Experimental investigation of evaporation heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop of R-410A in a multiport mini-channel

The evaporation heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop of R-410A flowing through a horizontal aluminium rectangular multiport mini-channel having 3.48 mm hydraulic diameter are experimentally investigated. The test runs are performed at mass flux ranging between 200 and 400 kg/m² s. The heat fluxes are between 5 and 14.25 kW/m² and the saturation temperatures range between 10 and 30 °C. The pressure drop across the test section is directly measured by a differential pressure transducer. The effects of the imposed wall heat flux, mass flux, vapour quality, and saturation temperature on the evaporation heat transfer and pressure drop are also discussed. The results from the present experiment are compared with those obtained from the existing correlation. New correlations for the evaporation heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop of R-410A flowing through a multiport mini-channel are proposed for practical applications.     

Experimental investigation and correlation of two-phase frictional pressure drop of R410A–oil mixture flow boiling in a 5 mm microfin tube

This study presents experimental two-phase frictional data for R410A-oil mixture flow boiling in an internal spiral grooved microfin tube with outside diameter of 5 mm. Experimental parameters include the evaporation temperature of 5 °C, the mass flux from 200 to 400 kg m^?2 s^?1, the heat flux from 7.46 to 14.92 kW m^?2, the inlet vapor quality from 0.1 to 0.8, and nominal oil concentration from 0 to 5%. The test results show that the frictional pressure drop of R410A initially increases with vapor quality and then decreases, presenting a local maximum in the vapor quality range between 0.7 and 0.8; the frictional pressure drop of R410A–oil mixture increases with the mass flux, the presence of oil enhances two-phase frictional pressure drop, and the effect of oil on frictional pressure drop is more evident at higher vapor qualities where the local oil concentrations are higher. The enhanced factor is always larger than unity and increases with nominal oil concentration at a given vapor quality. The range of the enhanced factor is about 1.0–2.2 at present test conditions. A new correlation to predict the local frictional pressure drop of R410A-oil mixture flow boiling inside the internal spiral grooved microfin tube is developed based on local properties of refrigerant–oil mixture, and the measured local frictional pressure drop is well correlated with the empirical equation proposed by the authors.     

Two-phase heat transfer and pressure drop of LNG during saturated flow boiling in a horizontal tube

Two-phase heat transfer and pressure drop of LNG (liquefied natural gas) have been measured in a horizontal smooth tube with an inner diameter of 8 mm. The experiments were conducted at inlet pressures from 0.3 to 0.7 MPa with a heat flux of 8–36 kW m⁻², and mass flux of 49.2–201.8 kg m⁻² s⁻¹. The effect of vapor quality, inlet pressure, heat flux and mass flux on the heat transfer characteristic are discussed. The comparisons of the experimental data with the predicted value by existing correlations are analyzed. Zou et al. (2010) correlation shows the best accuracy with 24.1% RMS deviation among them. Moreover four frictional pressure drop methods are also chosen to compare with the experimental database.     

Effect of twisted tape insert on heat transfer and pressure drop in horizontal evaporators for the flow of R-134a

An experimental study has been carried out on the heat transfer enhancement and pressure drop characteristics in presence of twisted tape inserts, during flow boiling of R-134a, inside a horizontal evaporator. The test-evaporator was an electrically heated 1260 mm long copper tube with 7.5 mm inside diameter. The experiments were performed for plain flow and four tubes with twisted tapes of 6, 9, 12 and 15 twist ratios and four refrigerant mass velocities of 54, 85, 114 and 136 kg/s m² for each tape. It has been found that the twisted tape inserts enhance the heat transfer coefficient on relatively higher pressure drop penalty, in comparison to that for the plain flow.     

