一节 汽轮机凝汽器真空度下降的主要特征在汽轮机组的正常运行中我们可以通过各种仪表、数据来了解和分析汽轮机凝汽器的真空度好坏情况。一般汽轮机凝汽器真空度下降的主要特征有：（1）真空表指示降低；（2）排汽温度升高；（3）凝结水过冷度增加； （4）凝汽器端差增大；（5）机组出现振动；第二节 汽轮机凝汽器真空度下降原因分析引起汽轮机凝汽器真空度下降的原因主要有循环水量中断或不足、循环水温升高、后轴封供汽中断、抽气器或真空泵故障、凝汽器满水（或水位升高）、凝汽器结垢或腐蚀，传热恶化、凝汽器水侧泄漏、凝汽器真空系统不严密，汽侧泄漏导致空气涌入等。就这些问题我将分别做出分析、阐述：一、循环水量中断或不足 循环水中断 循环水中断引起真空急剧下降的主要特征是：真空表指示回零；凝汽器前循环水泵出口侧压力急剧下降；冷却塔无水喷出。循环水中断的原因可能是：循环水泵或其驱动电机故障；循环水吸水口滤网堵塞，吸入水位过低；循环水泵轴封或吸水管不严密或破裂，使空气漏人泵内等。循环水中断时，应迅速卸掉汽轮机负荷，并注意真空降到允许低限值时进行故障停机。 循环水量不足 循环水量不足的主要特征是：真空逐步下降；循环水出口和人口温差增大。由于引起循环水量不足的原因不同，因此有其不同的特点，所以可根据这些特征去分析判断故障所在，并加以解决： 若此时凝汽器中流体阻力增大，表现为循环水进出口压差增大，循环水泵出口和凝汽器进口的循环水压均增高，冷却塔布水量减少，可断定是凝汽器内管板堵塞，此时可采用反冲洗、凝汽器半面清洗或停机清理的办法进行处理。 若此时凝汽器中流体阻力减小，表现为循环水进出口压差减小，循环水泵出口和凝汽器出口循环水压均增高，冷却塔布水量减少，可断定是凝汽器循环水出水管部分堵塞，例如出口闸门未全开或布水器堵塞等等。 循环水泵供水量减少，一般可从泵人口真空表指示的吸人高度增大、真空表指针摆动、泵内有噪音和冲击声、出口压力不稳等现象进行判断、此时应根据真空降低情况降低负荷，并迅速排除故障。二、循环水温升高 当电厂的循环冷却水为开式水时，受季节影响大，特别是夏季，循环水温升高，影响了凝汽器的换热效果。当循环水进口温度升高时，其吸收热量就减少，蒸汽冷凝温度就越高，冷凝温度的升高可使排汽压力相应升高，降低蒸汽在汽机内部的焓降，使得凝汽器内真空下降。循环水温越高，循环水从凝汽器中带走的热量越少，据测算，循环水温升高5，可使凝汽器真空降低1左右。对于采用冷却塔的闭式循环供水系统，水温冷却主要取决于冷却水塔的工作状况。由于飞散及蒸发损失，循环补充用水是较大的，及时补充冷水是保持冷却水塔有效降温的重要方面，应定期检查冷却塔内的分配管是否正常，出水是否完好，这些因素都直接影响水的分布均匀性，影响其散热性能，通过每年清洗垫料，真空可恢复2-3，这样降低凝汽器进口水温是提高真空的有效途径，这比提高循环水量更为有效。可见，循环水温度对真空影响是很重要的。三、后轴封供汽不足或中断 后轴封供汽不足或中断，将导致不凝结气体从外部漏入处于真空状态的部位，最后泄漏到凝汽器中，过多的不凝结的气体滞留在凝汽器中影响传热，凝结水过冷度增大，不但会使真空迅速下降，同时还会因空气冷却轴颈，严重时使转子收缩，胀差向负方向变动，轴封失汽，常由轴封汽压自动调节失灵或手动调节不当引起，都应开大调门，使轴封汽压力恢复正常，当轴封汽量分配不均引起个别轴封漏人空气时，应调节轴封汽分门，重新分配各轴封汽量，汽源本身压力不足，应设法恢复汽源，轴封汽不足或中断在处理过程中，应关闭轴封漏汽门。四、抽气器或真空泵故障 抽气器工作不正常引起真空下降的特征有：循环水出口水温与排汽温度的差值增大；抽气器排气管向外冒水或冒蒸汽；凝结水过循环度增大，但经空气严密性试验证明真空系统漏气并未增加。引起抽气器工作不正常的原因和处理原则如下：(1) 冷却器的冷却水量不足，使两段抽气器内同时充满没有凝结的蒸汽；降低了喷嘴的工作效率。此时应打开凝结水再循环门，关小通往除氧器的凝结水门，必要时往凝汽器补充软化水。(2) 冷却器内管板或隔板泄漏，使部分凝结水不通过管束而短路流出；冷却器汽侧疏水排出不正常，也可造成两段抽气器内充满未凝结的蒸汽。(3) 冷却器水管破裂或管板上胀口松驰或疏水管不通，使抽气器满水，水从抽气器排气管喷出。(4) 喷嘴磨损或腐蚀，使抽气器工作变坏。此时，抽气器的用汽量将增大，通过冷却器的主凝结水的温升也增大。发生上述情况，应迅速进行处理，启动备用抽气器或真空泵。五、凝汽器热负荷过高 由于机组主蒸汽管自动主汽门前、调节汽门前疏水，低压加热器疏水以及抽汽逆止阀等多处疏水，均接入凝汽器，增加了凝汽器换热强度，当循环冷却水量一定或不足时，就会导致凝汽器真空度下降。改进的方法是将以上疏水系统加分流管道及阀门或直接接至电厂的疏水扩容器或疏水箱，以降低凝汽器的热负荷。六、凝汽器满水(或水位升高) 凝汽器汽侧空间水位过高引起真空下降的原因是：(1) 凝汽器汽侧空间水位升高后，淹没了下边一部分铜管，减少了凝汽器的冷却面积，使汽轮机排汽压力升高即真空降低。(2) 如凝汽器水位升高到抽空气管口高度，则凝汽器真空便开始下降。根据凝结水淹没抽气口的程度，开始时真空降低缓慢，以后便迅速加快，这时连接在凝汽器喉部的真空表指示下降，而连接在抽气器上的真空表指示上升。如果不及时采取必要的措施，将有水由抽气器的排气管中冒出。造成凝汽器满水的可能原因如下：凝结水泵故障。凝汽器铜管破裂，此时凝结水水质恶化。备用凝结水泵的进出口阀门关闭不严或逆止阀损坏，水从备用泵倒流回凝汽器。正常运行中误将凝结水再循环门开大。七、凝汽器冷却面结垢或腐蚀，传热恶化 当凝汽器内铜管脏污结垢时，将影响凝汽器的热交换，使凝汽器端差增大，排汽温度上升，此时凝汽器内水阻增大，冷却通流量减小，冷却水出入口温差也随之增加，造成真空下降。凝结器冷却面结垢对真空的影响是逐步积累和增强的，因此判断凝汽器冷却面是否结垢，应与冷却面洁净时的运行数据比较。凝汽器冷却面结垢的主要原因是循环水水质不良，在铜管内壁沉积了一层软质的有机垢或结成硬质的无机垢，严重地降低了铜管的传热能力，并减少了铜管的通流面积。当结垢过多，真空过低时，就必须停机进行清洗。一般情况下，采用酸洗后机组真空会明显改善。八、凝汽器水侧泄漏 凝汽器铜管泄漏，是凝汽器最常遇到的故障之一。凝汽器铜管泄漏，将使硬度很高的冷却水进入凝汽器汽侧，凝汽器水位升高，真空下降，此外还使凝结水质变坏，造成锅炉和其它设备结垢和腐蚀，严重时可导致锅炉爆管。确认凝汽器铜管泄漏时应立即对铜管做堵管处理。九、凝汽器真空系统不严密，汽侧泄漏导致空气涌入 真空系统不严密，存在较小漏点时，不凝结的汽体从外部漏人处于真空状态的部位，最后泄漏到凝汽器中，过多的不凝结气体滞留在凝汽器中影响传热，使真空异常下降，这类真空下降的特点是下降速度缓慢，而且真空下降到某一定值后，即保持稳定不再下降，这说明漏汽量和抽气量达到平衡。真空系统不严密漏气量增多时，表现的主要现象是：汽轮机排气温度与凝汽器出口循环水温的差值增大、凝结水过冷却度增大。