Condensation process and condenser
OwnerJames Andrew Robinsoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A condenser and a containment vessel adapted to efficiently condense a gas out of a mixture of condensing and non-condensing gases. In condensers, the fraction of gas within a condenser made up of non-condensing gases can be significantly reduced by withdrawing gas from localised regions of relatively low temperature where the mass fraction of non-condensing gases will be relatively high. In containment vessels, pressures can be reduced by providing a large surface area of the liquid into which the condensing gas condenses in a relatively cool region of the containment vessel. Both these effects result from an appreciation of the manner in which non-condensing gases tend to accumulate in regions which are relatively cold.
Claims22
A method for removing non-condensing gas from a mixture of condensing and non-condensing gases in a condenser having main heat exchanging surfaces for condensing the condensing gas into a liquid, the method comprising:
- providing an auxiliary cooling surface in the condenser spaced from the main heat exchanging surfaces;
- using the auxiliary cooling surface to provide within the condenser at least one cool region of gas in said mixture of condensing gas and non-condensing gases,
- wherein the gases in said cool region are at a temperature which is lower than the temperature of the gases in other regions of the condenser,
- and wherein the gases in said cool region comprise a high mass fraction of non-condensing gas when compared to the mass fraction of non-condensing gas in other regions of the condenser;
- and
- withdrawing gas from said at least one cool region of gas.
A condenser for condensing gas, the condenser comprising:
- a heat exchanging surface for condensing a condensing gas to a liquid;
- a cooling means spaced from the heat exchanging surface for producing a localized region of relatively cold gas, wherein the gas in the localized region of relatively cold gas is at a temperature which is lower than the temperature of gas in other regions within the condenser and which comprises a higher mass fraction of non-condensing gas;
- and
- means for withdrawing gas from the localized region of relatively cold gas.
A method for reducing the concentration of non-condensing gas from a mixture of condensing and non-condensing gases in a condenser, comprising:
- providing a condenser to cool a mixture which includes a condensing gas and a non-condensing gas, wherein the condenser includes main heat exchanging surfaces for condensing the condensing gas into a liquid and an auxiliary cooling surface spaced from the main heat exchanging surfaces;
- flowing the mixture within the condenser;
- cooling the flowing mixture in the condenser;
- using the auxiliary cooling surface to provide at least one region of relative low mixture temperature within the condenser, the region having relative high concentration of the non-condensing gas;
- using the main heat exchanging surfaces to form condensate in the condenser at locations that are spatially separated from said region;
- and
- withdrawing gas from said region to reduce the overall concentration of the non-condensing gas in the condenser.
An apparatus for condensing gas to liquid, comprising:
- a condenser for removing heat from a gas, said condenser having an interior with a main heat exchanging surfaces for condensing gas to a liquid and an auxiliary cooling surface spaced from the main heat exchanging surfaces for producing at least one region of relative low temperature during operation of said condenser, said region being spatially separated from formed condensate during operation of said condenser;
- and
- means for withdrawing gas from said region of said condenser to reduce the concentration of a non-condensing gas in the condenser.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.