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The Condenser performs the job of condensing the steam exhausted from the turbine. thus it helps in maintaining low pressure (below the atmospheric pressure) at the exhaust, thereby permitting expansion of steam in the turbine to very low-pressure .its to improve the total plant efficiency.
The exhaust steam is condensed and used as feed water for the boiler. Maintenance of a high vacuum in the condenser is essential for efficient operation. Any leakage of air into the condenser destroys the vacuum.
As it is not possible to eliminate air leakage completely, a vacuum pump is necessary to remove the air leakage into the condenser. Modern power plants mostly use surface condensers. A surface condenser consists of an airtight cylindrical shell having a chamber at each end. Water tubes extend between the chambers. The shell is made of welded steel plate construction and the tubes are made of copper-zinc alloy.
Cooling water flows through the tubes. The steam is admitted from the top and gets condensed due to contact with the tube surface. The condensate leaves from the bottom. For efficient operation, the temperature rise in cooling water passing through the condenser should be around 10 degrees Celcius.
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