A THEORETICAL STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF SURFACE THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY ON HEAT TRANSFER COEFFICIENT IN DROPWISE CONDENSATION

Abstract

Whether there is a significant effect of surface thermal conductivity on heat transfer coefficient in dropwise condensation is a problem that has not yet been settled. It is impossible to settle the discrepancy only by experimental study. Numerical simulation of dropwise condensation heat transfer of steam on copper, stainless steel, zinc, and carbon steel surfaces is performed using a model of dropwise condensation heat transfer proposed by the authors. The results indicate that the heat transfer coefficient is dependent upon the surface thermal conductivity, and the heat transfer coefficient of dropwise condensation decreases with the surface thermal conductivity.