Direct contact condenser

Claim 1

A direct contact condenser comprising a horizontally elongated shell, means defining a generally vertical steam inlet duct having an upper end for receiving steam and a lower end in said shell for discharging steam to said shell, said steam inlet duct being laterally generally centrally of said shell to provide portions of said shell on opposite sides of said steam inlet duct and said steam inlet duct at least adjacent its said lower end extending the length of said shell to discharge steam to such shell portions throughout the length of said shell, a first plurality of apertured elements in one of such shell portions vertically spaced along one side of said steam inlet duct, a second plurality of apertured elements in the other of such shell portions vertically spaced along the other side of said steam inlet duct, the apertured elements of each said plurality being staggered to define a tortuous steam flow passage which at its lower end communicates with said lower end of said steam inlet duct and upwardly extends successively below each apertured element of the plurality, means for supplying cooling liquid to the apertured elements whereby the latter discharge streams of cooling liquid through said tortuous steam flow passages, and means at the upper ends of said tortuous steam flow passages providing labyrinth passages for discharging noncondensable gases from said tortuous steam flow passages, said streams of cooling liquid being the primary condensing medium of the condenser.