Optimization of Flow in Steam Pipe and Tube Bundles in Air-cooled Condenser

Abstract

The poor uniformity of water vapor distribution in the tube bundle and the tube bundle internal can reduce the ability of the air-cooled condenser to cool the water vapor. It is important to study and optimization the distribution of water vapor in the tubes of an air cooled condenser. In this paper, CFD software is used to simulate the velocity field of the air-cooled condenser and the internal velocity field of the tube bundle. A new structures of water vapor pipe is suggested directed against the existing problem that the water vapor velocity distribution in the tube is not evenly distributed. A simulation is carried out in order to get the internal velocity flied of the improved tube bundle structure, and the velocity field before and after the structure improvement is compared. The results show that the water vapor flow distribution in the improved tube bundle structure is more evenly.