Enter the outlet water temperature, inlet water temperature, and the temperature of the vacuum into the calculator to determine the condenser efficiency.

Condenser Efficiency Formula

The following equation is used to calculate the efficiency of a condenser.

CE = (T2-T1) * 100 / (T3-T1)
  • Where T2 is the temperature of the outlet water
  • T1 is the temperature of the inlet water
  • T3 is the temperature in the vacuum of the condenser
  • CE is the condenser efficiency (%)

What is Condenser Efficiency?

Definition:

A condenser efficiency is a measure of the performance of a surface condenser relative to the maximum thermal efficiency of the condenser system.

The condenser efficiency depends on the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet cooling waters as well as the temperature difference between the vacuum and inlet temperature.

How to Calculate Condenser Efficiency?

Example Problem:

The following example outlines the steps and information needed to calculate the efficiency of a condenser.

First, determine the temperature of the cooling water at the inlet. In this example, the inlet cooling water has a temperature of 25 C.

Next, determine the temperature of the cooling water at the outlet. This is measured to be 35 C.

Next, determine the temperature in the vacuum at absolute pressure. For this condenser, this is found to be 50C.

Finally, calculate the condenser efficiency using the formula above:

Condenser Efficiency = (T2-T1) * 100 / (T3-T1)

Condenser Efficiency = (35-25) * 100 / (50-25)

Condenser Efficiency = 40%