Condensation in a Variable Acceleration Field and the Condensing Thermosyphon

Abstract

The general problem of condensation in a variable acceleration field was investigated analytically. The case of the linear variation, which occurs in a constant cross section, rotating thermosyphon, was treated in detail. The results show that the condensate thickness and Nusselt numbers approach limiting values as the radial distance increases. The effects of the temperature differential and the Prandtl number are similar to those in other condensation problems; i.e., the heat transfer increases slightly with increasing temperature differential if Pr > 1, but it decreases with increasing temperature differential if Pr ≪ 1.