Experimental study of heat transfer during pseudo-dropwise condensation of water-ethanol and water-isopropanol vapor mixtures on a vertical tube

Abstract

In the present study experimental heat transfer data on condensation of almost immobile water-ethanol and water-isopropanol vapor mixtures on the vertical smooth copper tube 100 mm long with an outer diameter of 12.0 mm were obtained. Experiments for water-ethanol mixture were carried out at mass concentrations of ethanol from 0.4 to 16% in the vapor phase, and for a water-isopropanol mixture - from 0.6 to 8.4%. The pressure was 0.12…0.13 MPa, vapor-to-surface temperature difference varied from 2 to 40K. The experimental data are represented as dependency of heat transfer coefficient and heat flux on the vapor-to-surface temperature difference. The results of high-speed photography of the condensation process are discussed. It is noted that the transition from film mode to pseudo-dropwise condensation occurs when vapor-to-surface temperature difference is close to dew point - bubble point temperature difference for a given composition of the mixture. According to experimental data, the diffusion thermal resistance and thermal resistance of the liquid phase at different concentrations of the mixture were calculated.