COOLING TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE

TEST CODE FOR

AIRCOOLED CONDENSERS

July 2011 ATC-107 (11)

 FOREWORD
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This document summarizes the best current state of knowledge regarding the specific subject. It represents a
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Approved by the CTI Executive Board.

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as part of CTI’s Five Year Review Cycle. This
document is again subject to review in 2016.

Copyright 2011
Approved by the by Cooling Technology Institute
CTI Executive Board Printed in U.S.A. ATC-107 (11)
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
1.0 Introduction........................................................................................................................................ 1
1.1 Scope ............................................................................................................................................. 1
1.2 Basis............................................................................................................................................... 1
1.3 Test Plan ........................................................................................................................................ 1
1.4 Definitions and Nomenclature ....................................................................................................... 1
2.0 Conditions of Test .............................................................................................................................. 2
2.1 Test Witnesses ............................................................................................................................... 2
2.2 Conditions of the Equipment ......................................................................................................... 2
2.3 Operating Condition....................................................................................................................... 2
2.4 Constancy of Test Conditions ........................................................................................................ 2
2.5 Duration of the Test ....................................................................................................................... 2
2.6 Frequency of Readings .................................................................................................................. 2
2.7 Number of Tests............................................................................................................................. 3
3.0 Test Measurements ............................................................................................................................ 3
3.1 Condenser Pressure ........................................................................................................................ 3
3.2 Steam Quality (Steam Content) ..................................................................................................... 4
3.3 Condensate Flow............................................................................................................................ 4
3.4 Inlet Air Temperature .................................................................................................................... 4
3.5 Barometric Pressure ....................................................................................................................... 5
3.6 Fan Motor Input Power .................................................................................................................. 5
3.7 Wind Speed .................................................................................................................................... 5
4.0 Evaluation of Test Data ..................................................................................................................... 5
4.1 Manufacturer’s Data ...................................................................................................................... 5
4.2 Calculation of Condenser Capability ............................................................................................. 6
5.0 Test Uncertainty................................................................................................................................. 7

Appendix A Basic Equations

Appendix B Calculation of Condenser Characteristic
Appendix C Example Calculation
Appendix D Uncertainty Analysis Example
Sensitivity Factors
Figure Cross Plot at Test Dry Bulb
Figure ACC Perf Curve
 TEST CODE for AIRCOOLED CONDENSERS

Section 1. Introduction 1.4 Definitions and Nomenclature

Capability - a measure of the thermal capacity of the
1.1 Scope This document details the measured test condenser expressed as a ratio between the design steam
parameters, instrumentation, test measurements and data flow and the predicted steam flow at test conditions.
reduction procedure required for determination of the
Condenser pressure - the steam pressure at the boundary of
thermal capability of a dry, air-cooled steam condenser
the condenser.
(ACC). The procedure focuses on contractual acceptance
testing of new units, but the same procedure may be used for Predicted steam flow - the steam flow rate predicted by the
performance testing of an existing unit. manufacturer for a given set of test conditions.
1.2 Basis Several resources have been used in the Nomenclature
preparation of this code. These are: A = area, m2 (ft2)
 VGB Guideline for Acceptance Test Measurement C = Condenser capability ()
and Operation Monitoring for Air Cooled Fc = correction factor from test to guarantee
Condensers (1997) conditions
 Code of Practice for Acceptance and Operating
NTU = number of heat transfer units
Tests of Air Cooled Steam Condensers (published
by the Association of German Electricity Supply P = pressure, Pa (in Hg, psia)
Authorities in 1965) Q = heat transfer rate, Watts (Btu/hr)
 ASME PTC 12.2 Steam Surface Condensers T = Temperature, C (F)
 CTI ATC-105 Acceptance Test Code for Water
Cooling Towers (2000) U = overall heat transfer coefficient, W/m2/C
 ASME PCT-23 Atmospheric Water Cooling (Btu/hr/ft2/F)
Equipment 
V = volumetric flow rate m3/s (ft3/min)
1.3 Test Plan A test plan is a convenient vehicle for W = power, Watts (hp)
specification of responsible test participants, required X = steam quality
preparations, measurement location, test instrumentation,
z = wind speed, m/s (mph)
required adjustments to plant operations, acceptable test
conditions, anticipated deviations from the test code, cp = heat capacity at constant pressure, kJ/kg/C
calculation procedures, and expected test uncertainty. As an (Btu/lbm/F)
example, the measurement of steam flow and the estimation h = specific enthalpy, kJ/kg (Btu/lbm)
of steam quality will require the use of plant instruments, mk = exponent for the correction of test fan motor
particularly flow elements. It is vital that such instruments power guarantee conditions
be identified prior to the test so that any necessary
calibrations can be performed. In addition, measurement of u = wind speed m/s (mph)
condensing pressure requires the installation of basket tips, Tlm = log mean temperature difference, C (F)
which may be different in number and location than those  = condenser effectiveness
used by the plant for monitoring purposes. The preparation
of a test plan, approved by manufacturer and the ACC prior  = condenser characteristic parameter
to the test, is highly recommended.  = film heat transfer coefficient, W/m2/C
(Btu/hr/ft2/F)
Impartial Testing Service - It is the intention of the Cooling
Technology Institute to provide independent third-party  = density, kg/m3 (lbm/ft3)
thermal performance testing. This means that any situation Subscripts
in which a testing agency has a material or other interest in G = guarantee
the outcome of the tests must be avoided. The CTI-licensed
Test agency referred to in this code shall have no P = predicted
connection, other than contractual, with the manufacturer, T = test
the purchaser or the Cooling Technology Institute. M = measured
System of Units - This standard is written in System i = inlet
International (SI) Units with secondary inch-pound (I-P) s = condensing steam
units. For conversion factors between I-P and SI units, refer
Superscripts
to CTI Bulletin STD-145.
c = corrected value

