STEAM CONDENSERS
Dr. Swellam Sharshir
STEAM CONDENSERS
The heat transfer device in which the exhaust steam
of a turbine or an engine is condensed by means of
cooling water at pressure below atmospheric, is
called Steam Condenser.
The condensed Steam is called Condensate and can
be again returned to Boiler. It saves the cost of
water.
𝑀𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚 𝑖𝑠 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛
𝑻𝒃𝒐𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒓 − 𝑻𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅
𝒃𝒚 =
𝑻𝒃𝒐𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒓
PRINCIPLE OF CONDENSATION
• In order to attain maximum
work, according to Carnot
principle, the heat must be
supplied at Maximum
pressure and temperature
and should be rejected at
Minimum pressure and
temperature.
PRINCIPLE OF CONDENSATION
• The steam from the steam
turbine or steam engine
could be exhausted to
atmosphere in such a
manner that the back
pressure would below the
atmospheric pressure.
ELEMENTS OF CONDENSING PLANT
• CONDENSER: In which the
exhaust steam of the turbine is
condensed by circulating cooling
water.
• CONDENSATE EXTRACTION
PUMP: to remove the condensate
from the condenser and feed it
into the hot-well. The feed water
from hot-well is further pumped
to boiler.
Open cycle of cooling water used in condenser
ELEMENTS OF CONDENSING PLANT
• AIR EXTRACTION PUMP: to
remove air from the condenser,
such a pump is called dry air
pump. If air and condensate both
are removed, it is called as wet air
pump.
• CIRCULATING PUMP: used to
supply feed water either from
river or from the cooling tower
pond to the condenser.
Open cycle of cooling water used in condenser
ELEMENTS OF CONDENSING PLANT
• COOLING TOWER:
1. The Ferro concrete made
device (hyperbolic shape) in
which the hot water from the
condenser is cooled by
rejecting heat to current of
air passing in the counter
direction.
2. Ring troughs are placed 8-
10m above the ground level.
Closed cycle of cooling water used in condenser
ADVANTAGES OF CONDENSERS
•It increases the work output per kg of steam
supplied to the power plant.
•Reduces the specific steam consumption.
•Reduces the size of power plant of given capacity.
•Improves the thermal efficiency of power plant.
•Saves the cost of water to be supplied to boiler.
TYPES OF CONDENSERS
Mixing Condenser Non-mixing condenser
• spray CONDENSERS • SURFACE CONDENSERS
The exhaust steam and cooling The cooling water flows through a
network of tubes and the exhaust
water come in direct contact and
steam passes over these tubes.
as a result the steam is
The steam gets condensed due to
condensed. It is also called direct heat transfer to coolant by
contact condensers. conduction and convection.
COMPARISION
S.No
Spray condensers Surface condensers
1. Steam and water comes in direct Steam and water does not come in direct
contact. contact.
2. Condensation is due to mixing of Condensation is due to heat transfer by
coolant. conduction and convection.
3. Condensate is not fit for use as Condensate is fit for reuse as boiler feed.
boiler feed until the treated cooling
water is supplied.
4. It is cheap. Does not affect plant It is costly. Improves the plant efficiency.
efficiency.
5. Maintenance cost is low. Maintenance cost is high.
6. Vacuum created is up to 600 mm of Vacuum created is up to 730 mm of Hg.
Hg.
Spray condenser
2
5
3
4
M2=M4
M3=M2+M5
Spray condenser
Example
Find the ratio of circulating water to steam flows if the condenser pressure is
0.07 bar and the cooling tower cools the water to 27 C . Assume Turbine exhaust
at 90 percent quality
Sol.
h2= hf+xhfg
h2= 163.4+0.9*2409.2=2331.68 kj/kg
h3= 163.4
h5= subcol=113.1 kj/kg at 27 oC
The ratio of circulating cooling water to the steam flow is given by
M5/m2=(h2-h3)/(h3-h5) =43.1
SURFACE CONDENSERS
Un mixing type condensers
SURFACE CONDENSERS
are the most common types used in power plants
CLASSIFICATION OF SURFACE CONDENSERS
• The number of water
passes:
1. Single pass
2. Multipass
DOUBLE PASS SURFACE CONDENSER
• It consist of air tight
cast iron cylindrical
shell.
• If cooling water is
impure, condenser
tubes are made up of
red brass.
Requirements of modern surface
condenser
• The steam distribute over • There should not be air
the whole cooling surface leakage
• There should not be • An arrangement for
undercooling of cooling the air to max
condensate possible
• The water inside the tubes • The ris in temperature of
and steam outside cooling water is limited
to 10 C
Air leakage
The sources : Effects of air leakage :
• The air leaks through • Increasing the pressure
the joints,……. • Decrease the steam
• The feed water temperature
contains air in • The heat transfer rates
dissolved condition are reduced
Vacuum Efficiency
The lowes pressure or (highest vacum) which can exist in a condenser is the
saturation pressure.
But the actual pressure in the condenser is always greater than the ideal
pressure by an aamount equal to the partial pressure of