Measurement and correlation of frictional pressure drop of refrigerant-based nanofluid flow boiling inside a horizontal smooth tube

The objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of nanoparticle on the frictional pressure drop characteristics of refrigerant-based nanofluid flow boiling inside a horizontal smooth tube, and to present a correlation for predicting the frictional pressure drop of refrigerant-based nanofluid. R113 refrigerant and CuO nanoparticle were used for preparing refrigerant-based nanofluid. Experimental conditions include mass fluxes from 100 to 200 kg m^?2 s^?1, heat fluxes from 3.08 to 6.16 kW m^?2, inlet vapor qualities from 0.2 to 0.7, and mass fractions of nanoparticles from 0 to 0.5 wt%. The experimental results show that the frictional pressured drop of refrigerant-based nanofluid increases with the increase of the mass fraction of nanoparticles, and the maximum enhancement of frictional pressure drop is 20.8% under above conditions. A frictional pressure drop correlation for refrigerant-based nanofluid is proposed, and the predictions agree with 92% of the experimental data within the deviation of ±15%.     

Two-phase flow heat transfer of CO2 vaporization in smooth horizontal minichannels

Experiments were performed on the convective boiling heat transfer in horizontal minichannels with CO₂. The test section is made of stainless steel tubes with inner diameters of 1.5 and 3.0 mm and with lengths of 2000 and 3000 mm, respectively, and it is uniformly heated by applying an electric current directly to the tubes. Local heat transfer coefficients were obtained for a heat flux range of 20–40 kW m⁻², a mass flux range of 200–600 kg m⁻² s⁻¹, saturation temperatures of 10, 0, −5, and −10 °C and quality ranges of up to 1.0. Nucleate boiling heat transfer contribution was predominant, especially at low quality region. The reduction of heat transfer coefficient occurred at a lower vapor quality with a rise of heat flux, mass flux and saturation temperature, and with a smaller inner tube diameter. The experimental heat transfer coefficient of CO₂ is about three times higher than that of R-134a. Laminar flow appears in the minichannel flows. A new boiling heat transfer coefficient correlation that is based on the superposition model for CO₂ was developed with 8.41% mean deviation.     

Boiling heat transfer from a horizontal flat plate in a pool of liquid hydrogen

Heat transfer from a flat plate facing upward immersed in a liquid hydrogen pool was measured for the pressures from atmospheric to 1.1 MPa. The flat plate heater used was 10 mm in width, 100 mm in length and 0.1 mm in thickness. Critical heat fluxes (CHFs) in saturated boiling increased with the increase in pressure up to around 0.3 MPa and then decreased with further pressure increase. The CHFs under subcooled condition at each pressure increased with the increase in sub-cooling. Discussions were made on the experimental results by comparing with those of the other cryogenic liquids and also the Kutateladze’s equations under saturated and subcooled conditions. The experimental CHFs were much smaller than the Kutateladze’s equation for higher pressure up to critical. The heater surface temperature was found to reach the critical temperature before the occurrence of hydrodynamic instability and jump to the film boiling regime at the lower heat flux in the higher pressure range. It was suggested that the CHFs are determined not by the heat flux but by the temperature in the higher pressure range.     

Boiling heat transfer of R-22, R-134a, and CO2 in horizontal smooth minichannels

This study examined convective boiling heat transfer in horizontal minichannels using R-22, R-134a, and CO₂. The local heat transfer coefficients were obtained for heat fluxes ranging from 10 to 40 kW m⁻², mass fluxes ranging from 200 to 600 kg m⁻² s⁻¹, a saturation temperature of 10 °C, and quality up to 1.0. The test section was made of stainless steel tubes with inner diameters of 1.5 mm and 3.0 mm, and a length of 2000 mm. The section was heated uniformly by applying an electric current to the tubes directly. Nucleate boiling heat transfer was the main contribution, particularly at the low quality region. An increasing and decreasing heat transfer coefficient occurred at the lower vapor quality with increasing heat flux and mass flux. The mean heat transfer coefficient ratio of R-22:R-134a:CO₂ was approximately 1.0:0.8:2.0. Laminar flow was observed in the minichannels. A new boiling heat transfer coefficient correlation based on the superposition model for refrigerants in minichannels was developed with a mean deviation of 11.21%.     