此时应立即查找漏气原因和漏气点并予以消除。下面介绍一下一般容易发生漏气的地点，以便查找和消除。(1) 轴封蒸汽未及时调整好造成轴封断汽，使空气从轴封处漏入，特别是在负荷突然降低时容易发生，应十分注意。(2) 汽轮机排汽室与凝汽器的连接管段由于热变形或腐蚀穿孔引起漏气。(3) 汽缸变形，从法兰接合面不严密处漏入空气。(4) 自动排气门或真空破坏门水封断水。(5) 凝汽器水位计接头不严密，或其它与真空系统连接的设备或管道上的计量表连接管有缺陷。(6) 真空系统的管道法兰接合面、阀门盘根等不严密，特别是抽气器空气抽出管上的空气门盘根不严密等。十、虹吸破坏： 虹吸被破坏时凝汽器进水压力升高，出水压力到零。在相同负荷和进水温度下，凝汽器出水温度升高，排汽温度升高，真空下降。此时应关闭出水门，开启出水侧空气门，观察真空变化，排完空气后调整出水门，真空应回升。（注意：两侧不能同时进行） 如循环水泵启动或转换，管内带有空气，应将凝汽器水侧排空气门开启，排完空气后关闭。如凝汽器水室，出水管等处有不严的现象，应在短时间内消除。第三章 凝汽器真空度下降的预防措施 真空系统庞大，与真空有关的设备系统分散复杂，真空下降事故至今仍在汽轮机事故中占相当大比重，需要时刻做好真空下降预防工作。1、 加强对循环水供水设备的维护工作，确保循环水供水设备的正常运行。对冷却水流量和流速进行合理调整2、 提高抽气器工作性能，加强对凝结水泵及射水泵、射水泵抽气器、真空泵等空气抽出设备的维护工作，确保其正常运行，抽气器切换要严防误操作。3、 轴封供汽压力自动、凝汽器水位自动要可靠投用，调整门动作要可靠，并加强对凝汽器水位和轴封汽压力的监视。维持轴封系统及水封的正常工作；维持好轴封加热器的正常水位；调整汽轮机轴端汽封间隙，减小轴端漏汽量；严格控制低压汽封供汽压力、温度，遇到汽封系统运行不正常，应及时进行分析，负压部位管道设计时，应充分考虑膨胀问题；应尽量避免剧烈工况出现；及时更换泄漏的阀门等方面改进真空的严密性；提高抽气器效率。4、 对凝汽器的汽水、水封设备的运行加强监视分析，防止水封设备损坏或水封头失水漏空气。5、 汽水系统化学补充水接至凝汽器。补充水温度低，吸收排汽热量可降低凝汽器温度。6、 坚持定期进行汽轮机真空严密性试验，监视真空系统严密程度。若结果不合格时，应对汽轮机真空系统进行查漏，堵漏。目前检漏方式有卤素检漏法、超声波检漏法、真空灌水法和氦质谱检漏法，其中氦质谱检漏法是目前汽轮机真空系统检漏的先进方法。7、 低真空保护装置应投入运行，整定值应符合设计要求，不得任意改变报警、停机的整定值。8、 在运行中若凝结水水质不合格，但硬度又不高，可能是由于管板胀口不严有轻微的泄漏所致。这时，若停运凝汽器，不易找出泄漏处。可以考虑的应急做法是在循环水泵吸入口水中加适量的锯木屑。木屑进入水室中，在泄漏处受到真空的作用会将“针孔”堵塞，可使水硬度维持在合格范围内。9、保持凝汽器管壁和水侧的清洁度，减轻汽器铜管结垢，目前最有效的方法是胶球清洗。可以考虑加装凝汽器铜管杀菌灭藻装置，防止微生物在铜管内壁蔓延。我厂就加装了超声波杀菌除垢装置。10、 提高凝汽器胶球自动清洗装置的投入率。11、 可以考虑定期进行凝汽器铜管硫酸亚铁补膜工作。12、 加强运行管理，对下列各参数定时记录，以便分析比较：凝汽器的真空，排汽温度，凝结水的水质、温度，循环水进出口水温、压力，凝汽器热井水位，循环水泵电流值等。13、 检查冷却塔性能，加强运行维护，调整到最佳工况运行。第 四 章 结 论总而言之，本文所述的内容是在汽轮机正常运行中，较为常见的凝结器真空度下降的原因、象征与处理方法。当然，本人理论水平有限，纯属个人观点，不是绝对的原因、象征与处理方法，不可避免的存在一些问题和不足，还需要大家在工作过程中予以批评指正，不断地总结和完善这方面的知识！因为随着电厂设备的老化，新的原因、象征也会产生，这就需要我们大家在工作的过程中，不断地总结和提高这方面的知识与技能，及时发现问题，及时查明原因，采取措施予以解决，在实际生产中，应当坚持“以设备治理为基础、通过运行方式的调整来克服季节因素带来的不利影响”的原则，坚持以科学理论分析为依据、紧密结合生产实际、合理组织、统筹安排，对凝汽设备系统全面分析、深入研究、逐步排查，找出真空度下降的关键因素，在确保安全的前提下争取最大的经济效益，确保机组的安全经济运行。 通过以上的综合分析不难看出，影响凝汽器真空的因素众多复杂，所以只有熟悉掌握机组系统原理，才能做出准确分析判断。当然也应了解真空降低对机组的影响，主要表现为以下毕业设计（论文）说明书专用 第17页几个方面：其一是当汽机的排汽压力、温度升高，蒸汽在机内的可用始降减少，蒸汽在凝汽器中的冷源损失增大，机组效率下降，机组出力减少；其二是真空降低，要维持机组负荷不变，需增加蒸汽流量，引起末级叶片可能过负轴向推力增大，推力瓦温度升高，严重时可能烧毁推力瓦；其三是凝汽器真空下降较大而排汽温度上升较高时，将使排汽缸及低压轴承座等部件受热膨胀，引起机组中心偏移，可能发生振动；其四是由于排汽温度升高，可能引起凝汽器冷却水管胀口松动，破坏凝汽器冷却水管严密性；其五是排汽的体积流量减少，对末级叶片工作不利。所以，了解凝汽器真空下降可能产生的原因和后果，才能确保及时准确地对故障进行处理。 附录2： 参考文献耿宝林：汽轮机技术问答石家庄自动化技术公司1991余国泰：电厂热力设备及运行 北京：中国电力出版社 1997韩中和：火电厂汽机设备及运行 北京：中国电力出版社 2002刘爱忠：汽轮机设备及运行北京：中国电力出版社.2003胡念苏：汽轮机设备及系统北京：中国电力出版设 2003王国清：汽轮机设备运行技术问答北京：中国电力出版设 2004靳智平：王毅林： 汽轮机原理及系统北京：中国电力出版社. 2004.邹玉波：凝汽轮机真空下降的原因分析及预防热电技术. 2004. 王加璇、姚文达电厂热力设备及运行中国电力出版 2004请您删除一下内容，O(_)O谢谢！Many people have the same mixed feelings when planning a trip during Golden Week. With heaps of time, the seven-day Chinese请您删除一下内容，O(_)O谢谢！