Experimental investigation on heat transfer of forced convection condensation of ethanol–water vapor mixtures on a vertical mini-tube

Abstract

In this paper, condensation heat transfer characteristics of ethanol–water vapor mixtures on a vertical mini-vertical tube with 1.221 mm outside diameter were investigated experimentally. The experiments were performed at different velocities and pressures over a wide range of ethanol mass fractions in vapor. The test results indicated that, with respect to the change of the vapor-to-surface temperature difference, the condensation curves of the heat transfer coefficients revealed nonlinear characteristics, and had peak values. At 2 % ethanol mass fraction in vapor, the condensation heat transfer coefficient value of the ethanol–water vapor mixture was found to have a maximum heat transfer coefficient of 50 kW m−2 K−1, which was 3–4 times than that of pure steam. The condensation heat transfer coefficients decreased with increased ethanol mass fraction in vapor. The vapor pressure and vapor velocity had a positive effect on the condensation heat transfer coefficients of ethanol–water vapor mixtures.