Abstract
The study has been carried out on the heat transfer processes at the condensation of vapor-air mix- ture in the presence of an electric field. It is established that even very small additions of air impair vapor condensation, hence, the heat transfer. It is shown that application of an electric field can be an effective fac- tor in eliminating negative effects of the presence of air on the process of condensation. It has been found out that corona discharge, specially created by means of notches on the surface of the inner electrode, and its effects are the main actors in enhancing condensation. The experimental dependences are obtained of the relative heat transfer coefficient under condensation as a function of the air concentration, of the flow rate of the vapor-air mixture delivery into the vapor condenser, and the specific heat flow at different electric field intensities. The results are accounted for by the electrical charging of the medium in the corona discharge area, by the convective stream and by the charging of "vapor-liquid” interface. A formula has been deduced, according to which the process of condensation is strongly influenced by the effective diameter of molecules (ψ ~ d*6 ). This effect can be more pronounced in the electric field due to the ion solvation by water molecules, which results in a new mechanism for the intensification of the condensation process in an electric field.