Steam Condensers and Cooling Towers

STEAM CONDENSERS AND COOLING TOWERS
Evaluate condenser performance

and select for proper application.
DALTONS LAW OF PARTIAL PRESSURE
• “Thetotal pressure exerted by mixture
of gases or a mixture of gas and vapors
(which have no chemical action on each
other) is equal to the sum of the partial
pressures of the constituents of the
mixture, if it occupies the volume of
mixture at temperature of mixture”.
• The total pressure in the condenser is the
sum of the partial pressure of steam and air.
• Pressure of mixture= partial pressure of
steam + partial pressure of air
• So according to Daltons law total pressure
in the condenser is, Pc = Ps + Pa
Where , Pc= total pressure in condenser
Ps= partial pressure of steam
Pa= partial pressure of air.
Pc Ps Pa
Steam + air steam Air

Steam condenser
• A steam condenser is a closed vessel in to which
the steam is exhausted, and condensed after
doing work in an engine cylinder or turbine.
• A steam condenser has the following two object:
• 1) the primary object is to maintain a low
pressure (below atmospheric pressure) so as to
obtain maximum possible energy from steam
and thus to secure high efficiency.
• 2) the secondary object is to supply pure feed
water to the hot well, from where it is pumped
back to boiler.
Classification of steam condenser
• The steam condensers may be broadly classified in to the
following two types, depending upon the way in which the
steam is condensed.
• 1) jet condensers or mixing type condensers
a) Parallel flow jet condenser
b) Counter flow jet condenser
c) Barometric or high level jet condenser
d) Ejector condenser.
• 2) surface condensers or non mixing type condensers.
A) Down flow surface condenser
B) Central flow surface condenser
C) Regenerative surface condenser
D)Evaporative condenser
Surface condenser
• A surface condenser has a great advantages over the jet
condenser, as the condensate does not mix up with
cooling water.
• As a result of this whole condensate can be reused in
the boiler.
• This type of condenser is essential in ships which can
carry only a limited quantity of fresh water for the
boilers.
• Fig . Shows a longitudinal section of a two pass surface
condenser.
Surface condenser
Surface condenser
• It consist of a horizontal cast iron cylindrical
vessel packed with tubes, through which the
cooling water flows.
• The end of the condensers are cut off by
vertical perforated types of plates into which
water tubes are fixed.
• This is done in such a manner that the leakage
of water into the centre condensing space is
prevented.
• The water tubes pass horizontally through the
main condensing space for the steam.
Surface condenser
• The steam enters at the top and is forced to
flow down words over the tubes due to the
suction of the extraction pump at the
bottom.
• The cooling water flows in one direction
through the lower half of the tubes and
returns in opposite direction through the
upper half.
Source of air leakage
• The following are main sources through which the
air may enter the condenser:
• The dissolved air in the feed water enters into the
boiler, which in turn enters into the condenser with
exhaust steam.
• The air leaks into the condenser, through various
joint, due to high vacuum pressure in the condenser.
• In case of jet condensers , dissolved air with the
injection water enters into the condenser.
Effect of air leakage
1) It reduces vacuum pressure in the
condenser.
2) Since air is poor heat conductor, particularly
at low densities, it reduces the rate of heat
transmission.
3) It requires a larger air pump. Moreover, an
increased power is required power is
required to drive the pump.
Condenser efficiency
• The condenser efficiency may be defined as the ratio
of temperature rise of cooling water to the vacuum
temperature minus inlet cooling water temperature.
• ᶯc = temperature rise of cooling water/(vacuum
temperature- inlet cooling water temperature)
• ᶯc = (to – ti ) / (tv-ti)
• Where, to= outlet temperature of cooling water.
• ti= inlet temperature of cooling water.
• tv= vacuum temperature
Vacuum efficiency
• The minimum absolute pressure (also called as ideal
pressure) at the steam inlet of a condenser is the pressure
corresponding to the temperature of the condensed
steam.
• The corresponding vacuum (called ideal vacuum) is the
maximum vacuum that can be obtained in a condensing
plant, with no air present at that temperature.
• The pressure in the actual condenser is greater than the
ideal pressure by an amount equal to the pressure of air
present in the condenser.
• The ratio of the actual vacuum to the ideal vacuum is
known as vacuum efficiency.
Vacuum efficiency
• ᶯv= actual vacuum /ideal vacuum
• Actual vacuum= barometric pressure- actual
pressure
• Ideal vacuum = barometric pressure- ideal
pressure
Cooling tower
• The main application are in power plants and
refrigeration plants.
• Its function is to cool the hot water from the
condenser by exposing it to the atmospheric air, so
that the cold water may be used again for circulation.
• The cooling towers are used in steam power plants
where there is a limited supply of cooling water.
• It is placed at a certain height (at about 9 meters
from the ground level).
Cooling tower
• The hot water falls in radial sprays from a
height and the atmospheric air enters from
the base of tower.
• The partial evaporation of water takes
place which reduces the temperature of
circulating water.
• This cooled water is collected in the pond
at the base of the tower and pumped in to
the condenser.
Types of cooling tower
1) Natural draught cooling tower
The circulation of air is produced by the
pressure difference of air inside and outside
the cooling tower.
2) Forced draught cooling tower
The circulation of air is produced by means of
fans placed at the base of tower.
3) Induced draught cooling tower
The circulation of air is provided by means of
fan placed at top of tower.
Natural draught cooling tower
Forced water cooling tower
Induced draught cooling tower

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STEAM CONDENSERS AND COOLING TOWERS

Evaluate condenser performance

Steam + air steam Air

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