Abd wrote: "Mark, you are focusing on the name of the thing rather than the reality. For our purposes, "wet steam" is a 2-phase system in equilibrium at the boiling point. The size of the phase regions is not relevant."
IMHO, that's being sloppy. If we're really serious about getting to the truth, then I think it PRUDENT, in order to AVOID confusion, to use the proper terminology. Since the steam quality issue has been a major item of debate/discussion, we should be careful about terminology and that would certainly include the term 'wet steam'. But, whatever... Abd wrote: "The idea that the steam would be travelling at much higher velocity than the water, though, doesn't seem right to me. I did originally have an image in mind like that, but if even 5% of the water is vaporized, the mixture is about 99% vapor by volume, as I recall. I can't imagine that the water isn't picked up by that." I think it is obvious that the vapor will be traveling faster than ANY liquid water that is part of a layer of liquid on the inner wall of the hose, due to the adhesion of the liquid to the hose. The amount and size of liquid water droplets that can be suspended within the vapor flow is most definitely dependent on the flow rate... And the temperature of the vapor of course. Just as in clouds, coalescing rain drops will eventually fall out of the cloud when they reach a size that can no longer be supported against the force of gravity by the strong updrafts within the cloud. I don't think I need to state that gravity still works inside the hose! Abd wrote: "In fact, though, at that rate, the water would be flowing over a lip where it is easily broken up and carried along as small droplets." That is not 'fact'... That is your suspicion. I agree that SOME water droplets would get picked up, but the amount and size would again depend on the vapor flow rate, as well as the TURBULENCE of the spillover liquid and vapor flows... -Mark
