Numerical Analysis of Laminar Convective Condensation with the Presence of Noncondensable Gas Flowing Downward in a Vertical Channel

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to study and perform a numerical analysis of the simultaneous processes of mass and heat transfer during the condensation process of a steam in the existence of noncondensable gas (NCG) inside a descending vertical channel. In this study, the flow of the vapor-air mixture is laminar and the saturation conditions are prevailing at the inlet of the channel. The coupled control equations for liquid film, interfacial conditions, and mixture flow are solved together using the approach of finite volume. Detailed and valuable results are presented both in the liquid condensate film and in the mixing regions. These detailed results contain the dimensionless velocity and dimensionless temperature profiles in both phases, the dimensionless mass fraction of vapor, the axial variation of the dimensionless thickness of the film liquid δ⁎, and the accumulated condensate rate Mr as well the local Nusselt number Nuy. The relative humidity at the inlet varies from 60% to 100% and the inlet temperature from 40°C to 80°C. The results confirm that a decrease in the mass concentration of NCG by the increasing the inlet relative humidity has a direct influence on the liquid film layer, the local number of Nusselt, and the variation of condensation rate accumulated through the channel. The results also designate that an increase of the inlet relative humidity and the inlet temperature ameliorates the condensation process. The comparison made for the coefficient of heat transfer due to condensation process and the condensate liquid film thickness with the literature results is in good concordance which gives more credibility to our calculation model.