Water Condensation Rate Research Articles

Corrosion at Top-of-the-Line in High Pressure and Dense CO2 Environments

This study presents unique data on top-of-the-line corrosion (TLC) occurring in high-pressure environments where CO2 was in the gaseous, liquid, or supercritical state. While CO2 is traditionally in a gaseous phase, this form of degradation is referred to as TLC. In this study, similar phenomena with different mechanisms were observed in liquid CO2 and supercritical states all of which are referred to as TLC due to the location of specimens and ease of comprehension. Experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of CO2 partial pressure (ranging from 20 bar to 100 bar) with temperatures (30°C to 50°C) relating to different water condensation rates (0.001 mL/m2/s to 0.1 mL/m2/s). Uniform and localized TLC rates increased with a higher water condensation rate and surface temperature. As long as CO2 remained gaseous, its partial pressure (pCO2) showed a negligible influence on both uniform and localized TLC rates. At the highest gaseous CO2 content tested, the formation of a protective iron carbonate (FeCO3) layer decreased the TLC rate, with this effect being more pronounced at lower water condensation rates. The risk of localized corrosion for specimens exposed to this environment at high and medium water condensation rates remained an issue. In the dense phase CO2 environment, the difference in temperature between the bulk environment and the specimen’s surface caused a similar phenomenon to water condensation, termed water drop-out, which resulted in corrosion. The rate of water drop-out could not be measured experimentally or estimated theoretically but is a complex function of temperature, pCO2, and CO2 physical state. The interplay between high pCO2 and low pH of the dropped-out water led to elevated uniform and localized corrosion rates. The depth of localized corrosion, at the high and medium water drop-out conditions, reached its maximum at the surface temperature of ca. 45°C. At a lower surface temperature of ca. 25°C and a higher surface temperature of ca. 65°C, the maximum penetration rate was decreased due to slower kinetics of reactions and the formation of a more protective FeCO3 layer, respectively. The results presented in this study highlight the significant difference between corrosion rates, especially in the form of localized damage, in gaseous and dense-phase CO2 environments.

Design and Performance Analysis of a Small-Scale Prototype Water Condensing System for Biomass Combustion Flue Gas Abatement

This article outlines the design and performance of a flue gas condensation system integrated with a biomass combustion plant. The system comprises a biomass plant fuelled by wood chips, generating flue gases. These gases are condensed via a double heat exchanger set-up, extracting water and heat to reduce concentrations of CO, CO2, and NOx while releasing gases at a temperature close to ambient temperature. The 100 kW biomass plant operates steadily, consuming 50 kg of wood chips per hour with fuel energy of 18.98 MJ/kg. Post combustion, the gases exit at 430 °C and undergo two-stage cooling. In the first stage, gases are cooled in a high-temperature tube heat exchanger, transferring heat to air. They then enter the second stage, a flue gas/water heat exchanger, recovering sensible and latent thermal energy, which leads to water condensation. Flue gas is discharged at approximately 33 °C. Throughout, parameters like the flue gas temperatures, mass flow, fuel consumption, heat carrier temperatures, and water condensation rates were monitored. The test results show that the system can condense water from flue gas at 75 g/min at 22 °C while reducing pollutant emissions by approximately 20% for CO2, 19% for CO, 30% for NO, and 26% for NOx.

Effect of patterned condensation surface on the performance of a newly designed basin-type solar desalination unit

Evaporative solar desalination systems present a cost-effective solution for generating clean water from brine solutions or seawater. This study investigates the impact of condensation surface inclination, surface pattern, and wettability on the performance of a newly proposed basin-type solar desalination unit using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based simulations. The proposed design of the system shows better performance in terms of water production compared to previously developed conventional units. It was observed that the wettability-based patterning with different arrangements on the condensation surface has a significant effect on the rate of water condensation. Five different cases of surface patterning on the condensation surface were considered. In one case, coatings of alternating hydrophobic and hydrophilic strips were considered (termed as Pattern-I, Pattern-II and Pattern-II for different cases based on the hydrophilic and hydrophobic coverages). In another case, small rectangular patches of hydrophilic (or hydrophobic) layers were coated on a hydrophobic (or hydrophilic) base substrate (termed as checkerboard Pattern-IV or V). The result shows 75.0% more efficiency for a checkerboard-based surface (Pattern-IV) and 150% more efficiency for a strip-based (Pattern-II) pattern than the pristine wettability surface of conventional design. Furthermore, the validation of the surface characteristics was performed based on available literature which implied satisfactory performance.

