EXPERIMENTS ON FLOW AND HEAT TRANSFER CHARACTERISTICS OF STEAM CONDENSATION IN SUBCOOLED WATER POOL

Abstract

We report experiments of steam condensation in water pool for various steam mass flux (53-133 kg/ m²s) and water subcoolings (15-65°C). The process is visualized using high-speed imager, and the images are processed for bubble parameters and interfacial heat transfer. The bubble is observed to undergo a cyclic motion of growth, necking, and separation for the conditions studied. The flow transits towards chugging at higher subcoolings and low vapor mass flux. The heat transfer coefficient increases with vapor mass flux and liquid subcooling. The heat transfer coefficient is estimated to be 0.049-0.89 MW/m²K for oscillating regime, while relatively higher values (0.94-1.4 MW/m²K) are determined during chugging.