Dumb question: what does a steam condenser do?

[Subnuts]

Okay gearheads, I've got a nagging question. What exactly does a steam condenser do? In my Anatomy of the Ship book on the Agassiz, the condenser is shown as a 13 by 4 foot cylindrical structure that's mounted on the right side of the reciprocating engine. At the front and back of the condenser are 30-inch diameter pipes that go from the front and back of the engine's cover and into the condenser. At the front of the condenser is another pipe that leads to the seawater discharger on the engine room's side.

It's been annoying me for a long that I still don't know what that thing does. It's obviously an important piece of machinery, but I'm just not getting it. If anyone knows, I'll be eternally grateful.

[fredbass]

I'll bump this for ya and give you my not so educated response. I think the steam condenser takes some of the steam and turns it back into liquid form, thus allowing you to use it for additional steam power.

[aaken]

The steam condenser is an heat exchanger. Steam from the low pressure cylinder in a reciprocating steam engine (or from the low pressure turbine in a steam turbine plant) goes in this heat exchanger. On the other side there is usually seawater that cools the steam and makes it condense in liquid water. The condensed steam goes back to the boiler.