Shear/pressure driven internal condensing flows and their sensitivity to inlet pressure fluctuations

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

11-11-2011

Abstract

The reported experimental results are for annular zones of fully condensing flows of pure FC-72 vapor. The flow condenses on the bottom surface (316 Stainless Steel) of a horizontal, rectangular cross-section duct. The sides and top of the duct are made of clear plastic. The experimental system in which this condenser is used is able to control steady-in-the-mean (termed quasi-steady) values of mass flow rate, inlet (or exit) pressure, and wall cooling conditions. It has been reported elsewhere that, with the condenser mean (time averaged) inlet mass flow rate, mean inlet (or exit) pressure, and wall cooling condition held at quasi-steady values, there is a very strong sensitivity to certain impositions of pressure fluctuations and accompanying flow rate pulsations at the condenser inlet. For these impositions, it was found that the mean exit (or inlet) pressure changes to significantly affect mean test-section pressure difference, local heat-flux variations over the annular portion of the flow, and the nature of the annular flow regime. This paper experimentally investigates how the strength of this sensitivity varies with amplitude and frequency of pressure fluctuations imposed on the inlet of the condenser from the vapor line. It has been found that, for various frequencies of interest, there are typically two classes of responses to inlet pressure fluctuations. These are termed supercritical (for the larger amplitudes for which a strong sensitivity exists) and subcritical (for the smaller amplitudes for which a weak sensitivity exists).

Publisher's Statement

© 2011 by ASME. Publisher’s version of record: http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2011-63281

Publication Title

2011 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition

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