Film Condensation on a Vertical Flat Plate in a Packed Bed

Film condensation on a vertical isothermal surface submerged in a packed bed was examined experimentally. Results are presented for packed beds consisting of glass beads ranging from 350μm to 5000 μm in diameter. The condensing fluid was saturated R-11. The experimental results are compared with the theoretical results of Cheng (1981) and White and Tien (1987a). The experimental results are in poor agreement with the Cheng (1981) theory due to the effects of surface tension and variable porosity near the surface. The experimental results are in qualitative agreement with White and Tien (1987a) theory, which accounts for the wall effects. The results indicate that an improved theory that accounts for surface tension is necessary in order to achieve quantitative agreement with the experimental data.