Condensation

Chapter 10
Sections 10.6 through 10.11
General Considerations

General Considerations
Heat transfer to a surface occurs by condensation when the surface temperature
is less than the saturation temperature of an adjoining vapor.

Film Condensation
Entire surface is covered by the
condensate, which flows
continuously from the surface
and provides a resistance to heat
transfer between the vapor and the
surface.
Thermal resistance is reduced through use of short vertical surfaces
and horizontal cylinders.

Characteristic of clean, uncontaminated surfaces.

Dropwise Condensation
Surface is covered by drops ranging from
a few micrometers to agglomerations visible
to the naked eye.
General Considerations (cont).

Thermal resistance is greatly reduced due to absence of a continuous film.

Surface coatings may be applied to inhibit wetting and stimulate

dropwise condensation.
Film Condensation: Vertical Plates

Film Condensation on a Vertical Plate

Distinguishing Features
Thickness and flow rate m of
condensate increase with increasing x
Generally, the vapor is superheated
Tv, Tsat and may be part of a mixture
that includes noncondensibles.
A shear stress at the liquid/vapor
interface induces a velocity gradient
in the vapor, as well as the liquid.

Nusselt Analysis for Laminar Flow

Assumptions:
A pure vapor at Tsat .

Negligible shear stress at liquid/vapor interface.

u 0
y y
Vertical Plates (cont)

Negligible advection in the film. Hence, the steady-state x-momentum

and energy equations for the film are
2u 1 p X
y 2 l x l

2T 0
y 2

The boundary layer approximation, p / y 0, may be applied to the film.

Hence,
p dp
v g
x dx

Solutions to momentum and energy equations

Film thickness:
1/ 4
4kl l Tsat Ts x
x
g
l l v h fg
Vertical Plates (cont)

Flow rate per unit width:

g
m l l
v 3

b 3l

Average Nusselt Number:

1/ 4
h LL
g h L3

Nu L 0.943 l l v fg

kl l k l Tsat T s
hfg h fg 1 0.68 Ja

c p Tsat Ts
Ja Jakob number
h fg

Total heat transfer and condensation rates:

q h L A Tsat Ts

q
m
hfg
Vertical Plates (cont)

Effects of Turbulence:
Transition may occur in the film and three flow regimes may be identified
and delineated in terms of a Reynolds number defined as
4 l um
Re 4 4 m
l l b l
Vertical Plates (cont)

Wave-free laminar region Re 30 :

h L l2 / g
1/ 3

1.47 Re-1/3 (10.37)

kl
4 g l l v 3
Re
3l2

Wavy laminar region 30 Re 1800 :

h L l2 / g
1/ 3
Re
(10.38)
kl 1.08 Re1.22
5.2

Turbulent region Re >1800 :

h L l2 / g
1/ 3
Re

8750 +58 Pr -0.5 Re0.75 253
(10.39)
kl
Vertical Plates (cont)

Calculation procedure:
Assume a particular flow regime and use the corresponding expression for
h L (Eq. 10.37, 10.38 or 10.39) to determine Re .

If value of Re is consistent with assumption, proceed to determination of

q and m .

If value of Re is inconsistent with the assumption, recompute its value

using a different expression for h L and proceed to determination of
q and m .
Film Condensation: Radial Systems

Film Condensation on Radial Systems

A single tube or sphere:

1/ 4
g l l kl3hfg
hD C
l Tsat Ts D
Tube: C =0.729 Sphere: C=0.826
Film Condensation: Radial Systems (cont).

A vertical tier of N tubes:

1/ 4
g l l k 3hfg

h D , N 0.729 l

N l Tsat Ts D

Why does h D , N decrease with increasing N?

How is heat transfer affected if the continuous sheets (c) breakdown and the
condensate drips from tube to tube (d)?

What other effects influence heat transfer?