Two-phase pressure drop of R-410A in horizontal smooth minichannels

Convective boiling pressure drop experiments were performed in horizontal minichannels with a binary mixture refrigerant, R-410A. The test section was made of stainless steel tubes with inner diameters of 1.5 mm and 3.0 mm and with lengths of 1500 mm and 3000 mm, respectively. This test section was uniformly heated by applying electric current directly to the tubes. Experiments were performed at inlet saturation temperature of 10 °C, mass flux ranges from 300 to 600 kg m⁻² s⁻¹ and heat flux ranges from 10 to 40 kW m⁻². The current study showed the significant effect of mass flux and tube diameter on pressure drop. The experimental results were compared against 15 two-phase pressure drop prediction methods. The homogeneous model predicted well the experimental pressure drop, generally. A new pressure drop prediction method based on the Lockhart–Martinelli method was developed with 4.02% mean deviation.     

Boiling heat transfer of HFO-1234yf flowing in a smooth small-diameter horizontal tube

The flow boiling heat transfer coefficient of the low-GWP (global warming potential) refrigerant HFO-1234yf inside a smooth small-diameter horizontal tube (inner diameter: 2 mm) was experimentally investigated. The local heat transfer coefficient was measured at heat fluxes of 6-24 kW m⁻², mass fluxes of 100-400 kg m⁻² s⁻¹, an evaporating temperature of 288.15 K, and an inlet vapor quality of 0-0.25. The results show that the effect of heat flux on the heat transfer was large at low vapor quality, while the effect of mass flux was large at high vapor quality. The heat transfer coefficient of HFO-1234yf was almost the same as that of R-134a. The heat transfer coefficients calculated based on correlations with Saitoh et al. agreed well with the measured values compared to other correlations. The measured pressure drop agreed well with that predicted by the Lockhart-Martinelli correlation.     

Experimental investigation of forced flow boiling of nitrogen in a horizontal corrugated stainless steel tube

Experimental investigation is performed on the heat transfer characteristics of forced flow boiling of saturated liquid nitrogen (LN₂) in a horizontal corrugated stainless steel tube with a 17.6 mm maximum inner diameter. The local heat transfer coefficients (HTCs) are measured at two mass flow rates with a wide range of wall heat fluxes. The effects of the heat flux, mass flow flux and vapor quality on the two-phase heat transfer characteristics are discussed. The results reveal that the local HTCs increase with the heat flux and mass flow flux. The measured local HTCs present a strong dependence on the heat flux. The circumferential averages of the HTCs for the present corrugated tube are compared with the empirical correlations proposed for the smooth tubes, and the results show that the heat transfer is enhanced due to the area augmentation.     

Pressure drop reduction and heat transfer deterioration of slush nitrogen in triangular and circular pipe flows

Slush fluids such as slush hydrogen and slush nitrogen are characterized by superior properties as functional thermal fluids due to their density and heat of fusion. In addition to allowing efficient hydrogen transport and storage, slush hydrogen can serve as a refrigerant for high-temperature superconducting (HTS) equipment using MgB₂, with the potential for synergistic effects. In this study, pressure drop reduction and heat transfer deterioration experiments were performed on slush nitrogen flowing in a horizontal triangular pipe with sides of 20 mm under the conditions of three different cross-sectional orientations. Experimental conditions consisted of flow velocity (0.3–4.2 m/s), solid fraction (0–25 wt.%), and heat flux (0, 10, and 20 kW/m²). Pressure drop reduction became apparent at flow velocities exceeding about 1.3–1.8 m/s, representing a maximum amount of reduction of 16–19% in comparison with liquid nitrogen, regardless of heating. Heat transfer deterioration was seen at flow velocities of over 1.2–1.8 m/s, for a maximum amount of deterioration of 13–16%. The authors of the current study compared the results for pressure drop reduction and heat transfer deterioration in triangular pipe with those obtained previously for circular and square pipes, clarifying differences in flow and heat transfer properties. Also, a correlation equation was obtained between the slush Reynolds number and the pipe friction factor, which is important in the estimation of pressure drop in unheated triangular pipe. Furthermore, a second correlation equation was derived between the modified slush Reynolds number and the pipe friction factor, enabling the integrated prediction of pressure drop in both unheated triangular and circular pipes.     

