CHAPTER 8

DESIGN OF CONDENSER

The condenser is a heat transfer surface, heat from the hot refrigerant vapor passes

through the walls of the condenser to the condensing medium as the result of losing heat

to the condensing medium, the refrigerant vapor is first cooled to saturation and then

condensed into the liquid state.

The shell and tube condenser consist of cylindrical steel shell in which a number

of straight tubes are arranged in parallel and held in place at the ends by tubes sheet.

Construction is almost identical to that of the flooded type shell and tube liquid chiller.

The condensing water is circulated through the tube, which may be either steel or copper,

bare or extended surface. The refrigerant is contained in steel shell between the tubesheet.

Water circulates in the annular spaces between the tube sheets and the end-plates. The

end-plates being baffled to act as manifolds to guide the water flow through the tubes.

Design condition:

Condenser type Shellandtube

Position Horizontal

Shell side Ammonia

Tube side Water

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Condenser temperature, TC 400C

Condenser pressure, PC 1557 kPa

Mass flow rate of refrigerant, MR 0.0135 kg/sec

Condenser cooling water

Temperature of water in, twi 300C

Temperature of water out, two 350C

Water velocity, Vw 1.52 m/sec

Condenser tubes 25 mm NPS

Material Steel pipe

Schedule 40

Outside diameter, Do 33.40 mm

Inside diameter, Di 26.64 mm

Baffle type Segmental

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 Tube layout 300

Arrangement Staggered array

From table 12 representative values of the overall Coefficient of heat transfer of

heat exchangers by gencel y.a. 1998 heat transfer : A practical approach New York: the
company McGraw-Hill Companies, page 576.

Type of heat exchanger Uo ( W/m2 - 0C)

Ammonia condenser (water cooled) 800 1000

For overall coefficient of heat transfer

W
Use: Uo = 1000 2
m C

From R.J. Dossat, page 292 recommendation for steel and tube type condenser,
steel tube diameter of 16mm to 50mm are common, whereas the number of tubes in the
condenser varies from as few as six or eight to as many as a thousand or more.

Use: 25 mm NPS, Schedule 40(from Dimension of steel pipe by Wilbert F.

Stoecker)
OD 33.4 mm ID 26.6 mm

Heat rejected by the condenser, QR

57
 QR mR h2 h3

Where:

MR = Mass of refrigerant, 0.0135 kg/sec

h2 = Discharge enthalpy, 1738 kJ/kg

h3 = Condensate enthalpy, 390.587 kJ/kg

Therefore,

kg kJ
QR 0.0135 1738 390.587
sec kg

QR= 18.2 kW

Mass flow rate of condenser cooling water, Mcw

QR
QR M CW C Pw t wo t wi ; M CW
C Pw t wo t wi

Where:

Cpw = Specific heat of water, 4.187 kJ/kg K

QR = Heat rejected by the condenser, 18.2 kW

58
Therefore,

18.2 kWthermal kg of water

M CW 0.869
kJ sec
4.187 35 30 K
kg K

Number of tubes per pass, NT/pass

VW = A (NT / pass)

Where:

VW - Volume flow rate

Velocity of water inside tube

NT / pass - no. of tube per pass

density of water (1000 kg / m3)

VW = M R /

Therefore:

kg 1 m3
0.869 x
sec 1000 kg
N T / pass 1.025 tubes per pass

0.02664 2 m
1.52
4 sec

Say use 2 tubes per pass,

Cooling surface area, AC

59
 QC
QR U o AC LMTD ; AC
U o LMTD

Where:

QR = Heat rejected by the condenser, 18.2 kW

Uo = Over-all coefficient of heat transfer, 1.100 W/m2oC

LMTD = Logarithmic mean temperature difference, oC

Logarithmic mean temperature difference, LMTD

max min 10 5
LMTD 7.2135 0 C
max 10
ln ln
min 5

Therefore,

18.2 kW
AC 3 m2
kW

1.100 2 0 7.2135 0C
m C

Length of condenser tubes, LT

AC = DO LT (NT pass)(no. of tube)

