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Institution of Chemical Engineers
Trans IChemE, Vol 77, Part A, March 1999
T
he equilibrium approach of Silver1 and Bell and Ghaly2 , is widely used in the industrial
design of condensers because it usually gives acceptable accuracy, though it is
acknowledged to be less reliable than the ® lm model approach developed by Colburn
et al.3 ,4 . It fails to describe wet wall de-superheating of superheated vapour mixtures but has
been successfully modi® ed by McNaught5 for this case. This work shows that Silver-Bell also
fails to describe the condensation of vapour mixtures forming immiscible condensates with
acceptable accuracy. A new modi® cation, similar to that of McNaught, is proposed and shown
to give good predictions of experimental data, measured in a shell and tube condenser of
industrial scale.
Keywords: condenser behaviour; immiscible condensates; industrial design
110
EQUILIBRIUM MODEL FOR CONDENSATION OF VAPOURS OF IMMISCIBLE LIQUIDS 111
ag are both ee times larger than qÇ g and ag . It has become Modi® ed Equilibrium Model for Vapours of Immiscible
normal practice to use ag in applying the Silver-Bell approach Liquids
and McNaught1 7 has shown that this gives generally better The present paper considers the application of the above
results. Equation (15) is found to give a higher gas side equations to the case of condensation of the vapours of
resistance than equation (14) by the Ackermann factor of immiscible liquids. In general, three different modes of heat
(ee 1)/e. In consequence, the modi® cation makes the transfer are required to describe this process. For generality
equilibrium model with the correction safer in design. The it is assumed that the vapours are superheated at the inlet to
modi® cation becomes more important where higher con- the condenser.
densation ¯ ux, nÇ T , is involved. This modi® cation has It is helpful to consider Figure 2, which is the cooling
become accepted and in the remainder of the paper the curve that is appropriate for the process. It shows how these
Silver-Bell method, modi® ed in this manner, will be three modes of heat transfer are assumed to occur in the
referred to as Silver-Bell (wMT), (i.e. with Mass Transfer). modi® ed equilibrium approach. The feed, at a temperature
Recently, Webb et al.1 8 have explained more clearly the Tg , is superheated, i.e. above the saturation temperature, Td .
relationship between the ® lm and equilibrium models and it If the surface temperature, Ts , lies above Td then no
is clear that the application of ag does not resolve the condensation will take place but the gas will be cooled (de-
discrepancy between the models. superheated) following the path shown in Region 1. The
surface temperature will fall and eventually reaches the dew
point Td , which marks the end of Region 1.
McNaught Model of De-superheating In Region 2, the surface temperature lies between the dew
The equilibrium approach was developed for the case point and the azeotropic temperature, Tu . This is a region
where the bulk gas-vapour mixture is taken to follow the where condensation produces a single-phase condensate.
saturation curve. As explained in the introduction, it The dew point temperature falls through this region as the
fails for the case of superheated vapours. McNaught5 composition changes, and there is an approach towards
recti® ed this by a simple modi® cation to the equilibrium azeotropic conditions. The gas may be saturated or super-
model, which allows condensation to occur before de- heated but in either case a considerable sensible heat load is
superheating is complete giving the so-called wet wall de- involved. The end of the region is reached when the surface
superheating process. Its inception occurs when the wall temperature becomes azeotropic. This region should be
temperature in de-superheating alone falls below the dew described by the improved Silver-Bell method, (wMT), if
point, Ts # Td , the vapour is saturated or the McNaught de-superheating
model, Silver-Bell (wDS), if the vapour is superheated.
ao Region 3 shows the surface temperature less than the
Ts Tg Tg To 16
ao ag azeotropic temperature and condensation will produce both
Equation (15) is still used to calculate the overall heat liquid phases. The failure of the established methods
transfer coef® cient but qÇ o and qÇ g are calculated as follows, described above arises because they prolong Region 2
until the gas saturation temperature reaches Tu (along the
qÇ o ag Tg Td ag T d Ts nÇ T D hÄ vf Ts 17 dotted line in Figure 2). The new model proposed below,
which is an extension of Silver-Bell (wDS), gives an
Uo Td To 18 improved treatment of Region 3. In the new model, the
azeotropic temperature is the appropriate dew point and
qÇ g ag Td Ts 19
there is therefore a discontinuity in assumed saturation
More correctly, these equations should be written in terms
of qÇ s because the method does not account for the additional
sensible heat to cool the condensing species to the interface
temperature, though this is negligible compared with the
total heat ¯ ux. Also, it is only of the same magnitude as the
neglected sub-cooling term.
