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Mechanical Engineering

Subject: Power Plant Engineering

(2171910)
•Topic:
CONDENSERS AND
COOLING TOWERS

•By:
Lalbabu Yadav 140050119560
Yash Acharya 140050119561
Purav Vyas 150053119033
 CONDENSERS
• Condenser is a heat exchanger
wherein steam is condensed
either in direct contact with
cooling water or indirect contact
with cooling water through a heat
transfer medium separating them.
Objectives of Condensers are:
1. To create a low pressure for turbine
exhaust so as to obtain the
maximum possible energy from
steam and secure high efficiency.
2. To condense the exhaust steam from
the turbine and thus recover high
quality feedwater for reuse in the
cycle.
Types of Condensers:
1.Jet condensers or mixing type
condensers
a) Parallel flow jet condenser
b) Counter flow jet condenser
c) High level jet condenser
d) Ejector jet condenser
2.Surface condensers or non mixing
type condensers

a) Down flow surface condenser

b) Central flow surface condenser
c) Multi-pass surface condenser
d) Evaporative condenser
Jet Condensers:
Surface Condensers:
Down flow surface condenser
Multi-pass surface flow condenser
What is the importance/necessity of a cooling
tower
• Reject heat into the atmosphere

• Represent inexpensive and dependable means of removal low

grade heat.
• COOLING TOWER cool the warm water discharged from the
condenser and feed the cooled water back to the condenser.
Cooling tower types

• Natural Draft

• Mechanical draft:
• 1)Forced Cooling Tower
2) Induced Cooling Tower:
A)CROSSFLOW
B) COUNTER FLOW
Natural Draft Cooling towers

• Use very large concrete chimneys to introduce air through the

media

• Used for water circulation rates above 45,000 cum/h (Normally for
power plants, where condenser water requirements are high)
Mechanical Draft Cooling towers

• Utilize large fans to force or suck air through

circulated water

• Water falls downwards over fill surfaces, which help

increase of contact time between water and air
(increases heat transfer)
CLASSIFICATION:

 Induced draft : A mechanical draft tower with a fan at the discharge which
pulls air through tower. The fan induces hot moist air out the discharge. This
produces low entering and high exiting air velocities, reducing the
possibility of recirculation in which discharged air flows back into the air
intake. This fan/fin arrangement is also known as draw-through

 Forced draft :A mechanical draft tower with a blower type fan at the
intake. The fan forces air into the tower, creating high entering and low
exiting air velocities. The low exiting velocity is much more susceptible to
recirculation. With the fan on the air intake, the fan is more susceptible to
complications due to freezing conditions. Another disadvantage is that a
forced draft design typically requires more motor horsepower than an
equivalent induced draft design. The forced draft benefit is its ability to work
with high static pressure. They can be installed in more confined spaces and
even in some indoor situations. This fan/fill geometry is also known as
blow-through
CLASSIFICATION:

 Classification based on air-to-water flow :

Cross flow : Cross flow is a design in which the air flow is directed perpendicular
to the water flow (see diagram below). Air flow enters one or more vertical faces of
the cooling tower to meet the fill material. Water flows (perpendicular to the air)
through the fill by gravity. The air continues through the fill and thus past the water
flow into an open plenum area. A distribution or hot water basin consisting of a deep
pan with holes or nozzles in the bottom is utilized in a crossflow tower. Gravity
distributes the water through the nozzles uniformly across the fill material

Counter flow : In a counterflow design the air flow is directly opposite to the
water flow (see diagram below). Air flow first enters an open area beneath
the fill media and is then drawn up vertically. The water is sprayed through
pressurized nozzles and flows downward through the fill, opposite to the air
flow