Film Condensation: Internal Flow

Film Condensation for a Vapor Flow in a Horizontal Tube

If vapor flow rate is small, condensate flow is circumferential and axial:

um, D
Re ,i 35, 000 :
i
1/ 4
g l l kl3hfg
h D 0.555
l Tsat Ts D

hfg h fg 0.375 Tsat Ts

For larger vapor velocities, flow is principally

in the axial direction and characterized by
two-phase annular conditions.
Dropwise Condensation

Dropwise Condensation
Steam condensation on copper surfaces:

q hdc A Tsat Ts

h dc 51100
, 2044 Tsat 22 C<Tsat 100 C

hdc 255,500 Tsat 100 C

Problem: Condensation on a Vertical Plate

Problem 10.48 a,b: Condensation and heat rates per unit width for saturated
steam at 1 atm on one side of a vertical plate at 54C if
(a) the plate height is 2.5m and (b) the height is halved.

KNOWN: Vertical plate 2.5 m high at a surface temperature T s = 54C exposed to steam at
atmospheric pressure.

FIND: (a) Condensation and heat transfer rates per unit width, (b) Condensation and heat rates if
the height were halved.

SCHEMATIC:

ASSUMPTIONS: (1) Film condensation, (2) Negligible non-condensables in steam.

Problem: Condensation on a Vertical Plate (cont)

PROPERTIES: Table A-6, Water, vapor (1 atm): Tsat = 100C, v = 0.596 kgm3, hfg = 2257
kJkg; Table A-6, Water, liquid (Tf = (100 54)C2 = 350 K): 973.7 kgm3, k 0.668
WmK, 365 10-6 Nsm2 , cp, = 4195 JkgK, Pr = 2.29.

ANALYSIS: (a) The heat transfer and condensation rates are given by Eqs. 10.32 and 10.33,
q h LL Tsat Ts m q hfg (1,2)

where, from Eq. 10.26, with Ja c p, (Tsat Ts)hfg ,

hfg hfg 1 0.68 cp, Tsat Ts hfg
kJ 4195 J kg K 100 54 K
hfg 2257 1 0.68 2388 kJ kg .
kg 3
2257 10 J kg

Assuming turbulent flow conditions, Eq. 10.39 is the appropriate correlation,

2 1/ 3
hL g Re
Re 1800

(3)
k 8750 58Pr 0.5 Re0.75 253
Problem: Condensation on a Vertical Plate (cont)

Not knowing Re or h L , another relation is required. Combining Eqs. 10.33 and 10.35,
mhfg Re b hfg
hL
A Tsat T A T T . (4)
4 sat

Substituting Eq. (4) for h L into Eq. (3), with A bL,

Re bhfg Re k


. (5)
4 bL Tsat T 8750 58Pr 0.5 Re0.75 253

2 1/ 3
g

Using appropriate properties with L = 2.5 m, find

365 106 N s m 2 2388 103 J kg

(6)
4 2.5m 100 54 K
1 0.668 W m K

8750 58 2.29
0.5
Re0.75 253 365 106 973.72 m4 s2 9.8m s2 1/ 3

Re 2979 .

Since Re 1800, the flow is turbulent, and using Eq. (4) or (3), find
h L 5645 W m2 K .
Problem: Condensation on a Vertical Plate (cont)

From the rate equations (1) and (2), the heat transfer and condensation rates are
q 5645W m2 K 2.5m 100 54 K 649k W m <
m 649 103 W m 2388 103 J kg 0.272 kg s m . <

(b) If the height of the plate were halved, L = 1.25 m, and turbulent flow was still assumed to
exist, the LHS of Eq. (5) may be reevaluated and the equation solved to obtain
Re 1280 .

Since 1800 Re , the flow is not turbulent, but wavy-laminar. The procedure now follows that
of Example 10.3. For L = 1.25 m with wavy-laminar flow, Eq. 10.38 is the appropriate
correlation. The calculation yields
Re 1372 h L 5199 W m2 K
q 299kW m m 0.125kg s m . <

COMMENT:
Note that the height was decreased by a factor of 2, while the rates decreased by a factor of 2.2. Would you
have expected this result?