Two-phase heat transfer characteristics for R-22/R-407C in a 6.5-mm smooth tube

Two-phase friction and heat transfer characteristics for R-22/R-407C inside a 6.5-mm smooth tube are reported in this study. The heat transfer results for G=100 and 400 kg/m² s were reported in the present study, and the adiabatic frictional pressure drop was recorded in the range of 100 to 700 kg/m² s. It is found that the development of flow pattern for R-407C falls behind R-22. This may explain the lower pressure drops for R-407C. The major heat transfer mechanism at low mass flux is nucleate boiling, and virtually becomes the convective evaporation as mass flux increase to G=400 krg/m² s, Meanwhile, the reduction of heat transfer coefficients for R-407C mixtures are especially profound at low mass flux, and the reduction of heat transfer coefficient decreases with the increase of mass flux.     

Convective boiling of halocarbon refrigerants flowing in a horizontal copper tube – an experimental study

An experimental study of convective boiling of refrigerants R-22, R-134a and R-404A in a 12.7 mm internal diameter, 2 m long, horizontal copper tube has been performed. Experiments involved a relatively wide range of operational conditions. Experiments were performed at the evaporating temperatures of 8°C and 15°C. Quality, mass velocity and heat flux varied in the following ranges: 5% to saturated vapor, 50–500 kg/(s m²); and 5–20 kW/m². Effects of these physical parameters over the heat transfer coefficient have been investigated. High quality experiments were also performed up to the point of the tube surface dryout, a mechanism which was investigated from the qualitative point of view. Two heat transfer coefficient correlations from the literature have been evaluated through comparisons with experimental data. Deviations varied in the range from −25% to 42%.     

An experimental investigation of flow boiling in an asymmetrically heated rectangular microchannel

By using unique experimental techniques and carefully constructed experimental apparatus, the characteristics of flow boiling of water in microscale were investigated using a single horizontal rectangular microchannel. A polydimethylsiloxane rectangular microchannel (D_h = 103.5 and 133 μm) was fabricated by using the replica molding technique, a kind of soft lithography. A piecewise serpentine platinum microheater array on a Pyrex substrate was fabricated with the surface micromachining MEMS technique. Real time flow visualization of the phase change phenomena inside the microchannel was performed using a high speed CCD camera with microscope. The experimental local boiling heat transfer coefficients were studied, and single bubble inception, growth, and departure, as well as elongated bubble behavior were analyzed to elucidate the microscale heat transfer mechanisms. Tests were performed for mass fluxes of 77.5, 154.9, and 309.8 kg/m² s and heat fluxes of 180–500 kW/m². The effects of mass flux, heat flux, and vapor qualities on flow boiling heat transfer in a microchannel were studied.     

Nucleate pool boiling of aqueous solution of citric acid on a smoothed horizontal cylinder

Nucleate pool boiling heat transfer coefficients were measured during pool boiling of the mixtures of Citric acid/water on a horizontal heated Cylinder. The experiment was done at atmospheric pressure and heat fluxes up to 113 kW m⁻² and mass fraction range 0.1496–0.613 over all ranges of mass fraction, the heat transfer coefficients of the mixtures are markedly less than those in single component substances and, in particular, are dramatically deteriorated in the vicinity of both single component substances. An applicability of existing correlations to the present experimental data is discussed. As a result, it is difficult for any existing correlation to predict the true values of pool boiling heat transfer coefficients over all ranges of mass fraction in mixtures of citric acid/water. Available correlation results were not exactly adapted to experimental data and for the best estimation, a new modified model based on Stephan-Kroner has been achieved with reasonable accuracy. Also the status of bubble generation showed that nucleation site density is strictly functioning of heat flux.     

Experimental study of CHF in vertical and horizontal tubes cooled by freon-12

The influence of test section orientation and diameter on flow boiling crisis occurring in tubes has been studied experimentally using Freon-12 as a coolant. At low mass flux the critical heat flux (CHF) was lower in horizontal flow than in vertical. As either the liquid or vapour velocity, or both, were increased the vertical and horizontal CHF results converged. Above a mass flux of 4Mg · m⁻² · s⁻¹ the results were essentially identical.

