Abstract
As far as design safety and operation of heat exchangers with a horizontal flow are concerned, it is necessary to study local heat transfer coefficient, boiling pressure drop, and critical heat flux for flow in a horizontal tube. In the present experimental work, local axial distribution of heat transfer coefficient, two-phase pressure drop, and critical heat flux for the flow boiling in a horizontal straight tube with R-123 as working fluid has been studied. Experiments are performed in horizontal tubes of diameter 11.9 mm and wall thickness 0.4 mm of SS304, having a heated length of 400 mm, 600 mm, and 1000 mm for the mass flux of 180 to 1210 kg/m2s. The local wall temperature is measured using the Infra-Red thermal imaging technique. The local heat transfer coefficients are compared with six different well-known correlations. Also, the two-phase frictional pressure drop is measured and compared with eight different general correlations. In the present study, a sudden rise in wall temperature at any location of a test section is considered as the occurrence of a boiling crisis. The boiling crisis mechanism observed in the present study is of departure from nucleate boiling (DNB). It takes place in the subcooled, or low quality saturated boiling region and in-between the length of the test sections rather than at exit as in the dry-out type of CHF. The critical heat flux is compared with six different predictive correlations. The mechanism of occurrence of CHF in the present work is found to be a departure from nucleate boiling.
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Abbreviations
- Cp :
-
Specific heat at constant pressure J/kgK.
- d :
-
Tube diameter m
- f :
-
Friction factor Dimensionless
- G :
-
Mass flux kg/m2s
- g :
-
Acceleration due to gravity m2/s
- h :
-
Heat transfer coefficient W/m2K
- h* :
-
Fully developed subcooled heat transfer coefficient W/m2K
- h f :
-
Enthalpy of sensible heat J/kg
- h fg :
-
Enthalpy of latent heat J/kg
- I :
-
Current A
- k :
-
Thermal conductivity W/mK
- L, l :
-
Length m
- LCC :
-
Local condition correlation Dimensionless
- \( \dot{m} \) , :
-
Mass flow rate kg/s
- P :
-
Pressure N/m2
- p :
-
Perimeter m
- P r :
-
Reduced Pressure (Psys / Pcr) Dimensionless
- Q ′ :
-
Heat supply W
- r :
-
Radius m
- q ′ ′:
-
Heat flux W/m2
- T :
-
Temperature °C
- UCC :
-
Upstream condition correlation Dimensionless
- V :
-
Voltage V
- X :
-
Lockhart Martinelli Parameter (for turbulent-turbulent flow) \( {X}_{tt}={\left(\frac{1-x}{x}\right)}^{0.9}{\left(\frac{\rho_g}{\rho_l}\right)}^{0.5}{\left(\frac{\mu_l}{\mu_g}\right)}^{0.1} \)
- x :
-
Quality of vapor Dimensionless
- α :
-
Void fraction Dimensionless
- ɸ :
-
Two-phase flow multiplier ∅2 = ∆PTP, fric/∆PSP Dimensionless
- μ :
-
Dynamic viscosity N s/m2
- ρ :
-
Density kg/m3
- σ :
-
Surface tension N/m
- acc:
-
Acceleration
- amb:
-
Ambient
- b :
-
Bulk
- cal :
-
Calculated
- conv :
-
Convection
- cr :
-
Critical
- e :
-
Exit
- E :
-
Effective
- exp :
-
Experimental
- f :
-
Liquid
- fg :
-
Liquid to vapor
- fric :
-
friction
- g :
-
Vapor
- H :
-
Horizontal position
- h :
-
Heated
- i, in :
-
Inlet, inner
- l :
-
Liquid
- loc :
-
Local
- o, out :
-
Outer
- sat :
-
Saturated
- SP :
-
Single-phase
- SC :
-
Sub-cooled
- sys :
-
System
- TP :
-
(Two-phase)
- tt :
-
Turbulent liquid and Turbulent vapor
- lt :
-
Laminar liquid and Turbulent vapor
- V :
-
Vertical position
- w :
-
Wall
- W :
-
Wetted
- CHF :
-
Critical heat flux
- DNB :
-
Departure from nucleate boiling
- HTC :
-
Heat transfer coefficient
- Co :
-
Convection number\( \kern0.5em Co={\left(\frac{1-x}{x}\right)}^{0.8}{\left(\frac{\rho_g}{\rho_l}\right)}^{0.5} \)
- Bo :
-
Boiling number Bo = q" /G hfg
- Ja :
-
Jakob number Ja = Cp(Tsat − Tin)/hfg
- Nu :
-
Nusselt number Nu = h d/k
- Pr :
-
Prandtl number Pr = μ Cp/k
- Re :
-
Reynolds number Re = G d/μ
- We :
-
Weber number WeL = G2L/ρ σ, Wed = G2d/ρ σ
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge the funding provided by the Ministry of Defence (R and D) India. Authors are grateful to Mr. Gajendra Kumar Verma and Mr. Rahul Shirsat for their support in the fabrication work of the test section and carrying out experiments.
