Method and apparatus for high-efficiency direct contact condensation

A method for determining condenser performance, comprising the steps of:

• providing a set of input values, wherein there is an input value in said set for each of a plurality of parameters pertaining to a condenser and a condenser site, wherein, said parameters include a liquid loading of said condenser, a vapor loading of said condenser, a concentration of a noncondensable gas in an inlet liquid to said condenser, a concentration of said noncondensable gas in an inlet vapor to said condenser, and geometric characteristics of a contact medium in said condenser, said geometric characteristics including dimensions of a channel in said contact medium and an orientation of a channel in said contact medium relative to horizontal;
• simulating performance of a condenser using said set of input values to determine a related set of output values, said output values including an outlet liquid temperature from said condenser, an outlet liquid flow rate from said condenser, and a concentration of gas in the outlet liquid from said condenser;
• iteratively performing said steps of providing and simulating for each set of input values from a plurality of sets of input values, wherein each iterative performance of said steps of providing provides a different set of output values for said plurality of condenser parameters;
• and
• determining whether each set of output values meets predetermined output values criteria for further analysis.

A direct contact condenser that facilitates direct contact of a cooling liquid with a gas mixture of steam and noncondensable gas exhausted from a steam turbine at a first mass flow rate for condensing water and removing noncondensable gas from the gas mixture, said direct contact condenser comprising:

• a first condensing chamber having a first inlet opening and a first outlet opening, said first inlet opening being connectable to a flow of said mixture at a first inlet temperature and a first inlet pressure, and said first outlet opening having a first outlet pressure that is less than said first inlet pressure so that said gas mixture flows from said first inlet opening through said first condensing chamber to said first outlet opening;
• a first cooling liquid supply pipe that is connectable to a cooling liquid supply source and extends into the first condensing chamber, said first cooling liquid supply pipe having a plurality of first cooling liquid dispensers dispersed across the first condensing chamber between said first inlet opening and said first outlet opening;
• a first contact medium having a plurality of first condensation surfaces positioned in said first condensing chamber under said first cooling liquid dispensers and between the first inlet opening and the first outlet opening, said first condensation surfaces having a plurality of first areas oriented in relation to horizontal in a manner that exposes the first condensation surfaces to said gas mixture flowing through the first condensing chamber and to cooling liquid that is dispensed from said first cooling liquid dispensers and that impedes rate of fall of the cooling liquid through the first contact medium to set a first dwell time of the cooling liquid in the first condensing chamber, said cooling liquid that is dispensed from said first cooling liquid dispensers having a first cooling liquid pH, a first cooling liquid temperature, and a first cooling liquid volumetric flow rate as said cooling liquid is dispensed from the first cooling liquid dispensers, wherein said direct contact condenser is characterized by a combination of said first mass flow rate, said first inlet temperature, said first inlet pressure, said first cooling liquid pH, said first cooling liquid temperature, and said first volumetric flow rate together with said first area, said first orientation, and said first dwell time in a balance that facilitates removal of heat from the gas mixture at a rate that causes condensation of water from a first portion of the steam in the gas mixture and causes corresponding decrease in steam vapor pressure that is sufficient to drive a first portion of the noncondensable gas into solution with a first liquid mixture of the cooling liquid and water in the first contact medium, but which decrease in steam vapor pressure is insufficient for said first portion to comprise as much as half of the noncondensable gas in said gas mixture and thereby leaving a second portion of the noncondensable gas along with a second portion of the steam in the gas mixture at the first outlet opening, which second portion of noncondensable gas is greater than the first portion of noncondensable gas, and which gas mixture at the first outlet opening has a first outlet temperature that is lower than the first inlet temperature;
• a first well disposed under said first contact medium in a position to catch said first liquid mixture along with said first portion of the noncondensable gas that is dissolved in the first liquid mixture as said first liquid mixture runs out of said first contact medium;
• a second condensing chamber having a second inlet opening and a second outlet opening, said second inlet opening being connected in gas flow relation to said first outlet opening to receive said gas mixture comprising said second portion of the steam and said second portion of the noncondensable gas from said first condensing chamber at the first outlet temperature and the first outlet pressure, and said second outlet opening having a second outlet pressure that is less than said first outlet pressure so that said gas mixture flows from said second inlet opening through said second condensing chamber to said second outlet opening;
• a second cooling liquid supply pipe that is connectable to a cooling liquid supply source and extends into the second condensing chamber, said second cooling supply pipe having a plurality of second cooling liquid dispensers dispersed across the second chamber between said second inlet opening and said second outlet opening;
• a second contact medium having a plurality of second condensation surfaces positioned in said second condensing chamber under said second cooling liquid dispensers and between the second inlet opening and the second outlet opening, said second condensation surfaces having a plurality of second areas oriented in relation to horizontal in a manner that exposes the second condensation surfaces to said gas mixture flowing through the second condensing chamber and to cooling liquid that is dispensed from said second cooling liquid dispensers and that impedes rate of fall of the cooling liquid through the second contact medium to set a second dwell time of the cooling liquid in the second condensing chamber, said cooling liquid that is dispensed from said second cooling liquid dispensers having a second cooling liquid pH, a second cooling liquid temperature, and a second cooling liquid volumetric flow rate as said cooling liquid is dispensed from the second cooling liquid dispensers, wherein said direct contact condenser is further characterized by a combination of said second mass flow rate, said second inlet temperature, said second inlet pressure, said second cooling liquid pH, said second cooling liquid temperature, and said second volumetric flow rate together with said second area, said second orientation, and said second dwell time in a balance that facilitates removal of heat from the gas mixture at a rate that causes condensation of substantially all water remaining in steam that flows in the gas mixture into the second contact medium and causes corresponding substantial elimination of steam vapor pressure from the gas mixture to drive at least some of the second portion of the noncondensable gas into solution with a second liquid mixture of the cooling liquid and water in the second contact medium;
• and
• a second well disposed under said second contact medium in a position to catch said second liquid mixture along with noncondensable gas that is dissolved in the second liquid mixture as said second liquid mixture runs out of said second contact medium.

