KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY

DHULIKHEL, KAVRE

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

TERM PAPER IV ON

HEAT TRANSFER CORRELATIONS FOR FILM CONDENSATION

SUBMITTED BY SUBMITTED TO

BIGYAN PARAJULI (32142) ER. MALESH SHAH

ENERGY TECHNOLOGY DOME

12 December 2020
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF FIGURES..............................................................................................................................ii

INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................................1

CONDENSATION.................................................................................................................................1

FILMWISE CONDENSATION.............................................................................................................1

DROPWISE CONDENSATION..........................................................................................................1

DISCUSSION............................................................................................................................................2

FILM CONDENSATION OF VERTICAL PLATE..............................................................................2

FILM CONDENSATION OF INCLINED PLATE...............................................................................4

VERTICAL TUBE..................................................................................................................................4

HORIZONTAL TUBE AND SPHERES..............................................................................................4

EFFECT OF VAPOR VELOCITY.......................................................................................................5

PRESENCE OF NON-CONDENSABLE GASES IN CONDENSERS...........................................5

CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................................5

REFERENCES..........................................................................................................................................7

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TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Modes of condensation [1]......................................................................................................1
Figure 2: Film condensation in vertical plate [1]...................................................................................2
Figure 3: Filmwise condensation on inclined plate [1].........................................................................4
Figure 4: The presence of non-condensable gases in vapor [3]........................................................5

INTRODUCTION
CONDENSATION
When saturated vapor comes in contact with a cooler surfaces, the vapor condenses into liquid.
The condensation is a phase change process from vapor to liquid which occurs only when vapor
temperature is below the vapor saturation temperature while vapor strikes the surface.

Depending on the condition of surface, condensation occurs mainly in two possible ways:

1. Filmwise condensation
2. Dropwise condensation

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 Filmwise condensation Dropwise condensation

Figure 1: Modes of condensation[ CITATION Mah16 \l 1033 ]

FILMWISE CONDENSATION
If the liquid wets the surface a thin layer of fluids forms over the surface and the film thickness
increase along the downward directions. This type is known as filmwise condensation. In most
practical situation, this type of condensation is encountered most. The film introduces a
resistance to heat flow between the surface and the vapor. The heat transfer is reduced
because of this resistance.

DROPWISE CONDENSATION
If the surface is non-wetting, then droplets form on the surface and these roll down individually.
The vapor is in direct contact with the surface over most of the area and heat transfer rates are
much higher as there is very little resistance heat flow between the vapor and the surface. This
type is known for dropwise condensation[ CITATION CPK06 \l 1033 ].

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DISCUSSION
FILM CONDENSATION OF VERTICAL PLATE
For the laminar film condensation over a vertical flat plate of height l, first of all condensation
problems are first analyzed by Nusselt number under the following conditions:

A) The plate is maintained at constant temperature Ts that is less than the saturation
temperature of vapor.
B) The vapor has low viscosity and it doesn’t exert viscous shear force at liquid vapor
interface.
C) The downward flow of condensation under the action of gravity is laminar.
D) Fluid properties are constant.
E) Heat transfer across the condensate layer is by pure conduction, hence the liquid
temperature distribution is linear.
F) Unit depth in z direction.

Figure 2: Film condensation in vertical plate[ CITATION Mah16 \l 1033 ]

Weight of fluid element of thickness dx between y and δ is balanced by viscous shear force at y
and buoyancy force due to displaced vapor.

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 du
ρg ( δ− y ) dx=ρ v g ( δ − y ) dx+ μ dx……………. (1)
dy

After integrating on both sides and with the boundary condition at y=0, u=0 we get c=0 then
substituting it in equation which we get after integrating.

After that mass flow rate of condensate per unit width position of the film is integrated. Since the
liquid temperature distribution is linear, then element heat flux at the wall will be calculated from
which negative sign is omitted, since heat flows in opposite y direction. The heat transfer rate

Q=K f dx ( T sat −T s ) /δ ……… (2)

For the element, heat transfer rate Q at the wall is equal to heat transfer rate during
condensation.

