Patent ID: 7946338
Filing Date: 2011-05-24
Classification: F28B

Abstract:
1. A combined air cooled condenser for processing a vaporized medium from a vapor source, the condenser comprising: a first cooling volume connected to the vapor source for receiving the vaporized medium from the vapor source and constituting means for performing partial condensation of the vaporized medium resulting in a first condensate, a residual vapor, and non-condensables, the first cooling volume being cooled by a gaseous cooling medium; a direct contact condenser connected in series to the first cooling volume, the direct contact condenser comprising at least one condenser stage for condensing the residual vapor from the first cooling volume by spraying cooling water thereby converting the residual vapor from the first cooling volume into a second condensate and concentrated non-condensables with vapor; and a second cooling volume connected to the direct contact condenser for receiving the cooling water from the direct contact condenser and for obtaining a cooled down cooling water to be supplied to the direct contact condenser, the second cooling volume being cooled by the gaseous cooling medium; the direct contact condenser being connected in series with the first and second cooling volumes and further comprising a first outlet for recirculating a first stream of the first and second condensates for reuse, a second outlet for providing a second stream of the cooling water to be supplied to the second cooling volume and a third outlet including an ejector for ejecting the concentrated non-condensables; wherein the first cooling volume and the direct contact condenser are connected in series with each other and the vapor source and the connection between the first cooling volume and the direct contact condenser is dimensioned such that vaporized medium from the vapor source first passes through the first cooling volume as a first condenser stage and then after partial condensation to the direct contact condenser as a second condenser stage.