An experimental study on heat transfer of a falling liquid film in air channel flow

Abstract

Thermal transport from vertical heated surface to falling liquid film in a channel has been investigated experimentally. Air-flow is introduced into channel to make a counter flow against falling liquid film. This problem is of particular interest in the design of direct contact heat exchange system, such as cooling tower, evaporative cooling system, absorption cooling system, and distillation system. The effects of channel width and air flow rate on the heat transfer to falling liquid film are studied in detail. The results obtained indicate that heat transfer rate is gradually decreased with an increase in the channel width without air flow as well as with air flow in a channel. It is also found that heat transfer rate of air-flow is increased while heat transfer rate of falling liquid film is decreased with an increase in the air flow rate at a given channel width. However, total heat transfer rate from the heated surface is increased as the air flow rate is increased.