30.06.2013 Views

View/Open

View/Open

View/Open

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

3.6 HADT wall inner surface condensation analysis<br />

One of the objectives of this thesis is to analyse and predict whether and where along<br />

the HADT condensation will occur under a certain condition and setting combination<br />

and to compare such condensation between steady flow and breath-added situations.<br />

There are three types of condensation namely direct contact condensation, homogenous<br />

condensation and surface condensation [58]. The direct contact condensation does not<br />

apply to this CPAP machine. For the condensation in the HADT, when the tube heating<br />

is off, the airflow temperature inside the HADT is higher than the HADT wall<br />

temperature, so the surface condensation will always occur prior to the homogenous<br />

condensation. When the tube heating is on, usually there will be no condensation. Even<br />

there is homogenous condensation, it will be hard for condensate to form on the HADT<br />

wall inner surface because of entrainment. Therefore, it is reasonable to only consider<br />

surface condensation in this thesis.<br />

3.6.1 General comparison of condensation and evaporation<br />

When moist air flows over a surface, if its humidity level is lower than the saturated<br />

humidity level at surface temperature, the air will take in water molecules from the<br />

surface. In another words, this airflow has a potentiality of vaporization. Evaporation<br />

rate on such a surface is determined by the difference of absolute humidity level in the<br />

moist airflow and the Absolute humidity level saturated at surface temperature as well<br />

as mass convection coefficient and surface area as mentioned before:<br />

m k A( C C )<br />

(3.81)<br />

ev ev sv av<br />

On the other hand, if the moist airflow touches a surface and the surface temperature is<br />

lower than the air’s dew point, some of the water will condense on the surface. That is<br />

to say condensation is converse to evaporation [52]. From Marek [60], under same<br />

conditions, condensation rate is about 1.2 times of evaporation rate. This means it is<br />

practical to use the same evaporation rate calculation equation to calculate both<br />

evaporation and condensation if the conditions for evaporation and condensation do not<br />

vary significantly.<br />

However, it is necessary to point out that the calculation of condensation based on<br />

evaporation equation can predict where the condensation will occur and compare the<br />

66

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!