-1-
 Section 2. Conditions of Test
2.1 Test Witnesses For acceptance testing, representatives
of the owner and condenser manufacturer shall be given
permission, opportunity and adequate notice to inspect the
ACC and prepare the ACC for the test. In no case shall any
directly involved party be barred from the test site.
2.2 Conditions of the Equipment
At the time of the test, the ACC shall be in good operating
condition.
a) Steam duct and condensate piping systems shall be
essentially clear and free of foreign materials that may
impede the normal flow of steam and condensate.
b) Mechanical equipment, including fans, gear boxes,
motors, pumps, air ejectors, etc., shall be clean and in good
working order. Fans shall be rotating in the correct
direction, with proper orientation of the leading and trailing
edges. Fan blade pitch shall be set to a uniform angle that
will yield within 10% of the guarantee fan driver input
power when corrected for the air density at the test
condition. Variable frequency drives, if present, must be put
into bypass (preferred), or set to 100% of rated speed.
c) Air in-leakage must be such that the vacuum equipment
has at least 50% excess holding capacity during the test.
d) ACC air inlet perimeter area and discharge area shall be
essentially clear and free from temporary obstructions that
may impede normal airflow.
e) The air side of the ACC fin tube bundles shall be
essentially free of foreign material, such as pollen, dust, oil,
scale, paper, animal droppings, etc.
f) Water level in the condensate hotwell tank shall be at
the normal operating level.
g) Representatives of the ACC purchaser and
manufacturer shall agree prior to commencement of testing
that the cleanliness and condition of the equipment is within
the tolerance specified by the manufacturer. Prior
establishment of cleanliness and condition criteria are
strongly recommended.
h) All emergency drain lines and all bypass lines which
have the potential for delivering superheated steam to the
condenser shall be isolated. A closed valve shall be
considered adequate isolation.
2.3 Operating Condition
2.3.1 The test shall be conducted while operating as
close to the operation/guarantee point(s) as possible. In
any event, the test shall be conducted within the
following limitations:
2 . 3 . 2 The test dry-bulb temperature shall be the inlet
value, measured in accordance with paragraph 3.4 of
this test procedure.
2 . 3 . 3 The wind velocity shall be measured in
accordance with paragraph 3.7 of this test procedure
and shall not exceed the following:
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2.3.4 Average wind velocity shall be less than or
equal to 4.5 m/s (10 miles per hour).
a) One minute duration velocity shall be less than 7
m/s (15.6 miles per hour).
2.3.4 The following variations from design conditions
shall not be exceeded:
a) Dry-bulb temperature-10C from design (18F)
but greater than 5C (41F).
b) Condensate Mass Flow-10% of the design value.
c) Fan motor Input Power-10% of the design value
after the air density correction. (Eq. 4-7)
2.3.4 Steam turbine exhaust steam shall be distributed
to all modules as recommended by the manufacturer.
For the purposes of the Code, a “module” is defined as
the smallest subdivision of the ACC, bound externally
by fin tube bundles and internally by partition walls,
which can function as an independent unit. Each
module generally has a single fan.
2.3.5 There shall be no rain during the test period nor
in the one hour period preceding the test period.
2.3.6 Steady state operation (constant condensate
mass flow as defined in section 2.4.1) of the ACC shall
be achieved at least one hour before and shall be
maintained during the test periods.
2.4 Constancy of Test Conditions
For a valid test, variations in test conditions shall be within
the following limits:
2.4.1 Inlet dry-bulb temperature shall not vary by
more than 3C (5.4F) during the test. Variation is
defined as the slope of the inlet dry-bulb temperature
with time the test run multiplied by the time period of
the test.
2.4.2 The initial temperature difference (ITD, defined
as the difference between the condensing steam
temperature, as calculated from the condenser pressure
at the test boundary, and the inlet air temperature and
the condensing steam temperature) shall not vary by
more than 5% of the ITD during the test period. The
variation between the maximum ITD and the minimum
ITD shall not be more than 10% of the average ITD
during the test period.
2.5 Duration of the Test
After reaching steady state conditions, the requirements for
the test duration shall be at least one hour. Longer test
intervals are acceptable provided the constancy of test
conditions is observed.
2.6 Frequency of Readings
Readings shall be taken at regular intervals and recorded
in the units and to the number of significant digits shown
in Table 2.0.
 Table 2.0 Measurement Frequency
Minimum
Readings per Recorded to
Measurement Unit
hour per Nearest
station
ACC Condensate Mass Flow 60 kg/h (lb/h) 0.1%
Condensate Hotwell Tank Level 5 M (ft) 0.01 (0.03)
0.005
Exhaust Steam Pressure 60 kPa (in.HgA)
(0.01)
Exhaust Steam Temperature (for
60 C (F) 0.05 (0.1)
comparison)
Inlet Air Dry-bulb Temperature 60 C (F) 0.01 (0.01)
Atmospheric Pressure 1 kPa (in. Hg) 0.2 (0.05)
Ambient Wind Velocity 60 m/s (mph) 0.1 (0.2)
Fan Power at Switchgear 1 kW (HP) 0.5%