National Day holiday could be the best occasion to enjoy a destination. However, it can also be the easiest way to ruin how you feel about a place and you may become more fatigued after the holiday, due to battling the large crowds. During peak season, a dream about a place can turn to nightmare without careful planning, especially if you travel with children and older people. As most Chinese people will take the holiday to visit domestic tourist destinations, crowds and busy traffic are inevitable at most places. Also to be expected are increasing transport and accommodation prices, with the possibility that there will be no rooms available. It is also common that youllwait in the line for one hour to get a ticket, and another two hours at the site, to only see a tiny bit of the place due to the crowds. Last year, 428 million tourists traveled in China over the week-long holiday in October. Traveling during this period is a matter that needs thorough preparation. If you are short on time to plan the upcoming Golden Week it may not be a bad idea to avoid some of the most crowded places for now. There is always a place so fascinating that everyone yearns for. Arxan is a place like this. The beauty of Arxan is everlasting regardless of the changing of four seasons. Bestowed by nature, its spectacular seasonal landscape and mountains are just beyond word. Arxan is a crucial destination for the recommended travelling route, China Inner Mongolia Arxan Hailar Manzhouli. It is also the joint of the four prairies across the Sino-Mongolian border, where people gravitate towards the exotic atmosphere mixed with Chinese, Russian, and Mongolia elements. As a historic site for the Yitian Battle, Arxan still embodies the spirit of Genghis Khan. Walking into Arxan, you will be amazed by a kaleidoscope of gorgeous colors all the year round - the Spring azaleas blooming red in the snow, the Summer sea wavering blue in the breeze, the Autumn leaves painted in yellow covering volcanic traces, and the Winter woods shining white on the vast alpine snowscape. Hinggan League Arxan city is situated in the far eastern area of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Its full name Haren Arxan means hot holy water in the Mongolian language. Arxan is a tourism city in the northern frontier with a blend of large forest, grand prairies, vast snowfield, heaven lake cluster, thermium, as well as volcanic cluster. It is a rare and unique ecotourism base filled with healthy sunshine, clean air and unspoiled green. Nestled close to the countrys largest virgin forest, and known for its spring and ecological environment, Arxan is marveled at by many tourists as the purest land on earth. You cannot miss out the Autumn of Arxan. It is definitely the best with brightly-colored scenery full of emotions. Autumn in the northern part of the country comes earlier than the South. A September rain followed by the footprints of Autumn brings more colors to the once emerald green mountain and blooming grassland. Shutterbugs flock to see for themselves the marvel of splendid colors around the mountains and waters, many of whom have travel a long distance and even camp here only to