HUGE CONDENSER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19130, 26 September 1936, Page 14

HUGE CONDENSER

FIRST OF 15,000 K.W. SET POWER FOR WELLINGTON Great, interest was taken in Wellington this week in the discharge from the Tamaroa of the first instalment of the ParSrins IfoCOO Jc.w. generating set for the; Evans Bay power station, reports the Post. It consisted of the main condenser shell, with all the doors, boxes, and auxiliary plant in connection with it. The main shell was in two pieces, measuring 13ft. by 12ft. by Bft. 6in., each weighing 7| tons. The shell is built up of iin. welded steel plate with stiffening pieces. The third piece was the water box, which will have sea water inlets and outlets. The box is of cast iron, and weighs 6 tons 13cwt. The function of the condenser is to turn...the exhaust steam from the turbines into condensate or pure water, which is returned to the boilers and used over again, so reducing the amount of fresh water required, but actually this is not the maior function of the condenser unit. The condensation of the steam produces a partiaf vacuum at the low-Dressure end of the turbine and greatly increases its overall efficiency. The concTenser, unit will be erected, on foundations prepared, below the turbo-sen era tor. end the spn wnfet used for cooling will be brought in below it through screens to remove the grosser impurities. 5000 TUBE'S The condenser will be fitted when rsscinbled with over oGCO tubes of |in. diameter, 16ft. long, with a watertight joint at each end. The turbine will exhaust the steam into a vacuum of 28 or 2 r ,hi. into the shell of the condenser, and the cold sea water is pumped tiirourh the thousands of tubes, resultiu:r_i:t the. steam being condensed bac!< i\\o. water. The condenser require*' J/..CCO gnlions of water per minute, and this is supplied from a vertical pump -•h-iven by a 150 horse-power motor. The .••mount of steam condensed will amount to 17.0G0 gallons per hour. When 'assembled the condenser will be 21ft. long by 13ft. 6in. high. The condenser is carried below the turbo-generator 1 on very heavy springs arranged to take the expansion and contraction. The main shipment of the generating set will arrive late in November or early in December.