2.7 Number of Tests total flow for an inlet is less than five percent of the total.
Even when tested under the guidelines specified in section 2.3, For inlet flows with less than 5 percent of the total steam
the apparent performance of air cooled condensers may vary flow, one pressure measurement is required. Steam inlets
with the following environmental conditions: with less than 1 per cent of the total steam flow need not
 wind speed be instrumented.
 wind direction 3.1.2 For air cooled condensers with multiple steam
 atmospheric stability inlets, the mass weighted average absolute pressure of the
To decrease the possibility of an anomalous test result, it is instrumented inlets shall be used as the condenser pressure
required that at least six tests be performed over a two day on lookup charts, tables, and curves.
period. The capability of the condenser shall be the average of 3.1.3 The pressure measurement points shall be located
the tests conducted with test conditions within the limits at positions 90 apart around the steam inlet. Pressure
specified in this Code. ports shall be bored holes in the wall of the steam inlet
connected to basket tips or baffle plates as illustrated in
Section 3.0. Test Measurements Figure 3.1 A and B. Separate pressure sensors shall be
The objective of the parameter measurements is to accurately connected to each port. Provisions should be made for
and reproducibly measure the thermal performance of the air purging all pressure connections to keep them free of
cooled condenser for comparison against the guarantee condensate.
provided by the manufacturer. The primary parameters to be 3.1.4 Pressure sensors shall have a calibrated accuracy
measured are: of 35 Pa (0.005 psia) or less. Steam temperature
 condenser pressure measurements should be taken in the thermal wells in the
 steam quality (content) vicinity of the pressure measurements.
 condensate flow rate
 condensate tank water level
 inlet air dry bulb temperature
 barometric pressure
 fan motor input power
 wind speed
It is recommended that the following parameters be acquired
for reference purposes:
 exhaust steam temperature
 condensate temperature
 air removal rate
 wind direction
3.1 Condenser Pressure
3.1.1 Condenser pressure should be measured at the
boundary of supply of the condenser manufacturer unless
another location is agreed upon by the parties to the test.
Four measurement points per inlet are required unless the

