This work aims to present the historical context in which the current understanding of the phenomenon of the direct contact condensation started to call the scientific society attention. The development of nuclear power plants Light Water Reactors demanded a safe way to collect and treat the water used to cool the reactor. Some characteristics of this water in a high energetic thermodynamic state made it unsuitable to be directly discharged in the atmosphere. Small room relieves tanks were developed to contain this discharge. These tanks were partially fulfilled with water, and the vapor injection created a vapor plume. In the interface of liquid and vapor, the thermal exchange would be increased by the characteristic turbulence of this region.