The effect of tube diameter on boiling crisis in general depends crucially on the parameters which are maintained constant when the comparison is made.     

Two-dimensional wall temperature measurements and heat transfer enhancement for top-heated horizontal channels with flow boiling

Two-dimensional (circumferential and axial) wall temperature distributions were measured for top-heated coolant channels with internal geometries that include smooth walls, spiral fins and both twisted tape and spiral fins. Freon-71 was the working fluid. The flow regimes studied were single-phase, subcooled flow boiling, and stratified flow boiling. The inside diameter of all test sections was near 10.0 mm. Circumferentially averaged heat transfer coefficients at several axial locations were obtained for selected coolant channels for a volumetric flow rate of 4.738 x 10⁻⁵m³/s, 0.19 MPa (absolute) exit pressure, and 22.2°C inlet subcooling. Overall (averaged over the entire channel) heat transfer coefficients were compared for the various channel geometries. This comparison showed that the channel with large-pitch spiral fins had higher heat transfer coefficients at all power levels. However, the results appear to indicate that if the twist ratio (ratio of the twisted tape period to the inside diameter) is decreased, the configuration employing both fins and a twisted tape will have had greater enhancements.     

Heat transfer in bubble layers at elevated pressures

Heat transfer with steam condensation under moderate pressure on the surface of a horizontal tube immersed in a bubbling layer was experimentally investigated. A copper test section 16 mm in outer diameter and 400 mm in length was placed in a bubbling column 455 mm in diameter. Experiments were made under pressures of 0.14–0.8 MPa, with void fraction 0.04–0.23, vapor superficial velocities 0.05–0.42 m/s, liquid-wall temperature differences 47–105 K, and heat flux densities 0.12–0.8 MW/m². The heat transfer process in the bubbling layer is shown to be of a high intensity: with moderate values of steam content, heat transfer coefficients reach 12–14 kW/(m² · K). Data obtained showed that the known correlations do not consider the influence of pressure on heat transfer. For the first time, data on radial steam content distribution under pressures higher than atmospheric were obtained by an electroprobe method. A table of experimental data is presented.     

Spray and jet cooling in steel rolling

Prediction and control of roll and strip cooling are necessary in modern steel mills because they not only affect the process efficiency but also strongly influence the quality of rolled products. In this article, relationships among metallurgy, heat transfer, and control of the cooling system in steel rolling are first discussed. Heat transfer characteristics associated with the water spray and jet cooling used in rolling processes are then studied. The effects of important convective heat transfer parameters on cooling perormance for both stationary and moving surfaces are examined. Results indicate that local heat fluxes up to 20 × 10⁶ W/m² are observed in the nucleate boiling regime. The present results are compared with typical boiling heat transfer studies in terms of heat fluxes, heat transfer coefficients, spray rate, and cooling efficiency. The effect of surface motion is found to increase the cooling efficiency of roll and strip cooling. Finally, implementation of the present finding in roll and strip cooling to thermomechanical processing in steel rolling is proposed.     

A survey of experimental heat transfer data for nucleate pool boiling of liquid metals and a new correlation

The experimental data for heat transfer during nucleate pool boiling of saturated liquid metals on plain surfaces are surveyed and a new correlation is presented. The correlation is h = Cq^0.7p_r^m, where C and m are, respectively, 13.7 and 0.22 p_r < 0.001 and 6.9 and 0.12 for p_r > 0.001 (h is in W/m² K and q in W/m²). This correlation has been verified with data for K, Na, Cs, Li, and Hg from 17 sources over the reduced pressure (p_r) range of 4.3 × 10⁻⁶ to 1.8 × 10⁻². The correlation of Subbotin et al. was found unsatisfactory, but a modified correlation was developed that also gives good agreement with most of the data.     

