Challenges of Process Condenser Design

Thomas Lestina, Vice President, Research & Engineering

Services

Overview
Current design practices
Pure components
Mixtures

Current HTRI research initiatives

Improving future air cooled condenser designs
Optimizing fin and bundle designs
Improving fan efficiencies
Augmenting heat transfer on hot summer days

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Condenser Design Practices

Pure components
Minimize pressure drop
Maximize mean temperature difference

Drain condensate
Avoid excessive condensate loading
Facilitates removal of non-condensables

Remove non-condensables
Vent located at coldest temperature location
Typical steam cycle condenser applications

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Condenser Design Practices

Mixtures
Use all allowable pressure drop
Maximize heat transfer coefficient
Vapor phase resistance may dominate

Maintain adequate velocities

Vapor/liquid swept from exchanger

Binary hydrocarbon and Kalina cycles

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API Air Cooler Geometry

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Horizontal Intube Condensation

High heat flux

Superheated
vapor
dry wall

Superheated
wet wall
mist
annular

Slug flow
Annular
flow

Plug flow

Semiannular
flow

Subcooled
liquid

Draining film

End view
Wavy flow

Stratified flow
Stratified
layer

Low heat flux

Shear-propelled
draining with
wavy propagation

Vapor-ShearControlled

Gravity drainage

Gravity-Controlled

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Condensing Backflow
Inert Accumulation in API Air Coolers
Vapor

Inert

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Condensate

A-frame Condensers

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Geometry

Tubeside Flow Path with Reflux

Trapped non-condensables
possible

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Reflux
condensation

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Trapped Non-condensables

A-frame condenser tubes

Fewer tube rows needed than for circular tubes

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Current HTRI research

Performance in inclined tubes
Inclined circular and elliptical tube condensation
What is the performance with higher condensate loading?
Flow

Gravity

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Current HTRI research

Vacuum condensation pressure drop

P = Ps + Pf + Pm
Friction pressure drop and momentum recovery are
comparable in vacuum
Better estimates of momentum recovery needed

Static pressure drop neglected for downflow

Included in the reflux region

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Current HTRI research

Airside maldistribution
What design changes can reduce airside maldistribution
and improve performance?
Plenums
Fan rings
Wind walls

1
2
3
4
5
6

Sections across the bundle

<300 fpm (1.52 m/s)
>400 fpm (2.03 m/s)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Increments down the tube

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<300 ~ 400 fpm

(1.52 ~ 2.03 m/s)

Improving future air cooled condenser

designs
Optimizing fin and bundle design
Fin heights, downflow tubes versus reflux tubes, tube size
Minimize plot area
Reduce fan power

Improving fan efficiencies

Reduce noise and required power

Augmenting performance on summer days

Fin surface texture enhancements
Other strategies?
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