Recent Progress of Japanese Research on Condensation Heat Transfer

A state-of-the-art review is presented on the research activities in Japan on condensation heat transfer during these nine years. The papers published on the Trans. JSME (Series B for thermal and fluids engineering) from 1980 until 1988 are chosen as the main target of the review, since it is considered that the majority of principal achievements in condensation research in Japan are contained in these volumes. The papers printed elsewhere on other publications or prior to 1980 are referred to only whenever it is needed. The author classifies the subjects into five items. They are (1) Film condensation of single-component vapor, (2) Film condensation of multi-component vapor, (3) Enhancement of condensation heat transfer, (4) Dropwise condensation, and (5) Direct contact condensation and other forms of condensation. However, the author’s effort is focussed mostly on the item (3) on the techniques of enhancement of condensation heat transfer. Dropwise condensation is another subject that is discussed in some detail. Only the outlines are presented for the remaining items. In the concluding remarks of this article the author’s personal comments on the future trends of the condensation research is presented.