EFFECTS OF WATERY VAPOR CONCENTRATION ON DROPLET EVAPORATION IN HOT ENVIRONMENT

A study has been conducted to clarify the effect of watery vapor concentration in hot ambient on droplet evaporation. Droplets of water, ethanol, n-hexadecaneand n-heptane were used in this experimental study. Ambient conditions are fixed at 470 K in temperature, 0.1 MPa in pressure and 2 m/s in velocity of ambient air. Watery vapor concentration was changed 0%～40% by 10% by add water to air. To obtain the time histories of droplet diameter after exposed in ambient, a suspended droplet in hot and humid ambient stream was synchronized with a back flash light, and enlarged droplet images were taken by a CCD camera. The evaporation rate constant of water droplet decreases slightly with the vapor concentration because diffusion velocity reduction of droplet vapor occurs on the surface. The values of ethanol and n-heptane droplet actively increase by effect that water from condensation of vapor flows into the droplet. The evaporation rate constant of n-hexadecane which has higher boiling point than water increases within around 30% of the concentration.