A barometric direct-contact condenser brings vapor into contact with cooling liquid and drains liquid through a sealed tailpipe; noncondensable gas may be removed by separate vacuum equipment. This calculator reports only entered speed bounds, ideal dynamic pressure at the larger entered speed and atmosphere-equivalent liquid head.
Vacuum Jet Condenser and Rotary Pump Interactive Calculator
Enter two liquid speeds, density and atmospheric absolute pressure. Results are ideal arithmetic references—not condenser vacuum, entrainment, tailpipe design, rotary-pump capacity or equipment sizing.
Equation Used
- The two speeds are simply sorted into low and high entered values.
- Density is constant and positive.
- Dynamic pressure uses the ideal q=rho v^2/2 definition at the larger entered speed.
- Hydrostatic head treats the entered atmosphere as a liquid-column pressure rho g h.
- Condenser pressure, vapor pressure, outlet pressure, friction loss, two-phase flow, heat and mass transfer, condensation, entrainment, gas load, pump curve, NPSH, capacity, materials, controls and safety are omitted.
Documented System Topology
U.S. Patent 1,878,582 describes a barometric jet condenser with condensible vapor, water sprays, converging water jets, throat pieces, tailpipes and a hotwell. U.S. Patent 5,168,922 documents a barometric direct-contact condenser whose liquid tailpipe outlet remains below reservoir level as a pressure seal. Other patented process arrangements connect noncondensable-gas outlets to separate vacuum equipment.
The animation is a generic topology map. The numbers do not solve condensation, entrainment or pump performance.
What This Calculator Represents
The tool sorts two entered speeds, evaluates ideal dynamic pressure at the larger speed and converts entered atmospheric pressure into an ideal density-dependent liquid-column height.
Ideal Speed, Dynamic Pressure and Head
higher speed = max(v1,v2)
dynamic pressure q = rho vhigh² / 2
atmosphere-equivalent head h = Patm / (rho g)
NASA fluid-mechanics material defines dynamic pressure as one-half density times speed squared. It is distinct from static pressure and does not, alone, determine nozzle vacuum.
Worked Arithmetic Example
For entered speeds 15 and 25 m/s with density 1,000 kg/m³, the sorted values are 15 and 25 m/s and the ideal dynamic pressure at 25 m/s is 0.3125 MPa, or 3.13 bar. At 1.01 bar absolute atmosphere, the atmosphere-equivalent liquid head is about 10.3 m.
Model Boundary
- Calculated: sorted entered speeds, ideal dynamic pressure and ideal atmosphere-equivalent head.
- Illustrated: generic direct-contact chamber, tailpipe/hotwell and separate gas-removal connection.
- Not calculated: actual vacuum, nozzle pressure drop, flow rate, entrainment, condensation, heat transfer, gas removal, tailpipe margin, pump duty, power, capacity, cavitation, controls or safety.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dynamic pressure the vacuum produced by the jet?
No.
Is the reported head a required tailpipe length?
No; it is only the ideal atmospheric liquid-column equivalent.
Does the calculator size a rotary vacuum pump?
No.
Are condensation and noncondensable-gas loads included?
No.
Does it account for vapor pressure or friction loss?
No.
Can it approve a condenser installation?
No.
References
- U.S. Patent 1,878,582, Barometric condenser: water sprays/jets, vapor entry, throat pieces, tailpipes and hotwell topology.
- U.S. Patent 5,168,922, Barometric direct-contact condenser: direct contact, vacuum chamber, tailpipe and reservoir pressure seal.
- U.S. Patent 1,977,416: condenser receiving chamber, barometric legs and a gas line leading to a vacuum pump.
- NASA fluid-mechanics material: dynamic pressure q=rho V²/2 and its distinction from static pressure.
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