Analysis of the thermal performance of a church window steam condenser for different operational conditions using three models

Abstract

The results of the usual design model “Standards for Steam Surface Condensers (SSSC)” and those of a two-dimensional model (2D) and a three-dimensional model (3D) are presented. Both the 2D model and the 3D model allow the presence of non-condensable gases, the pressure drop across the tube bundle and the tube arrangement to be taken into account, while the SSSC model does not. In order to study the thermal performance of the models, the heat transfer rate and the condensate mass flow rate were analysed varying the circulating water inlet temperature and velocity, as well as the fouling inside the tubes. The 2D and 3D models behave similarly to the SSSC model, but present less dependence on temperature and velocity variations. Because of the low running time, both the SSSC and the 2D models are adequate for on-line fouling evaluation of the condenser, the latter affording a more detailed description of the condenser. The SSSC model and the 3D model can complement one another in the design stage, using the SSSC for the area estimation and improving the inner condenser geometry by means of the 3D model.