Effect of an interfacial shear stress on steam condensation in the presence of a noncondensable gas in a vertical tube

Experimental and analytical studies were performed to examine local condensation heat transfer coefficients in the presence of a noncondensable gas inside a vertical tube. The experimental data for pure steam and steam/nitrogen mixture bypass modes were compared to study the effects of noncondensable nitrogen gas on annular film condensation phenomena. The condenser tube had a relatively small inner diameter of 13 mm. The experimental results demonstrated that the local heat transfer coefficients increased as the inlet steam flow rate increased and the inlet nitrogen mass fraction decreased. The results obtained using steam/nitrogen mixtures with a low inlet nitrogen mass fraction were similar to those obtained using pure steam. Therefore, the effects of noncondensable gas on steam condensation were weak in the small-diameter condenser tube because of interfacial shear stress. A new correlation based on dimensionless shear stress and noncondensable gas mass fraction variables was developed to evaluate the condensation heat transfer coefficient inside a vertical tube with noncondensable gas, irrespective of the condenser tube diameter. A theoretical model using a heat and mass transfer analogy and simple models using four empirical correlations were developed and compared with the experimental data obtained under various experimental conditions. The predictions of the theoretical model and the simple model based on a new correlation were in good agreement with the experimental results.     

Experimental and theoretical investigation of film condensation with noncondensable gas

Experimental and theoretical investigations were conducted for the film condensation with noncondensable gas in a vertical tube. Condensation experiments were performed for a steam–air mixture in a vertical tube submerged in a water pool where the heat from the condenser tube was removed through a boiling heat transfer. Degradation of the condensation with noncondensable gas was investigated. A heat and mass analogy model for the annular filmwise condensation with noncondensable gas was developed. In the steam–air mixture region, general momentum, heat and mass transport relations derived by analytic method were used with the consideration of surface suction effect. The predictions from the model were compared with the experimental data and the agreement was satisfactory.     

Experimental Study of Condensation in a Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger in the Presence of a Noncondensable Gas

In this paper, an experimental study of the condensation of water vapor from a binary mixture of air and low‐grade steam has been depicted. The study is based upon diffusion heat transfer in the presence of high concentration of noncondensable gas. To simplify the study, experimental analysis is supported by empirical solutions. The experimental setup is custom designed for testing a new shell and tube type heat exchanger supplied by the manufacturer. Air–vapor mixture at 80 °C (max) and 20.2% relative humidity enters the heat exchanger at a mass flow rate of 480 kg/h and condenses 27 kg/h vapor using cooling water at an inlet temperature of 7 °C to 10 °C and mass flow rate of 3500 kg/h. By using the experimental data of constant inlet air mass fraction, mixture gas velocity, and different volumetric flow rate of the cold fluid, the local heat transfer coefficients are obtained. The main objective of this work is to establish an approximate value for surface area and overall heat transfer coefficient of a horizontal shell and tube condenser used in process space. Under designed working conditions, the condenser is found to work efficiently with 90% vapor condensation by mass.     

Heat Transfer and Two-Phase Flow during Shell-side Condensation

This paper surveys the evolution of power condenser tube bundle arrangements and examines present-day designs. Condensation heat transfer during shell-side flow is reviewed, including the effects of vapor shear, condensate inundation, noncondensable gases, and enhancement techniques. The difficulties experienced in calculating vapor pressure drop through tube bundles are described, as well as recent attempts to obtain more reliable correlations. The modeling of these phenomena to predict shell-side condenser performance is reviewed, as well as the use of one- and two-dimensional computer codes. Appropriate topics for future research are identified.     

