Effect of inundation for condensation of steam on smooth and enhanced condenser tubes

The paper presents new measurements on the effect of inundation during condensation of steam in tubes banks. Most of the data relate to wire-wrapped enhanced tubes but measurements are also reported for low-finned and smooth tubes. The technique of artificial inundation has been used where liquid is supplied above a single horizontal test condenser tube to simulate condensate draining from higher tubes. Inundation rates have been used to simulate a column of up to almost 30 tubes. The surface temperature of the condenser tube was measured at four locations around the tube using buried thermocouples. The heat transfer and hence condensation rate was determined from the mass flow rate and temperature rise from coolant. The temperature and flow rate of the simulated inundation was carefully controlled. All tests were carried out at atmospheric pressure with constant vapour downflow approach velocity and constant coolant flow rate. For the given coolant and vapour flow rates and temperatures (same for all tests), and in the absence of inundation, the vapour-side heat-transfer coefficient for the finned tube was around four times that of the smooth tube while the heat-transfer coefficient for the wire-wrapped tubes was independent of winding pitch and around 30% higher than for the smooth tube. For inundation conditions the smooth tube data are in line with the widely used Kern equation relating the heat-transfer coefficient to the depth of a tube in the bank. The heat-transfer coefficient for the finned tube was virtually unaffected by inundation up to the maximum used which was equivalent to a depth of about 20 finned tubes in a bank. At this depth level the heat-transfer coefficient for the finned tube was around six times that of the smooth tube. For the wire-wrapped tubes the deterioration in performance with increasing inundation was least for the smallest winding pitch used for which the heat-transfer coefficient fell by around 9% at an equivalent depth in a bank of 25 tubes. At this depth level the heat-transfer coefficient for the wire-wrapped tube was almost twice that of the smooth tube.