After which equations are arranged and integrated on both sides and we treat various terms as
1
constant which gives δ directly proportional to x 4

The surface heat transfer rate per unit width of the plate by convection can be expressed as

Q=hxdx ( Tsat −Ts )…….. (3)

Then,

kf
hx= ………… ………….. (4)
δ

After which we substitute value of δ and hx for the calculation of average heat transfer
coefficient for laminar film condensation of height l which gives

ρ ( ρ−ρ v ) g h fg k f 3
h=0.943 [ μL(Tsat −Ts) ] ^1/4....… (5)

Where,

μis viscosity of liquid

k f is thermal conductivity of liquid

ρ is density of fluid

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ρ v is density of vapor

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 ‘g’ is acceleration due to gravity

Ts is plate surface temperature

Tsat is saturation temperature of vapor

L is height of plate

FILM CONDENSATION OF INCLINED PLATE

Above equation 5 can be used for film condensation of inclined plate by replacing g in equation
by cos θ so,

hinc =h vert ( cos θ )1 /4 …….. (6)

Figure 3: Filmwise condensation on inclined plate[ CITATION

Mah16 \l 1033 ]

VERTICAL TUBE
Same above equation 5 can be used to calculate the average heat transfer coefficient for
laminar film condensation on the outer surfaces of vertical tubes provided that the tube diameter
is large relative to the thickness of the liquid film[ CITATION Mah16 \l 1033 ].

HORIZONTAL TUBE AND SPHERES

The analysis of condensation on outside surface of horizontal tube and sphere is shown in fig
above and is more complicated than that on a vertical surface. Nusselt analysis for laminar
filmwise condensation on the surface of a horizontal tube of outside diameter D gives the
average heat transfer coefficient as same as equation 5 where constant is replaced by 0.729
and 0.815 for horizontal tube and sphere respectively[ CITATION Mah16 \l 1033 ].

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EFFECT OF VAPOR VELOCITY
In the analysis done above assumptions were made as vapor velocity to be small and thus
vapor drag exerted on the liquid film is to be negligible, which is usually made in most cases.
So, when the vapor velocity is high, vapor will pull the liquid at the interface must drop to the
value of liquid velocity but in case if the vapor flows downward, additional force will increase the
average velocity of fluid and thus decrease the film thickness. Because of which the thermal
resistance of liquid film and as a result it increases heat transfer.

PRESENCE OF NON-CONDENSABLE GASES IN CONDENSERS

From many studies, there is shown that presence of non-condensable gases in condensers has
effect on condensation heat transfer.

Figure 4: The presence of non-condensable gases in vapor[ CITATION

ErM20 \l 1033 ]

Even if there is presence of condensable gases in small amount vapor causes significant drop
in heat transfer coefficient during condensation. Heat transfer in the presence of non-
condensable gas is strictly dependent on the nature of vapor flow and velocity. So, high flow
velocity is responsible in removing the stagnant non-condensable gas from the surface which
finally helps to improve heat transfer[ CITATION ErM20 \l 1033 ].

CONCLUSION
Heat transfer in condensation depends on whether the condensate flow is laminar or turbulent.
The criterion for the flow regimes provided by Reynolds number. First of all with the help of
certain assumptions by Nusselt number, average heat transfer coefficient for laminar film

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condensation over a vertical flat plate of height was calculated while in case of inclined plate g
was replaced by cos θ in same equation, for vertical tube: tube diameter was chosen large

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relative to the thickness of liquid film, for horizontal tube and spheres: constants 0.729 and
0.815 was kept in place of 0.943 respectively.

Similarly there is effect of vapor velocity, in heat transfer for film condensation and the presence
of non-condensable gas in a vapor prevents the vapor molecules from reaching the cold surface
easily, and thus impedes condensation heat transfer.

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REFERENCES

[1] M. M. Rathore, Engineering heat and mass transfer, Maharastha: Laxmi publications ltd,
2016.

[2] C. Kothandaraman, Fundamentals of heat and mass transfer, Delhi: New age international
limited publisher, 2006.

[3] E. M. shah, Boiling and condensation, Kathmandu, 2020.

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