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Title: Method and apparatus for high-efficiency direct contact condensation

Abstract

A direct contact condenser having a downward vapor flow chamber and an upward vapor flow chamber, wherein each of the vapor flow chambers includes a plurality of cooling liquid supplying pipes and a vapor-liquid contact medium disposed thereunder to facilitate contact and direct heat exchange between the vapor and cooling liquid. The contact medium includes a plurality of sheets arranged to form vertical interleaved channels or passageways for the vapor and cooling liquid streams. The upward vapor flow chamber also includes a second set of cooling liquid supplying pipes disposed beneath the vapor-liquid contact medium which operate intermittently in response to a pressure differential within the upward vapor flow chamber. The condenser further includes separate wells for collecting condensate and cooling liquid from each of the vapor flow chambers. In alternate embodiments, the condenser includes a cross-current flow chamber and an upward flow chamber, a plurality of upward flow chambers, or a single upward flow chamber. The method of use of the direct contact condenser of this invention includes passing a vapor stream sequentially through the downward and upward vapor flow chambers, where the vapor is condensed as a result of heat exchange with the cooling liquid in the contactmore » medium. The concentration of noncondensable gases in the resulting condensate-liquid mixtures can be minimized by controlling the partial pressure of the vapor, which depends in part upon the geometry of the vapor-liquid contact medium. In another aspect of this invention, the physical and chemical performance of a direct contact condenser can be predicted based on the vapor and coolant compositions, the condensation conditions. and the geometric properties of the contact medium.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2];  [2]
+ Show Inventor Affiliations
  1. Lakewood, CO
  2. Golden, CO
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Midwest Research Institute, Kansas City, MO (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
872394
Patent Number(s):
5925291
Assignee:
Midwest Research Institute ()
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F28 - HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL F28B - STEAM OR VAPOUR CONDENSERS
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F28 - HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL F28F - DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
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DOE Contract Number:  
AC36-83CH10093
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
method; apparatus; high-efficiency; direct; contact; condensation; condenser; downward; vapor; flow; chamber; upward; chambers; plurality; cooling; liquid; supplying; pipes; vapor-liquid; medium; disposed; thereunder; facilitate; heat; exchange; sheets; arranged; form; vertical; interleaved; channels; passageways; streams; set; beneath; operate; intermittently; response; pressure; differential; separate; collecting; condensate; alternate; embodiments; cross-current; single; passing; stream; sequentially; condensed; result; concentration; noncondensable; gases; resulting; condensate-liquid; mixtures; minimized; controlling; partial; depends; geometry; aspect; physical; chemical; performance; predicted; based; coolant; compositions; conditions; geometric; properties; upward flow; liquid mixture; medium disposed; liquid mixtures; liquid stream; cooling liquid; vapor flow; direct contact; heat exchange; pressure differential; current flow; partial pressure; vapor stream; alternate embodiment; noncondensable gases; flow chamber; liquid streams; alternate embodiments; flow chambers; contact condenser; noncondensable gas; direct heat; /261/

Citation Formats

Bharathan, Desikan, Parent, Yves, and Hassani, A Vahab. Method and apparatus for high-efficiency direct contact condensation. United States: N. p., 1999. Web.
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Bharathan, Desikan, Parent, Yves, & Hassani, A Vahab. Method and apparatus for high-efficiency direct contact condensation. United States.
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Bharathan, Desikan, Parent, Yves, and Hassani, A Vahab. Fri . "Method and apparatus for high-efficiency direct contact condensation". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/872394.
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@article{osti_872394,
title = {Method and apparatus for high-efficiency direct contact condensation},
author = {Bharathan, Desikan and Parent, Yves and Hassani, A Vahab},
abstractNote = {A direct contact condenser having a downward vapor flow chamber and an upward vapor flow chamber, wherein each of the vapor flow chambers includes a plurality of cooling liquid supplying pipes and a vapor-liquid contact medium disposed thereunder to facilitate contact and direct heat exchange between the vapor and cooling liquid. The contact medium includes a plurality of sheets arranged to form vertical interleaved channels or passageways for the vapor and cooling liquid streams. The upward vapor flow chamber also includes a second set of cooling liquid supplying pipes disposed beneath the vapor-liquid contact medium which operate intermittently in response to a pressure differential within the upward vapor flow chamber. The condenser further includes separate wells for collecting condensate and cooling liquid from each of the vapor flow chambers. In alternate embodiments, the condenser includes a cross-current flow chamber and an upward flow chamber, a plurality of upward flow chambers, or a single upward flow chamber. The method of use of the direct contact condenser of this invention includes passing a vapor stream sequentially through the downward and upward vapor flow chambers, where the vapor is condensed as a result of heat exchange with the cooling liquid in the contact medium. The concentration of noncondensable gases in the resulting condensate-liquid mixtures can be minimized by controlling the partial pressure of the vapor, which depends in part upon the geometry of the vapor-liquid contact medium. In another aspect of this invention, the physical and chemical performance of a direct contact condenser can be predicted based on the vapor and coolant compositions, the condensation conditions. and the geometric properties of the contact medium.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1999},
month = {1}
}
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Works referenced in this record:

1986 Max Jakob Memorial Award Lecture: Heat Transfer Research for Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
journal, February 1988

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