Direct contact steam condensation on a water spray from air/steam mixtures

The process or direct contact condensation, or pure steam and steam–air mixtures, on a spray of water is reported. The performance is analysed in terms or overall heat transfer coefficients based on mean drop diameter. Experiments were performed in a single glass column or 0.152 m (6 in) diameter and using a single commercial spray nozzle with hole sizes 7.14*10-3 m / 5.54*10-3 m (0.281 in / 0.218 in) and varying the spray height, the steam and air flow rates and cooling water flow rate. The heat transfer coefficients ranged from 800 W/m2C for pure steam to 150 W/m2C when large quantities of noncondensibles were present in the steam.