PROBLEM 1.

49

KNOWN: Boiling point and latent heat of liquid oxygen. Diameter and emissivity of container. Free
convection coefficient and temperature of surrounding air and walls.

FIND: Mass evaporation rate.

SCHEMATIC:

ASSUMPTIONS: (1) Steady-state conditions, (2) Temperature of container outer surface equals
boiling point of oxygen.
ANALYSIS: (a) Applying mass and energy balances to a control surface about the container, it
follows that, at any instant,
dmst dEst &
= −m& out = − m
& evap = E in − E& out = q conv + q rad − q evap . (1a,b)
dt dt
With hf as the enthalpy of liquid oxygen and hg as the enthalpy of oxygen vapor, we have
Est = mst h f q evap = m
& out h g (2a,b)

Combining Equations (1a) and (2a,b), Equation (1b) becomes (with hfg = hg – hf)
& out h fg = q conv + q rad
m

& evap = ( q conv + q rad ) h fg = ⎡ h ( T∞ − Ts ) + εσ Tsur

m
⎣
4
− Ts4 ⎤ π D 2 h fg
⎦ ( (3) )
&
m =
⎡10 W m 2 ⋅ K ( 298 − 263) K + 0.2 × 5.67 × 10−8 W m 2 ⋅ K 4 2984 − 2634 K 4 ⎤ π ( 0.5 m )2
⎣ ⎦ ( )
evap
214 kJ kg

& evap = ( 350 + 35.2 ) W / m 2 0.785 m 2

m ( ) 214 kJ kg = 1.41 × 10−3 kg s . <
(b) Using Equation (3), the mass rate of vapor production can be determined for the range of
emissivity 0.2 to 0.94. The effect of increasing emissivity is to increase the heat rate into the container
and, hence, increase the vapor production rate.
1.9
Evaporation rate, mdot*1000 (kg/s)

1.8

1.7

1.6

1.5

1.4
0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

Surface emissivity, eps

COMMENTS: To reduce the loss of oxygen due to vapor production, insulation should be applied to
the outer surface of the container, in order to reduce qconv and qrad. Note from the calculations in part
(a), that heat transfer by convection is greater than by radiation exchange.