Experimental investigation on flow condensation heat transfer and pressure drop of R170 in a horizontal tube

Condensation heat transfer and pressure drop of R170 were studied experimentally in a horizontal tube with inner diameter of 4 mm. The tests were conducted at saturation pressures from 1 MPa to 2.5 MPa, mass fluxes from 100 kg (m²∙s)⁻¹ to 250 kg (m²∙s)⁻¹ and average heat fluxes from 55.3 kW m⁻² to 96.3 kW m⁻² over the entire vapor quality range. The effects of vapor quality, mass flux and saturation pressure on condensation heat transfer and pressure drop were examined and analyzed. The experimental data were compared with various well-known correlations of condensation heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop. The comparison results showed that Koyama et al. correlation agreed with the experimental heat transfer coefficient with a mean absolute relative deviation less than 25%, and the Yan and Lin correlation can accurately predict the experimental pressure drop with a mean absolute relative deviation less than 18%.     

Experimental investigation on flow boiling pressure drop of R-290 and R-600a in a horizontal small tube

Pressure drop for propane and isobutane were performed in a horizontal small tube of stainless steel with 1.0 mm inner diameter. The tests were conducted at mass fluxes from 240 to 480 kg m⁻²s⁻¹ and heat fluxes from 5 to 60 kW m⁻² at 25 °C saturation temperature. The effect of flow patterns, mass flux, vapour quality and heat flux are discussed. Strong influence of mass flux and vapour quality on pressure drop was found. The comparisons of experimental data with predicted value proposed by existing correlations available in literature for pressure drop are analyzed.     

Measurement and prediction of heat transfer coefficient on ammonia flow boiling in a microfin plate evaporator

Thermal characteristics of ammonia flow boiling in a microfin plate evaporator are experimentally investigated. Titanium microfin heat transfer surface is manufactured to enhance boiling heat transfer. Longitudinally- and laterally-microfined surfaces are used and those performances are compared. Heat transfer coefficient of microfin plate evaporator is also compared with that of plain-surface plate evaporator. The effects of mass flux, heat flux, channel height, and saturation pressure on heat transfer coefficient are presented and discussed. The experiments are conducted for the range of mass flux (5 and 7.5 kg m⁻² s⁻¹), heat flux (10, 15, and 20 kW m⁻²), channel height (1, 2, and 5 mm), and saturation pressure (0.7 and 0.9 MPa). Heat transfer coefficient is compared with that predicted by available empirical correlations proposed by other researchers. Modified correlations using Lockhart-Martinelli parameter to predict heat transfer coefficient are developed and they cover more than 87% of the experimental data.     

Flow boiling of non-azeotropic mixture R32/R1234ze(E) in horizontal microfin tubes

Flow boiling of a potential refrigerant R32/R1234ze(E) in a horizontal microfin tube of 5.21 mm inner diameter is experimentally investigated. The heat transfer coefficient (HTC) and pressure drop are measured at a saturation temperature of 10 °C, heat fluxes of 10 and 15 kW m^?2, and mass velocities from 150 to 400 kg m^?2 s^?1. The HTC of R1234ze(E) is lower than that of R32. Degradation in the HTC of the R32/R1234ze(E) mixture is significant; the HTC is even lower than that of R1234ze(E). The HTC is minimized at the composition 0.2/0.8 by mass, where the temperature glide and the mass fraction distribution are maximized. A predicting correlation based on Momoki et al. (1995) associated with the correction methods of Thome (1981) to consider the mass transfer resistance and Stephan (1992) to consider the additionally required sensible heat is proposed and validated with the experimental results.     