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3.2 Steam Quality (Steam Content)
Since the steam at the condenser inlet will be in the wet steam
range, measurement of the temperature and pressure is
insufficient to determine is enthalpy. At present there is no
acceptable method for measuring the quality directly, thus the
parties to the test must agree on a method for calculating this
value. Some suggested methods are:
a) Energy balance – If the temperature, pressure and flow
3.4 Inlet Air Temperature This code recommends the
rate of all steam flows into the steam turbine are
characterization of the performance of the air cooled condenser
measured, as well as turbine power output and generator
based on the inlet air temperature as opposed to the ambient
losses, it is possible to determine the enthalpy of the
air temperature. This recommendation is based on the
exhaust steam by an energy balance. This method
following considerations:
requires many measurements which are unlikely to be
available unless a concurrent steam turbine test is being
performed. If this method is used, the values of the steam
flows should be verified performing a mass balance
around the condenser and steam turbine.
b) Cycle Model-With sufficient information from the
steam turbine manufacturer, it is possible to construct a
cycle model for the steam turbine. Such a model can then
be used to construct correction curves for steam quality
based on measured cycle variables. Such a cycle model
should be verified using the steam turbine manufacturer’s
thermal kit.
3.3 Condensate Flow
3.3.1 The condensate flow shall be measured
downstream of the condensate pumps. The recommended
devices for measuring condensate flow are differential
pressure producers (orifice plates, flow nozzles, venturis).
The calibration records and construction details of the
flow element shall be made available to the parties to the
test. The pressure transmitter reading the differential
pressure shall be calibrated prior to the test to an accuracy
of not more than 0.25 percent of the expected differential
at the design flow. The installation of the flow element
shall conform to the specifications of ASME PTC 19.5
Flow Measurement. The flow element, as installed, shall
have an accuracy of not more than 0.75 percent.
3.3.2 A time-of-flight ultrasonic flow meter may be
used to measure the condensate flow rate by agreement
-4-
between the parties to the test. If used, the ultrasonic flow
meter shall be calibrated in a pipe corresponding to the
diameter and wall thickness of the pipe on which it will be
installed. The calibration range shall cover the Reynolds
number expected for the pipe at the design flow. The
installation location shall have at least 16 pipe diameters
of undisturbed length upstream of the meter and 4 pipe
diameters of undisturbed length downstream of the meter.
Readings shall be taken at 6 positions 30 apart around
the circumference of the pipe. These readings shall be
averaged to obtain the condensate flow. If the high and
low readings differ by more than 2 percent, the cause shall
be investigated. Use of an ultrasonic flow meter will
result in a higher uncertainty for the condensate flow
measurement than if an inline flow element is used.
3.3.3 Steam flow to the condenser shall be calculated by
a mass balance around the condenser with consideration
of any liquid flow streams upstream of the measurement
point and the change in level of the condensate tank
during test. Design values may be used for those flow
streams representing less than 3 percent of the design
steam flow.
 The results tend to be much more reproducible when
the inlet air temperature is used as the basis for
thermal evaluation. Air cooled condensers are
subject to recirculation (the re-entrainment of he
exhaust air into the air inlet) and interference from
other heat sources in the area. Slight changes in the
wind speed or direction can greatly affect the amount
of this recirculation and interference, which greatly
increases the scatter in the test results if performance
is based on ambient air.
 The test result tends to be a fairer representation of
the performance of the condenser. While the amount
of recirculation is influenced by the condenser design
chosen by the manufacturer, it is also governed by the
sitting of the condenser. Other structures or uneven
topography in the vicinity can influence the amount
of recirculation.
 Ambient temperature in a plant can be difficult to
measure. It is difficult to find a location that is not
influenced by other heat sources. Inlet temperatures
to other equipment such as turbines or broilers, are
greatly influenced by heat sources in their
surroundings. Temperature measurements at these
locations should never be used to characterize air
cooled condenser performance.
3.4.1 Inlet dry bulb temperature shall be measured with a
four wire RTD with a calibrated accuracy of 0.05oC
(0.1oF). These sensors shall be placed at the
 discharge of the fans, one-third of the distance from
the fan tip to the hub as measured from the fan tip.
3.4.2 At least 12 dry bulb sensors will be deployed. An
equal number of sensors will be deployed on all fans. The
number of inlet dry bulb sensors will be determined by the
following schedule:
a) For single row condensers, at least 2 sensors will be
deployed on axis perpendicular to the steam duct.
b) For all other condensers, one sensor per fan will be
deployed on the side nearest the outside wall.
3.5 Barometric Pressure Barometric pressure will be
measured once per hour at grade level with a calibrated
accuracy of 200 Pa (0.03 psia).
3.6 Fan Motor Input Power The fan motor input power
shall be determined by direct measurement of kilowatt input or
by measurement of voltage, current, and power factor as
described in ASME PTC 19.6 Electrical Measurements in
Power Circuits. Measurement of the total input to all fan
motors is acceptable if a measurement location isolated from
other equipment can be established. The fan power
measurement device shall have an accuracy of not more than
three percent. If the fan motor input power is not measured at
the boundary of supply a correction shall be applied to account
for any line losses between the measurement point and the
boundary of supply. The variable frequency drive (VFD), if
present, should be taken out of service during the test. If the
VFD does not have a bypass or if the test must be conducted
with the VFD in service, the speed must be set to 100% and
one of the following approaches must be taken for the
evaluation of the fan motor power:
a) The power on the line side of the VFD is measured.
The VFD manufacturer’s guaranteed voltage drop across
the unit used to calculate the power input into the motor.
b) Some speed controllers display power delivered to the
motor. If agreeable to the test representatives, this may be
used for the evaluation of the fan motor power.
c) The fan motor power is measured with a true RMS
wattmeter on the load size of the VFD and the motor
efficiency is evaluated at the reduced power loading. The
wattmeter must have a sampling frequency that is at least
twice the highest frequency component in the wave being
sampled. Switching frequencies of pulsed width
modulation drives can range from 2 kHz to 15 kHz. In
practice, a low-pass filter must be connected between the
measurement location (e.g. switch gear) and the meter.
The cut-off frequency of low pass filter should correspond
to the sampling frequency of the digital meter.
It should be noted that the use of the VFD will lower the
fan motor efficiency and, if the variable speed drive is not
inside the boundary of supply, a correction should be
made for the reduced efficiency of the motor.
relative to grade corresponding to the smaller of:
1) 10m (33 ft),
2) half the air inlet height
If the wind speed is measured at a height other than half the air
inlet height, the measured wind speed shall be corrected to the
mid point of the air inlet height using the equation:
z t 0. 2
u c  u( ) 3.2
zm
where
uc =
wind speed corrected to the midpoint of the air
inlet
u = measured wind speed
zm = vertical height of the wind speed station
zt = vertical height of the midpoint of the air inlet
Section 4.0. Evaluation of Test
Purpose - This section of code develops a method for
evaluation of the performance of an air cooled condenser from
test data based on performance curves provided by the
manufacturer.
4.1 Manufacturer’s Data
4.1.1 The manufacturer should submit a family of
performance curves consisting of a minimum of 5 curves
representing condenser pressure as function of dry bulb
temperature for steam flow rates of 80, 90, 100, 110, and
120 percent of design steam flow rate. One curve shall be
provided for each steam flow rate. Each curve shall be
presented with dry bulb temperature as the abscissa versus
condensing steam pressure as the ordinate. Graphical
scaling shall be incremented so as to provide a minimum
resolution of 300 Pa (0.1 in. HgA) and not more than 3000
Pa/2.5 cm; (1.0 in. HgA/inch) for pressure and 0.2C
(0.5F) and 0.1C/mm (5F/inch) for dry bulb
temperature. The curves shall be based on constant fan
pitch and steam quality. An example performance curve
is presented in Figure 4.0.

3.7 Wind Speed Wind speed shall be measured with a

calibrated anemometer, in an unobstructed location at a height

-5-
 4.2.1 Predicted Steam Mass Flow Rate-The predicted
Figure 4.0 ACC Performance Curve
condensing steam pressure at the measured inlet dry bulb
6.00
temperature shall be read from each of the performance
curves. The resulting values shall be used to generate a
5.50 plot of condensing steam pressure versus steam mass flow
rate. The curve so generated is used to read the steam
5.00
flow at the actual condensing steam pressure. This is the
ACC Condensing Pressure ("HgA)

4.50 predicted steam mass flow rate, ms,pred. This is illustrated

in Figure 4.1
4.00

3.50 Figure 4.1

3.00 Cross Plot at Test Dry Bulb

2.50 5.20

5.00
2.00
4.80

ACC Condensing Pressure ("HgA)

1.50
4.60
1.00
4.40
45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85
Inlet Air Dry Bulb Temperature (F) 4.20
120% Flow 110% Flow 100% Flow 90% Flow 80% Flow
4.00