The de-superheating model requires that the change of
gas temperature is followed. It may be predicted by the
equation of downstream development from the ® lm model,
a differential energy balance over an element of the
condenser area. This is given by either of,
dTg
qÇ s ee NÇ g cÄ pg 20
dA
dTg
qÇ g NÇ g cÄ pg 21
dA
where NÇ g and cÄ pg are the local molal ¯ owrate and mean
molar heat capacity of the vapour mixture respectively.
Again the difference between qÇ s and qÇ g arises from the
cooling of the condensing vapour from gas to the condensate
surface. In the remainder of the paper this model will be
referred to as Silver-Bell (wDS), with de-superheating. Figure 2. Modi® ed equilibrium approach.
temperature at the beginning of Region 3. The usual cooling Table 1. Predictions of Condensation of Superheated Vapours.
curve, which is pre-determined, is used and the condensa-
Superheat (°C) 0 10 20 30 40
tion of the second phase is still delayed until the vapour
composition reaches azeotropic. However, the vapour Condensed (%)
side resistance is modi® ed as though both phases were Film Method 83.6 80.1 76.2 72.2 67.9
condensing. The gas temperature must be calculated from Silver-Bell (wDS) 81.0 77.7 74.2 70.6 67.1
Silver-Bell 82.2 49.3 31.3 19.2 10.1
either equation (20) or (21). In Region 4, all methods predict
condensation to produce both condensate phases, i.e. Pressure Drop (kPa)
Film Method 0.572 0.618 0.667 0.721 0.779
azeotropic condensation. Silver-Bell (wDS) 0.590 0.625 0.661 0.698 0.735
Silver-Bell 0.584 0.994 1.191 1.314 1.401
FURTHER DISCUSSION
It has been shown that the Silver-Bell (wIV) method for
condensation involving immiscible condensates developed
in this work is successful in predicting the overall behaviour
found in the experimental study giving good predictions of
heat load, within 10%, and pressure drop, within 30%.
The experimental data in this work are for a mixture of
water and hexane from which water condenses ® rst in
Region 2 of Figure 2. Water as condensate gives a much
better heat transfer coef® cient than hexane and the delayed
appearance of the hydrocarbon species will have given a
low estimate of condensate resistance compared to the ® lm
method. This is the probable reason why the gas phase
resistance appears to be underestimated relative to the ® lm
model in Figure 6.
Figure 6. Heat transfer resistances. In general, the Silver-Bell equilibrium model tends to
give conservative predictions of gas side resistance during
condensation of saturated water vapour and this is observed
The ® rst region of Figure 6 shows both the surface and the in the present study, where water condenses ® rst. To some
gas saturation temperatures greater than azeotropic and extent this compensates for the low estimates in the region
represents condensation of one component alone from the of Figure 6 where the new model applies. However this
mixture. This zone ends where Ts becomes equal to the cannot be generalized to all mixtures and uncertainty
azeotropic temperature. Silver-Bell (wDS) and (wIV) remains as to whether the Silver-Bell method is safe in
methods are identical in this region. The gas side resistance design.
predicted by the ® lm method is also shown in Figure 6. The Although the modi® ed Silver-Bell method developed in
prediction given by the Silver-Bell methods is not too this study describes the commercial hexane-water mixture
different from that given by the ® lm method with the former successfully, further work is required to fully validate the
safer in design. method. Firstly, the present work shows water condensing
In the second region, the surface temperature falls below ® rst and data are required for a mixture in which
but the gas saturation temperature is greater than the hydrocarbons condense ® rst. Secondly, studies are required
azeotropic value. In the ® lm model the region is one of under reduced pressure, where the single-phase mode of
condensation of both phases but this cannot be incorporated condensation is likely to be more important.