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Appendices
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
1.1 Experimental heat loss calculation
Heat loss from the test section is by natural convection heat loss and radiative heat loss from the test section to the ambient air. Both these losses depend mainly upon the surface temperature of the test section. Heat loss experiments are performed with an empty test section, which is supplied with electric heating. The test section is heated with constant heating and allowed to cool by convection and radiation at ambient conditions. At steady-state conditions, heat supplied to the test section is equal to heat loss from the test section due to energy balance. At steady-state conditions, room temperature, heat supplied, and surface temperature of the test section are recorded. Experiments are performed at an average wall temperature from 34.8 °C to 68.6 °C. A curve is plotted between heat loss (Heat supplied) and ΔT (Wall temperature – Ambient air temperature). Thus from the Graph plotted, equation Qloss = 0.8063 × ΔT is obtained for the heat loss calculation. Theoretical heat loss is also verified by calculating radiation heat loss using radiation heat transfer coefficient and convection heat transfer coefficient using Churchill and Chu equation. The convective heat transfer coefficient using Churchill and Chu equation is in the range of 5.78 to 7.45. But, keeping the h = 8 W/m2 for convective heat loss, the total heat loss comes out to be the same as experimental heat loss with a maximum deviation of 3%.
Schematics of the experimental setup for calculations of heat loss
Plot of heat loss by theoretical (hconv = 8 W/m2 + Radiation loss) and heat loss estimated from experimental methodology with driving temperature difference
In the present work, heat loss calculation is done as per the theoretical heat loss, as shown in Table 9. Combined convection and radiation heat loss is negligibly small compared to heat transferred to the fluid for the entire range of temperature in our experimental work. As the heat loss has a single-phase heat transfer coefficients, whereas boiling phenomena have a two-phase heat transfer coefficient, which is much significant. Further, we have R-123 as a working fluid that has less boiling point, so; wall temperature does not exceed much; hence radiation loss is also negligible. Despite the heat losses being small, these heat losses are considered in calculating the heat transfer coefficient.
Appendix 3
Summary of mass flux, current, and voltage data measured across the test section during the experimental work.
The measured voltage, current, and mass flux values at each steady stage condition are tabulated and given below for all the three test sections.
