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US 4,381,817 AGranted
Wet/dry steam condenser
AssigneeFoster Wheeler Energy Corporation
InventorsCarlo J. Brigida, William J. Bow
Life of this patent
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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 provided with fin structures and can be selectively cooled by a fan-induced air flow and/or deluge water supplied from either a flood water trough and/or a spray-head assembly.
Claims8
A wet/dry steam condensing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of substantially vertically aligned heat pipes, each of said heat pipes having a lower, evaporator section and an upper, condensing section and containing a selected quantity of a heat transfer fluid adapted to transfer heat energy from said evaporator section to said condensing section through a vapor/condensation cycle;
- a steam receiving plenum adapted to receive steam from a steam source, at least a portion of said evaporator sections of said heat pipes passing through a surface portion of said plenum for exposure to the steam;
- each of said heat pipes having a finned portion;
- a flood water trough adapted to selectively receive cooling water and flow the water downwardly onto the finned surfaces of said heat pipes;
- and
- a plurality of spray heads adapted to direct a spray of cooling water onto said heat pipes.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.