Condensation of steam on the underside of a horizontal surface in the presence of air and helium

Experiments and data analysis for the condensation of steam on the underside of a horizontal surface in a closed vessel are described. Previously reported results for film condensation with air as a noncondensable gas are reviewed and compared with new data with helium as the noncondensable in the same apparatus. Observations, including photographs of the condensate configurations, related to the occurrence of dropwise condensation are also discussed. It is noted that data reproducibility over long periods of time were possible only with film condensation and that with dropwise condensation condensing surface temperatures exhibited large nonuniformities and random fluctuations with time. The well known mass transfer calculational model for accounting for the presence of noncondensable gases had been shown previously to be successful with air. The same model when applied to the helium data was not successful except for small gas contents. It appears that the suppression of convection that would be expected to occur with the less dense gas is counteracted by convection induced by fog or mist formation