3.80
4.1.2 A table of values defining the curves should also be
3.60
provided. The table of values shall be sufficient to allow
for the development of interpolation and curve fit 3.40
equations that can be used in place of reading values off 3.20
the curves during performance test. A curve fit may also
be used if the curves are provided in a different form than 3.00
80% 85% 90% 95% 100% 105% 110% 115% 120%
that specified in the previous paragraph. Use of either the
Predicted Steam Mass Flow Rate (% Design)
curve or the table of values should provide the same result
and either form of manufacturer provided data is
acceptable as the basis for capability calculations by the 4.2.2 Corrected Test Steam Mass Flow Rate-The
testing agent. corrected test steam mass flow rate is calculated by
m sc,T  m s ,T Fc 4-2
4.1.3 The design conditions including steam mass flow
rate, steam pressure, and steam quality, fan motor input where
power, barometric pressure and inlet dry bulb temperature m s ,T = the measured steam mass flow rate at test,
shall be printed on the curves. The effective area of the
condenser and the volumetric air flow at design conditions kg/s(lbm/hr)
shall also be included.
Fc = fxfpffp

4.2 Calculation of Condenser Capability - The condenser

capability will be calculated by: where
m sc,T fx = correction factor for steam quality,
C x 100 4-1 dimensionless
m s , P fp = correction factor for barometric pressure,
dimensionless
where ffp = correction for fan power, dimensionless
C = condenser capability, percent
m c s ,T = corrected test mass flow of steam, kg/s The correction factor for steam quality is calculated by
(lbm/hr)
XT
m s , P = predicted mass flow rate of steam at fx  4-3
XG
test conditions, kg/s (lbm/hr)
where

-6-
 XT = steam quality at test conditions, kg/kg determine the accuracy of the test result. It is sometimes used
(lbm/lbm) as a test tolerance but this is a matter of contractual agreement
XG = steam quality at guarantee conditions, kg/kg between the parties to the test.
(lbm/lbm) The following major uncertainty components are addressed in
The correction factor for barometric pressure, fp, shall be the ASME PTC 19-1 Test Uncertainty (1988) test code:
calculated by: 1. Systematic Uncertainty
2. Random Uncertainty
1
P P mk  3. Spatial Uncertainty
f p   T (1  )  ( T )  4-4 4. Sensitivity Coefficients
 PG PG  An overview of the uncertainty components is provided below.
where Systematic Uncertainty. Systematic uncertainties are
PT = test barometric pressure, kPa (psia) approximations of the fixed errors inherent in a measurement.
PG = design barometric pressure, kPa (psia) These errors are also called bias errors. Systematic errors are
 = a constant condenser characteristic factor typically the largest source of error in a condenser performance
based on design information, this factor can be test. These uncertainties are primarily a result of the intrinsic
calculated based on the design information as accuracy of the instruments, and the calibration procedures
specified in Appendix B. employed. Systematic uncertainties are estimated from review
mk = 0.45, unless otherwise specified by the and analysis of the instrument manufacturer’s specifications,
manufacturer independent parameter measurement by additional means, and
examination of typical calibration data.
Spatial Systematic Uncertainty. Spatial systematic
The correction factor for fan power, ffp, can be calculated
uncertainty errors occur during the measurement of a spatially
by:
diverse sample. Spatial error is defined as the difference
1  m k 1  1
between the true average value of a parameter and the average
 WTc 3   WTc
 3  produced by an array of instruments used to measure the

f fp    (1   )     4-5
   parameter. Spatial errors for a condenser performance test
 WG    WG   occur in the measurement of inlet dry bulb temperature and
 
condenser pressure measured at single inlet. Spatial errors also
where
occur during the measurement of condensate flow if an
WTc = test fan motor input power corrected for inlet ultrasonic flow meter is used to measure the condensate flow.
Spatial uncertainties are calculated from the average of local
air conditions, kW
measurements in space. Thus they are treated as constant for a
WG = guarantee fan motor input power, kW given test period but may vary from one test period to another.
For example, the spatial variation of the dry bulb temperature
The corrected fan motor power can be calculated by:
change from test to test due to changes in the wind speed and
direction resulting in changes in recirculation and interference.
 
WTc   G WT 4-6 Random Uncertainty. Random uncertainty is also referred to
 T  as precision uncertainty. Random errors are evident by the
scatter of data that results from repeated measurements of
where transient data (e.g. the variability in a dry bulb temperature
T = density of inlet air at test conditions, reading at a specific location). Precision errors can be reduced
by increasing the number of measurement repetitions or by
kg/m3(lbm/ft3) selecting data intervals with greater stability. Although it is
G = density of inlet air at guarantee conditions, possible to evaluate random uncertainty for a given test
interval for each measured parameter, a more meaningful result
kg/m3(lbm/ft3) is obtained by basing the random uncertainty on the variation
of the condenser capability for the test periods.
The fan motor input power shall be corrected for any line
losses between the measurement point and the boundary Sensitivity Factors. Sensitivity factors relate a change in an
of supply for the condenser manufacturer. independent measured parameter to the resulting change in test
result. These sensitivities may be calculated as the partial
Section 5.0. TEST UNCERTAINTY derivative of the test result with respect to the parameter of
The purpose of the pretest uncertainty analysis is to predict the interest but it is usually more convenient to calculate the
uncertainty of the test result and to aid in the specification of sensitivity factor numerically as the ratio of the change in test
test instrumentation that will achieve the test objective. The result to the change in the test parameter. Sensitivity factors
pretest uncertainty analysis should be documented in the test are used to combine the uncertainties for each test parameter
plan. The purpose of a post-test uncertainty analysis is to into the uncertainty in the overall test results.

