CONDENSATE RETENTION AS A FUNCTION OF CONDENSATE FLOW RATE ON HORIZONTAL ENHANCED PIN-FIN TUBES

Abstract

The extent of condensate flooding as a function of condensate flow rate is measured on six horizontal pin-fin tubes (varying in circumferential pin-spacing) via simulated experimentation. Surface tension to density ratio is tested using three fluids namely water, ethylene glycol and R-141b. Results show that flooding was strongly effected by changing the condensate flow rate. An increase in flow rate caused a marginal decrease in flooding angle (an angle extracted from top of the test tube to the fully flooded flank). Similarly, circumferential pin-spacing also effected the retention angle and the effect goes on increasing by decreasing the surface tension to density ratio.