A method of condensing steam from a geothermal gas mixture of steam and noncondensable gas, comprising the steps of:

• condensing water condensate from a first portion of the steam by contacting the steam with a cooling fluid and thereby reducing vapor pressure of steam only enough so that partial pressure of the noncondensable gas drives a first portion of the noncondensable gas into solution with a first effluent comprising condensate and cooling fluid to produce a first liquid effluent mixture with a first concentration of noncondensable gas that does not exceed a predetermined maximum concentration level;
• collecting the first liquid effluent with the first portion of the noncondensable gas;
• condensing water condensate from remaining steam by contacting the remaining steam with a cooling fluid and thereby reducing vapor pressure of steam enough so that partial pressure of the noncondensable gas drives a second portion of the noncondensable gas into solution with a second effluent comprising condensate and cooling fluid to produce a second liquid effluent mixture with a second concentration of noncondensable gas that exceeds the first concentration;
• and
• collecting the second liquid effluent with the second portion of the noncondensable gas separate from the first liquid effluent with the first portion of the noncondensable gas.

A method of condensing steam exhausted from a turbine wherein the steam is in a gas mixture of vapor and noncondensable gas from a geothermal source, comprising the steps of:

• feeding the gas mixture of vapor and noncondensable gas at a first mass flow rate, an inlet steam pressure, and an inlet steam temperature into a first direct contact condensing chamber;
• flowing the gas mixture of vapor and noncondensable gas through a first contact medium that comprises a plurality of surfaces in the first direct contact condensing chamber having a plurality of first areas at angular orientations to horizontal and juxtaposed spatial relationships while simultaneously flowing cooling liquid having a first cooling liquid pH and a first cooling liquid temperature at a first cooling liquid volumetric flow rate through the first contact medium with said plurality of first areas, angular orientations, and juxtaposed spatial relationships set in the first direct contact condensing chamber to impede rate of fall of cooling liquid through the first contact medium and thereby increase dwell time of the cooling fluid in the first direct contact condensing chamber to a sufficient extent to facilitate condensation of a first portion of the steam to water while also maintaining sufficient vapor pressure of steam to allow only so much of the noncondensable gas to be absorbed by liquid as will produce a concentration of the noncondensable gas in a first liquid mixture of condensate water and cooling liquid flowing from the first contact medium that does not exceed a predetermined concentration limit;
• collecting the mixture of condensate water, cooling liquid, and absorbed noncondensable gas in a first well;
• passing steam and noncondensable gas in the gas mixture that has not been condensed and absorbed in the first liquid mixture into a second direct contact condensing chamber;
• flowing the steam and noncondensable gas in the second direct contact condensing chamber through a second contact medium while simultaneously flowing cooling liquid through the second contact medium with the second contact medium sized and configured to condense substantially all remaining steam in the gas mixture to water and thereby producing a sufficiently low vapor pressure of steam to allow at least some of the remaining noncondensable gas to be absorbed by cooling liquid and condensed water in the second direct contact condensing chamber;
• and
• collecting a second liquid mixture of condensate water, cooling liquid, and absorbed noncondensable gas that flows from the second contact medium in a second well.