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 omega, volumetric throughflow rate phi(v), and average temperature driving force Delta T. For the current range of x, heat transfer from the vapor bubbles to the condensate liquid is limiting, due to a relatively low gas-liquid interfacial area aGL. For omega > 84 rad s(-1), a strong increase of a(GL), results in increasing the reactor-average condensation heat transfer coefficient h(c) from 1600 to 5600 W m(-2) K-1, for condensation of pure dichloromethane vapor. Condensation heat transfer in the srs-SDR is enhanced by rotation, independent of the vapor 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. (C) 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 62: 3784-3796, 2016