凝汽器内不凝结气体对汽相流动与传热性能的影响

采用多孔介质物理概念对1台双流程凝汽器的汽相流动与传热进行了数值计算与分析。结果表明：在该冷凝器中存在着严重的不凝结性气体积聚现象，从而导致了流动与传热特性的恶化。对此提出了改进方案，即将抽气口处的挡板开口，从而将积聚的不凝结气体引出，通过数值计算证实该措施有效。     

Condensation of n-Hexane and Isopropanol Mixed with a Noncondensable Gas in a New Plate Heat Exchanger Geometry

This article presents a study of heat transfer during condensation of n-hexane or isopropanol with a noncondensable gas (nitrogen) in a new plate heat exchanger geometry. Three test sections were installed on the test rig devoted to condensation of mixtures, either in reflux or co-current condensation configurations. For both configurations, heat transfer measurements were carried out. In single-phase flow tests, experimental data reduced by a log mean temperature difference were compared with new correlations on the gas side, adapted to the present specific plate geometry. Correlations of the Fanning friction factor were deduced from gas-side pressure drop measurements on the two geometries tested. In two-phase flow tests, the log mean temperature difference method was assumed to be correct to the first-order for the comparison of results in two test sections. The condensation curve method was applied to the present results, and co-current and reflux condensation configurations were then compared in terms of experimental overall heat transfer coefficients. It is shown that for a gas Reynolds number higher than 2,000, heat transfer coefficients in reflux condensation become higher than those for co-current condensation. Flooding phenomena were observed for specific experimental conditions in reflux condensation mode. The flooding experimental data are compared with five existing correlations (i.e., Wallis, modified Wallis, English et al., McQuillan & Whalley, and Zapke & Kröger) to observe fluid property effects for the same ranges of heat duty and mass flow rates in the condenser. The English et al. and Zapke & Kröger correlations show the best agreement with experimental flooding data in the present geometry.     

Entropy generation in condensation in the presence of high concentrations of noncondensable gases

The physical mechanisms of entropy generation in a condenser with high fractions of noncondensable gases are examined using scaling and boundary layer techniques, with the aim of defining a criterion for minimum entropy generation rate that is useful in engineering analyses. This process is particularly relevant in humidification-dehumidification desalination systems, where minimizing entropy generation per unit water produced is critical to maximizing system performance. The process is modeled by a consideration of the vapor/gas boundary layer alone, as it is the dominant thermal resistance and, consequently, the largest source of entropy production in many practical condensers with high fractions of noncondensable gases. Most previous studies of condensation have been restricted to a constant wall temperature, but it is shown here that for high concentrations of noncondensable gases, a varying wall temperature greatly reduces total entropy generation rate. Further, it is found that the diffusion of the condensing vapor through the vapor/noncondensable mixture boundary layer is the larger and often dominant mechanism of entropy production in such a condenser. As a result, when seeking to design a unit of desired heat transfer and condensation rates for minimum entropy generation, minimizing the variance in the driving force associated with diffusion yields a closer approximation to the minimum overall entropy generation rate than does equipartition of temperature difference.     

An upstream reboiler design for removal of noncondensable gases from geothermal steam for Kizildere geothermal power plant, Turkey

Kizildere geothermal power plant, Turkey, has an installed capacity of 20.4 MW_e. The field contains a high level of noncondensable gases (NCGs), changing from well to well, in amounts as high as 10–20% (with an average of 13% at the inlet of the turbine) by weight of steam. This amount of NCGs is being extracted from the condenser by gas compressors that consume about 17% of the total power production of the plant.An upstream reboiler process could be adopted to remove the NCGs from geothermal steam before they enter the turbine. Upstream reboilers therefore provide a cleaner and less corrosive steam supply to the turbine and condenser, increasing power generation performance for very high NCG contents.In this paper, upstream reboiler systems are investigated as an alternative to conventional gas extraction systems for Kizildere geothermal power plant. A vertical tube type reboiler has been designed and it is found that, as NCG content increases, the condensation heat transfer coefficient reduces steeply. It is concluded that vertical tube type reboilers are not efficient for fields that contain high levels of NCG (>15% by weight of steam). It is recommended that the use of direct contact reboilers be further investigated for this application.     

Analysis of vapor–gas bubbles in a single artery heat pipe

The noncondensable gas supported bubbles in an arterial heat pipe are studied. The governing conservation equations are solved to study the growth/collapse of spherical bubbles under different conditions by using the finite element method. The criterion used in the design of the venting pores to prime the artery is explained. The diffusion-limited bubble collapse in the condenser and bubble growth due to the phase change in the evaporator are both studied. A theoretical explanation for the capability of venting bubbles under different scenarios is provided. The experimental results, including rapid startup and condenser cooldown, are also presented to prove the ability of the heat pipes to vent vapor–gas bubbles.     

