Condensation Unit

Objective:
✓ To study/observe types of condensation
✓ To observe effect of pressure on evaporation
✓ Calculating the Heat Flow Rate, Heat Flow Density and Coefficient of Heat Transfer.

Apparatus:
1. WL 230 Condensation Unit
Theoretical Background:
• Condensation:
Condensation is the change of
the physical state of matter from gas phase into
liquid phase, and is the reverse of vaporization. It
can also be defined as the change in the state of
water vapor to liquid water when in contact with any
surface. When the transition happens from the
gaseous phase into the solid phase directly, the
change is called deposition.
Condensation is initiated by the formation of
atomic/molecular clusters of that species within its
gaseous volume—like rain drop or snow-flake formation within clouds—or at the contact
between such gaseous phase and a liquid or solid surface.
Condensation commonly occurs when a vapor is cooled and/or compressed to its
saturation limit when the molecular density in the gas phase reaches its maximal threshold.
Vapor cooling and compressing equipment that collects condensed liquids is called a
"condenser”.
Condensation is of two types:
1. Film Condensation
2. Drop Condensation

• Film Condensation:
In film condensation, the surface is blanketed by a liquid film of
increasing thickness, and this “liquid wall” between solid surface and the vapor serves as a
resistance to heat transfer.
Thermal resistance is reduced through use of short vertical surfaces and
horizontal cylinders.

• Drop Condensation:
In drop wise condensation, however, the droplets slide down when they
reach a certain size, clearing the surface and exposing it to vapor. There is no liquid film in
this case to resist heat transfer.
As a result, heat transfer rates are more than 10 times larger in drop
wise condensation.
PROCEDURE:
1.Set the apparatus and turn on the machine.
2.Check all the things are in place and the instruments are clean and working.
3.Set the heater 2 to 90°C and the water jet pump to 0.3 bar.
4.Fully open cooling water valve.
5.Switch on heater and water jet pump.
6.Water temperature rises. And as due to water jet pump pressure decreases and water
starts boiling.
7.Keep the temperature so that water doesn’t boils excessively.
8.Cold water flow through the condenser’s pipes (4) and the steam when comes in
contact with them it loses its heat to the pipes and condenses with the pipes
9.The type of condensation whether film or drop wise depends on the type of material
used.
10.We are using here copper and gold platted material, on copper Film type condensation
is observed while on gold drop wise condensation is seen.
11.Note down the temperatures, the flow rate of water for both condenser pipes and the
heat contents.
12.We are to calculate the heat flow rate (𝑄̇), heat flux (𝑞̇ ) and the co-efficient of heat
transfer (α)

Provided Data:
➢ Steam temperature = T7 𝑄̇
➢ Heat Flux → 𝑞̇ =
𝐴
➢ Pressure = 1.70 Bar
➢ Heat Transfer Coefficient →
➢ Heat Transfer → 𝑄̇ = 𝑚̇ × 𝐶𝑝 × ∆𝑇
𝑄̇
➢ Cp=4.187 kJ/kgK 𝛼=
𝐴(𝑇7 − 𝑇3 )
➢ Area= 3.619x10-3 m2
Observations and Calculations:
✓ When T7=50˚C
COPPER GOLD

