Modeling of the condensation sink term in an interfacial area transport equation

Abstract

A model for the condensation sink term in an interfacial area transport equation (IATE) was developed. In the model, a bubble nucleation due to a wall surface boiling and a bubble collapse due to a condensation were assumed to be symmetric phenomena. Based on this consideration the condensing region for a subcooled condition can be divided into two regions: the heat transfer-controlled region and the inertia-controlled region. In the heat transfer-controlled region, the condensation Nusselt number approach is appropriate. On the other hand, in the inertia-controlled region, the resultant mechanical force may be balanced through an interface between a bubble and an ambient liquid. The modeled condensation sink term in an IATE in this study was evaluated against existing data which had been obtained from a bubble condensation in a subcooled water flow through a non-heated annulus. The evaluation result showed that the present model could predict the axial distribution of the interfacial area concentration accurately.