Two-Phase Region Effect on Film Condensation on an Inclined Plate Embedded in a Porous Medium

Abstract

Film condensation in a porous medium has been receiving increasing attention due to its wide range of heat transfer applications. Some examples of these practical applications are distillation, drying technology, geothermal energy, cooling towers, heat exchangers, and air conditioning. One of the characteristic features of film condensation in porous media is the formation of a two-phase zone separating the liquid film and the vapour zone due to capillary pressure. In this paper, a physico-mathematical model of liquid film condensation on a surface embedded in a porous medium with a two-phase region effect is developed and presented. The model is based on momentum and continuity equations as applied to the liquid film and the two-phase flow region supplemented with the Darcy flow assumption and assumptions on the Leverette J-function and the saturation behaviour near the edge of the liquid film. The developed model allows a simple analytical solution to the problem in distinction to semi-analytical and numerical solutions published by different authors. From the model developed, it shows that the presence of the two-phase region decreases the liquid film thickness. By taking the capillary effects into consideration results in higher heat transfer and condensation rates due to the decrease in the liquid film thickness. The presented model yields good agreement when compared to the theoretical results and experimental data by other authors. The developed model addresses the fundamental concepts of phase transition in porous media which can effectively find applications in many areas.