capture a moment of the nature wonder. The silver birch turns golden, while the larch is still proudly green. You will find yourself drowned in the intoxicating red of the wild fruits as well as the glamour of flowers in full blown. And your heart will be lingering on the woods as its time for the wild fruits to ripe. The picturesque Arxan in Autumn is indeed a fairyland only exists in a dream that satisfies all your fantasies. If itrains heavily on Saturday night, some elderly Chinese will say it is because Zhinu, or the Weaving Maid, is crying on the day she met her husband Niulang, or the Cowherd, on the Milky Way. Most Chinese remember being told this romantic tragedy when they were children on Qixi, or the Seventh Night Festival, which falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, which is usually in early August. This year it falls on Saturday, August 2. Folklore Story As the story goes, once there was a cowherd, Niulang, who lived with his elder brother and sister-in-law. But she disliked and abused him, and the boy was forced to leave home with only an old cow for company. The cow, however, was a former god who had violated imperial rules and was sent to earth in bovine form. One day the cow led Niulang to a lake where fairies took a bath on earth. Among them was Zhinu, the most beautiful fairy and a skilled seamstress. The two fell in love at first sight and were soon married. They had a son and daughter and their happy life was held up as an example for hundreds of years in China. Yet in the eyes of the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Deity in Taoism, marriage between a mortal and fairy was strictly forbidden. He ordered the heaven troop to catch Zhinu back. Niulang grew desperate when he discovered Zhinu had been taken back to heaven. Driven by Niulangs misery, the cow told him to turn its hide into a pair of shoes after it died. The magic shoes whisked Niulang, who carried his two children in baskets strung from a shoulder pole, off on a chase after the empress. The pursuit enraged the empress, who took her hairpin and slashed it across the sky creating the Milky Way which separated husband from wife. But all was not lost as magpies, moved by their love and devotion, formed a bridge across the Milky Way to reunite the family. Even the Jade Emperor was touched, and allowed Niulang and Zhinu to meet once a year on the seventh night of the seventh month. This is how Qixi came to be. The festival can be traced back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). Traditionally, people would look up at the sky and find a bright star in the constellation Aquila as well as the star Vega, which are identified as Niulang and Zhinu. The two stars shine on opposite sides of the Milky Way. Customs In bygone days, Qixi was not only a special day for lovers, but also for girls. It is also known as the Begging for Skills Festival or Daughters