Paper presented at the 6th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, South Africa, 30 June - 2 July, 2008.
The fundamental phenomena behind condensation on
simple banks of plain tubes and free and forced convection
condensation on single integral-fin tubes are examined. This is
followed by a detailed evaluation of available theoretical
models and empirical correlations.
Throughout the paper, a strong emphasis is placed on
quantitative evaluation of predictive methods. For example, in
the case of condensation on banks of plain tubes a data base of
nearly five thousand points, covering 6 test fluids and 13 tube
bank geometries is compared to theoretical models available in
the literature.
Finally, gaps in the available knowledge are highlighted and
it is hoped that this will help stimulate further work on these
areas.
