The condensation process of water vapor from moist air flowing around horizontal pipe is investigated
theoretically and experimentally. This process involved in many engineering applications, such as
refrigeration and air conditioning. In the theoretical analysis, the flow is assumed to be laminar, steady
and with constant physical properties. The condensation process is described by continuity, momentum,
energy and mass in the form of dimensionless ordinary differential equations using similarity variables.
The dimensionless governing equations are solved by Runge Kutta fourth order integration technique
accompanied with shooting method. The boundary layer thickness of mass, thermal and hydrodynamic,
in addition to Nusselt and Sherwood numbers are investigated at different Reynolds numbers, and
condensation and position parameters. In the experimental work, the effects of air inlet conditions (i.e.
relative humidity, and mass flow rate) are varied and examined on the condensation process. The
findings show that the average heat and mass transfer coefficients increase with increasing air mass flow
rate and air relative humidity, and decrease with increasing the temperature difference between the air
dew point and pipe surface temperature. Comparisons between the present theoretical and experimental
work with previous theoretical study are accomplished within accepted error. |
