Experimental and computational investigation of vertical downflow condensation

Abstract

This explores downflow condensation in a circular tube both experimentally and computationally using FC-72 as a working fluid. A highly instrumented condensation module is used to map detailed axial variations of both wall heat flux and wall temperature, which are used to determine axial variations of the condensation heat transfer coefficient. The experimental results are compared to predictions of a two-dimensional axisymmetric computational model using FLUENT. The study provides detailed construction of the model, including choice of interfacial phase change sub-model, numerical methods, and convergence criteria. The model is shown to yield good prediction of the heat transfer coefficient. The computed temperature profiles exhibit unusual shape, with steep gradient near the annular liquid film interface as well as near the wall, and a mild gradient in between. This shape is shown to be closely related to the shape of the eddy diffusivity profile. These findings point to the need for future, more sophisticated measurements of liquid film thickness, and both velocity and temperature profiles, to both validate and refine two-phase computational models.