Refrigerant

condenser and its

types
Definition:

Condenser is a device in which steam is

condensed to water at pressure less than
atmosphere.
condensation can be done by removing heat
from exhaust steam using circulation cooling
water.
The exhaust pressure in condenser is maintained
at 7 to 8 kpa which corresponds to condensate
temperature of nearly 313kelvin
Types of condenser

 There are 3 types condensers used in HAVC(heating,

ventilation and air conditioning) systems.
 Water cooled
 Air cooled
 Evaporative
Air cooled condenser

 The condenser used air as cooling medium to

condenser refrigerant is called as Air cooled condenser
 Air cooled condenser requires large surface area
because of low specific heat of air
 It is made up of steel, copper, or aluminium
Types of Air cooled condensers

 Natural convection condenser

 Forced convection condenser
Diagram
Differences

Natural convection Forced convection

It is due to the density difference It is due to the pressure difference

Needs large surface area Needs fan or blower to decrease the
surface area
Simple in construction Complex in construction
Low cost Hi cost comparatively
Advantages

 Used to locations where water is difficult to use

 Very simple in construction
 Low initial cost and maintenance cost
 Less piping work to do
 Very easy to clean
Disadvantages

 Low heat transfer rate

 Noisy operation while application
 Large surface area is required
 Less efficient than water cooled condenser
Water cooled condenser

 Water cooled condenser uses water as coolant it may

be recirculated or fresh water based on availability
 These requires service and maintenance
 They also require cooling tower to conserve water. To
prevent corrosion water cooled condenser needs
constant supply of make up water along with water
treatment.
Types of water cooled condenser

 Shell tube type

 Shell and coil type
 Tube and tube type
Evaporative condensers

 While these remain the least popular choice, these are

used in inside or outside the building and under typical
conditions, and operate at low condensing
temperatures
 These are used in large commercial air conditioning
units. Although they are effective, they are not
necessarily most efficient
Advantages

 Evaporation is a part of heat transfer process heat

absorption capacity of water is higher than the air, it
needs less coil surface.
 No need of cooling tower
Disadvantages

 Needs separate system for water supply

 Needs regular maintenance
 This type of condenser can be used only for medium
sized refrigeration plant.
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