Heat exchange – With first fluid holder or collector open to second fluid – Separate external discharge port for each fluid
Patent
1990-04-11
1992-12-08
Davis, Jr., Albert W.
Heat exchange
With first fluid holder or collector open to second fluid
Separate external discharge port for each fluid
16510431, 261116, 261DIG10, 261DIG32, F28B 304
Patent
active
051689227
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a barometric direct-contact condenser.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In this specification geometrical terms such as "above" and "below" relate to the gravitational directions, "above" being further from the centre of the earth than "below".
Materials can be found in the solid, liquid and gaseous phases; at lower ambient temperatures and higher pressures the material tends towards the solid phase, and at higher temperatures and lower pressures the material tends towards the gaseous phase.
A condenser is employed to convert a gas (a material in its gaseous phase) into its liquid phase. As the gas is condensed, it gives off its latent heat of evaporation, warming the surrounding area, and also reducing in volume. Condensers are typically employed in power plants for the condensation of exhaust steam from turbines, and in refrigeration plants for the condensation of refrigerant vapours such as the Freons or ammonia. They are also employed in the petroleum and chemical industries for the condensation of hydrocarbons and other chemical vapours.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
In the important product area of steam condensers, it is known to provide a low pressure region into which the steam can exhaust, the condenser also having a condensate chamber for collecting the condensed steam (condensate) so that it can be reused, or removed for other applications. As disclosed in the 1964 edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Volume 6 at pages 273/274, two main types of steam condenser are known: {a} surface condensers, in which the condensing steam does not come into direct contact with cooling medium e.g. water, but is separated from it by the walls of a tube through which the cooling water flows; {b} direct-contact condensers in which cooling water is sprayed into the steam and intermingles with it, helping condensation. In the barometric type of direct-contact steam condenser, the steam is directed into a condenser chamber (immediately upstream of a condensate chamber) into which large quantities of water are sprayed; the water coming into contact with the steam helps it to condense, whilst the consequent reduction of steam volume also helps to create a lower (vacuum) pressure, whilst furthermore in order to help maintain this vacuum the water to be discharged from the condensate chamber is directed into a long vertical pipe (a tailpipe) which extends downwards about 10 metres into a lake, stream or other body of water.
One disadvantage of the known types of barometric direct-contact steam condensers is that since the condensation of the steam is accompanied by the giving up of the latent heat of vapourisation, the condenser chamber and/or condensate chamber warms up, so that the rate and efficiency of condensation can reduce over a period of time. Another disadvantage is that the condensed steam becomes contaminated by the cooling water and thus cannot be reclaimed for further use without chemical treatment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
I propose to avoid or reduce one disadvantage of the known barometric direct-contact steam condenser by providing a renewed, preferably continuously renewed, free liquid condensate surface. I propose to avoid or reduce the other stated disadvantage by re-using water discharged from the condensate chamber as cooling water.
According to one feature of my invention I provide a barometric direct-contact condensate comprising a condenser chamber, spray means in the condenser chamber, a condensate chamber, a base for the condensate chamber, the condensate chamber being adapted to retain condensate up to a condensate surface level above the base, a reservoir for liquid, the condensate chamber being adapted for positioning at a level above that of the surface of liquid in the reservoir, a tailpipe having an inlet and an outlet and extending from the condensate chamber to below the surface of liquid in the reservoir, an inlet into the condensate chamber connected to the condenser chamber wherein the tailpipe has its inlet above the base of the c
REFERENCES:
patent: 493123 (1893-03-01), Schutte
patent: 982404 (1911-01-01), Wiki
patent: 4449368 (1984-05-01), Haynie
patent: 4506508 (1985-03-01), Coers et al.
Davis Jr. Albert W.
Kasper Horst M.
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