What is a condenser?

A condensing unit (CDU) is a device used in refrigeration systems for condensing the refrigerant substance circulating inside it and bringing it from gaseous to liquid state. 

In air conditioning systems, the condensing unit is one of the three fundamental stations of the cooling system; it is usually located outside the enclosure to be cooled.

What does a condenser do?

It reduces the coolant temperature that has reached a gaseous state, bringing it back to a liquid state to make it recirculate in the refrigeration system.

What applications does a condenser have?

CDUs come in an incredible variety of sizes and designs as wide-ranging as their applications. There are industrial sizes for power plants with steam turbines, cooling systems for the food industry and chemical laboratories, and even for domestic refrigerators and air conditioners.

How does a condenser work?

In general, condensing units have:

• A coil or serpentine pipe through which the gas to be condensed must pass.
• A ventilator that blows air in from the outside and helps dissipate heat from the pipe.
• A compressor that keeps the coolant in the pipeline moving.

This cycle lets the gas lower in temperature and return to a liquid state to circulate again.

What other condensers are there?

Other typical condensing units are surface condensers in steam plants. In steam systems, water is heated to a boil; the pressure of that hot gas is used to move turbines and generate energy; the condenser then recovers the water to bring it back to the cycle. Without the use of the condenser, the steam waste would be such that the technology would become unviable.

Similarly, a still is also a highly essential condensing tool that allows a substance to be distilled through heating and volatilization, then sending it through a duct, usually in a coil; this allows the gas to return to the lower condensation temperature.