CONDENSER

CONDENSER IS A HEAT EXCHANGER IN WHICH HEAT TRANSFER FROM

REFRIGERANT TO A COOLING MEDIUM TAKES PLACE. THE HEAT FROM
THE SYSTEM IS REJECTED EITHER TO ATMOSPHERE AIR OR TO THE
WATER USED AS COOLING MEDIUM. THE WATER USED AS COOLING MEDIUM
WHICH IN TERM REJECTS THE HEAT TO THE ATMOSPHERE. FOR THE
STEADY STATE OPERATION, HEAT REJECTED IN THE CONDENSER IS
THE SUM OF HEAT ABSORBED BY THE EVAPORATOR AND HEAT
EQUIVALENT OF WORK SUPPLIED TO THE COMPRESSOR. ON ACCOUNT OF
HEAT TRANSFER IN THE CONDENSER REFRIGERANT PASSING THROUGH
IT IS FIRST DE SUPERHEATED AND THEN CONDENSED AND MAY BE
LITTLE SUB-COOLED. THUS, THE FUNCTION OF THE CONDENSER IS TO
CONVERT SUPERHEATED REFRIGERANT VAPOUR INTO LIQUID
REFRIGERANT. THE COOLING MEDIUM USED MAY BE AIR, WATER OR
COMBINATION OF AIR AND WATER DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF
CONDENSER EMPLOYED IN THE REFRIGERATION SYSTEM.

PARTS OF CONDENSER
MOST OF THE CONDENSERS ARE MADE UP OF 4 BASIC PARTS. A
CABIN WHICH IS A HOUSING FOR OTHER PARTS, COILS WHICH
CAN BE MADE BY COPPER OR ALUMINUM, A COMPRESSOR WHICH
IS FOR INCREASING PRESSURE AND A FAN WHOSE JOB IS
FLOWING AIR INTO COILS. THE COILS CAN BE OF COPPER OR
ALUMINUM AND IT’S BETTER TO BE OF ALUMINUM SO HEAT
CAN BE BETTER AND FASTER TRANSFERRED. WHAT YOU
SHOULD CONSIDER AS A CONSUMER IS THAT THE COILS SHOULD
BE KEPT CLEAN. IF THE COILS GET DIRTY OR RUSTY, THE
PERFORMANCE WILL BE IMPAIRED. THE FAN IS AN
ESSENTIAL PART TOO. ITS JOB IS TO CIRCULATE AND FLOW
THE AIR ACROSS THE COILS.
TYPES OF CONDENSER
1. AIR-COOLED CONDENSER:

THIS TYPE OF CONDENSER USES A

FINNED CONSTANT TUBE COIL. THE
VAPOUR FROM THE COMPRESSOR
DISCHARGE ENTERS THE COIL AT
THE TOP AND LEAVES THE BOTTOM,
WHERE IT FLOWS INTO RECEIVERS
UNDERNEATH THE BASE. A FAN
INSTALLED ON THE COMPRESSOR
MOTOR PULLEYS BLOWS ACROSS THE
CONDENSER COIL. THE DEVICE
SHOULD BE STORED IN A WELL-
VENTILATED AND COOL AREA. AIR
COOLED CONDENSERS ARE USUALLY
USED IN SMALL CAPACITY
REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS.

THE AIR-COOLED CONDENSER HAS TWO CATEGORIES:

NATURAL CONVECTION TYPE:

IN THE NATURAL CONVECTION TYPE, HEAT IS TRANSPORTED FROM

THE CONDENSER BY BUOYANCY-INDUCED NATURAL CONVECTION AND
RADIATION. BECAUSE THE AIRFLOW SPEED IS MODERATE, THE TOTAL
HEAT TRANSFER COEFFICIENT IN THESE CONDENSERS IS LIMITED, AS
IS THE RADIATION HEAT TRANSFER. AS A RESULT, TO REJECT A
GIVEN QUANTITY, A RELATIVELY LARGE CONDENSING SURFACE IS
REQUIRED. AS A RESULT, THESE CONDENSERS ARE USED IN LOW-
CAPACITY REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS SUCH AS RESIDENTIAL
REFRIGERATORS AND FREEZERS.

