STEAM CONDESER
Steam Condenser:
It is a device or an appliance in which steam condenses
and heat released by steam is absorbed by water.
A steam condenser is a closed vessel into which the steam
is exhausted, and condensed after doing work in an engine
cylinder or turbine.
Classification of Condensers
Jet Condensers:
The exhaust steam and water come in direct contact with
each other and
temperature of the condensate is the same as that of
cooling water leaving the condenser.
The cooling water is usually sprayed into the exhaust
steam to cause, rapid condensation.
Surface Condensers:
The exhaust steam and water do not come into direct
contact.
The steam passes over the outer surface of tubes through
which
a supply of cooling water is maintained.
PARALLEL-FIOW TYPE OF JET CONDENSER:
The exhaust steam and cooling water find their entry at the top
of the condenser and then flow downwards and condensate and
water are finally collected at the bottom.
COUNTER-FLOW TYPEJET CONDENSER
The steam and cooling water enter the condenser from opposite
directions. Generally, the exhaust steam travels in upward
direction and meets the cooling water which flows downwards.
LOW LEVEL JET CONDENSER (COUNTER-FLOW
TYPE JET CONDENSER)
Figure Shows, L, M and N are the perforated trays which break
up water into jets.
The steam moving upwards comes in contact with water and
gets condensed.
The condensate and water mixture is sent to the hot well by
means of an extraction pump and
the air is removed by an air suction pump provided at the top of
the condenser
Low level counter flow type condenser
HIGH LEVEL JET CONDENSER (COUNTER-FLOW TYPE
JET CONDENSER)
It is also called barometric condenser.
In this type the shell is placed at a height about 10.363
meters above hot well and
thus the necessity of providing an extraction pump
can be obviated.
However provision of own injection pump has to be
made if water under pressure is not available.
High level counter flow type condenser
EJECTOR CONDENSER FLOW TYPE JET
CONDENSER
Here the exhaust steam and cooling water mix in hollow
truncated cones.
Due to this decreased pressure exhaust steam along with
associated air is drawn through the truncated cones and finally
lead to diverging cone.
In the diverging cone, a portion of kinetic energy gets
converted into pressure energy which is more than the
atmospheric so that condensate consisting of condensed steam,
cooling water and air is discharged into the hot well.
The exhaust steam inlet is provided with a non-return valve
which does not allow the water from hot well to rush back to
the engine in case a failure of cooling water supply to
condenser.
Ejector flow type condenser
SURFACE CONDENSERS
DOWN-FLOW TYPE
The cooling water enters the shell at the lower half section
and after traveling through the upper half section comes
out through the outlet.
The exhaust steam entering shell from the top flows down
over the tubes and gets condensed and is finally removed
by an extraction pump. Due to the fact that steam flows in
a direction right angle to the direction of flow of water, it
is also called cross-surface condenser.
SURFACE CONDENSERS:-DOWN-FLOW TYPE
CENTRAL FLOW TYPE:
In this type of condenser, the suction pipe of the air
extraction pump is located in the centre of the tubes which
results in radial flow of the steam.
The better contact between the outer surface of the tubes
and steam is ensured,
due to large passages the pressure drop of steam is
reduced.
CENTRAL FLOW TYPE:
INVERTED FLOW TYPE:
This type of condenser has the air suction at the top,
the steam after entering at the bottom rises up and
then again flows down to the bottom of the condenser,
by following a path near the outer surface of the
condenser. The condensate extraction pump is at the
bottom.
REGENERATIVE TYPE:
This type is applied to condensers adopting a regenerative
method of heating of the condensate.
After leaving the tube nest, the condensate is passed
through the entering exhaust steam from the steam engine
or turbine thus raising the temperature of the condensate,
for use as feed water for the boiler.
EVAPORATIVE TYPE:
The principle of this condenser is that when a limited quantity
of water is available, its quantity needed to condense the steam
can be reduced by causing the circulating water to evaporate
under a small partial pressure.
The exhaust steam enters at the top through gilled pipes. The
water pump sprays water on the pipes and descending water
condenses the steam. The water which is not evaporated falls
into the open tank (cooling pond) under the condenser from
which it can be drawn by circulating water pump and used over
again. The evaporative condenser is placed in open air and
finds its application in small size plants.
EVAPORATIVE TYPE