Heated Length = 400 mm | Heated Length = 600 mm | Heated Length = 1000 mm | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mass Flux | Voltage | Current | Mass Flux | Voltage | Current | Mass Flux | Voltage | Current |
kg/m2s | Volt | Amp | kg/m2s | Volt | Amp | kg/m2s | Volt | Amp |
181.4 | 0 | 0 | 182.2 | 0 | 0 | 178.3 | 0 | 0 |
182.7 | 2.55 | 130 | 176.5 | 3.79 | 130 | 192.6 | 4.9 | 102 |
184.1 | 2.73 | 139 | 185.1 | 4.4 | 151 | 193.5 | 5.88 | 122 |
181.3 | 2.99 | 152 | 179.9 | 5.34 | 181 | 190.6 | 7.43 | 152 |
181.4 | 3.29 | 166 | 175.9 | 5.97 | 201 | 186.1 | 8.97 | 182 |
180.6 | 3.82 | 191 | 358.8 | 0 | 0 | 181.9 | 9.79 | 196 |
179.9 | 4.05 | 201 | 359.9 | 5.1 | 140 | 358.6 | 0 | 0 |
354.4 | 0 | 0 | 358.2 | 5.46 | 180 | 354.0 | 6.5 | 130 |
353.7 | 3.48 | 170 | 359.3 | 5.14 | 190 | 349.3 | 8.07 | 160 |
350.8 | 3.9 | 189 | 361.9 | 6.08 | 200 | 345.7 | 8.7 | 172 |
349.5 | 4.04 | 195 | 498.1 | 0 | 0 | 344.6 | 10.23 | 200 |
494.5 | 0 | 0 | 496.2 | 3.8 | 131 | 490.2 | 0 | 0 |
491.9 | 3.54 | 178 | 492.9 | 4.66 | 160 | 490.2 | 6.35 | 130 |
495.6 | 4 | 200 | 490.8 | 5.32 | 181 | 492.9 | 7.88 | 161 |
494.7 | 4.33 | 217 | 497.2 | 6.17 | 210 | 492.9 | 9.37 | 191 |
492.6 | 4.62 | 230 | 497.0 | 6.65 | 224 | 488.5 | 10.4 | 211 |
491.1 | 4.76 | 233 | 627.9 | 0 | 0 | 491.4 | 11 | 220 |
625.1 | 3.89 | 190 | 635.2 | 4.32 | 140 | 645.0 | 0 | 0 |
624.9 | 4.71 | 230 | 634.2 | 5.46 | 180 | 645.1 | 7.07 | 140 |
624.5 | 4.92 | 240 | 632.5 | 6.95 | 227 | 646.1 | 9.12 | 180 |
901.8 | 0 | 0 | 903.7 | 4.21 | 140 | 652.4 | 11.16 | 220 |
900.5 | 2.66 | 130 | 905.9 | 5.42 | 180 | 658.3 | 12.19 | 240 |
903.2 | 3.07 | 150 | 910.3 | 6.97 | 230 | 900.9 | 0 | 0 |
907.2 | 3.48 | 170 | 910.5 | 7.76 | 256 | 901.6 | 5.01 | 100 |
908.0 | 3.9 | 190 | 1169.2 | 0 | 0 | 905.3 | 7.03 | 140 |
907.1 | 4.29 | 210 | 1172.3 | 4.2 | 140 | 911.9 | 9.05 | 180 |
909.0 | 4.72 | 230 | 1174.7 | 5.45 | 180 | 925.6 | 11.66 | 230 |
912.0 | 5.13 | 250 | 1181.0 | 6.97 | 230 | 935.0 | 12.66 | 250 |
914.4 | 5.55 | 270 | 1188.0 | 7.9 | 260 | 945.4 | 13.76 | 270 |
902.7 | 5.96 | 290 | 1197.2 | 8.85 | 290 | 951.3 | 14.52 | 285 |
906.6 | 6.39 | 310 | 1206.7 | 9.45 | 310 | 1171.8 | 0 | 0 |
911.0 | 6.83 | 330 | 1207.3 | 10.1 | 330 | 1178.8 | 4.86 | 100 |
916.4 | 7.42 | 360 | 1201.4 | 10.71 | 360 | 1183.9 | 7.05 | 140 |
920.6 | 7.87 | 382 | 1196.2 | 11.19 | 376 | 1192.8 | 9.06 | 180 |
1183.0 | 0 | 0 | 1211.2 | 11.67 | 230 | |||
1169.3 | 3.5 | 170 | 1221.7 | 12.71 | 250 | |||
1172.6 | 4.74 | 230 | 1237.0 | 14.3 | 280 | |||
1179.6 | 5.57 | 270 | 1216.8 | 15.34 | 300 | |||
1190.2 | 6.4 | 310 | 1231.1 | 16.38 | 320 | |||
1180.1 | 7.46 | 360 | 1211.0 | 17 | 333 | |||
1190.6 | 8.12 | 390 | ||||||
1162.0 | 8.7 | 418 | ||||||
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Tank, P.N., Hardik, B.K., Sridharan, A. et al. Pressure drop, local heat transfer coefficient, and critical heat flux of DNB type for flow boiling in a horizontal straight tube with R-123. Heat Mass Transfer 57, 223–250 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-020-02935-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-020-02935-5