Stainless Steel Shell-and-Tube Condenser

Tubular condenser structure
The tube-type condenser is primarily composed of the shell, tube sheet (also known as the header), tube bundle, and top cover (also referred to as the head). Parallel tube bundles are fitted inside the circular shell, with the ends of the tubes fixed to the tube sheet. The method of fixing tubes to the tube sheet usually involves welding or胀管(brazing). The top covers with inlet or outlet tubes are connected to the shell flanges at both ends with screws, forming a fluid distribution chamber between the top cover and the tube sheet. It is widely used due to its simple and sturdy structure, ease of manufacturing, broad material range, high processing capacity, and strong adaptability.
During heat exchange, cooling water enters through the connection pipe at the top cover, flows within the pipes, and this path is known as the tube side; harmful vapors flow in the space between the tube bundle and the shell, and this path is called the shell side; the surface area of the tube bundle is the heat transfer area. In the condensation recovery process, whether it is the condensation of saturated vapor or the condensation with non-condensable gas, in general, condensation occurs in the shell side of the horizontal condenser because it is more reasonable in terms of heat transfer, pressure drop, and cleaning.

Tube-in-tube condenser types
(1) Fixed tube sheet heat exchangers: Simple, compact design; high-pressure resistance; low cost; easy to clean the tube side; easy to plug or replace tubes in case of damage.
(2) Floating Head Heat Exchanger: Easy to clean inside and between tubes, and free from thermal stress.
(3) U-shaped Tube Heat Exchanger: Consisting of a single tube plate and a bundle made up of multiple U-shaped tubes, with both ends of the tubes fixed on the same plate, allowing for free expansion and contraction. No thermal stress is generated when there is a temperature difference between the shell and the U-shaped heat exchanger.
(4) Sliding tube sheet heat exchangers: Simple structure, low cost, and can add baffles in the tube box as needed to enhance heat transfer.

Features of Tube-in-Tube Condensers
(1) Horizontal shell-side film heat transfer coefficient is several times higher than that of vertical tube internal or external film, and non-condensables do not accumulate in dead corners, making them easier to discharge.
(2) Cooling water flowing through pipes facilitates scale cleaning. Water flow within pipes ensures a higher velocity, which is beneficial for reducing scale formation and improving the heat transfer coefficient of the water film.
(3) Tube-in-tube condensers are used to position the lower tubes at the cooling water inlet, allowing condensate to accumulate at the bottom for temperature reduction. In surface condensation systems, it is crucial to further cool the condensate. If the condensation system temperature is high, organic gases will volatilize significantly upon contact with air. The outlet temperature of the condensate is generally required to be 60°C or lower. Of course, an additional cooler can be added, but this will increase costs.