Condensation of steam and R113 on a bank of horizontal tubes in the presence of a noncondensing gas

Data are presented for condensation from steam-air and R113-air mixtures on a bank of horizontal tubes. The test bank consisted of 10 staggered rows of four and five tubes per row. Good agreement with single-tube theory was found for the top rows when account was taken of the variation in bulk air concentration, vapor velocity, and temperature down the bank. Further down the bank, where air concentrations were higher and vapor velocities lower, discrepancies appeared between theory and experiment that were thought to be due to bouyancy effects influencing the buildup of air on the lower rows.