Condensation Heat Transfer in Horizontal Non-Circular Microchannels

Abstract

This investigation contributes to a better understanding of condensation heat transfer in horizontal non-circular microchannels. For this purpose, the conservation equations of mass, momentum and energy have been numerically solved in both phases (liquid and vapor), and all the more so the film thickness analytical expression has been established. Numerical results relative to variations of the meniscus curvature radius, the condensate film thickness, the condensation length and heat transfer coefficients, are analyzed in terms of the influencing physical and geometrical quantities. The effect of the microchannel shapes on the average Nusselt number is highlighted by studying condensation of steam insquare, rectangular and equilateral triangular microchannels with the same hydraulic diameter of 250 µm.