II.

CONDENSER DESIGN

A condenser is an equipment which is used many industries to carry condensation

of vapors. For example, in a thermal power plant condenser is used to condense the
cooled steam leaving from the turbine. Condenser uses cooled water to condense the
vapors. Cooled water is produced in a cooling tower and is pumped to condenser. When
vapors are brought in contact with cooled water, temperature of vapors gets reduced as a
result vapors gets condensed.

Other definition, a condenser is a device or unit used to condense a substance

from its gaseous to its liquid state, typically by cooling it. In so doing, the latent heat is
given up by the substance, and will transfer to the condenser coolant. Condensers are
typically heat exchangers which have various designs and come in many sizes ranging
from rather small (hand-held) to very large industrial-scale units used in plant processes.
For example, a refrigerator uses a condenser to get rid of heat extracted from the interior
of the unit to the outside air. Condensers are used in air conditioning, industrial chemical
processes such as distillation, steam power plants and other heat-exchange systems. Use
of cooling water or surrounding air as the coolant is common in many condensers.

A surface condenser is an example of such a heat-exchange system. It is a shell

and tube heat exchanger installed at the outlet of every steam turbine in thermal power
stations. Commonly, the cooling water flows through the tube side and the steam enters
the shell side where the condensation occurs on the outside of the heat transfer tubes. The
condensate drips down and collects at the bottom, often in a built-in pan called a hotwell.
The shell side often operates at a vacuum or partial vacuum, often produced by attached
air ejectors. Conversely, the vapor can be fed through the tubes with the coolant water or
air flowing around the outside.

71 | C o n d e n s e r D e s i g n
DESIGN DATA
Surface Type Condenser
Number of Water Pass . . 2 pass
Inlet Water Temperature . . 20 ℃
Water Velocity . . . 2.25 meter/sec
No. 18 BWG Admiralty metal
Outside Diameter . . 2.22 cm
Inside Diameter . . 1.97 cm
Thickness . . 0.125 cm

1. Mass and Volume Flow Rate

From chapter 1:
mw =2077.792 kg / s
Volume Flow Rate:
V w =m w v w
v w =v f @ t ave

34.430+ 20℃
t ave = =27.215 ℃
2
From Table 1, (Steam Tables by Keenan, et. al.)
−3
t, ℃ v f , ×10
27 1.0035
27.215 vw
28 1.0037
3
−3 m
v w =1.003543 ×10
kg
Thus,

( )( )
3
kg −3 m
V w = 2077.792 1.003543 ×10
s kg
3
m
V w =2.085
s

2. Number of Tubes
From equation 11-20, p. 420 (PPE by Morse)

Each pass of the condenser must present sufficient cross-sectional area to carry
the condensing water from flow at the assigned velocity.
w w =3600 ×103 n a w v w
Where;
w w = flow of condensing water, kg per hr
n = number of tubes per pass
72 | C o n d e n s e r Daew=s itubes
g n cross-section flow area, square meter
v w= water velocity, meter per second
 Where;
w w =2077.792 (
kg 3600 s
s 1 hr )
kg
w w =7 480 051.2
hr
2
π D1
a w= ; D1=1.97 cm
4
2
π ( 1.97 ×10 m)
−2

a w=
4
−4 2
a w =3.048 ×10 m
m
v w =2.25
s
Thus,
w w =3600 ×103 n a w v w

7 480 051.2
kg
hr
=3600 ×10 n ( 3.048 ×10 m ) 2.25
3 −4 2 m
s ( )
n=3029.734 ≈ 3030 tubes/ pass
For 2 passes:
tubes
Total no . of tubes∈condenser=3030 ×2 pass
pass
Total no . of tubes∈condenser =6060 tubes

3. Diameter of Shell
From Kent’s MECHANICAL ENGINEER’S HANDBOOK, Power Volume p. 9-
10, total cross-sectional area of the tubes will occupy between 20 and 25 % of the
cross-sectional area of the condenser shell.
Using average (22.5%)
Most condenser manufacturers have adopted combinations of linear and
triangular tube spacing to get the desired steam distribution. Thus, there is no
direct method of calculating the required tube sheet area, but for preliminary
studies it may be assumed that the tubes will occupy between 20 and 25 % of the
cross-sectional area of the condenser.

In equation,
0.225 As =A n T

Where:

73 | C o n d e n s e r D e s i g n
 An =¿ cross sectional area of the outside tubes x the total number of tubes.
T

2
π Do
An = ×total number of tubes ; Do=2.22 cm
T
4
2
π ( 2.22× 10−2 m)
An = ×6060 tubes
T
4
2
An =2.346 m
T

Then,
2
0.225 As =2.346 m
2
A s=10.427 m
Thus, the diameter of shell (Ds):
π D s2
A s=
4
2 π D s2
10.427 m =
4
D s =3.644 m

4. Length of Tube
From equation 9-24, p. 278 (PPE by Morse)
q
Uθ=
Av
Where,
U =¿ coefficient of conductance

74 | C o n d e n s e r D e s i g n
 Figure 9-10, Steam turbine condenser heat transfer, page 277, Power
Plant Engineering, MKS Unit by Frederick T. Morse.

From Figure 9-10 (PPE by Morse)

m
v w =2.25 ; D T =Do =2.22 cm=22.2 mm; t i=20 ℃
s
kcal
U =3500 2
hr −m −℃
Temperature Correction Factor=0.99
Tubing Correction Factor =1.0
Thus,

(
U =( .99 )( 1.0 ) 3500
kcal
2
hr −m −℃ )( )(
4.1858 kJ
1 kcal )(
1 hr
3600 s
1 kW
1
kJ
)
s
kW
U =4.029 2
m −℃

θ=¿ logarithmic mean temperature difference

t o −t i
θ= '
t −t i
ln '
t −t o
Where,
'
t =38.63℃
t o=34.43 ℃
t i=20 ℃
Then,

75 | C o n d e n s e r D e s i g n
 34.43−20
θ=
ln (38.63−20
38.63−34.43 )
θ=9.687 ℃
q=¿ amount of heat transfer per tube
QR
q=
no . of tubes
Where,
Q R=9.694 (581.390)+ 0.693(2731.554)+0 .838(581.390)+36.119(2245.772)−47.

Q R=81 46 5 .68 5 kW
Then,
81 46 5 .685 kW
q=
3030 tubes
q
=26.886 kW
tube
A v =¿ surface area of tube
A v =π DT LT ; DT =Do =2.22 cm
Thus,
A v =2.22× 10 π LT [ m ]
−2

Then,
q
Uθ=
Av

( 4.029 m kW−℃ )( 9.687 ℃ )= 2.22×26.886

2
kW
−2
10 π L [ m ]
T
LT =9.877 m

76 | C o n d e n s e r D e s i g n