Reflux condensation of flowing vapor and non-condensable gases counter-current to laminar liquid film in a vertical tube

An analytical model using the heat and mass transfer analogy approach was developed for local heat transfer in reflux condensation of flowing vapor and non-condensable gases counter-current to laminar liquid film in a vertical tube. The liquid film model was derived from the two-phase integral momentum equations for counter-current flow. The non-condensable gas effect was accounted for using the diffusion layer theory. The momentum, heat and mass transfer for the liquid and gas phases are coupled together by the shear stress, temperature and gas mass fraction at the two-phase interface, which together with the unknown vapor flow conditions at the outlet of the tube were solved iteratively. The model anticipates that vapor might not necessarily condense completely inside the tube. The root mean square of the theory's relative error is 30% compared with available experimental data. The model provides a mechanism for the safety analysis codes to evaluate reflux condensation in the presence of non-condensable gases.