into the equilibrium methods based as they are on a pre-
determined cooling curve. The second region is treated
differently in the new method, Silver-Bell (wIV), from CONCLUSIONS
Silver-Bell (wDS), through the use of the azeotropic rather 1. The Silver-Bell method, as modi® ed to describe wet wall
than the dew temperature to calculate qÇ g /Çqo . This causes an de-superheating involved in condensation of superheated
abrupt discontinuity followed by a decreasing trend in the vapour mixtures, has been shown to give much better
gas side resistance over region 2. In the Silver-Bell (wDS) agreement with the ® lm model for the conditions of the
method the curve showing the gas side resistance is present experimental work.
continued and assumes much greater values. The modi® ca- 2. Based on the concept of the Silver-Bell wet wall de-
tion therefore signi® cantly decreases the gas side resistance superheating model, a new modi® cation has been developed
and it has been shown above that this greatly improves the for condensation of vapours of immiscible liquids. The
prediction of experimental results. The gas side resistance modi® ed method has been evaluated by experimental work
predicted by the ® lm method is quite closely approximated with commercial hexane-water mixtures. This model has
by the new method, Silver-Bell (wIV), with the latter proved very successful in describing the overall behaviour
sometimes safe and sometimes unsafe if applied in design. found in the experimental study giving good predictions of
The last region starts when the dew point temperature of heat load, within 10%, and pressure drop, within 30%.
the vapour falls to the azeotropic temperature. Here both
condensate phases appear together irrespective of the model
used. The new model is again identical to Silver-Bell (wDS) NOMENCLATURE
and agreement with the ® lm method is very good. cp speci® c heat capacity
In summary, the only major difference in heat transfer D hÄ v molar latent heat
resistance predicted by the ® lm and Silver-Bell methods lies nÇ molal ¯ ux of condensation
in the gas phase. The new method, Silver-Bell (wIV), is NÇ molal ¯ owrate
p pressure
different from Silver-Bell (wDS) only in the second region qÇ heat ¯ ux
of Figure 6 but it does show much better agreement there T temperature
with the heat transfer resistance derived from the ® lm Uo overall heat transfer coef® cient
model. The major remaining discrepancy with physical
reality and the ® lm method is that no Silver-Bell based Greek symbols
ag gas heat transfer coef® cient
method shows azeotropic condensation of both phases in ao overall liquid side heat transfer coef® cient
this region even though the surface temperature falls below l thermal conductivity
the azeotropic temperature. e ratio of sensible to conductive heat ¯ ux
Subscripts 10. Polley, G. T. and Calus, W. F., 1978, The effect of condensate pattern
d dew point value on heat transfer during the condensation of binary mixtures of vapours
eff effective of immiscible liquids, 6th Int Heat Transfer Conf Toronto, Vol 2, Paper
f relating to ® lm CS-16.
g relating to gas 11. Sardesai, R. G. and Webb, D. R., 1982, Condensation of binary vapours
i component number of immiscible liquids, Chem Eng Science, 37 (4): 529±537.
s relating to interface 12. Sardesai, R. G., 1979, Studies in condensation, PhD Thesis, (University
o overall (for heat transfer coef® cients) of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, UK).
o relating to coolant (for temperatures) 13. Deo, P. V., 1979, Condensation of mixed vapours, PhD Thesis,
T total (University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, UK).
u azeotropic value 14. Papaioannou, I. K., 1984, Condensation of binary vapour mixtures on a
horizontal tube bank, PhD Thesis, (University of Manchester Institute
Superscripts of Science and Technology, UK).
~ molar quantity 15. Spiliotis, X., 1983, Immiscible condensation, PhD Thesis, (University of
· rate Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, UK).
· high ¯ ux correction by equation (4) 16. Webb, D. R. and Kim, J. S., 1989, Condensation of hydrocarbon-water
* high ¯ ux correction by equation (8) vapour mixtures in a shell-and-tube condenser, Chem Emg Res Des, 67:
87±95.
17. Mc Naught, J., 1979, Mass transfer correction terms in design methods
for multicomponent partial condensers, 18th National Heat Transfer
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118: 21±37. after revision 15 February 1999.