The Mechanism of heat transfer in a spray column heat exchanger: II. Dense packing of drops

Temperature profiles of water in a spray column heat exchanger, 15 cm. in diameter and 150 cm. long, operating with a dense packing of kerosene drops, were measured. The range of superficial velocities was 0 to 0.8 cm./sec. of water and 0.5 to 1.7 cm./sec. of kerosene. The bottom of the dense packing was either slightly above or 15 cm. below the bottom of the column proper. The physical picture of heat transfer is similar to that for dispersed packings of drops and emphasizes the dominant role of wakes in the heat transfer mechanism. The mathematical equations for dispersed packings of drops were modified to take into account the reduction of wake size at the interface of the two packings and the difference in the mixing patterns at the top of the column. An empirical allowance for the effect of bypassing is suggested. The volume of the wakes and the rate of wake shedding were estimated from the temperature profiles. General agreement was found between the theory and the experimental data of this and three other studies.