This project investigates the effects of different wettability characteristics in drop wise condensation on smooth plates. It involves a Volume of Fluid (VOF) based Computational.
Condensers are used in various energy intensive processing industries. Improving their efficiency plays a crucial role in optimization of energy consumption. Drop wise Condensation is a highly attractive form of heat transfer. Fluids Dynamics (CFD) model to carry out the simulations in OpenFOAM on smooth plates with various wettabilities. Different parameters such as receding angle, advancing angle and various radii of droplets have been used for investigation. A base case with droplets’ radius of 12.5μm, receding angle and advancing angles of (34°, 90°) was used. Three sets of simulations were performed. In Set 1, the angles were (34°, 90°). The radius of the first droplet was kept constant at 12.5μm and the radius of the second droplet changes 1:4 progressively. In Set 2, the angles are changed to (154°,162°) and the radius of the second droplet changes in the same manner above. In Set 3, the angles were kept at (107°, 117°). The radius changes as above. In some cases, the droplets merge and condense. In others, momentum created by merging of the droplets creates repeated oscillation or even a lift off, from the cooled plate.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Project Management
- Numerical Method
- Governing equations
- Phase Change model
- Simulation Studies
- Computational Domain & Mesh
- Boundary conditions
- Numerical simulation details
- Simulation Results & Discussion
- Effect of different surface wettability and different droplet ratio - Series A
- Effect of different surface wettability with different gravity vector orientation - Series B
- Effect of different wettability characteristics on condensation rates of the phenomenon
- Effect on the volume integral of condensation rate of droplets with different Radii
- Effect of the different wettability surfaces on volume integral of condensation rate
- Effect of different wettability characteristics on condensation rates of the phenomenon with a different gravitational orientation
- Effect on the volume integral of condensation rate of droplets with different Radii
- Effect of the different wettability surfaces on volume integral of condensation rate
- Conclusion
- References
- APPENDIX
- Table of results from series A
- Table of results from series B
- RISK ASSESSMENT
- Gantt chart
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This project aims to investigate the impact of varying wettability characteristics on dropwise condensation on smooth plates. Using a Volume of Fluid (VOF) based Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model within OpenFOAM, the study explores the influence of different receding angles, advancing angles, and droplet radii on the condensation process.
- Dropwise condensation on smooth plates
- Wettability characteristics of surfaces
- Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling
- Volume of Fluid (VOF) method
- Influence of droplet size and contact angles on condensation rates
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the project's background, highlighting the importance of condensers in energy-intensive industries and the advantages of dropwise condensation. It also discusses the project's goals and scope.
- Numerical Method: This chapter outlines the numerical method employed in the study, detailing the governing equations and the phase-change model used for simulating dropwise condensation.
- Simulation Studies: This chapter describes the computational domain, mesh, and boundary conditions used in the CFD simulations. It also provides details on the different simulation setups and the parameters investigated.
- Simulation Results & Discussion: This chapter presents the results of the numerical simulations and analyzes the effects of different wettability characteristics, droplet sizes, and gravitational orientations on the condensation process.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The main keywords and focus topics of this research are dropwise condensation, wettability, smooth plates, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Volume of Fluid (VOF), contact angle, droplet size, condensation rate, and gravitational orientation. This research explores the impact of these factors on the efficiency of condensation processes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is dropwise condensation?
Dropwise condensation is a form of heat transfer where vapor condenses into distinct droplets on a surface, which is more efficient for heat transfer than film-wise condensation.
How does wettability affect the condensation process?
Surface wettability, defined by advancing and receding contact angles, determines how droplets form, merge, and potentially lift off or slide from the surface.
What numerical method was used in this study?
The project utilized a Volume of Fluid (VOF) based Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model within the OpenFOAM software.
What happens when droplets merge during condensation?
Merging droplets can either condense further, create repeated oscillations, or even experience a 'lift-off' from the cooled plate due to the momentum created.
Why is improving condenser efficiency important?
Condensers are used in many energy-intensive industries; optimizing their efficiency plays a crucial role in reducing global energy consumption.
- Quote paper
- Danuska Pathiranage (Author), 2020, Numerical Investigation of Dropwise Condensation on Smooth Plates with Different Wettability, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1126816