Effect of hydrocarbon volume ratio in sweet top-of-the-line corrosion under water-hydrocarbon co-condensation

Wet gas pipelines transport unprocessed natural gas that contains water and carbon dioxide (CO2), which combination can lead to severe wall loss caused by CO2 or sweet corrosion in carbon steel. Under specific conditions, CO2 corrosion occurs at the top section of the pipeline, which is known as top-of-the-line corrosion (TLC). TLC tests were conducted in the water-hydrocarbon co-condensation environment using 10 vol% n-heptane and 25 vol% n-heptane to simulate the internal condition of a wet gas pipeline to study the effect of hydrocarbon volume ratio towards TLC. The presence of n-heptane showed minimal effect on the gas temperature profile; however, n-heptane suppressed the water condensation, resulting in a tremendous decrease in the water condensation rate (WCR). The TLC rates were found to be lower in the presence of n-heptane, which can be attributed to the reduced WCR and water-wetted areas. The presence of n-heptane had no significant effect on the pitting rates but showed an increasing pit ratio as the n-heptane volume increased. TLC tests were conducted at three durations: one day, two days and three days showing that n-heptane has no significant effect on corrosion kinetics.

Study of the relative humidity effects on the water condensation performance of adsorption-based atmospheric water harvesting using passive radiative condensers

Adsorption-based atmospheric water harvesting (ABAWH) and passive radiative condensers are two examples of dew water collection. The application of passive radiative condensers to ABAWH has recently been demonstrated. However, ABAWH prefers high relative humidity (RH) for higher water uptake by adsorbents, while radiative condensers favor low RH for higher radiative cooling power, so there exists a desired RH for the water harvesting system under different conditions. However, this has not been previously studied. Therefore, we pioneer the development of a numerical model to obtain the desired RH for the water harvesting system and determine optimum operating parameters for maximum water production under different conditions. The adsorption isotherms are fit based on experimental results, and the effect of RH on radiative cooling power is mathematically predicted via cloud-cover fraction. Based on the numerical results, the desired RH ranges from 20 % to 29 % for 200 g MIL-101-Cr (HF) under certain conditions. Compared to other factors, the radiative condensation emitter and climate have a greater influence on the water condensation rate. Overall, this work provides guidelines on the design and setting of in-situ large-scale applications of ABAWH systems using passive radiative condensers for the greatest decentralized freshwater condensation performance under specific weather conditions.

Numerical analysis of vapor condensation process in a condensation dome of a patent-based solar-vacuum desalination plant

Water-desalination process using renewable energy sources have become more and more popular as they can produce drinking water without negative effect to the environment. The present study examines the condensation dome of a vacuum-based water desalination plant using transient 3D finite volume method. The whole system is under semi-vacuum condition (to reduce the boiling temperature of the saltwater) and the water vapor is condensed in the mentioned condensation dome. The objective of the current research is to evaluate the performance of the proposed condensation dome in a patent-based desalination plant under various novel possible geometric and operational conditions which have not been investigated before. First, four different scenarios of the fins are examined for a given time step. Then the best selected fin arrangement is simulated under a wide range of ambient air conditions in the same time step. Finally, the condensation process is simulated for the selected geometric and ambient conditions under various time steps between 1 and 60 s. The results revealed that, adding only external fins, and then considering both internal and external fins can boost the water condensation rate around 24 % and 62 % respectively compared to that for the base dome without any fin. Besides, when both internal and external fins are in the same direction, the condensation performance is 5 % higher than that for case 3 in which any internal fin is located between every pair of external fins. However, condensation rate is less sensitive for fin configuration when ambient air becomes warmer. Furthermore, higher level of ambient air heat transfer coefficient (higher wind speed) boosts the water condensation rate as well. The general outcome for the tested size of the dome is promising with around 2000 gr condensed water after 60s in the best selected conditions.

Enhancement of Dropwise Condensation Heat Transfer through a Sprayable Superhydrophobic Coating.

