Nanotexture, Lubrication Improve Condensers in Power Plants Condensers are a crucial part of today’s power generation systems: about 80 percent of all the world’s power plants use them to turn steam back to water after it comes out of the turbines that turn generators. They are also a key element in desalination plants, a fast-growing contributor to the world’s supply of fresh water. Now, a new surface architecture designed by researchers at MIT holds the promise of significantly boosting the performance of such condensers. The research is described in a paper just published online in the journal ACS Nano by MIT postdoc Sushant Anand; Kripa Varanasi, associate professor of ocean utilization; and graduate student Adam Paxson, postdoc Rajeev Dhiman and research affiliate Dave Smith, all of Varanasi’s research group at MIT. Read more: http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/videos/2012/10/nanotexture-lubrication-improve-condensers-power-plants