condensation

Md. Osman Ali

Lecturer
Department of Mechanical Engineering
DUET, Gazipur.
 CONDENSATION
The condensation is a phase change process from vapour to liquid.
It occurs when the vapour strikes a surface which is at temperature
below the vapour saturation temperature, the vapour releases its
latent heat and immediately converts into liquid phase
When a saturated vapor comes in contact with a surface at a lower
temperature, condensation occurs. Under normal conditions, a
continuous flow of liquid is formed over the surface and the condensate
flows downward under the influence of gravity.

But condensation can also occur on the free surface of a liquid or even
in a gas when the temperature of the liquid or the gas to which the
vapor is exposed is below Tsat. In the latter case, the liquid droplets
suspended in the gas form a fog.

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 Boiling Vs Condensation
Boiling Condensation
Boiling is the vaporization Condensation is the conversion
of a liquid at a particular of a substance (such as water)
temperature
from the vapor state to a denser
liquid or solid state usually
initiated by a reduction in
temperature of the vapor.

Boiling involves the change Condensation involves the

of phase from liquid to change of phase from vapor to
vapor phase.
liquid phase.

Boiling forms vapor. Condensation forms liquid

droplets.

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 TYPES OF CONDENSATION
Two distinct forms of condensation are observed:
Film condensation and
Dropwise condensation.

In film condensation, the condensate wets the surface

and forms a liquid film on the surface that slides down
under the influence of gravity. The thickness of the liquid
film increases in the flow direction as more vapor
condenses on the film. This is how condensation
normally occurs in practice.

In dropwise condensation, the condensed vapor

forms droplets on the surface instead of a continuous
film, and the surface is covered by countless droplets of
varying diameters
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 PHYSICAL MECHANISMS OF CONDENSATION
Consider a vertical flat plate exposed to a condensable vapor. If the temperature of
the plate is below the saturation temperature of the vapor, condensate will form on the
surface and under the action of gravity will flow down the plate. If the liquid wets the
surface, a smooth film is formed, and the process is called film condensation. If the
liquid does not wet the surface, droplets are formed that fall down the surface in some
random fashion. This process is called dropwise condensation.

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 PHYSICAL MECHANISMS OF CONDENSATION
In the film-condensation process the surface is blanketed by the film, which
grows in thickness as it moves down the plate. A temperature gradient exists
in the film, and the film represents a thermal resistance to heat transfer. In
dropwise condensation a large portion of the area of the plate is directly
exposed to the vapor; there is no film barrier to heat flow, and higher heat-
transfer rates are experienced.

In fact, heat-transfer rates in dropwise condensation may be as much as

10 times higher than in film condensation. Because of the higher heat-
transfer rates, dropwise condensation would be preferred to film
condensation, but it is extremely difficult to maintain since most surfaces
become wetted after exposure to a condensing vapor over an extended
period of time.

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 CONDENSATION ON A VERTICAL PLATE

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 FLOW REGIMES
The Reynolds number for condensation on the outer surfaces of vertical
tubes or plates increases in the flow direction due to the increase of the
liquid film thickness δ.
The flow of liquid film exhibits different regimes, depending on the value of
the Reynolds number.
It is observed that the outer surface of the liquid film remains smooth and
wave-free for about Re ≤ 30, as shown in Fig., and thus the flow is
clearly laminar. Ripples or waves appear on the free surface of the
condensate flow as the Reynolds number increases, and the condensate flow
becomes fully turbulent at about Re ≈ 1800.
The condensate flow is called wavy-laminar in the range of 30 < Re <
1800 and turbulent for Re > 1800. However, some disagreement exists
about the value of Re at which the flow becomes wavy-laminar or turbulent.

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 CONDENSATION ON A VERTICAL PLATE

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 CONDENSATION ON A VERTICAL PLATE
Consider a vertical plate of height L and width b
maintained at a constant temperature Ts that is
exposed to vapor at the saturation temperature
Tsat. The downward direction is taken as the
positive x-direction with the origin placed at
the top of the plate where condensation initiates,
as shown in Fig.. The surface temperature is
below the saturation temperature (Ts < Tsat) and
thus the vapor condenses on the surface. The
liquid film flows downward under the influence
of gravity. The film thickness δ and thus the mass
flow rate of the condensate increases with x as a
result of continued condensation on the existing
film. Then heat transfer from the vapor to the
plate must occur through the film, which offers
resistance to heat transfer. Obviously the thicker
the film, the larger its thermal resistance and
thus the lower the rate of heat transfer.
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 CONDENSATION ON A VERTICAL PLATE

The analytical relation for the heat transfer coefficient in film

condensation on a vertical plate described above was first developed by
Nusselt in 1916 under the following simplifying Assumptions:

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 CONDENSATION ON A VERTICAL PLATE

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Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology, Gazipur-1707 MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT
 CONDENSATION ON A VERTICAL PLATE

ME-3501
Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology, Gazipur-1707 MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT
 CONDENSATION ON A VERTICAL PLATE

ME-3501
Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology, Gazipur-1707 MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT
 CONDENSATION ON A VERTICAL PLATE

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Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology, Gazipur-1707 MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT
 MATH

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 MATH

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 MATH

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