Improving the shedding rate of condensed droplets has many applications in industries and daily problems, including increasing heat transfer and self-cleaning properties. One way to achieve this goal is by enhancement of the wetting properties of surfaces. In this research, the hierarchical superhydrophobic coating over aluminum has been applied using a relatively cost-effective method, spraying, which is also applicable to any metal surface used as a condenser. According to the results obtained from the experimental tests, the fabricated surface is highly superhydrophobic, with a contact angle of 158° and contact angle hysteresis of less than 5°. The results show that the presented surface increases the heat transfer coefficient by 20.6% at the subcooling temperature of 25.5 °C when the surface temperature and relative humidity are 70 °C and 98%, respectively. In addition, this coated surface showed great potential at lower surface temperatures by increasing the water condensation rate as much as 50.5% at the subcooling temperature of 12 °C, when the surface temperature and relative humidity are 11.25 °C and 70%, respectively. Therefore, it is found that for the fabricated superhydrophobic paint in the present study, the effectiveness of the dropwise condensation mode profoundly depends on surface temperatures besides subcooling temperatures. In other words, a surface with lower temperatures shows better performance for the same subcooling temperatures. In addition, various types of durability tests are carried out. The results reveal that this coating has good durability against high surface temperatures, submerged conditions for 30 days, imposing hot steam for 150 h, corrosion, and organic solvents. Hence, it is suitable for industrial applications.

Nano-porous transport membrane condenser for flue gas water recovery: Modeling and parametric membrane design analysis

Water resources are becoming scarce and climate change is exacerbating the stress on traditional water supplies. Thus, it is important to identify viable solutions to resolve tensions in the water energy nexus. One example is the use of transport membrane condensers (TMCs) to recover water as well as waste heat from flue gases with the aim to improve economics and to reduce the environmental impact of the industrial sector. In this work, the authors present a detailed 1D+1D TMC model and investigate the impact of three key membrane design parameters upon the water recovery rate. Sensitivity analyses of pore radius, membrane porosity and contact angle reveal that pore radii of smaller than 10 nm can substantially improve condensation rates due to the exponential vapor pressure dependency described by the Kelvin equation. Reducing the pore radius from 15 nm to 1 nm increases water recovery by over 74% in some of the study scenarios. Additionally, a higher membrane porosity is shown to increase water condensation rates. A higher porosity increases the number of pores on the surface, and thus, the driving force for mass transport. The results show an increase in water recovery of up to 7.7% per 10% porosity increase. The contact angle, which is related to the hydrophilicity of the membrane material, influences the formation of the meniscus inside the pore. Changes in the contact angle from a flat surface (90°) to 30° are shown to have a strong impact upon the water condensation rate. Furthermore, condensation flux improvements through the above-mentioned membrane design modifications are more pronounced in environments with low mass transport driving force due to the nature of the suction effect, which is governed by diffusion and convection transport laws.

Transient modelling of water condensation rate for top of line corrosion

Top of line corrosion (TOLC) is typically a concern in the first few kilometres of wet gas pipelines where water in the warm gas condenses on the cold pipe walls. With the introduction of a subsea tieback to existing infrastructure, the changing fluid composition and temperature profiles may increase condensation in sections not previously expected to have condensation. Accurate prediction of the water condensation rate (WCR) becomes essential to support reliable corrosion modelling. Transient flow simulation of pipeline operating conditions and detailed heat transfer modelling is required to calculate the WCR. This calculation is complicated because the mass of water condensation is very small compared to the fluid mass in the pipeline, and sensitive to glycol that is often present in the aqueous phase for hydrate management purposes. This paper introduces a method to calculate WCR by using detailed transient modelling of the pipeline operating conditions. The fluid thermal hydraulic behaviour and hydraulic pressure drop in the pipeline are considered in the model. The fluid composition in the pipeline and glycol component in the aqueous phase are calculated by using a PVT software package. A few sensitivity studies will also be presented. The implications of Equation of State (EoS) and transient flow module on WCR calculation will be quantified. The WCR sensitivity results will be analysed based on varying inlet temperatures, glycol concentrations, and pipeline heat transfer coefficients. A WCR calculation method will be recommended for TOLC modelling.

Probing top-of-the-line corrosion using coupled multi-electrode array in conjunction with local electrochemical measurement

An experimental method has been developed for probing top-of-the-line corrosion (TLC) of pipeline steel based on the use of the wire beam electrode (WBE) in conjunction with local electrochemical measurements. Results show that the location of the droplet, the droplet retention time, the water condensation rate and the local TLC rate could be well determined through the macro-cell current mapping and local electrochemical measurements. The precipitation and the scaling tendency of the FeCO3 beneath the droplet were quantitatively estimated. The micro-cell corrosion was significantly influenced by the thickness of the condensed water film and the protectiveness of the FeCO3 layer. The discrepancy of the film formation inside and outside the droplets was the driving force of macro-cell corrosion. The in-situ measurement and visualization of the corrosion processes and kinetics using the modified WBE could be conveniently used to facilitate the understanding of the initiation and propagation of localized TLC.

