Tutorial-1

Boiling and Condensation heat transfer

1. A vertical square plate, 30 by 30 cm, is exposed to steam at atmospheric pressure.

The plate temperature is 98 C. Calculate the heat transfer and the mass of steam
condensed per hour.
Solution: The Reynolds number must be checked to determine if the condensate film is laminar or
turbulent. Properties are evaluated at the film temperature:
The Reynolds number must be checked to determine if the condensate film is laminar or turbulent.
Properties are evaluated at the film temperature:
100+98
Tf = =99o C f 960kg / m3
2
f 2.82 104 kg / m.s k f 0.68W/m.o C

For this problem the density of the vapor is very small in comparison with that of the liquid, and
we are justified in making the substitution

f ( f ) 2 f
In trying to calculate the Reynolds number we find that it is dependent on the mass flow of
condensate. But this is dependent on the heat-transfer coefficient, which is dependent on the
Reynolds number. To solve the problem we assume either laminar or turbulent flow, calculate the
heat-transfer coefficient, and then check the Reynolds number to see if our assumption was correct.
Let us assume laminar film condensation. At atmospheric pressure we have

Tsat 100o C h fg =2255kJ/kg

1/4
2 f gh fg k 3 f
h 0.943
L f (Tg Tw)
1/4
(960) 2 (9.8)(2.255 106 )(0.68)3
0.943 4
(0.3)(2.82 10 )(100 98)
13,150 W/m 2 .o C [2316 Btu / h. ft 2 .o F ]
Checking the Reynolds number

4hL(Tsat Tw )
Re f
h fg f
(4)(13150)(0.3)(100 98)
=
(2.255 106 )(2.82 10 4 )
= 49.6

So, the laminar assumption was correct. The heat transfer is now calculated from

q hA(Tsat Tw ) (13150)(0.3)2 (100 98) 2367 W [8079 Btu/h]

The total mass flow of condensate is

q 2367
m = = 6
=1.0510-3 kg/s=3.78 kg/h [8.33lbm /h]
h fg 2.25510

2. One hundred tubes of 0.50-in (1.27-cm) diameter are arranged in a square array and
exposed to atmospheric steam. Calculate the mass of steam condensed per unit length of
tubes for a tube wall temperature of 98 C.

Solution: The condensate properties are same as given problem 1, replacing d by nd, where n =
100. Thus,

1/4
2 f gh fg k 3f
h 0.725
f nd(Tg -Tw )
1/4
(960) 2 (9.8)(2.255106 )(0.68)3
= 0.725 -4
(2.8210 )(100)(0.0127)(100-98)
= 12,540 W/m 2 .o C [2209 Btu/h.ft 2 .o F]

The total surface area is

A
n d (100)(0.0127) 3.99 m2 / m
L
So the heat transfer is
 q A
h (Tg Tw ) (12540)(3.99)(100 98) 100.07 kW / m
L L
The total mass flow of condensate is then

m q / L 1.0007105
= 0.0444 kg/s =159.7 kg/h [352lb m /h]
L h fg 2.255106

3. A heated brass plate is submerged in a container of water at atmospheric pressure. The

plate temperature is 242 F. Calculate the heat transfer per unit area of plate.

Solution: We could solve this problem by determining all the properties for use in Equation (9-
33) and subsequently determining the heat flux.

1 3
2
=

An alternative method is to use the data of Figure 9-8 in conjunction with Table 9-2. Upon
writing Equation (9-33), we find that if the heat flux for one particular water-surface
combination is known, the heat flux for some other surface may easily be determined in terms
of the constants Csf for the two surfaces since the fluid properties at any given temperature and
pressure are the same regardless of the surface material. From Figure 9-8 the heat flux for the
water-platinum combination is
 q
3 105 Btu / h. ft 2 [946.1 kW / m2 ]
A
Since,

Tw Tsat 242 212 30o F [16.7o C]

From Table 9-2

0.013 for water-platinum

Csf
0.006 for water-brass
Accordingly,

3
(q / A) C
water brass sf water platinum
(q / A) C
water platinum sf water brass

And
 3
q 0.013
A (3 105 )
water brass 0.006
= 3.4106 Btu/h.ft 2 [1.072107 W/m2 ]

4. Water at 1 atm boils in a stainless-steel kitchen pan with Tx = 8 C. Estimate the heat
flux that will be obtained. If the same pan operates as a pressure cooker at 0.17 MPa,
what percent increase in heat flux might be expected?

Solution: We will use the simplified relation of Table 9-3 for the estimates.

We do not know the value of q/A and so must choose one of the two relations for a horizontal
surface from the table. We anticipate nucleate boiling, so choose

h 5.56(Tx )3 =5.56(8)3 =2847 W/m2 .o C

And the heat flux is

q / A hT (2847)(8)= 22770 W/m2 = 22.8 kW/m2

This value falls within the applicable range of the equation used (16 < q/A < 240 kW/m2). We may
note from Table 9-2 that the values of Csf for platinumwater or stainless steelwater combinations
are approximately equal at 0.013, so one might anticipate that the heat flux displayed for Figure 9-8

would be approximately the same for a stainless-steel surface. At Tx = 8 C an extrapolation of

the figure does give a value for the heat flux that is in approximate agreement with the 22.8 kW/m2
value calculated above.
For operation as a pressure cooker we obtain the value of h,

hp h1 ( p / p1 )0.4 (2847)(0.17/0.101)0.4 =3506 W/m2 .oC

Or a value 23 percent higher than that obtained at 1 atm. The corresponding heat flux is

q / A hT (3506)(8)=28 kW/m 2

5. Saturated water vapor at 1 atm enters a horizontal 5-cm-diameter tube 1.5 m long.

Estimate the condensation for a tube wall temperature of 98 C.

Solution:

d=0.05 Tg =100oC Tw =98oC L=1.5m =960

k=0.68 =2.82 10-4 h'fg h fg =2.255 106

1/4
(960) 2 (9.8)(0.68)3 (2.255 106 )
h 0.555 12117 W/m 2 .o C
(2.82 104 )(0.05)(2)

q =(12117) (0.05)(1.5)(2)=5710 W

5710
m= 2.53210-3 kg/sec = 9.12 kg/hr
2.255 10 6

6. A 20-cm-square vertical plate is maintained at 93C and exposed to saturated water

vapor at 1 atm pressure. Calculate the condensation rate and film thickness at the bottom
of the plate.
Solution:
100+93
Tf = =96.5o C h fg = 2255 103 J/kg = 961 kg/m3
2
= 2.96 10-4 k = 0.68
 1/4
(961) 2 (9.8)(2255 103 )(0.68)3
h= 1.13 4 12605 W/m 2 .o C
(0.2)(2.96 10 )(100 93)

q = (12605)(0.2) 2 (100-93)=3530 W= m (2255103 )

m = 0.00156 kg/s

1/4
(4)(2.96 104 )(0.68)(0.2)(100 93)
8.6 10 5 m
(9.8)(2255 103 )(961) 2