Wet/dry steam condenser
AssigneeFoster Wheeler Energy Corporation
InventorsWarren H. Fisher, Jr., Barry M. Barnet
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wet/dry steam condenser in accordance with the present invention includes two spaced-apart, vertically aligned groups of heat pipes with each group having the lower, evaporator sections of their respective heat pipes exposed to the interior of an associated, longitudinally extending steam-receiving plenum. The upper condensing section of each heat pipe is cooled by a fan-induced air flow and has a portion that is finned. The other portion of the condensing section of each pipe is cooled by deluge water from either a flood water trough and/or a spray-head assembly in addition to being cooled by a fan-induced air flow.
Claims16
A wet/dry steam condensing apparatus comprising:
- a steam receiving plenum adapted to receive steam from a steam source;
- a plurality of substantially vertically aligned, heat pipes, each of said heat pipes having an evaporator section extending in said plenum and adapted to receive heat energy from said steam, and a condensing section extending out of said plenum, each of said pipes containing a quantity of a heat transfer fluid adapted to transfer said heat energy from its evaporator section to its condensing section through a vapor/condensation cycle;
- a separation baffle mounted on the condensing section of said heat pipes and dividing each section into two portions;
- a plurality of fins disposed on a portion of the condensing section of each of said pipes;
- and
- cooling water application means operatively associated with the remaining portion of the condensing section of each of said pipes and adapted to selectively direct cooling water thereto.
A wet/dry steam condensing apparatus comprising:
- a steam receiving plenum adapted to receive steam from a steam source;
- a plurality of substantially vertically aligned, heat pipes, each of said heat pipes having an evaporator section extending in said plenum and adapted to receive heat energy from said steam, and a condensing section extending out of said plenum, each of said pipes containing a quantity of a heat transfer fluid adapted to transfer said heat energy from its evaporator section to its condensing section through a vapor/condensation cycle;
- a plurality of fins disposed on a portion of the condensing section of each of said heat pipes;
- a plurality of spray heads adapted to direct a spray of cooling water onto the remaining heat pipe portions;
- and
- a flood water trough located on said remaining heat pipe portions and adapted to receive cooling water and flow the water downwardly onto said remaining heat pipe portions of said heat pipes.
A wet/dry steam condensing apparatus comprising:
- a steam receiving plenum adapted to receive steam from a steam source;
- a plurality of substantially vertically aligned, heat pipes, each of said heat pipes having an evaporator section extending in said plenum and adapted to receive heat energy from said steam, and a condensing section extending out of said plenum, each of said pipes containing a quantity of a heat transfer fluid adapted to transfer fluid adapted to transfer said heat energy from its evaporator section to its condensing section through a vapor/condensation cycle;
- each condensing section having an upper finned portion and a lower unfinned portion;
- and
- cooling water application means operatively associated with the lower unfinned portion of the condensing section of each of said pipes and adapted to selectively direct cooling water thereto.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.