空气含量和水侧污垢对凝汽器传热系数影响的数值分析

以N12180凝汽器为例,采用自行编制的程序数值计算了空气浓度和污垢对凝汽器汽侧传热系数、冷却管壁导热系数以及平均传热系数的影响,分析了空气与污垢对传热过程的影响机理。结果表明：凝汽器进口空气浓度从0增加到0．01％时,凝汽器平均传热系数降低30％;0．5mm的污垢厚度将使冷却管壁的导热系数降低98％,凝汽器平均传热系数降低85％。     

Forced convection condensation in the presence of noncondensables and interfacial resistance

The effect of a noncondensable gas on condensation in a forced convection laminar boundary-layer flow is explored analytically. The analysis is first carried out in general for any arbitrary flow consisting of a vapor and a noncondensable gas, and certain universal results are obtained. Solutions of the similarity differential equations are found both numerically and by an integral method. The general formulation is applied to the steam-air system, and the heat transfer with and without the noncondensable is compared for a wide range of operating conditions. The reductions in heat transfer due to the non-condensable are accentuated at low operating pressures. In general, condensation in the forced convection flow is much less sensitive than that in a gravity flow. The effect of an interfacial resistance (i.e. a temperature jump at the liquid-vapor interface) is also examined. The computed results reveal a negligible effect on the heat transfer.     

Performance of flow and heat transfer in vertical helical baffle condensers

The feed water heaters in power plants are actually the condensers using turbine extracting steam to heat feed water. The vertical feed water heater occupies less area than the horizontal one and convenient to lift tube bundles out in maintenance. However, the lower heat transfer coefficient due to thick condensate film limits its application. A novel trisection helical baffled vertical condenser (feed water heater) is proposed with liquid dams and gaps for facilitating condensate drainage. The flow and condensation heat transfer characters of two vertical condensers with variable angled trisection helical baffles of both single-thread and dual-threads and a variable spanned segmental baffled one were numerically studied with Mixture model of Fluent software. The distributions of velocity, pressure, volume fraction of condensate, and local heat transfer coefficient in these heat exchangers were demonstrated. The simulation results show that the inclined baffles with liquid dam and drainage gaps could drain condensate effectively from tube bundle surfaces and prevent liquid film from entraining into vapor, and that the variable angled trisection helical baffled vertical condenser with dual-threads could greatly improve the condensation heat transfer coefficient up to 35.7% higher than that of the variable spanned segmental baffled one.     

卧式燃油燃气炉炉胆传热计算方法的比较研究

对卧式燃油燃气锅炉或加热炉,炉胆传热计算是热力计算中的重要计算,其主要目的是确定炉胆出口烟温。本文对已有的卧式内燃燃油燃气锅炉炉胆传热计算公式进行了比较,提出了适合加热炉炉胆传热计算的方法和简化算法。     

Complete condensation in a vertical tube passive condenser

An experimental study is performed for the steam condensation in a vertical tube where steam is completely condensed. A condenser tube is submerged in a water pool where the heat from the condenser tube is removed through boiling heat transfer. The experiment data showed that the operating pressure is uniquely determined by inlet steam flow rate for the complete condensation. The condensation heat transfer rate increases and the condensation heat transfer coefficient decreases with the system pressure. For the condenser submerged in a saturated water pool, strong primary pressure dependency was observed on the condensation heat transfer.     

Heat Transfer Enhancement during Condensation in Smooth Tubes with Helical Wire Inserts

This study investigates the heat transfer characteristics of a horizontal tube-in-tube heat exchanger with a helical wire inserted in the inner tube. The influence of the pitch (or helix angle) of the wire on the heat transfer performance and pressure drop during condensation (having all other geometric parameters the same) was investigated experimentally. Tests were conducted for condensing refrigerants R22, R134a, and R407C at an average saturation temperature of 40°C, with mass fluxes ranging from 300–800 kg/m²s and with vapor qualities ranging from 0.85–0.95 at condenser inlet to 0.05–0.15 at condenser outlet. Measurements were made for three helical wire-inserted tubes with different pitches of 5, 7.77, and 11 mm. The local and average heat transfer coefficients were compared not only with the measured data of a smooth tube, but also with the results of micro-fin tubes. The tube with a helical wire pitch of 5 mm inserts was found to have the highest enhancement factor, which can be elucidated by the extension of the annular flow regime. Heat transfer coefficient correlations for helical wire inserts were deduced, and they predicted the experimental data to within 20%.     

