What is a Condenser?
Condenser is included in cooling systems such as a air conditioning in cars and buildings, and freezers. It helps ventilate the heat of the vapour refrigerant at high temperature and pressure. Its purpose is to condense the heat out while maintaining the same level of pressure.
The refrigerant placed in a condenser is in form of vapour and at high temperature because it was heated and pressed at high pressure from the compressor. Once the refrigerant passes through the condenser wall, it changes from original form of vapour to liquid by aid of air and water in order to remove the heal whilst its pressure remains.
Types of Condenser
Condenser is categorised into many types according to the objective of usage. The ventilation of the heat comes in different forms which requires water and electricity to complete the cycle, hence it is important to take this fact into consideration.
Types of condensers are Air Cooled Condenser, Water Cooled Condenser, and Evaporative Condenser.
Air Cooled Condenser
Air Cooled Condenser uses air as a main hero to ventilate heat from refrigerant in order to condense the refrigerant. In general, this type of condenser is made from finned copper or iron pipes in order to enlarge the surface that is used for heat ventilation.
The air that continue to the condenser will be low, therefore, there is a need to increase the surface of the condenser. Air cooled condenser as the name suggested uses air in relate to the speed of air circulation. The design of air cooled condenser should care for the rate of air circulation at lowest motion possible but with high quality in heat transfer.
The speed of air that increased makes the fan works harder. The normal speed of air that is used to ventilate is at 2.5 and 6 metres per second, subject to change. The air cooled condenser is perfect for small refrigeration such as a refrigerator, a cooler, a cold bath which can be further categorised into the followings:
Water Cooled Condenser
The reduction of heat from refrigerant by using water as the main mechanic to ventilate is to aid the refrigerant to condense. The quality of water and refrigerant that exchange making the temperature of water increases and evaporates. Water will blow vapour into the air which can be divided into two systems.
Evaporative Condenser
This type of condenser is a collaboration between water and air in order to reduce the cold from refrigerant. Water is being pumped from the lower storage and sprayed into a condenser before hitting its bottom. Once the refrigerant evaporates and contains qualities of high temperature and high pressure, it attacks sprays and condenses.
Whilst the water sprays into a condenser, a fan motor sucks in air from outside to inside from the bottom of the condenser and blows them through a steamer so that they cannot escape out with the air.
By which, steam may evaporate when meeting with the heat, making the reduction in water level, and therefore, it is needed to be refilled in order to maintain the water level.