Recent achievements in the thermal hydraulics of high heat flux components in fusion reactors

Some components of fusion thermonuclear reactors, such as divertors, plasma limiters, or first-wall armor, are believed to be subjected to operating conditions characterized by extremely high thermal loads. It is therefore necessary to remove from the surface of these components very high heat fluxes, ranging from 2 to 60 MW/m². Water subcooled flow boiling, under conditions of high mass flux, high liquid subcooling, and small to intermediate channel diameter, can accomodate these very high heat fluxes. Further enhancement of the upper limit of cooling, the critical heat flux (CHF), can be obtained by making use of turbulence promoters such as twisted tapes and coiled wires even if coupled with a relevant increase in pressure drop. An overview is presented of recent achievements obtained in water subcooled flow boiling CHF under operating conditions of interest to the thermal hydraulic design of fusion reactors. Observed basic parametric trends—CHF as a function of mass flux, pressure, subcooling, and channel geometry—are outlined, together with findings on the use of CHF enhancement techniques. From experiments it was seen that water subcooled flow boiling allows CHF conditions as high as 228 MW/m² to be achieved under extreme geometric and thermal hydraulic conditions. On the other hand, design and engineering boundary conditions limit variation in these conditions, and a suitable compromise has not yet been reached. Predictive tools are presented for the evaluation of subcooled flow boiling CHF both in straight tubes and with twisted tapes, and are assessed with reference to recent available experimental data.

Although several indications for practical applications can be found in recent achievements, a full understanding of the basic mechanisms of heat transfer and CHF in subcooled flow boiling has not yet been achieved. Future research to overcome the present lack of knowledge in this field is suggested.     

Boiling heat transfer,pressure drop,and flow pattern in a horizontal square minichannel

This study experimentally investigated the flow boiling heat transfer, pressure drop, and flow pattern in a horizontal square minichannel with a hydraulic diameter of 2.0 mm, and the effects of mass flux, vapor quality, heat flux, and refrigerant properties on the flow boiling characteristics were clarified. The heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop of R32 and R1234yf were measured in a mass flux range of 50–400 kgm⁻²s⁻¹ at a saturation temperature of 15 °C. The flow pattern of the square minichannel outlet was observed and was classified as plug, wavy, churn, and annular flows. The heat transfer coefficients in the square minichannel were larger than those in the circular minichannel with a similar hydraulic diameter at low mass flux conditions. The heat transfer coefficients of R32 indicated higher values compared with those of R1234yf at same mass flux and qualities. An empirical heat transfer model taking into account the forced convection, nucleate boiling, and thin liquid film evaporation was developed for horizontal square and circular minichannels. The frictional pressure drop of R32 was 1.5–2 times higher than that of R1234yf at same mass flux and vapor quality condition, and the effect of channel shape on the frictional pressure drop was small unlike the boiling heat transfer.     

Subcooled flow boiling of R-134a in vertical channels of small diameter

Subcooled flow boiling heat transfer for refrigerant R-134a in vertical cylindrical tubes with 0.83, 1.22 and 1.70 mm internal diameter was experimentally investigated. The effects of the heat flux, q″ = 1–26 kW/m², mass flux, G = 300–700 kg/m² s, inlet subcooling, ΔT_sub,i = 5–15 °C, system pressure, P = 7.70–10.17 bar, and channel diameter, D, on the subcooled boiling heat transfer were explored in detail. The results are presented in the form of boiling curves and heat transfer coefficients. The boiling curves evidenced the existence of hysteresis when increasing the heat flux until the onset of nucleate boiling, ONB. The wall superheat at ONB was found to be essentially higher than that predicted with correlations for larger tubes. An increase of the mass flux leads, for early subcooled boiling, to an increase in the heat transfer coefficient. However, for fully developed subcooled boiling, increases of the mass flux only result in a slight improvement of the heat transfer. Higher inlet subcooling, higher system pressure and smaller channel diameter lead to better boiling heat transfer. Experimental heat transfer coefficients are compared to predictions from classical correlations available in the literature. None of them predicts the experimental data for all tested conditions.     

