Condenser with improved heat transfer

Claim 1

In a condenser of the shell and tube bundle type which includes an elongated shell, a tube bundle consisting of a plurality of spaced parallel tubes disposed longitudinally within said shell, an inlet header communicating with one end of said tubes and an outlet header communicating with the other end of said tubes, the improvement comprising: vapor inlet means disposed substantially at the midpoint between the ends of said shell for circulating a fluid to be cooled into contact with said tubes; liquid outlet means disposed opposite of said inlet means for withdrawing of condensate from said shell; longitudinal baffle means disposed within said shell for distributing said fluid in said inlet means to the opposite ends of said shell, said longitudinal baffle means including a longitudinal extending baffle which extends substantially the entire length of a chamber defined between said inlet header and said outlet header; and transverse baffle means disposed within said shell for directing the flow of said fluid at the opposite ends of said shell toward the center of said shell and to said outlet means, said transverse baffle means including a plurality of transversely extending baffle plates which alternately extend from opposite sides of said shell, each of said plates extending to substantially the midpoint of said shell.