Convective condensation in a stator-rotor-stator spinning disc reactor

Centrifugal intensification of condensation heat transfer in the rotor-stator cavities of a stator-rotor-stator spinning disc reactor (srs-SDR) is studied, as a function of rotational velocity ω, volumetric throughflow rate φ and average temperature driving force ΔT. For the current range of ω, heat transfer from the vapour bubbles to the condensate liquid is limiting, due to a relatively low gas-liquid interfacial area aGL. For ω > 84 rad s−1, a strong increase of aGL, results in increasing the reactor-average condensation heat transfer coefficient hc from 1600 to 5600 Wm−2K−1, for condensation of pure dichloromethane vapour. Condensation heat transfer in the srs-SDR is enhanced by rotation, independent of the vapour velocity. The intensified condensation comes at the cost of relatively high energy dissipation rates, indicating condensation in the srs-SDR is more suited as a means to supply heat (e.g. in an intensified reactor-heat exchanger), rather than for bulk cooling purposes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.