FORCED CONVECTION TYPE:

IN FORCED CONVECTION CONDENSERS, A FAN OR BLOWER KEEPS AIR

CIRCULATING OVER THE CONDENSER SURFACE. THESE CONDENSERS
OFTEN INCLUDE FINS ON THE AIRSIDE FOR EFFECTIVE HEAT
TRANSFER. FINS CAN BE PLATE-SHAPED OR ANNULAR IN FORM. IN THE
CHASSIS-MOUNTED TYPE, THE COMPRESSOR, INDUCTION MOTOR,
CONDENSER, CONDENSER FAN, ACCUMULATOR, HP/LP CUT-OUT SWITCH,
AND PRESSURE GAUGES ARE ALL PLACED ON A SINGLE CHASSIS. IT IS
REFERRED TO AS A CONDENSING UNIT BECAUSE ITS COMPONENTS ARE
RATED CAPACITY AND ARE MATCHED TO CONDENSE THE REQUISITE
REFRIGERANT MASS FLOW RATE TO RATE COOLING CAPACITY.
WATER-COOLED CONDENSER:
WATER-COOLED CONDENSERS ARE
USED WITH COMPRESSORS OF ONE
HORSEPOWER OR ABOVE. WHEN
THERE IS AN APPROPRIATE
SUPPLY OF CLEAN WATER WITH
MINIMUM CORROSION AND AN
ACCEPTABLE AND COST-
EFFECTIVE MEANS OF WATER
DISPOSAL, THEY ARE OFTEN THE
MOST AFFORDABLE SOLUTION
FOR CONDENSERS. IN THIS TYPE
OF CONDENSER, WATER IS
UTILIZED TO COOL THE HEATED REFRIGERANT AND TRANSFORM IT
INTO A LIQUID. THE COMPONENTS ARE MATCHED TO CALCULATE
COOLING CAPACITY BY CONDENSING THE NEEDED REFRIGERANT MASS
FLOW RATE. THE LESS WATER IS USED IN A WATER-COOLED CONDENSER,
THE HIGHER THE CONDENSING TEMPERATURE AND THE HIGHER THE
POWER EXPENDITURE.

TYPES OF WATER-COOLED CONDENSERS:

1. SHELL AND COIL CONDENSER

A WELDED SHELL HOLDS A COIL OF

FINNED WATER TUBING IN A
SHELL-AND-COIL CONDENSER. IN
THIS TYPE OF WATER-COOLED
CONDENSER, THE HEATED
REFRIGERANT FLOWS IN THE
SHELL WHILE COOLING WATER
CIRCULATES INSIDE THE COILS
AND CONDENSES THE
REFRIGERANT
 2. SHELL AND TUBE CONDENSER:
THE REFRIGERANT FLOWS
THROUGH THE SHELL OF THESE
CONDENSERS WHILE WATER FLOWS
THROUGH THE TUBES IN ONE TO
FOUR PASSES. THE CONDENSED
REFRIGERANT ACCUMULATES AT
THE BOTTOM OF THE SHELL. THE
COLDEST WATER COMES INTO
CONTACT WITH THE LIQUID
REFRIGERANT, WHICH ALLOWS FOR
SOME SUB-COOLING. THE LIQUID
REFRIGERANT IS RELEASED FROM
THE BOTTOM INTO THE RECEIVER.

EVAPORATIVE CONDENSER:
THE EVAPORATIVE CONDENSER IS
THE CONDENSER’S FINAL TYPE. IT’S
AN AIR-COOLED AND WATER-COOLED
CONDENSER. IN EVAPORATIVE
CONDENSERS, THE CONDENSING MEDIUM
IS EITHER AIR OR WATER. A SUMP IN
THE CONDENSER SPRAYS WATER OVER
THE COILS. A FAN BLOWS AIR INTO
THE CONDENSER. THE SPRAYED WATER
EVAPORATES ACROSS THE COILS, AND
THE HEAT NECESSARY FOR THE
VAPORIZING WATER IS OBTAINED
FROM THE HEAT OF THE
REFRIGERANT. ALTHOUGH SOME
WATER IS CIRCULATED BY
DESCENDING INTO THE SUMP, EXTRA
WATER IS SUPPLIED TO THE SUMP’S
WATER SUPPLY TO COMPENSATE FOR
THE PROPORTION EVAPORATED.