Heat and mass transfer in the condensing flow of steam through an absorbing fibrous medium

Abstract

This paper presents a model for the interactive heat and mass transfer which occurs in the forced convection of steam through an absorbing fibrous textile assembly. Application of the model to the steaming of a wool fabric bed reveals a fast front which is associated with condensation and a sharp rise in temperature, and a slow and much broader front which brings equilibrium to the moisture content of the bed. Steaming a dry wool fabric bed is marked by a characteristic rise in the bed temperature whereas, for a wool fabric bed at a high initial regain, the temperature changes are reflected by the condensing and drying fronts propagating through the bed. Experiments carried out on a specially built steaming apparatus gave good agreement on the fabric temperatures and regains.