HEAT EXCHANGER APPLICATIONS
DOE-HDBK-1018/1-93
Heat Exchangers
Summary
The important information from this chapter is summarized below.
Heat Exchanger Applications Summary
Heat exchangers are often used in the following applications.
Preheater
Radiator
Air conditioning evaporator and condenser
Steam condenser
The purpose of a condenser is to remove the latent heat of vaporization, condensing
the vapor into a liquid.
Heat exchangers condense the steam vapor into a liquid for return to the boiler.
The cycle's efficiency is increased by ensuring the maximum DT between the source
and the heat sink.
The hotwell is the area at the bottom of the condenser where the condensed steam
is collected to be pumped back into the system feedwater.
Condensate depression is the amount the condensate in a condenser is cooled below
saturation (degrees subcooled).
Condensers operate at a vacuum to ensure the temperature (and thus the pressure)
of the steam is as low as possible. This maximizes the DT and DP between the
source and the heat sink, ensuring the highest cycle efficiency possible.
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