Condenser designs for binary power cycles
For the past four years, work has been in progress at ORNL to develop improved condensers for geothermal binary power cycles. The work has centered on optimizing the design variables associated with fluted surfaces on vertical tubes and comparing the tube performance with available enhanced tubes either for vertical or horizontal operation. Data with seven fluids including a hydrocarbon, fluorocarbons, and ammonia condensing on up to 30 different tubes have been obtained. Data for tubes of different effective lengths (0.15 to 1.20 m) and inclination have also been obtained. The primary conclusion from this work is that fluted tubes can provide an enhancement in condensation coefficient of a factor of 6 over smooth vertical tubes and a factor of 2 over enhanced commercial tubes either operating vertically or horizontally. These data, together with field test data, have formed the basis for designing two prototype condensers, one for the 60 kWe Raft River, Idaho, pilot plant and one for the 500 kWe East Mesa, California, direct-contact demonstration plant.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-26
- OSTI ID:
- 5319927
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-800806-36
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 15. intersociety energy conversion engineering conference, Seattle, WA, USA, 18 Aug 1980
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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