Optimization of Dropwise Condensation of Steam over Hybrid Hydrophobic–Hydrophilic Surfaces via Enhanced Statistically Based Heat Transfer Modelization

Giulio Croce () and Nicola Suzzi
Additional contact information
Giulio Croce: Dipartimento Politecnico di Ingegneria e Architettura (DPIA), Università degli Studi di Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, Italy
Nicola Suzzi: Dipartimento Politecnico di Ingegneria e Architettura (DPIA), Università degli Studi di Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, Italy

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-17

Abstract: Steam condensation over a hybrid hydrophobic–hydrophilic surface is modeled via simplified heat transfer modelization. Filmwise condensation is assumed over the hydrophilic region. The standard film model is improved, accounting for the liquid flow rate crossing the hydrophobic–hydrophilic boundaries. A threshold for flooding occurrence is also presented. Dropwise condensation is assumed over the hydrophobic region. Compared to the heat transfer models in the literature, based on the statistical drop size distribution, a novel correlation is used for the size distribution of small droplets. The correlations of both the liquid flow rate crossing the hydrophobic–hydrophilic boundary and the size distribution of small drops are derived via Lagrangian simulations, using an in-house code previously developed and validated by the authors. The heat transfer model is validated with experimental data in the literature involving a hybrid surface, composed by alternate vertical hydrophobic–hydrophilic stripes. Then, the optimization of the hybrid surface geometry is performed in terms of hydrophobic width and hydrophilic width, with the aim of enhancing the heat flux.

Keywords: hybrid surface; dropwise condensation; filmwise condensation; nucleation density; hydrophobic coating; drop size distribution (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/11/2742/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/11/2742/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:17:y:2024:i:11:p:2742-:d:1408516

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().