A general heat transfer correlation for non-boiling gas–liquid flow with different flow patterns in horizontal pipes

A general heat transfer correlation for non-boiling gas–liquid flow with different flow patterns in horizontal pipes is proposed. In order to overcome the effect of flow pattern on heat transfer, a flow pattern factor (effective wetted-perimeter) is developed and introduced into our proposed correlation. To verify the correlation, local heat transfer coefficients and flow parameters were measured for air–water flow in a pipe in the horizontal position with different flow patterns. The test section was a 27.9 mm ID stainless steel pipe with a length to diameter ratio of 100. A total of 114 data points were taken by carefully coordinating the liquid and gas superficial Reynolds number combinations. The heat transfer data were measured under a uniform wall heat flux boundary condition ranging from about 3000 W/m² to 10,600 W/m². The superficial Reynolds numbers ranged from about 820 to 26,000 for water and from about 560 to 48,000 for air. These experimental data including different flow patterns were successfully correlated by the proposed general two-phase heat transfer correlation with an overall mean deviation of 5.5%, a standard deviation of 11.7%, and a deviation range of −18.3% to 37.0%. Ninety three percent (93%) of the data were predicted within ±20% deviation.     

Experimental investigation in pool boiling heat transfer of ammonia/water mixture and heat transfer correlations

The nucleate pool boiling heat transfer coefficient of ammonia/water mixture was investigated on a cylindrical heated surface at low pressure of 4-8 bar and at low mass fraction of 0 < x_NH3 < 0.3 and at different heat flux. The effect of mass fraction, heat flux and pressure on boiling heat transfer coefficient was studied. The results indicate that the heat transfer coefficient in the mixture decreases with increase in ammonia mass fraction, increases with increase in heat flux and pressure in the investigated range. The measured heat transfer coefficient was compared with existing correlations. The experimental data were predicted with an accuracy of ±20% by the correlation of Calus&Rice, correlation of Stephan-Koorner and Inoue-Monde correlation for ammonia/water mixture in the investigated range of low ammonia mass fraction. The empirical constant of the first two correlations is modified by fitting the correlation to the present experimental data. The modified Calus&Rice correlation predicts the present experimental data with an accuracy of ±18% and the modified Stephan-Koorner correlation with an accuracy of ±16%.     

Fluid flow and heat transfer around circular cylinder – flat and curved plates combinations

Experimental studies were carried out to investigate the fluid flow and heat transfer around a heated circular cylinder which was placed at various distances of a wall boundary with different geometries (flat or curved plate) with subcritical Reynolds number ranging from 3.5×10³ to 10⁴. The effects of plate geometry (aspect ratio: W|H=1.0,1.5 and 2.0, and rim angle, φ=0°,60°,90°, and 120°) and gap ratio, (G|D=0.0,0.86,2.0,7.0,10.0) on the fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics (static pressure around cylinder surface, wake width, base pressure, pressure drag coefficients, velocity distribution, and both local and mean Nusselt numbers) were presented. Also flow visualization was carried out to illustrate the flow patterns around the cylinder at various gap ratios (G|D). It was found that the heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics are dependent on the plate geometry at all tested gap ratios, except for G|D=7.0 and 10.0, they are independent of the plate geometry.     

The influence of oil on nucleate pool boiling heat transfer

The influence of various oil contents in R134a is investigated for nucleate pool boiling on copper tubes either sandblasted or with enhanced heating surfaces (GEWA-B tube). Polyolester oils (POE) (Reniso Triton) with medium viscosity 55 cSt (SE55) and high viscosity 170 cSt (SE170) were used. Heat transfer coefficients were obtained for boiling temperatures between −28.6 and +20.1°C. The oil content varied from 0 to 5% mass fraction. For the sandblasted tube and the SE55 oil the heat transfer coefficients for the refrigerant/oil-mixture can be higher or lower than those for the pure refrigerant, depending on oil mass fraction, boiling temperature and heat flux. In some cases the highest heat transfer coefficients were obtained at a mass fraction of 3%. For the 170 cSt oil there is a clear decrease in heat transfer for all variations except for a heat flux 4,000 W/m² and −10.1°C at 0.5% oil content. The heat transfer coefficients are compared to those in the literature for a smooth stainless steel tube and a platinum wire. For the enhanced tube and 55 cSt oil the heat transfer coefficients are clearly below those for pure refrigerant in all cases. The experimental results for the sandblasted tube are compared with the correlation by Jensen and Jackman. The calculated values are within +20 and −40% for the medium viscosity oil and between +50% and −40% for the high viscosity oil. A correlation for predicting oil-degradation effects on enhanced surfaces does not exist.     

