Experimental investigation on the condensation efficiency of humid air over cylinder and flat plate condensers

The condensation efficiency of humid air over surfaces which are cooled by water were investigated experimentally by using the Condensation Test Facility (CTF) in Yeditepe University laboratory. The condensation efficiency of a condenser can be defined as the ratio of heat released during the condensation process to the total heat extracted from the mixture of vapor and non-condensable gas (ratio of latent heat to total heat). The present study employed two cooling surfaces, namely, a cylinder and a flat plate, which were designed to provide constant temperature boundary conditions. The condensation efficiencies of cross flows over two cooling surfaces were separately examined as a function of process air temperature, flow rate of the process air, relative humidity and cooling water temperature.The present study employed two cooling surfaces, namely, a cylinder and a flat plate, which were designed to provide constant temperature boundary conditions. The condensation efficiencies of cross flows over two cooling surfaces were separately examined as a function of process air temperature, flow rate of the process air, relative humidity and cooling water temperature. The condensation efficiency was observed to increase in both condensers as process air humidity increases. For the case of flat plate condenser, condensation efficiency was observed to increase as cooling water temperature increases.