CFD Study of a Steam Condenser

Abstract

The heat and mass transfer processes occurring in a steam condenser are very complex, involving a multi-phase flow comprising steam, water and air. Steam condenses onto the tubes through which cooling water passes. The condensate forms films of water which drain from the tubes forming droplets which migrate under gravity and aerodynamic forces toward the sump of the condenser. These processes cannot be represented exactly in a CFD model. However, by using correlations for heat and mass transfer and friction and some representation of turbulence, predictions of performance can be made. This study illustrates some of the effects of basic parameters by application to a simple experimental case. The program used to simulate the flow within the condenser was CFX release 3.3.