A surface condenser is a water-cooled shell and tube heat exchanger installed to condense exhaust steam from a steam turbine in thermal power stations.[1][2][3] These condensers are heat exchangers which convert steam from its gaseous to its liquid state at a pressure below atmospheric pressure. Where cooling water is in short supply, an air-cooled condenser is often used. An air-cooled condenser is however, significantly more expensive and cannot achieve as low a steam turbine exhaust pressure (and temperature) as a water-cooled surface condenser.
Surface condensers are also used in applications and industries other than the condensing of steam turbine exhaust in power plants.
{{cite book}}
: |author=
has generic name (help)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)