-7-
 APPENDIX A

Basic Equations

Q  UATlm A-1 where

Xs,i = quality of inlet steam
where
hs = enthalpy of saturated steam at the condenser inlet
Q = heat duty
pressure
U = overall heat transfer coefficient
hl = enthalpy of saturated liquid at the condenser inlet
A = air side heat transfer area for the condenser
pressure
Tlm = log mean temperature difference

The mass flow rate of the inlet air can be calculated by:
The log mean temperature difference, Tlm, is defined as:
m a  Va ,i  a ,i A-5
(Ts  Ta,i )  (Ts  Ta,o ) Ta,o  Ta,i
Tlm  
 T  Ta,i   T  Ta,i  where
ln  s 
 ln  s 

T
 s  Ta, o  T
 s  Ta, o  Va , i = volumetric air flow
A-2
where a,I = air density at inlet conditions
Ts = condensing steam temperature
Ta,i = inlet dry-bulb temperature For constant pitch performance curves, the volumetric air flow
Ta,o = outlet dry-bulb temperature rate is assumed to be independent of air temperature and
pressure. The outlet air temperature is calculated by:
The heat duty for the condenser is:
A-3 Q
Ta , o  Ta , i  A-6
Q  m s (hs , i  hc , o )  m a c p , a (Ta , o  Ta , o ) m a c p , a
where

m s = mass flow rate of steam From equation A-1

hs,i = enthalpy of inlet steam

Q
hc,o = enthalpy of liquid condensate U A-7
ATlm
m a = mass flow rate of air

cp,a = heat capacity of air

and from equation A-1,A-2 and A-3;

The enthalpy of the inlet steam can be calculated by:

hs ,i  X s ,i hs  (1  X s ,i )hl A-4

-8-
  UA  NTU G
e ( ) 1  A-18
 m c  e NTU G  1
 a p,a 
Q  m a c p , a (Ts  Ta , i ) A-8
 UA  T NTU T
e ( ) 1   A-19
 m c  G NTU G
 a p , a 
The number of heat transfer units is defined as:
UA From equations A-4 and A-13,
NTU  A-9
m a c p , a QT T m a ,T
 A-20
and is equivalent to: QG  G m a ,G
Ta , o  Ta , i
NTU  A-10
Tlm From equation A-10
Therefore NTUT U T m a ,G
 A-21
e NTU  1 NTU G U G m a ,T
Q  m a c p , a (Ts  Ta , i ) NTU
e A-11

Since
The effectiveness of the condenser is defined as:
m a   aVa A-22
Ta , o  Ta ,i
 A-12 where
Ts  Ta ,i
Va = the volumetric flow rate of air
and is equivalent to
a = the density of air
Tlm
  NTU A-13 NTU T U T  a , i , GVa , i , G
Ts  Ta , i  A-23
NTU G U G  a , i ,T Va , i ,T
For the case of isothermal condensation:

  1  e  NTU A-14
The air side heat transfer coefficient, a, is a function of
The ratio of the test to guarantee effectiveness is: Reynolds number;

 a  Re m   qVa 
A-15 mk
k
A-24
 T  1  e  NTU T  1  e  ( NTU T  NTU G )
   1  Since the overall heat transfer resistance is dominated by the
 G  1  e  NTU G  e NTU G  1 air side resistance
For small values of (-0.15<<0.15) mk mk
U T  T   a ,i ,T   Va ,i ,T 
 
 
e   1  
A-25
A-16 U G  G   a ,i ,G   V 
 a , i , G 

Therefore, Therefore,
A-17 1 m k 1 m k
NTU T   a ,i ,G   Va ,i ,G 
 
 A-26
T
 1
NTU T  NTU G NTU NTU T
 1  NTU G
NTU
 NTU G NTU G   a ,i ,T  V
 a , i ,T 

G e NTU
1 e G
 1 NTU G e 1 G G

From equations A-19,A-20 and A-26:

Defining

-9-
 A-27 From the ideal gas law

 V  
1mk 1mk
   Va ,i ,G  PM
QT
 a ,i ,T a ,i ,T 1     a ,i ,G      A-31
QG  a ,i ,G Va ,i ,G     V   RTA
  a ,i ,T   a ,i ,T  
where
From fan affinity laws
P = absolute pressure, Pa (psia)
1
VT  WTc  3 M = molecular weight of gas, 28.945 kg/kg-mole (lbm/lbm-
 
VG  WG 
A-28
mole)
R = universal gas constant,
Pa m3 psi ft 3
where 3
8.3143x10 kg  mole  K (10.73 )
WG = the fan power at guarantee conditions lbm  mole  R

WTc = the test fan power corrected to design temperature and TA = absolute temperature ,K (R)

pressure
The change in volumetric flow with inlet temperature is

Substituting in equation A-27 yields: included in the performance curves. Therefore, the correction

A-29 factor for barometric pressure is

1
m s ,G QG Pa ,G  
1 mk
1  1 m k
m k 1
 P 
QT  a ,i ,T  WTc  3    a ,i ,G   WT  3  f p 
c   1     a ,G   A-32
P 

QG  a ,i ,G
  1       

   m s ,T QT Pa ,T 
  a ,T  

 G
W
  a , i ,T   WG 

  where
The correction factor for fan power is: Pa,G = atmospheric pressure at guarantee
A-30 Pa,T = atmospheric pressure at test condition
1
1
 m k 1

m s , G QG  WTc  3   WTc  3 
f fp     1     
m s ,T QT  WG    WG  
 

-10-
 APPENDIX B

Calculation of Condenser Characteristics

1. Calculate guarantee heat transfer rate using 5. Calculate log mean temperature difference using
equation A-4 equation A-2
Q  m s (hs , i  hc , o ) B-1 Ta ,o  Ta ,i
Tlm  B-5
 Ts  Ta ,i 
ln 
2. Calculate the inlet air density at guarantee

conditions using equation A-30  Ts  Ta ,o 
PM 6. Calculate NTU using equation A-11
 B-2
RTA Ta , o  Ta , i
NTU  B-6
3. Calculate the air mass flow rate using equation A-5 Tlm
m a  Va , i  a , i B-3 7. Calculate the heat transfer characteristic using

