Forced convection condensation in the presence of noncondensables and interfacial resistance

Abstract The effect of a noncondensable gas on condensation in a forced convection laminar boundary-layer flow is explored analytically. The analysis is first carried out in general for any arbitrary flow consisting of a vapor and a noncondensable gas, and certain universal results are obtained. Solutions of the similarity differential equations are found both numerically and by an integral method. The general formulation is applied to the steam-air system, and the heat transfer with and without the noncondensable is compared for a wide range of operating conditions. The reductions in heat transfer due to the non-condensable are accentuated at low operating pressures. In general, condensation in the forced convection flow is much less sensitive than that in a gravity flow. The effect of an interfacial resistance (i.e. a temperature jump at the liquid-vapor interface) is also examined. The computed results reveal a negligible effect on the heat transfer.