Condensers is a heat exchange device that cools and converts
gas into liquid and is widely used in refrigeration, air conditioning and thermal management in
industrial processes.
Classification of condensers
1.
water-cooled condenser: uses water as a cooling medium to transfer the heat of the gas to the water through the tube wall. Commonly used in industrial applications that require a large amount of cooling water, such as power plants, petrochemical plants, etc. Common types of water-cooled condensers are shell and tube condensers and plate condensers.
2. Air-cooled condenser: uses air as a cooling medium and is usually used in situations where it needs to be installed in an open space, such as air conditioning systems, refrigeration equipment, etc. The working principle of the air-cooled condenser is to force air flow through a fan to take away the heat in the steam.
3. Steam condenser: used to cool steam and condense it into water. Commonly used in thermal power plants, steam boilers and other systems. Steam condensers usually increase cooling efficiency through a large area of heat exchange surface.
4. Shell and tube condenser: The tubes in the condenser carry steam or gas, and the coolant or air flows in the outer shell. This structure makes the cooling efficiency higher and is the most common form of condenser in many industrial applications.
5.
Plate condenser: It is composed of multiple thin
metal plates, and flow channels are formed between the plates. It is suitable for small equipment or precision industrial applications. The advantages of plate condensers are high heat transfer efficiency and compact structure, but they may have high requirements for pressure and flow.
Application of condensers
- Steam power system: such as condensers in thermal power plants or nuclear power plants, used to cool steam and re-liquefy it into water for circulation.
- Chemical process: In chemical processes such as distillation and extraction, condensers are used to separate different components.
- Air conditioning and refrigeration: In the coolant circulation system, the condenser condenses the gaseous coolant into liquid to complete the heat exchange process.
- • Gasoline engine cooling system: used to reduce the coolant temperature in the engine.