Experimental Study of Steam–Water Direct Contact Condensation in a Horizontal Pipe Geometry

The phenomenon of direct contact condensation (DCC) has an advantageous feature of high heat, mass, and momentum transfer efficiencies and hence is highly significant for various steam-related industries such as chemical and nuclear industries. The present work investigates the underlying physics of steam plume shapes during steam–water DCC of saturated steam injection into a subcooled water-filled restricted geometry. These experiments have been performed using an orifice-type nozzle for saturated steam injection into a circular, horizontal pipe. To study the effects of pressure and the degree of subcooling of water on the steam plumes, the performed study utilized initial steam pressure and water temperature in the ranges of 1–2 bars and 60–70 °C, respectively. Numerous plume shapes such as conical, elliptical, and divergent are observed under different experimental conditions, which elongate and extend at higher subcooling temperatures. The temperature distribution within the test section as a result of steam injection has also been studied. The condensation-induced water hammer (CIWH) has also been observed under various conditions in terms of a propagating pressure oscillation.