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15 - Fundamentals of Condensation

S. Mostafa Ghiaasiaan
Affiliation:
Georgia Institute of Technology
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Summary

Basic Processes in Condensation

Condensation is a process in which the removal of heat from a system causes a vapor to convert into liquid. Condensation plays an important role in nature, where it is a crucial component of the water cycle, and in industry. Condensation processes are numerous, taking place in a multitude of situations. In view of their diversity, a classification of condensation processes is helpful. Classification can be based on various factors, including the following:

  • Mode of condensation: homogeneous, dropwise, film, or direct contact.

  • Conditions of the vapor: single-component, multicomponent with all components condensable, multicomponent including noncondensable component(s), etc.

  • System geometry: plane surface, external, internal, etc.

There are of course overlaps among the categories from different classification methods. Classification based on mode of condensation is probably the most useful, and modes of condensation are now described.

Homogeneous Condensation

Homogeneous condensation can happen when vapor is sufficiently cooled below its saturation temperature to induce droplet nucleation, it may be caused by mixing of two vapor streams at different temperatures, radiative cooling of vapor–noncondensable mixtures (fog formation in the atmosphere), or sudden depressurization of a vapor. In fact, cloud formation in the atmosphere is a result of adiabatic expansion of warm and humid air masses that rise and cool.

Type
Chapter
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Two-Phase Flow, Boiling, and Condensation
In Conventional and Miniature Systems
, pp. 436 - 461
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2007

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