What is the primary purpose of a condenser in a steam propulsion plant?

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Multiple Choice

What is the primary purpose of a condenser in a steam propulsion plant?

The essential idea is energy recovery and efficiency through condensing the turbine exhaust and returning the resulting condensate to the boiler. In a steam propulsion plant, steam expands through the turbine and exits at a low pressure. Condensing that exhaust in a condenser lowers the back pressure on the turbine, effectively creating a near-vacuum at the exhaust. This higher expansion efficiency improves the overall work a steam cycle can extract from the steam. The condensed steam becomes condensate, which is hot feedwater. Returning this condensate to the boiler feedwater reduces the amount of energy needed to heat fresh water and minimizes make-up water losses, improving fuel economy. The condenser is cooled by circulating cooling water (often seawater on ships), which absorbs the latent heat from the exhaust steam and allows it to change phase back to liquid. Why the other ideas don’t fit: increasing the steam temperature at exhaust would counter the purpose of expanding energy through the turbine and lowering efficiency. filtering lubricating oil or removing impurities from feedwater are handled by separate systems (lubrication and feedwater treatment), not by the condenser’s main function.

The essential idea is energy recovery and efficiency through condensing the turbine exhaust and returning the resulting condensate to the boiler. In a steam propulsion plant, steam expands through the turbine and exits at a low pressure. Condensing that exhaust in a condenser lowers the back pressure on the turbine, effectively creating a near-vacuum at the exhaust. This higher expansion efficiency improves the overall work a steam cycle can extract from the steam.

The condensed steam becomes condensate, which is hot feedwater. Returning this condensate to the boiler feedwater reduces the amount of energy needed to heat fresh water and minimizes make-up water losses, improving fuel economy. The condenser is cooled by circulating cooling water (often seawater on ships), which absorbs the latent heat from the exhaust steam and allows it to change phase back to liquid.

Why the other ideas don’t fit: increasing the steam temperature at exhaust would counter the purpose of expanding energy through the turbine and lowering efficiency. filtering lubricating oil or removing impurities from feedwater are handled by separate systems (lubrication and feedwater treatment), not by the condenser’s main function.

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