Flow boiling visualization in a vertical circular minichannel at high vapor quality

This paper reports on an experimental study of saturated flow boiling of R134a inside a circular vertical quartz tube coated with a transparent heater. The inner diameter of the tube was 1.33 mm and the heated length 235.5 mm. The flow pattern at high vapor qualities and the dryout of the liquid film were studied using a high speed CCD camera at the mass fluxes 47.4 and 124.4 kg/m² s in up flow at 6.425 bar. The heat fluxes ranged from 5 to 13.6 kW/m² for the lower mass flux and from 20 to 32.4 kW/m² for the higher mass flux.

The behavior of the flow close to dryout was found to be different at low and high mass flux. At low mass flux the location of the liquid front fluctuated with waves passing high up in the tube. In between the waves, a thin film was formed, slowly evaporating without breaking up.

At high mass flux the location of the liquid front was more stable. In this case the liquid film was seen to break up into liquid streams and dry zones on the tube wall.     

Natural convection boiling of water and surfactant solutions having negligible environmental impact in vertical confined space

Natural convection boiling of water and surfactant solutions in a confined space between two vertical plates was studied experimentally in the range of heat flux 19–170 kW/m². The surfactant used was Alkyl (8–16) Glucoside having negligible environmental impact. The gap size was changed in the range of s = 1–80 mm, the concentration of surfactant solutions was changed in the range of C = 200–600 ppm. Generally, an addition of surfactant leads to an enhancement of heat transfer compared to water boiling at the same gap size. Enhancement of the heat transfer depending on the solution concentration at fixed gap size yields maximum value at the solution concentration close to the critical micelle concentration. The effect of confined space on a bubble dynamic was studied. Temperature field on the heater was determined using the infrared thermography technique. Quasi periodic wall temperature fluctuations were observed in the regime of high heat flux. An increase in the Bond number leads to an increase in the dimensionless frequency of the heated wall temperature fluctuations. The correlation between the dimensionless parameter of heat transfer and the Bond number under condition of quasi periodic boiling was derived and discussed.     

Two-phase flow of refrigerants in 85 μm-wide multi-microchannels: Part II – Heat transfer with 35 local heaters

This article is the second part of a study on flow boiling of R236fa and R245fa. This part presents the heat transfer coefficients obtained in a 12.7 mm silicon evaporator composed of 135 microchannels with 85 μm wide and 560 μm high channels separated by 46 μm wide fins. There were 35 local heaters and temperature measurements arranged in a 5 × 7 array. The heat transfer results were uniform in the lateral direction to the flow (attributable to the inlet restriction) and a function of the heat flux, vapor quality and mass flux. The steady-state standard deviation of the local base temperature was less than 0.2 °C, inferring that the boiling process was very stable. For wall heat fluxes over 45 kW/m², the heat transfer coefficient curves were V-shaped, decreasing for intermittent flow regimes and increasing for annular flow. The three-zone model of Thome et al. (2004) was the best heat transfer prediction method when setting the dryout thickness equal to the channel roughness.     

Experimental investigation of heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of flow through spirally fluted tubes

Spirally fluted tubes are used extensively in the design of tubular heat exchangers. In previous investigations, results for tubes with flute depths e/D_vi < 0.2 were reported, with most correlations applicable for Re ≥ 5000. This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation of the heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of spirally fluted tubes with the following tube and flow parameter ranges: flute depth e/D_vi = 0.1−0.4, flute pitch p/D_vi = 0.4−7.3, helix angle θ/90° = 0.3−0.65, Re = 500−80,000, and Pr = 2−7. The heat transfer coefficients inside the fluted tube were obtained from measured values of the overall heat transfer coefficient using a nonlinear regression scheme. The friction factor data obtained consisted of 507 data points. The proposed correlation for the friction factor predicts 96% of the database within ±20%. The heat transfer correlation for the range 500 ≤ Re ≤ 5000 predicts 76% of the database (178 data points) within ±20%, and the correlation for the higher Re range predicts 97% of the 342 data points within ±20%. Comparison of heat transfer and friction data show that these tubes are most effective in the laminar and transition flow regimes. The present results show that the increase of flute depth in the range considered does not improve heat transfer.