Effect of the Water Condensation Rate with the Presence of Gas Condensate in the Wet Gas Pipeline

Pipelines are a common medium to transfer hydrocarbons, but their integrity is compromised by corrosion issues specifically in top of line corrosion (TLC) due to several influence factors such as water condensation. Water condensation occurs due to a significant variance in temperature outside the pipeline and inside the pipeline as water condenses in the inner pipeline. Hence, this paper aims to study the water condensation rate (WCR) behaviour in the presence of gas condensate in wet gas pipelines. The objectives of the research are to determine the components of the gas condensate by characterizing the gas condensate using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) equipment and later to determine the effect of gas condensate on water condensation rate by conducting 2 different experiments. The condition of TLC was imitated by using a customized TLC testing unit, whereby 2 sets of API 5L X65 carbon steel coupons were used. Meanwhile, the delta temperature of the gas and steel obtained by regulating the temperature setting of the chiller and hot plate respectively enabled the water condensation process to be simulated. Throughout the 7-days of experiments, the gas and steel temperature were daily monitored and the water that only condensed on the surface of the coupons was collected and measured. Subsequently, the WCR was determined. The first objective was achieved as the result from GC-MS showed that there were 67 compounds in the condensate, and 5 functional groups were detected using FTIR, which confirmed that the gas condensate used in this experiment was similar to the gas condensate obtained from the pipelines. The second objective proved that condensate affected the water condensation rate, in which the WCR was reduced by about 73% with the presence of condensate. This WCR reduction is postulated because of the two different liquids (water and hydrocarbon) competing for the same surface area (top metal coupon) to condense.

Plasma nano-patterning for altering hydrophobicity of copper substrate for moist air condensation

Fabrication of durable hydrophobic metallic substrate is an emerging area of research for the condensation process in many industrial devices because its implementation enhances the efficacy of the devices. In this work, effective and durable hydrophobic copper (Cu) substrates were fabricated by plasma nano-pattering. Various discharge voltages were used to create various types of nano-patterns textured on copper substrates. For 30 min of irradiation of Argon gas plasma at various discharge voltages of 500, 650 and 750 V, morphologies of substrates were altered such that micro-litre water droplet has contact angle of 105 ± 3o, 97 ± 5o, and 95 ± 5o, respectively. However, pristine polished Cu substrate has water droplet contact angle of 56±5o. The micro-graph of scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed micro-order to nano-order roughness on etched substrates and the structure of nano-patterns was different for different discharge voltages for given period of argon ions irradiation. The etched copper substrate at 500 V was deployed as a condensing surface for moist air condensation of temperature 28 °C, relative humidity 70% and degree of sub-cooling 10°C. These results showed that the water condensation rate of plasma etching hydrophobic Cu substrate was 438 ml/m2-h, compared to 188 ml/m2-h for pristine Cu substrate.

Variation Characteristic Analysis of Water Content at the Flow Channel of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

The performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is directly affected by the nonlinear variations in water content. To study the variation in water content and its effect on PEMFC performance, the water condensation rate (WCR) model is established, which determines the proportional relationship between evaporation and condensation rates in terms of the switch function, and the two-phase flow evolution and pressure drop are considered as well. The WCR model is imported into Fluent software through a user-defined function for simulation, and the test system is established under different operating conditions. Then, the contours of H2O molar concentrations and polarization curves are analyzed and compared. The results show that the condensation rate value of the cathode channel is from 1.05 to 1.55 times higher than that of the anode channel. The WCR model can predict the variation in water content and improve the accuracy of the performance calculation by from 9% to 31%. The accuracy of the WCR model is especially improved, by 31%, at high current densities compared with the Fluent model when the inlet pressure is 30 kPa.

