Exhaust steam condensation equipment is an important component in thermal power generation systems. Direct-contact condensation offers high heat transfer efficiency, small flow resistance, simple structure, and less scaling; therefore, its application to exhaust steam condensation equipment is conducive to reducing equipment investment and operation costs. In this study, the direct-contact condensation of subatmospheric pressure steam (exhaust steam) is investigated in a cocurrent flow packed tower. The effects of steam temperature, steam flow, cooling water temperature, and cooling water flow on the condensation rate, subcooling, number of liquid-phase heat transfer units (NTU L ), and total volume heat transfer coefficient (K V ) are investigated. The results show that the direct-contact condensation of exhaust steam can yield a high condensation rate, low subcooling, and good stability in the cocurrent flow packed tower. Lower steam temperature, higher steam flow, higher inlet-water temperature, and lower water flow are conducive to the increase in NTU L . It is discovered that NTU L and K V can be expressed by dimensionless parameters of flow and temperature, and that the empirical correlations of NTU L and K V agree well with experimental data. K E Y W O R D Scocurrent flow packed tower, direct-contact condensation, exhaust steam condensation, number of liquid-phase heat transfer units, subcooling, total volume heat transfer coefficient