ISSN Online: 2377-424X
International Heat Transfer Conference 4
A NUCLEATION THEORY AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF DROPWISE CONDENSATION
Sinopsis
A mechanism for dropwise condensation and nucleation is proposed as a result of experiments using a water vapor medium to promote condensation on a vertical one
foot high teflon coated surface with an area of one square foot. The mechanism is used as a basis for the derivation of equations from kinetic theory for the heat flux and the heat transfer coefficient. Heat transfer experiments were conducted to determine heat flux and heat transfer data as a function of condenser surface temperature. The mechanism was also studied by taking a series of high speed motion pictures through a microscope. The analytical heat flux and heat transfer coefficient correlate well with the experimental data. Heat transfer coefficients were found to vary from 26,400 Btu/hr ft -°F to 6,650 Btu/hr ft -°F over a (Tsv-Ts) range of 0.5°F to 7.4°F. Heat flux values were determined up to 49,300 Btu/hr ft2.