Festival. In this day, girls will throw a sewing needle into a bowl full of water on the night of Qixi as a test of embroidery skills. If the needle floats on top of the water instead of sinking, it proves the girl is a skilled embroiders. Single women also pray for finding a good husband in the future. And the newly married women pray to become pregnant quickly. Tradition transformed The love story of Niulang and Zhinu, and the Qixi Festival have been handed down for generations. Yet these ancient traditions and customs are slowly dying out. Many modern Chinese, particularly youngsters, seem to know more about St Valentines Day on February 14, characterized by bouquets of roses, chocolates and romantic candlelight dinners, than they do about their home-grown day for lovers. Even Qixi is nowadays referred to as the Chinese Valentines Day. More and more young Chinese people begin to celebrate this day in a very similar way as that in western countries. Fewer people than ever will gaze at the heavens on Saturday to pick out the two stars shining bright on either side of the Milky Way, that is, if people even know on which day Qixi falls. There are ready reminders dotted about, in the form of big ads saying Sales on Chinese Valentines Day! in shops, hotels and restaurants. But few young women will mark the festival with their boyfriends, or take part in traditional activities to pray for cleverness. A large-scale of exhibition on the Silk Road opened to the public in the National Museum on Thursday. The exhibition displays more than 400 treasures from Shaanxi province, Gansu province and 14 other regions. It is largest scale exhibition that shows the history of the Silk Road in recent years. AsAPECis going on in Beijing, the exhibit aims to show the world this brilliant section of history. The Silk Road is a series of trade and cultural transmission routes that were central to cultural interaction through regions of the Asian continent. It connected the West and East by linking traders, merchants, pilgrims, monks, soldiers, nomads, and urban dwellers from China and India to the Mediterranean Sea during various periods of time. I met my dear hubby in 2009 the second year I was in my school and it was the first year when he came here. We became colleagues. And there was nothing special happening during that year. He was just a kind and humble brother graduated from the same college as me. But we did not know each other till he became my colleague and his office desk was just in front of me. There was only a glass between us. So actually we could see each other when we both look up. But it is not the main reason that really draws us close. How we become close to each other was something seems quite natural. We went out to play badminton with other colleagues and we sometimes chatted for a while. He is a man of few words but somehow sometimes will say something really humorous. Then one