4. Calculate outlet air temperature using equation A-7 equation A-18

NTU G
Ta , o  Ta , i 
Q
B-4  B-7

ma c p , a e NTU G  1

-11-
 APPENDIX C

Example Calculations

Design and Test Data

Design and test conditions for the air cooled condenser are presented in Table C.1

Parameter Units Design Test

Steam flow lbm/hr 1,250,000 1,250,834
Steam quality % 94 94.6
Condenser pressure inHg 3.00 3.86
Inlet air temperature ºF 65.0 75.49
Atmospheric pressure inHg 28.85 28.56
Fan power hp 6115 5634
Wind speed mph 10.0 8.6
Condensate outlet temperature ºF 113.0 121.2
7
Volumetric air flow acfm 3.775x10 ----
Calculated Values
Condensing steam temperature ºF 115.0 124.1
Enthalpy of vapor at condenser pressure Btu/lbm 1111.1 1114.9
Enthalpy of liquid at condenser pressure Btu/lbm 83.0 92.1
Enthalpy of condensing steam Btu/lbm 1049.8 1060.0
Enthalpy of condensate at outlet temperature Btu/lbm 81.0 89.2

In this example, the change in the level of the condensate did not change during the test period. Therefore, the steam flow
to the condenser is equivalent the condensate flow. Condensing steam temperature and specific enthalpy values for steam
and liquid water were calculated by using steam table software.

-12-
Performance Curves
The performance curves supplied by the manufacturer are presented in Figure C.1 and Table C.2

Table C.2 Performance Curves

Condensing Pressure InHgA
120% 110% 100% 90% 80%
Air Temp Flow Flow Flow Flow Flow
85.0 6.39 5.68 5.05 4.48 3.96
80.0 5.65 5.02 4.44 3.92 3.48
75.0 4.98 4.42 3.90 3.44 3.03
70.0 4.39 3.89 3.42 3.02 2.62
65.0 3.87 3.41 3.00 2.63 2.30
60.0 3.40 2.98 2.63 2.30 2.01
55.0 2.99 2.62 2.30 2.01 1.74
50.0 2.63 2.31 2.02 1.75 1.51
45.0 2.31 2.02 1.77 1.53 1.32
75.5 5.05 4.48 3.95 3.49 3.07

Digital data for condenser pressure as function of dry bulb temperature for steam flow rates between 80 and 120 percent of the design
flow rate was provided by the manufacturer. The predicted condenser pressure at the test inlet air temperature of 75.5ºF for each flow
rate was calculated by nonlinear interpolation.

Predicted Steam Flow at Test Conditions

The data required for calculation of the predicted flow at test conditions are summarized in Table C.3 illustrated in Figure C.1.

Table C.3 Condenser Pressure at Test Conditions

Steam Flow Condenser Pressure

% of Guarantee inHg
80% 3.07
90% 3.49
100% 3.95
110% 4.48
120% 5.05
98.01% 3.86

-13-
 Figure C.1 Cross Plot at Test Dry Bulb Temperature

Cross Plot at Test Dry Bulb

ACC Condensing Pressure ("HgA) 5.5

5.0

4.5

4.0

3.5

3.0
80% 90% 100% 110% 120%
Predicted Steam Mass Flow Rate (% Design)

The predicted percentage steam flow rate at test pressure was calculated of 3.86 inHg was calculated by nonlinear interpolation of
from the data in Table C.3. The predicted steam flow rate at test conditions is
m s , P  0.9801 x1,250,000  1,225,069 lbm / hr .

Corrections to Guarantee Conditions

Calculation of Condenser Characteristic

1. Calculate guarantee heat transfer rate using equation B-1

Q  m s (hs , i  hc , o )

Q  1.25x106 (1049.8  83.0)  1.208 x109 Btu / hr

2. Calculate the inlet air density at guarantee conditions using equation B-2
PM

RTA
28.85 x.0.491x 28.945
 G   a ,i   0.0729lbm / ft 3
10.73x (65.0  459.7)
3. Calculate the air mass flow rate using equation B-3

m a  Va , i  a , i

m a  3.775 x10 7 x 0.0729 x 60  1.6508 x108 lbm / hr

-14-
 4. Calculate outlet air temperature using equation B-4
Q
Ta , o  Ta , i 
m a c p , a

1.208 x109
Ta ,o  65.0   95.5
1.65 x108 x 0.24
5. Calculate log mean temperature difference using equation B-5

Ta,o  Ta ,i
Tlm 
 T T 
ln s a,i 
 Ts  Ta,o 

95.5  65.0
Tlm   32.4
 115.0  65.0 
ln 
 115.0  95.5 

6. Calculate NTU using equation B-6

Ta , o  Ta , i
NTU 
Tlm
95.5  65.5
NTU   0.9420
32.4

7. Calculate the heat transfer characteristic using equation B-7

NTU G

e NTU G  1
0.942
  0.6019
e 0.942  1

Correction to Guarantee Conditions

1. Calculate correction for steam quality using equation 4.4
XT
fx 
XG
94.6
fx   1.007
94.0
2. Calculate correction for barometric pressure using equation 4.5
1
P P mk 
f p   T (1   )   ( T ) 
 PG PG 

-15-
 1
 28.56 28.56 0.45 
fp   (1  0.6019)  0.6019( )   1.007
 28.85 28.85 
3. Calculate air inlet density at test conditions using equation B-4
PM

