STEAM CONDENSER CONSTRUCTION

• US 3,789,919 A
• Filed: 10/18/1971
• Issued: 02/05/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ferdinand V. Huber
• Original Assignee: Ferdinand V. Huber
• Inventors: Huber, Ferdinand V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis, Jr., Albert W.
• Application Number:
  US05/190,087
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 165/110,111,174,101 285/368
• US Class Current: 165/101
• CPC Class Codes: F28B 1/06 using air or other gas as the cooling medium
• CPC Class Codes: F28B 9/08 for collecting and removing condensate
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/0263 by varying the geometry or cross-section of header box
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 165/107 Hydraulically independent heat exchange tubes disposed in housing, e.g. tank, casing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 165/90 Cooling towers

Abstract

An air cooled steam condenser having plates mounted within the condensate outlet header compartment. The plates in effect form a series of subchambers, each of which communicate with a row of cooling tubes in which steam is condensed by a stream of cooling air flowing over, around and past the tubes. The rows of tubes extend transversely of the direction of airflow and the rows extend perpendicular to the direction of airflow at spaced intervals. Tube sleeves extend through a plurality of openings in the outlet header into the header compartment and terminate, each in a separate subchamber. Valves are connected in condensate lines extending from the tube sleeves externally of the header compartment. The valves are adjusted so that the passages through the valves are smaller in area for each successive connected subchamber in the header into which the condensate flows so that only that amount of steam that can be condensed effectively within the tubes in any row, enters such row due to the back pressures created by the varying sizes of valve openings, having regard to the length and the temperature difference at the particular row which determines the cooling effect of the airflow over the successive rows of tubes.

Claims

1. In a steam condenser of a type in which a plurality of tubes are arranged in a plurality of generally parallel rows, extending between and communicating with a steam inlet header and a condensate outlet header;

in which the rows of tubes extend transversely of and at spaced intervals perpendicular to the direction of airflow of cooling air that passes over and around the rows of tubes to condense steam flowing through the tubes from the inlet header to the outlet header; and

in which all of the tubes in all of the rows have the same internal diameter and length and the same heat exchange cooling surface area;

the condensate outlet header having partition means mounted within the header dividing the header into a plurality of subchambers;

the subchambers each communicating with at least one row of tubes;

separate condensate drain means for and communicating with each of said subchambers and extending externally from the outlet header;

a plurality of the drain means including valve means; and

the valve means each including control means located externally of the outlet header be individually adjusting the flow therethrough so as to create back pressures in the corresponding rows of tubes and thereby regulate the flow of inlet steam in successively smaller amounts to each successive row of said tubes corresponding to the reduced cooling capacity of the airflow of cooling air passing successively over the spaced rows so that the steam flow in each row of tubes may be maintained at an optimum operating level by such adjustment to compensate for changes in operating conditions.

2. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the outlet header includes a tubesheet and side wall;

in which the partition means includes a plurality of partition plates; and

in which the partition plates are mounted on and extend between said tubesheet and side wall.

3. The construction defined in claim 2 in which the outlet header includes a bottom wall;

in which said bottom wall is formed with a plurality of openings;

in which the partition plates are each formed with at least one opening, in which the partition plate openings are aligned with said bottom wall openings;

in which a plurality of the drain means includes tube sleeves; and

in which said tube sleeves extend through the aligned bottom wall and partition plate openings for communication with the outlet header subchambers.

4. The construction defined in claim 3 in which the tube sleeves are reMovably mounted on the outlet header.

5. The construction defined in claim 3 in which the tube sleeves have slidable fits between the header bottom wall and partition plates at the tube sleeves extensions through the openings formed in said bottom wall and partition plates.

6. The construction defined in claim 3 in which a plurality of flange couplings are mounted on the outlet header bottom wall;

in which each of the bottom wall openings is surrounded by one of said couplings; and

in which the tube sleeves slidably extend through said couplings into the outlet header.

7. The construction defined in claim 6 in which each tube sleeve is formed with an outwardly extending annular flange on the tube sleeve end external of the outlet header;

in which the drain means each includes a drain line having a coupling attached on one end of said drain line; and

in which said sleeves annular flanges are clamped between said drain line couplings and the header bottom wall couplings.

8. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the drain means includes a plurality of tube sleeves;

in which the tube sleeves each communicate with a separate subchamber and extend externally from the outlet header;

in which a drain line is detachably connected to and extends from the external end of each tube sleeve; and

in which the valve means and valve control means are connected with said drain lines.