Experimental Investigation of Steam Condensation Heat Transfer in the Presence of Noncondensable Gas on a Vertical Tube

To evaluate the heat removal capability of a condenser tube in the PCCS of an advanced nuclear power plant, a steam condensation experiment in the presence of noncondensable gas on a vertical tube is performed. The average heat transfer coefficient is measured on a vertical tube of 40 mm in O.D. and 1.0 m in length. The experiments covers the pressures of 2-4 bar, and the mass fraction of air ranges from 0.1 up to 0.7. From the experimental results, the effects of the total pressure and the concentration of air on the condensation heat transfer coefficient are investigated. The measured data are compared with the predictions by Uchida`s and Tagami`s correlations, and it is revealed that these models underestimate the condensation heat transfer coefficient of the steam-air mixture.