Influence of the Co-Condensation of Water and n-Heptane on Top of the Line Corrosion

Top of the line corrosion (TLC) is a serious concern in wet gas transportation pipelines operating in a stratified flow regime. Extensive research on TLC has been conducted in hydrocarbon-free environments while, in production environments, condensable hydrocarbons are always present. When water and hydrocarbons co-condense, the condensate comprises two immiscible liquids which have different wettability and corrosivity. In this study, the co-condensation process was investigated using a borescope for visual observation and a set of conductivity probes for quantification of water-wetted area. The corrosion behavior of carbon steel under water-only condensation and water/hydrocarbon co-condensation scenarios was evaluated with weight loss measurements and surface analytical techniques (scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and 3D profilometry). The results showed that water and hydrocarbon condensation processes interacted with each other. Even though the rate of hydrocarbon condensation was much greater than that of water, the hydrophilicity of the steel surface always ensured that it would be mainly wetted by water. However, the presence of n-heptane interfered with the water droplet coalescence and segregated water into smaller droplets which affected the water chemistry. This resulted in a potentially higher pH and iron ion concentration in the water droplet as compared to a water-only scenario. The corrosion rate consequently decreased and was found to be less dependent on the water condensation rate in the co-condensation scenario, as compared to a pure water system.

Experimental investigation of improving the solar desalination system for domestic buildings: Iraq as a case of study

<abstract> <p>Iraq encounters climatic challenges that lead to severe rainfall shortages and compound the regional challenges that lead to reduced rates of supplying rivers. In this research, the proposed design helps obtain pure water from polluted or saline water t lower, more competitive costs that can supply nearly 80% of the Iraqi markets.</p> <p>The system harvests 2 L/day of pure water by adding 5 liters of saline water, a 209% daily improvement. The system consists of 1.125 m<sup>2</sup> of double slope single basin solar still with a tilt angle of 30°, pipes, and measurement instrumentation.</p> <p>Maximum inside temperature, humidity, valuable energy, and efficiency have 77 ℃, 35%, 4.02 W/m<sup>2</sup>, and 76%, respectively. System analysis results demonstrated that the average water condensation rate per square meter is about 0.4 L/hr. Finally, the rate of pure water harvesting from this desalination system, per square meter, is about 0.282 L/m<sup>2</sup> per day when the average intensity of solar radiation reaches 165 W/m<sup>2</sup>. Two scenarios have been suggested for the experiment. The first scenario tests the system by limiting two water levels, the first at 0.75 cm and the second at 3 cm. The second scenario includes the same design with a black cloth set in the basin demonstrates the most promising data. A wet pad regularly cools down one side of the glass to increase the water vapor condensation and production quantity by 173% to enhancing water production significantly.</p> </abstract>

Molecular simulation of steady-state evaporation and condensation of water in air

It was shown in recent experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations that Schrage equation predicts evaporation and condensation rates of water in the absence of a non-condensable gas with good accuracy. However, it is not clear whether Schrage equation is still accurate or even valid for quantifying water evaporation and condensation rates in air. In this work, we carry out MD simulations to study steady-state evaporation and condensation of water at a planar water-air interface. The simulation results show that the evaporation and condensation fluxes of water in the presence of air are still in a good agreement with the predictions from Schrage equation. From Schrage equation and Stefan's law of mass diffusion, we derive an analytical expression for the effective thermal conductivity of a planar heat pipe. The analytical prediction of the dependence of effective thermal conductivity on heat pipe length and density of non-condensable gas is corroborated by our MD simulation results and recent experimental data.

Numerical simulation of water production from humid air for Khuzestan province: Investigation of the Peltier effect (thermoelectric cooling system) on water production rate

The effect of applying a thermoelectric cooling system (TEC) in an air-water generator system is studied in present study. This study is focused on changing thermoelectric cold surface temperature on the water productivity amount from the air that is knwon as condensation. For this purpose, 12 numerical samples evaluated in which the temperature of the thermoelectric cold surface varies from 1 °C to 12°C. The temperature and relative humidity of the ambient air in all samples are fixed and equal to 35 °C and 80 %, respectively. To observe the distribution of properties, velocity field, temperature field, the velocity contour, isotherms, and mass fraction gradient are displayed, and the mass fraction gradient distribution diagram is shown on the cold thermoelectric surface. Also, the values of the water condensation rate in each sample are mentioned and compared. Finally, by examining the samples, it is found that the decrease in temperature was directly related to the increase in production and condensation of water vapor in the air. Therefore the highest production rate obtained in minimum temperature of the cold surface with the amount of 0.323kg.m−2.hr−1. Based on results, 11oC temperature reduction in the cold side of thermoelectric cooling system cause 36.8% increase in water production rate.

