Abstract An air cooled steam condenser having plate means or a series of plates mounted within the steam intake header compartment. The plate means in effect form a series of interconnected subchambers, each of which communicates 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. An opening is formed in each plate through which steam flows between sub-chambers. The openings are smaller in area in successive plates in the header through which the steam flows so that only that amount of steam that can be condensed effectively within the tubes in any row, enters such row, having regard to the tube length and the temperature difference at the particular row which determines the cooling effect of the airflow over the successive rows of tubes.
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; and 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 to the outlet header; the steam inlet header having a chamber and inlet means for said chamber; partition means mounted within said chamber dividing the chamber into a series of metered steam zones each communicating with at least one row of tubes; said partition means including a plurality of partition plates which divide said chamber into a plurality of sub-chambers which form said series of metered zones; said partition plates having openings formed therein in facing relationship to said inlet means; said openings in successive plates being successively smaller and concentric with one another so as to distribute inlet steam in said chamber in successively smaller amounts to each successive zone corresponding to the reduced cooling effect of the airflow of cooling air passing successively over the spaced rows of tubes to which steam is distributed from successive zones.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
217 words
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; and 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 to the outlet header; the steam inlet header having a chamber and inlet means for said chamber; partition means mounted within said chamber dividing the chamber into a series of metered steam zones each communicating with at least one row of tubes; said partition means including a plurality of partition plates which divide said chamber into a plurality of sub-chambers which form said series of metered zones; said partition plates having openings formed therein in facing relationship to said inlet means; said openings in successive plates being successively smaller and concentric with one another so as to distribute inlet steam in said chamber in successively smaller amounts to each successive zone corresponding to the reduced cooling effect of the airflow of cooling air passing successively over the spaced rows of tubes to which steam is distributed from successive zones.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
The construction defined in claim 1 in which the inlet header includes a tubesheet and a plug sheet; in which the plates are mounted on and extend between said tubesheet and plug sheet; and in which each plate is mounted between a pair of adjacent tube rows.