Condensing two-phase pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient of propane in a horizontal multiport mini-channel tube: Experimental measurements

This article reports the condensing flow heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop results of propane (R290) flowing through a square section horizontal multiport mini-channel tube made of aluminium having an internal diameter of 1.16 mm and a condensing length of 259 mm. Pressure drop and two phase flow experiments were performed at saturation temperatures of 30, 40 and 50 °C. Heat flux was varied from 15.76 to 32.25 kWm⁻² and mass velocity varied from 175 to 350 kg m⁻² s⁻¹. The results show that the two-phase friction pressure gradient increases with the increase of mass velocity and vapour quality and with the decrease of saturation temperature. The heat transfer coefficients showed to increase with increases of vapour quality and mass velocity while increases of saturation temperature were observed to reduce heat transfer coefficient. The two phase frictional pressure drop correlations of Sun and Mishima and Agarwal and Garimella, and the two-phase flow heat transfer correlations of Koyama et al. and Wang et al. predicted well the experimental results.     

Effect of tube diameter on boiling heat transfer and flow characteristic of refrigerant R32 in horizontal small-diameter tubes

This study investigated the effect of tube diameter on flow boiling characteristics of refrigerant R32 in horizontal small-diameter tubes with 1.0, 2.2, and 3.5 mm inner diameters. The boiling heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop were measured at 15 °C saturation temperature. The effects of mass velocity, heat flux, quality, and tube diameter were clarified. The flow pattern of R32 for adiabatic two-phase flow in a horizontal glass tube with an inner diameter of 3.5 mm at saturation temperature of 15 °C was investigated. Flow patterns such as plug, wavy, churn, and annular flows were observed. The heat transfer mechanisms of forced convection and nucleate boiling were similar to those in conventional-diameter tubes. In addition, evaporation heat transfer through a thin liquid film in the plug flow region for low quality, mass velocity, and heat flux was observed. The heat transfer coefficient increased with decreasing tube diameter under the same experimental condition. The fictional pressure drop increased with increasing mass velocity and quality and decreasing tube diameter. The experimental values of the heat transfer coefficient and frictional pressure drop were compared with the values calculated by the empirical correlations in the open literature.     

Modeling of a horizontal circulation open loop in two-phase helium

In the process of the cryogenic cooling system design of the superconducting magnet of the R³B spectrometer, heat and mass transfer in a two-phase He I natural circulation loop with a horizontal heated section has been investigated experimentally. The experiments were conducted on a 2 m high experimental loop with a copper tube of 10 mm inner diameter uniformly heated over a length of 4 m. All data were obtained near atmospheric pressure. Evolution of the mass flow rates as a function of heat flux in steady state condition are presented and compared to a numerical model that have been developed to assist the design of such a cooling scheme. The model is based on a one-dimensional equations system, which includes mass, momentum and energy balances. It is based on the homogeneous model with a specific friction coefficient for the horizontal heated section. The model reproduces with an acceptable accuracy the experimental results and now serves as a tool for the design.     

Condensation of refrigerants in a multiport tube with rectangular minichannels

This study investigated the condensation heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of refrigerants R134a, R32, R1234ze(E), and R410A in a horizontal multiport tube with rectangular minichannels, in the mass velocity range of 100–400 kg m⁻² s⁻¹ and saturation temperature set at 40 and 60 °C. The effect of mass velocity, vapor quality, saturation temperature, refrigerant properties, and hydraulic diameter of rectangular channels on condensation characteristics is clarified. A new correlation is proposed for predicting the frictional pressure drop for condensation flow in minichannels. A heat transfer model for condensation heat transfer in rectangular minichannels is developed considering the flow patterns and effects of vapor shear stress and surface tension. Then, based on this model, a new heat transfer correlation is proposed. The proposed correlations successfully predict the experimental frictional pressure drop and heat transfer coefficients of the test refrigerants in horizontal rectangular minichannels.