A water-cooled condenser is a type of heat exchanger used in air-conditioning and refrigeration systems.
Its job is to remove heat from the refrigerant gas (hot vapor) and turn it back into liquid form by using water as the cooling medium.
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🔹 How it Works
1. The compressor sends hot, high-pressure refrigerant vapor into the condenser.
2. In the condenser tubes, cooling water flows inside, while refrigerant vapor flows outside the tubes (in a shell).
3. Heat transfers from the refrigerant to the water.
4. The refrigerant cools down and condenses into a liquid.
5. The cooling water, now heated, is usually sent to a cooling tower or drained away.
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🔹 Types of Water-Cooled Condensers
1. Shell and Tube Condenser – Most common; refrigerant flows around tubes carrying cooling water.
2. Shell and Coil Condenser – Uses coiled water tubes inside the shell.
3. Double Pipe Condenser – Refrigerant and water flow in opposite directions through concentric pipes.
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🔹 Advantages
More efficient cooling than air-cooled condensers.
Requires less space for large capacity systems.
Works better in high ambient temperature areas.
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🔹 Disadvantages
Needs constant water supply.
Scaling and fouling in tubes reduce efficiency (needs regular cleaning).
Installation and maintenance cost are higher
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