An Experimental Investigation of Top-of-Line Corrosion in a Static CO2 Environment

This paper presents an experimental and theoretical investigation into water condensation and corrosion under noncorrosion product forming conditions at the top of the line in a static, CO2 environment. An experimental test cell is developed to measure droplet lifetimes, condensation rates, as well as in situ and integrated corrosion rates (using miniature electrodes and mass loss specimens, respectively) as a function of the surface and gas temperatures when the gas flow is dominated by natural convection. Experimental results show clearly that the water condensation rate is not very influential on the corrosion rate at low surface temperatures (Ts) (particularly below 25°C) but becomes much more important at higher surface temperatures (>40°C). These findings are summarized in a new empirical correlation for the top-of-line corrosion rate as a function of the condensation rate and surface temperature. A model for condensation at the top of line for static, buoyancy-driven conditions is also presented and is shown to predict dropwise condensation rates accurately for a range of experimental conditions. The developed miniature electrodes for in situ electrochemical measurement are shown to provide an accurate interpretation of the transient response in general corrosion behavior by giving real-time corrosion rates to complement the mass loss measurement.

Research on falling film dehumidification performance of microencapsulated phase change materials slurry

In the process of liquid desiccant dehumidification, the temperature-rise of the desiccant solution caused by moisture absorption will seriously affect the dehumidification capacity and performance. It is expected that the temperature rise of solution can be restrained by adding microencapsulated phase change materials (MicroPCMs) into the liquid desiccant solution. In this paper, based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method, two-dimensional models of flat plate and corrugated plate falling film dehumidification of the microencapsulated phase change material slurry (MPCMS) were developed and validated. The dynamic boundary method was used to determine the interfacial mass transfer coefficient. The influences of several factors on the dehumidification performance, including the concentration of MicroPCMs, the inlet temperature of the MPCMS and the falling film plate configuration, were investigated. The results show that, adding MicroPCMs into the liquid desiccant solution is beneficial to the dehumidification performance improvement. The inlet temperature of MPCMS is a very critical variable. When the inlet temperature of the slurry is in the phase transformation temperature range of MicroPCMs, with the adding of the microcapsule, the temperature rise in dehumidification process can be restrained, and the moisture removal performance can be improved significantly. When the MPCMS inlet temperature is at the phase transformation onset point, and the concentration of MicroPCMs is 5%, the water condensation rate is 14.2% higher than that of the base solution. Moreover, it’s not that the more microcapsules added, the larger mass transfer coefficient is. There is an optimum concentration of MicroPCMs to achieve the maximum interfacial mass transfer coefficient. The corrugated plate configuration is more conducive to the dehumidification enhancement by the MPCMS.

CO2 Top-of-Line-Corrosion; Assessing the Role of Acetic Acid on General and Pitting Corrosion

Based on a review of both literature and field data, it is apparent that the role of acetic acid (HAc) in oilfield brines is both extremely complex and somewhat controversial. Although it is commonly believed that the presence of this organic compound enhances both the general and the localized corrosion rate of carbon steel, HAc has recently been reported to also act as a weak general corrosion inhibitor in specific aqueous environments. These observations prompted a study into whether such behavior is apparent in a CO2 top-of-line corrosion (TLC) scenario, i.e., when HAc dissolves into condensed water that forms on the upper internal wall of carbon steel pipelines during wet-gas stratified flow. Four different water condensation rates/temperature TLC conditions were selected to investigate the role of HAc on both the kinetics and mechanism of carbon steel dissolution. A miniature three-electrode setup was developed to characterize the real-time TLC response through the implementation of electrochemical measurements. Surface analysis techniques (microscopy and profilometry) were also performed to complement the electrochemical results. Collective consideration of the corrosion response and condensate chemistry indicates that similar effects were observed to those reported in the literature for bulk aqueous environments, in that the introduction of HAc can result in either accentuation or a minimal/inhibitive effect on general corrosion depending upon the operating conditions. The minimal/inhibitive effects of HAc were apparent at a surface temperature of 20.5°C and water condensation rate of 0.5 mL/m2·s, as no significant increase in corrosion was observed, despite a significant reduction in condensate pH being generated by the presence of HAc. X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy analysis of the inhibited steel specimen in the presence of HAc revealed the presence of iron acetate on the steel surface, which may have been at least partially responsible for the observed inhibitive effect. Extended duration experiments over 96 h revealed that both general and localized corrosion are not significantly affected by HAc addition at low temperature, whereas the level of degradation increases at higher surface temperature over longer periods.