From the principles of refrigeration by R. J. DOSSAT, page 292 tube length varies
from 3ft to 20ft (1 to 6.5 m)

Say use Lt = 2 m for the length of tubes

Where:

60
 Ac = Heat transfer area of condenser, 3 m2

Do = 25 mm NPS ( ID=26.6 mm, OD = 33.40 mm and Wt = 3.38

mm)

Therefore,

Ac
No. of tube = x Do x Lt x N t per pass

2
3m
No. of tube = x 0.0334 m x 2 m x 2tube per pass

No. of tube = 8

Therefore,

No.of pass= 4 pass

Cross sectional area of shell, AS

According to Kents cross-sectional area of condenser tubes should occupy 20-

25% of shell cross-sectional area.

Using 25 % cross sectional area,

For the surface area of the tube, AT

AT
AS
0.25

Where:

AS cross sec tional area of condenser shell , m 2

AT cross sec tional area of condenser tubes, m 2

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 Do 0.03340
2 2
AT x NT / pass x no. of passes 4 2 0.07 m 2
4 4

Therefore,

0.07 m 2
AS 0.28 m 2
0.25

Diameter of shell, DS

AS = /4 (DS)2

DS
4 AS


4 0.28 m 2

DS = 0.597 m = 597 mm

Tube length of heat exchanger of shell, LS

Assuming 1ft allowance both sides of the heat exchanger for water boxes.

LS = LT + 2( 1 ft)

Where:

LS Length of heat exchanger of shell

LT length of condenser tube

LS = 2 m + 2 ( 1 ft ) (1m/3.28ft)

LS = 2.61 m

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Dimension of BAFFLE SPACING Bs and BAFFLE CUT Bc

From: Mechanical Engineering Handbook by Kents, pg.1617. The guidelines

on baffle spacing and baffle cut such as follow.

Lbc Bc
Baffle spacing and cut cannot be divided exactly until pressure drop is
evaluated. However, a reasonable first guess ration of baffle spacing to shell diameter

Lbc Ds Bc Ds
is about 0.45. The baffle cut ( a percentage of ) required to give good
shell side distribution may be estimated by the following equation: (Kutz, 2001) p 306

B
B c 16.25 18.75 s D s
Bc

Where:
Bc =Baffle cut per cent of Ds
Ds = diameter of shell
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 But:
Bs
0.45
Bc

Substituting:
BC= [16.25 + 18.75 (0.45)]DS
BC=24.6875%=25% DS
BC=25% (597 mm)
BC= 149.25 mm

Also,
B s 0.45D s

Bs 0.45 597mm
Bs= 269 mm

TUBE PITCH Pt and TUBE DIAMETER Dt

Nt

4
From: Db = Pt

Where:
Db bundle diameter
Pt tube pitch
NT - number of tube

From: Mechanical Engineering Handbook by Kuts, pg. 1618givenbytherelation.

Pt
1.25,1.33,1.50
O Dt

64
 Take: 1.33

8

4
Db = (1.33) (0.0334 m)
Db = 0.142 m = 142 mm

SPECIFICATIONS

Condenser

No. of units to install 1 units

Length of condenser tubes, LT 2m

Length of exchanger shell, Ls 2.61 m

Shell diameter, Ds 597 mm

Tube bundle diameter, DB 142 mm

Baffle spacing, BS 269 mm

Baffle cut, BC ... 149.25 mm

Heat rejected, QR 18.2 kW

Mass of cooling water, Mcw 0.869 kg/sec

Number of tubes per pass, NT/ pass 2 tubes/pass

Number of pass.. 4 passes

Cooling surface area, Ac 3 m2

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Logarithmic mean temperature difference, LMTD 7.21350C

Materials

Shell and water box ASTM 26

Shell plate ASTM A - 70

Water covers ASTM A - 70

Tube sheets Naval Brass

Baffles ASTM A - 70

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