Condensation of a hydrocarbon in the presence of a non-condensable gas: Heat and mass transfer

• Condensation of a hydrocarbon in the presence of non-condensable gases was studied.
• Mechanism of condensation heat and mass transfer was analyzed.
• Non-condensable gas decreases heat transfer due to mass transfer resistance increase.
• Vapor-shear enhances condensing by good mixing and thinning, ripping condensate film.
• Newly developed heat transfer correlations predict experimental data well.

This paper presents experimental study for horizontal tubeside and shellside condensation of kerosene in the presence of a wide range of non-condensable gas. Using the heat and mass transfer analogy model, the heat and mass transfer mechanism of the condensate film and the vapor-gas phase has been analyzed. Convective condensation of hydrocarbon mixtures in the presence of non-condensable gases in shear-controlled flow is strongly dependent on the diffusion of the vapor molecules through the non-condensable gas onto the condensate film. The mass transfer resistance increases as the non-condensable gas concentration increases, and the interfacial temperature decreases as the less volatile components condense. Our experimental results demonstrate that the heat transfer performance is influenced by the non-condensable gas, vapor, condensate Reynolds numbers, Schmidt number and Jacob number. Comparisons of a newly developed heat transfer correlation based on the heat and mass transfer analogy with experimental data show a good agreement. The correlations can be applied to tubeside and shellside condensation of mixtures with non-condensable gases.