Gas condensation - forming precipitation vs.atmosphere?

[myxal]

How does gas condensation work? Specifically, when condensing gas at the top of a tall room, it usually forms precipitation that doesn't exchange heat any more - but I do remember seeing gas not just condensing but immediately freezing to ice in some situations (typically CO2 in frozen core biomes) - how does that work, can condensing gas form atmosphere instead of droplets in some situation?

Case in point - I'm designing a cryofuel machine/gas condenser that uses a single coolant loop running at LH2 temperatures. Am I safe to just run the loop at the top of LCL/LOX rooms?

Spoiler

 

[Gurgel]

While I cannot answer your question, I have made bad experiences with gas condensation (LOX, LH2) in rooms only cooled at the top, like violent evaporation and fast recondensation. I like to have LOX and LH2 a solidly in the save zone away from their evaporation temperature. Cooling only at the top cannot do that as far as I can see. 

[6Havok9]

On 4/9/2025 at 11:34 AM, myxal said:

Am I safe to just run the loop at the top of LCL/LOX rooms?

It will work... eventually.

The liquefied gas will instantly evaporate when in contact with the insulated tiles. It will continue to do so until the insulated tiles are not above the gas phase up temperature.

I'd cool everything, including the interior walls, just to prevent the incoming gas from constantly evaporating the liquid.