An Approximate Relation for Describing the Performance of a Condenser in Off-design Conditions

Operating parameters of a condenser have significant effect on the performance of a power generation unit. Heat transfer effectiveness is used to assess the steam condenser performance. Heat transfer effectiveness of a steam condenser is a function of an overall heat transfer coefficient, heat transfer surface area, and the cooling water mass flow rate. In this paper, an attempt was made to produce a simpler relation for heat transfer effectiveness of a steam condenser under off-design conditions as a function of inlet water temperature, the cooling water mass flow rate and steam temperature. A simulator of a condenser in a 200-MW power generation unit was used to investigate how inlet cooling water temperature, the cooling water mass flow rate, and the steam temperature affect the outlet cooling water temperature. Based on simulator data, a new approximate relation for heat transfer effectiveness of the condenser (outlet cooling water temperature) in off-design conditions with four constant coefficients was given. A simplified form of the proposed relation can be given with three constant coefficients. A good agreement was achieved between the heat transfer effectiveness obtained from the definition and from the proposed relation. The relation can be used to determine the condenser performance in off-design conditions in a simple way, or to determine a reference performance of a new or overhauled condenser.