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condenser
condenser, a piece of equipment in the engine room of a steamship by which the steam, after use in the main engines, was reconverted into feed water for the boilers. The earliest form of condenser was the jet condenser introduced by James Watt for his steam engines. In this, the exhaust steam emitted from the cylinder entered an iron or brass chamber where it was condensed back into water by encountering a jet of cold sea water. The condensed steam, or condensate, was drawn off into the hot well for reuse in the ship's boiler.
An improvement on the jet condenser was the surface condenser, introduced around 1845, which is virtually the same type as that used in the few surviving steamships today. The principle was the same as the jet condenser, but the exhaust steam on entering the condenser chamber passed over a battery of small-bore pipes through which a continuous flow of cold sea water was led, and the condensate was then pumped as before to the supply tanks for reuse in the boilers. Twentieth-century steamships had an oil separator which was used to extract the cylinder lubricating oil which had become mixed with the exhaust steam and would have otherwise caused foaming or serious priming of the water in the boilers. An additional effect of the condenser was to produce a partial vacuum which took the steam from the engines after use. This increased their efficiency by reducing the pressure on the exhaust side of the piston so that there was a lower force acting against the steam side of the piston. See also diesel engine; steam propulsion. |
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Cite this article
"condenser." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "condenser." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-condenser.html "condenser." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-condenser.html |
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condenser
condenser In microscopy, a hemispherical lens or series of lenses which helps to direct the optimum amount of light through varying sizes of aperture in objectives of various magnifications. Condensers are usually placed on the microscope below the stage, between the polarizer and the mineral specimen. In the control of illumination, the area of light from the illuminator is normally cut by the condenser to equal the field of view, thus minimizing glare due to interference from marginal light.
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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "condenser." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "condenser." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-condenser.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "condenser." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-condenser.html |
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condenser
con·dens·er / kənˈdensər/ • n. a person or thing that condenses something, in particular: ∎ an apparatus or container for condensing vapor. ∎ a lens or system of lenses for collecting and directing light. ∎ another term for capacitor. |
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Cite this article
"condenser." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "condenser." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-condenser.html "condenser." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-condenser.html |
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condenser
condenser (kŏn-den-ser) n. (in microscopy) an arrangement of lenses beneath the stage of a microscope. It can be adjusted to provide correct focusing of light on the microscope slide.
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"condenser." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "condenser." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-condenser.html "condenser." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-condenser.html |
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condenser
condenser See capacitor
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Cite this article
"condenser." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "condenser." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-condenser.html "condenser." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-condenser.html |
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