Electrostatically enhanced film condensation

This paper presents a model for film-condensation heat transfer on a general cylindrical surface in the presence of a non-uniform electrostatic field. The steady-state liquid-film flow is assumed to be fully developed and smooth. The liquid is electrically non-conducting. The vapour in contact with the film is pure and saturated. We also describe two experiments in which R113 is condensed in a tube. In one case condensation occurs in an asymmetric electric field as described by the model. In the other case, done for comparison, it occurs in an axisymmetric one. We report average heat-transfer measurements and visual observations in both cases. Comparison of the theory with the first experiment is good, despite the model not accounting for the film's waviness.