BOILING AND

CONDENSATION
Boiling The change from the liquid to the vapor state is sustained by heat
transfer from the solid surface.
Condensation The change from the vapor to the liquid state results in heat
transfer to the solid surface.

Prepared by
nurhaslina
FKK, UITM

CONVECTION PROCESSES OF BOILING AND

CONDENSATION
Boiling Modes
When evaporation occurs at a solid-liquid interface, it is termed boiling
Heat is transferred from the solid surface to the liquid
qs = h (Ts Tsat) = h Te ,
Te = excess temp.
The process is characterized by the formation of vapor bubbles
Boiling may occur under various conditions:
i) Pool boiling
- process in which the heating surface is submerged in a large
body of stagnant liquid
ii) Forced convection boiling
- fluid motion is induced by external means as well as by free
convection and bubble induced mixing
iii) Subcooled boiling
- the temp.of the liquid is below the saturation temp. and
bubbles formed at the surface may condensed in liquid
iv) Saturated boiling
- the temp. of the liquid slightly exceeds the saturation temp.

Homeworks

Describe briefly the boiling regimes as shown above

(Figure 10.4)

Submit: 23rd of September 2010

Explain briefly the forced convection boiling flow
regimes as shown above (Figure 10.8)

Pool Boiling Correlations

Nucleate Pool Boiling Correlation:
g(

12

c p, Te

q"s

= h fg

The coefficient Cs,f and the exponent n depend on the solid-liquid combination and representative
experimentally determined values are presented in Table 10.1

C s,f h fg Pr n

Critical Heat Flux

"
qmax
= Ch fg

g(

14

For horizontal plates (C = 0.149)

For sphere, large horizontal cylinders and large finite heated surfaces (C = 0.131)

Minimum Heat Flux

"
qmin
= Ch fg

g( )
( + )2

14
C = 0.09

All properties are evaluated at the saturation temperature.

Pool Boiling Correlations

Film Pool Boiling Correlation:
Nu D =

hconv D
=C
k

g(

) h'fgD3
k (Ts Tsat )

14

For horizontal cylinders (C = 0.62)

For spheres (C = 0.67)
h'fg = h fg + 0.80 c p,v (Ts

Tsat )

Vapor properties are evaluated at the film temperature, Tf = (Ts + Tsat)/2 and the liquid density is evaluated
at the saturation temperature (Tsat).
At Ts 300C, radiation across the vapor film becomes significant. To calculate total heat transfer
coefficient:

43

43

13

= hconv + hrad h

h = hconv +

3
hrad
4

if

hrad < hconv

The effective radiation coefficient is expressed as

hrad

4
Ts4 Tsat
=
Ts Tsat

= emissivity of the solid (Table A.11)

= Stefan-Boltzman constant

EXAMPLES:
PROBLEM 10.10 Nucleate Boiling
PROBLEM 10.27 Film Boiling

CONDENSATION : PHYSICAL MECHANISMS

Condensation occurs when the temperature of a vapor is reduced
below its saturation temperature
The latent energy of the vapor is released, heat is transferred to the
surface and the condensate is formed
Modes of Condensation :
i) Film condensation (Figure 10.9 a)
- occurs in clean and uncontaminated surface
ii) Dropwise condensation (Figure 10.9 b)
- occurs in coated surface with a substance that inhibits wetting
- the drops form in crack, pits and cavities on the surface
iii) homogenous condensation (Figure 10.9 c)
- vapor condenses out as droplets suspended in a gas phase to
form a fog
iv) direct contact condensation (Figure 10.9 d)
- occurs when vapor is brought into contact with a cold liquid

LAMINAR CONDENSATION ON A VERTICAL

PLATE

For laminar film condensation, the total condensation rate may be

determined from the relation :
m= q
q = total heat transfer to the surface
hfg
The total heat transfer to the surface is
q = hL A (Tsat Ts)
The average Nusselt number :
NuL = hL L = 0.943 g ( - v ) hfg L3
k
k (Tsat Ts)

1/4

Heat of vaporization, hfg

hfg = hfg (1 + 0.68Ja)
Ja = CP (Tsat Ts)
hfg

* All liquid properties ( , , CP , k) should be evaluated at the film

temperature, Tf = (Tsat Ts)/2 and v and hfg should be evaluated at Tsat *

TURBULENT FILM CONDENSATION

To check the flow conditions, Reynolds number may be expressed as

Re = 4m = 4 Um
b

Laminar wave-free region (Re 30)

Laminar wavy region (30 Re 1800)

Turbulent region (Re 1800)

b

For Laminar Wave free Region:

,
hL (2/g)1/3 = 1.47 Re-1/3
Re 30
k
For Laminar Wavy Region :
,
hL (2/g)1/3 =
Re
30 Re 1800
k
1.08 Re1.22 5.2
For Turbulent Region :
,
hL (2/g)1/3 =
Re
Re 1800
k
8750 + 58Pr-0.5 (Re0.75 253)
= /

g = 9.81 m/s2

 To determine the value of Reynolds number,

Re :

Re = 3.78

Re =

Re =

k L(Tsat
h'fg

Ts )

/g

13

Ts )

/g

13

0.069 k L(Tsat
h'fg

Re 30

3.70 k L(Tsat
h'fg

34

+ 4.8

Ts )

/g

0.82

13

30 Re 1800

+ Pr 0.5 151 Pr 0.5 + 253

43

Re 1800

FILM CONDENSATION ON RADIAL SYSTEMS

Laminar film condensation on the outer surface of a sphere may be
expressed as :
hD = 0.826 g ( - v ) k3 hfg
(Tsat Ts) D
Laminar film condensation on the outer surface of a horizontal tube:
hD = 0.729 g ( - v ) k3 hfg
(Tsat Ts) D
For N horizontal tubes :
hD,N = 0.729 g ( - v ) k3 hfg
N (Tsat Ts) D
hD,N = hDN-1/4 ,
hD = heat transfer coefficient for the
first (upper) tube
hfg = hfg [1 + 0.68 Ja] , Ja = CP (Tsat Ts)
hfg

FILM CONDENSATION IN HORIZONTAL TUBES

For low vapor velocities :
Re,i = um, D
< 35,000

i
Laminar film condensation in the inner surface of a horizontal tube
may be expressed as :
hD = 0.555 g ( - v ) k3 hfg
(Tsat Ts) D
hfg = hfg + 3 CP (Tsat Ts)
8

DROPWISE CONDENSATION
For drop wise condensation :
hdc = 51104 + 2044 Tsat (c)
hdc = 255510

22c Tsat 100c

Tsat 100c

All liquid properties are evaluated at the film temperature

Tf = (Tsat + Ts)/2
and hfg are evaluated at Tsat

Example Film condensation on vertical plate

PROBLEM 10.47
Saturated ethylene glycol vapor at 1 atm is exposed to a vertical plate
300 mm high and 100 mm wide having a uniform temperature of 420 K.
Estimate the heat transfer rate to the plate and the condensation rate.
Approximate the liquid properties as those corresponding to saturated
conditions at 373 K (Table A.5)

Example Film condensation on radial system

PROBLEM 10.55

A horizontal tube of 50mm diameter with a surface temperature of 34c is

exposed to steam at 0.2 bar. Estimate the condensation rate and heat transfer
rate per unit length of the tube?