Condenser Design – STHE condenser……

• A condenser is a two-phase flow heat exchanger in which heat is generated

from the conversion of vapor into liquid (condensation) and the heat
generated is removed from the system by a coolant.

• When a saturated vapor (Tsat) comes in contact with a surface at a lower

temperature (Tw), condensation occurs.

• Condensation occurs by two different physical mechanisms i.e. drop-wise

condensation and film condensation.
Design considerations…….
• Shell side – single phase….. Q = ṁCpΔT
• heat transfer coefficient – as same as STHE

• Tube side – two phase…. Q = ṁ …..( = latent heat……)

• heat transfer coefficient – different way!!!

• Nusselt’s Theory (Laminar)………..Re < 30

• Travis Theory (Turbulent)
• Shaw Theory (Turbulent)
• Cavallini and Zecchin theory (Turbulent)
Nusselt’s Theory (Laminar)………..Re < 30
• Nusselt’s theory….
1Τ4
ℎ𝑚 𝑑 𝜌𝑙 𝜌𝑙 −𝜌𝑔 𝑔 𝜆 𝑑 3
• =0.728
𝑘𝑙 𝜇𝑙 𝑇𝑠𝑎𝑡 −𝑇𝑤 𝑘𝑙

• hm = mean condensation film coefficient

• d = dia of tube
• 𝜌𝑙 = condensate density
• 𝑘𝑙 = thermal conductivity
• 𝑙 = condensate viscosity
• g = gravitational acceleration
• 𝜆 = latent heat of condensation
• …………..everything in standard SI units!!!!
Travis theory (Turbulent)

• “x” is the vapor quality, the mass

fraction of vapor
Cavallini and Zecchin theory (Turbulent)

0.8 0.33 𝑘𝑙
ℎ 𝑇𝑃 = 0.05𝑅𝑒𝑒𝑞 𝑃𝑟𝑙
𝑑

0.5
𝜇𝑣 𝜌𝑙
𝑅𝑒𝑒𝑞 = 𝑅𝑒𝑣 + 𝑅𝑒𝑙
𝜇𝑙 𝜌𝑣

𝐺𝑥𝑑
𝐺(1 − 𝑥)𝑑 𝑅𝑒𝑣 =
𝑅𝑒𝑙 = 𝜇𝑣
𝜇𝑙
Shaw theory (Turbulent)
Condenser Design
• A water-cooled, shell-and-tube freon condenser with in-tube condensation will
be designed to satisfy the following specifications:
Design Cooling load 125 kW
of the condenser
Refrigerant R-22; Condensing temperature:37°C
Thermo physical properties of R-22 @37°C: • Determine the shell side heat
 cpL = 1.305 kJ/kg K transfer coefficient:
 vL = 8.3734 x 10–4 m3/kg
 vg = 0.01643 m3/kg
 L = 1.86x10–4 Pa.s
 g = 1.39x10–5 Pa.s • By using Shaw theory, calculate the
 kL = 0.082 W/m K;Pr = 2.96;  = 169 kJ/kg tube side heat transfer coefficient.
Coolant water City water; Inlet temperature: 18°C
Outlet temperature: 26°C Take vapor quality = 50%
cpL = 4.181 kJ/kg K; L = 959x10–6 Pa.s
kL = 0.606 W/m K; Pr = 6.61
Design parameters One tube pass
Shell diameter: 15.25 in.
• Calculate the length of the
Pitch: 1 in.(square) condenser
Baffle spacing 35 cm
Number of tubes: 137
¾ in. OD, 20 BWG, Brass tubes (70%Cu,30% Zn)
Distillation…….Condensation……Flooding in vertical tubes
• When the vapour flows up the tube, which will be the usual arrangement for a reflux
condenser, care must be taken to ensure that the tubes do not flood.

• Several correlations have been published for the prediction of flooding in vertical
tubes.

• One of the simplest to apply, which is suitable for use in the design of condensers
handling low-viscosity condensates, is the criterion given by Hewitt and Hall-Taylor.

• Flooding should not occur if the following condition is satisfied:

𝟏Τ𝟐 𝟏Τ𝟒 𝟏Τ𝟐 𝟏Τ𝟒 𝟏Τ𝟒
• 𝒖𝒗 𝝆𝒗 + 𝒖𝑳 𝝆𝑳 < 𝟎. 𝟔 𝒈𝒅𝒊 𝝆𝑳 − 𝝆𝒗
• where uv and uL are the velocities of the vapour and liquid, based on each phase
flowing in the tube alone; and di is in m.
Flooding….condenser….problem…
• It is proposed to use an existing distillation column, which is fitted with reflux
condenser which has 200 vertical, 50 mm ID tubes, for separating benzene from
a mixture of chlorobenzenes. The top product will be 2500 kg/h benzene and
the column will operate with a reflux ratio of 3. Check if the tubes are likely to
flood. The condenser pressure will be 1 bar. Densities at benzene boiling point
are ρL: 840 kg/m3, ρv: 2.7 kg/m3.