An investigation of direct condensation of steam jet in subcooled water

The direct contact condensation phenomenon, which occurs when steam is injected into the subcooled water, has been experimentally investigated. Two plume shapes in the stable condensation regime are found to be conical and ellipsoidal shapes depending on the steam mass flux and the liquid subcooling. Divergent plumes, however, are found when the subcooling is relatively small. The measured expansion ratio of the maximum plume diameter to the injector inner diameter ranges from 1.0 to 2.3. By means of fitting a large amount of measured data, an empirical correlation is obtained to predict the steam plume length as a function of a dimensionless steam mass flux and a driving potential for the condensation process. The average heat transfer coefficient of direct contact condensation has been found to be in the range 1.0∼3.5 MW/m²−°C. Present results show that the magnitude of the average condensation heat transfer coefficient depends mainly on the steam mass flux. By using dynamic pressure measurements and visual observations, six regimes of direct contact condensation have been identified on a condensation regime map, which are chugging, transition region from chugging to condensation oscillation, condensation oscillation, bubbling condensation oscillation, stable condensation, and interfacial oscillation. The regime boundaries stable condensation, and interfacial oscillation condensation. The regime boundaries are quite clearly distinguishable except the boundaries of bubbling condensation oscillation and interfacial oscillation condensation.