Inlet temperature of T1=21˚C T4=21˚C

cold water
Outlet temperature of T2=24.1˚C T5=23.6˚C

cold water
Surface temperature T3=21.7˚C T6=22.1˚C

Flow rate of water 𝑣̇ 1 = 98𝑙/ℎ 𝑣̇ 2 = 96𝑙/ℎ

✓ When T7=80˚C
COPPER GOLD

Inlet temperature of T1=21˚C T4=21˚C

cold water
Outlet temperature of T2=24.3˚C T5=24.2˚C

cold water
Surface temperature T3=22.9˚C T6=24.5˚C

Flow rate of water 𝑣̇ 1 = 98𝑙/ℎ 𝑣̇ 2 = 96𝑙/ℎ

✓ When T7=50˚C: Copper

𝑣̇ = 2.69 × 10−5 𝑚3 /𝑠𝑒𝑐 𝑄̇ 0.348
𝑞̇ = = → 𝒒̇
𝑄̇ = 𝑚̇𝐶𝑝 ∆𝑇 = 𝜌𝑣̇ 𝐶𝑝 ∆𝑇 𝐴 3.619 × 10−3
= 𝟗𝟔. 𝟏𝟔 𝑾/𝒎𝟐
𝑄̇ = 998 × (2.69 × 10−5 ) × 4.187 0.348
× (24.1 − 21) 𝛼=
(3.619 × 10−3 )(50 − 21.7)
𝑸̇ = 𝟎. 𝟑𝟒𝟖𝑾
𝜶 = 𝟑. 𝟒 𝑾/𝑲𝒎𝟐
 ✓ When T7=50˚C: Gold
𝑣̇ = 2.69 × 10−5 𝑚3 /𝑠𝑒𝑐 𝑄̇ 0.292
𝑞̇ = = → 𝒒̇
𝑄̇ = 𝑚̇𝐶𝑝 ∆𝑇 = 𝜌𝑣̇ 𝐶𝑝 ∆𝑇 𝐴 3.619 × 10−3
= 𝟖𝟎. 𝟕𝟓 𝑾/𝒎𝟐
𝑄̇ = 998 × (2.69 × 10−5 ) × 4.187 0.292
× (23.6 − 21) 𝛼=
(3.619 × 10−3 )(50 − 22.1)
𝑸̇ = 𝟎. 𝟐𝟗𝟐𝑾
𝜶 = 𝟐. 𝟖𝟗 𝑾/𝑲𝒎𝟐

✓ When T7=80˚C: Copper

𝑣̇ = 2.69 × 10−5 𝑚3 /𝑠𝑒𝑐 𝑄̇ 0.371
𝑞̇ = = → 𝒒̇
𝑄̇ = 𝑚̇𝐶𝑝 ∆𝑇 = 𝜌𝑣̇ 𝐶𝑝 ∆𝑇 𝐴 3.619 × 10−3
= 𝟏𝟎𝟐. 𝟓 𝑾/𝒎𝟐
𝑄̇ = 998 × (2.69 × 10−5 ) × 4.187 0.371
× (24.3 − 21) 𝛼=
(3.619 × 10−3 )(80 − 22.9)
𝑸̇ = 𝟎. 𝟑𝟕𝟏𝑾
𝜶 = 𝟏. 𝟖𝟎 𝑾/𝑲𝒎𝟐

✓ When T7=80˚C: Gold

𝑣̇ = 2.69 × 10−5 𝑚3 /𝑠𝑒𝑐 𝑄̇ 0.359
𝑞̇ = = → 𝒒̇
𝑄̇ = 𝑚̇𝐶𝑝 ∆𝑇 = 𝜌𝑣̇ 𝐶𝑝 ∆𝑇 𝐴 3.619 × 10−3
= 𝟗𝟗. 𝟒 𝑾/𝒎𝟐
𝑄̇ = 998 × (2.69 × 10−5 ) × 4.187 0.359
× (24.2 − 21) 𝛼=
(3.619 × 10−3 )(80 − 22.9)
𝑸̇ = 𝟎. 𝟑𝟓𝟗 𝑾
𝜶 = 𝟏. 𝟕𝟗 𝑾/𝑲𝒎𝟐

Conclusion:
Dropwise condensation is a more effective method of heat transfer than film wise
condensation and the presence of air in steam vapor significantly reduces the heat transfer.
This result is based on the data that is collected and the observation in the graph. The heat
flux and the heat transfer coefficient of dropwise condensation is higher compared to film
wise condensation. Film wise is poor conductor of heat which creates thermal resistance
that causes heat flux and heat transfer coefficient is lower than dropwise condensation.