含湿混合气体水平管外对流冷凝换热实验研究

回收烟气中的潜热和显热在提高锅炉效率和环境保护方面都具有重要意义。主要针对含湿混合气体在水平单管管外的对流冷凝换热进行了实验研究。通过对实验数据的分析，得到了烟气进口温度、冷却水进口温度、水蒸气的质量分数以及Re的变化对含湿混合气体在水平单管管外冷凝换热的影响。     

多管程微通道冷凝器热力性能计算方法

多管程平行流微通道冷凝器的管程设计方案对换热器管内热力性能影响较大。但目前一直尚未有对其管内换热系数和压降进行理论预测的较为简单可行方法。本文针对各管程工质流量可变,平均干度可变的多管程平行流冷凝器管内热力参数提出一种分程计算方法：在假设管壁温度不变及同管程内流量均匀分配的前提下,采用了Koyama与Wang冷凝换热模型,以及Zhang和Koyama提出的摩擦压降模型,建立了壁温与热流量之间的关系式,通过迭代求得管内平均换热系数和压降的理论值。以一个商用R134a、流程分配为12-8-8-6微通道冷凝器作为示例,用理论和实验方法分别得到了其管内冷凝平均换热系数和压降。结果表明,二者的偏差均落在30%以内。其中Koyama和Zhang 提出的模型预测偏差较小,分别为-4.96%~11.31%,0.42%~25.14%。     

Flow and heat transfer behaviors of phase change material slurries in a horizontal circular tube

The flow and convective heat transfer behaviors of microencapsulated phase change material (MPCM) slurries in a horizontal circular tube have been experimentally investigated. The slurry consisted of microencapsulated 1-bromohexadecane (C₁₆H₃₃Br) and water, with the mass fractions of MPCM varying from 5% to 27.6%. The pressure drop and local heat transfer coefficients were measured, and the influences of capsule fractions, heating rates, and flow structures on heat transfer performance were also studied. Heat transfer coefficients measured for MPCM slurry are significantly higher than for those for single-phase fluid flow in laminar flow conditions, but exhibit more complicated phenomena at low turbulent conditions. Moreover, a new simple heat transfer correlation equation was proposed that accurately predicts the local heat transfer coefficients of laminar MPCM slurry flow in a horizontal circular tube.     

Effect of Nonuniformities in Vapor Saturation Pressure and Coolant Velocity on Noncondensable Contaminant Accumulation in Single-Pass Air-Cooled Condensers

In the present work, noncondensable contaminant accumulation in tubes of single-pass, multiple-row, cross-flow condensers is investigated. A mathematical model of condensation in such heat exchangers is proposed, which considers changes along the tubes in the saturation temperature, coolant velocity, and heat transfer effectiveness. The model equations are solved with an original algorithm. The vapor distribution, the global effectiveness of the condenser, and the pressure drop between the inlet and outlet plena are determined under different working conditions.     

The Simulation of Multicomponent Mixtures Condensation in Plate Condensers

The application of plate heat exchangers for the condensation of multicomponent mixtures requires reliable, well-grounded methods of calculation. A numerical simulation using semi-empirical equations of heat and mass transfer performance along the surface of plate condensers was carried out for different multicomponent mixtures with noncondensable components. The plates with cross-corrugated patterns for plate condensers were used. The simulation was done for four different types of corrugated plates of industrially manufactured plate heat exchangers.

The results of the simulation are in a good accordance with experimental data obtained during long-time experiments for a pilot plant at the pharmaceutical factory in Kharkiv.

It is shown that the enhancement of heat and mass transfer in a plate condenser for the case of a four-component mixture gives the possibility of decreasing by 1.8–2 times the necessary heat transfer surface area comparatively with shell-and-tube unit for the same process parameters.