RTA
28.56 x.0.491x 28.945
T   0.0707lbm / ft 3
10.73x (75.5  459.7)
4. Calculate corrected fan power using equation 4.7
T
WTc  W
G T
0.0707
WTc  5634  5464 hp
0.729
5. Calculate fan power correction using equation 4.6

1  m k 1  1
 WT  3 
c  WTc  3 
f fp   (1   )     
 W 
 G 
W  G 
 
1
1
 0.451

 5464  3   5464  3 
f fp    (1  0 . 6019 )  0 . 6019     1.012
 6115    6115  
6. Calculate test steam flow correction factor using equation 4.3
Fc  f x f p f fp

Fc  1.007 x1.007 x1.012  1.025

7. Calculation of corrected condenser steam flow using equation 4.2

m sc,T  m s ,T Fc

m sc,T  1,250,834 x1.025  1,263,931 lbm / hr

Calculation of Condenser Capability

Calculate condenser capability using equation 4.1

m sc,T
C x 100
m s , P

1,263,931
C x100  103.2%
1,225,069

-16-
 APPENDIX D

Uncertainty Analysis Example

Sensitivity Factors

Using the data in the example in Appendix C, the sensitivity

factors for each of the test parameters were calculated by The systematic uncertainty calculations are summarized in
incrementally changing the test parameters about average Table D-2.
test result.
Condenser pressure and inlet air temperature are measured
Cap Cap x 1 / 2 x  Cap x 1 / 2 x
 par   by an array of instruments which are averaged. The average
x x value for such parameters is subject to spatial bias. The
spatial systematic for condenser pressure is calculated by:
where tn 1S Pcond , spatial
BPcond , spatial 
par = sensitivity factor of capability to n
parameter, par
where
X = average value for a test parameter, par
tn-1 = Student’s t value for 95% confidence
Cap = condenser capability
and n-1 degrees of freedom
x = incremental change in a test SPcond,spatial = Standard deviation of the time averaged
parameter, par condenser pressure readings
 Cap = incremental change in condenser n = number of measurement stations
capability
Cap x 1 / 2 x = capability with test parameter, par, set The standard deviation of the condenser pressure
to x +1/2x measurements is calculated by:
Cap x 1 / 2 x = capability with test parameter, par, set

i 1, n
( Pcond , avg  Pcond ,i )2
to x -1/2par S Pcond, spatial 
A data reduction spreadsheet was used to generate capability n
values at the incremented test parameter values. Table D-1
summarizes the result of the sensitivity analysis. where
Pcond,avg = average condenser pressure for the test
The systematic uncertainty, in terms of condenser capability, Pcond,i = average condenser pressure at
is calculated by multiplying the parameter uncertainty by the measurement station i
sensitivity factor :

B Cpar   par B par For four condenser pressure measurements, n=4 and
t3=3.182. The standard deviation of the condenser pressure
where measurements was 0.020 inHg.

3.182 * 0.020
B Cpar = parameter uncertainty in terms of BPcond , spatial   0.032 inHg
condenser capability 4
Bpar = parameter uncertainty, parameter units
The total systematic uncertainty for condenser pressure was
The overall systematic uncertainty for the test is calculated calculated by the square root of the sum of the squares of the
the square root of the sum of the squares of the parameter systematic uncertainty of the pressure transmitter and the
uncertainties: spatial systematic uncertainty.

0.0152  0.0322
 BPcond  BPcond ,inst  BPcond   0.04inHg
2 2
B par 1, m
B Cpar

-17-
 Table D-1 Sensitivity Factors
Increment Capability@ Capability@ Delta Sensitivity
Parameter Units Average ½ x x+1/2x x=1/2x Capability par
Steam Flow 1bm/hr 1,252,834 10000 104.57 102.91 1.66 8.30E-05
Steam Enthalpy Btu/hr 1,049.8 10 104.82 102.66 2.15 0.108
Condenser Pressure InHg 3.86 0.1 101.49 106.11 -4.62 23.100
Inlet Air Temperature F 75.49 1 106.99 101.54 5.45 2.725
Barometric Pressure InHg 28.56 0.1 103.58 103.9 -0.32 -1.600
Fan Motor Power Hp 5,634 100 103.34 104.16 -0.82 -4.10E-03

The spatial systematic uncertainty and the total where

systematic uncertainty for inlet air temperature was
calculated in a similar manner. S = the standard deviation of the test capability of the
t n 1STair , spatial tests
BTair , spatial  m = number of tests.
n
The total uncertainty for the series of tests is calculated For this series of tests, the standard deviation of the
by: capability for six tests was 2.32 percent. The overall
uncertainty in the capability for the test series is:
2S
U  B2 
m 2( 2.32)
U  ( 2.70) 2   3.29 percent
6

Table D-2 Systematic Uncertainty Table

Instrumental Spatial Systematic Capability
Parameter Units Average Uncertainty Uncertainty Uncertainty Sensitivity Uncertainty
Steam Flow 1bm/hr 1,252,834 9647 0 9647 8.300E-05 0.80
Steam Enthalpy Btu/hr 1,049.8 NA NA NA 0.108
Condenser Pressure InHg 3.86 0.015 0.032 0.04 -23.100 0.82
Inlet Air Temperature F 75.49 0.5 0.70 0.86 2.725 2.35
Barometric Pressure InHg 28.56 0.03 0 0.03 -1.600 0.05
Fan Motor Power Hp 5,634 169.0 0 169.02 -4.100E-03 0.69

Capability % 103.74 2.70

-18-
 COOLING TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE
P.O. Box 73383 Houston, Texas 77273 281.583. 4087 FAX 281.537.1721
Printed in U.S.A.

-19-