Engineering Commons^™

Dropwise Condensation Dynamics In Humid Air, Julian Eduardo Castillo Chaco

Open Access Theses

Dropwise condensation of atmospheric water vapor is important in multiple practical engineering applications. The roles of environmental factors and surface morphology/chemistry on the condensation dynamics need to be better understood to enable efficient water-harvesting, dehumidication, and other psychrometric processes. Systems and surfaces that promote faster condensation rates and self-shedding of condensate droplets could lead to improved mass transfer rates and higher water yields in harvesting applications. The thesis presents the design and construction of an experimental facility that allows visualization of the condensation process as a function of relative humidity. Dropwise condensation experiments are performed on a vertically oriented, hydrophobic …

Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis Of Freeze Drying Process And Equipment, Nikhil P. Varma

Open Access Theses

Freeze drying is an important, but expensive, inefficient and time consuming process in the pharmaceutical, chemical and food processing industries. Computational techniques could be a very effective tool in predictive design and analysis of both freeze drying process and equipment. This work is an attempt at using Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD) and numerical simulations as a tool for freeze drying process and equipment design.

Pressure control is critical in freeze dryers, keeping in view the product stability. In industrial freeze dryers, loss of pressure control can lead to loss of an entire batch. Pressure variation within the chamber could also lead …