Pressure drop reduction phenomenon of slush nitrogen flow in a horizontal pipe

Cryogenic slush fluids, such as slush hydrogen and slush nitrogen, are two-phase single-component fluids containing solid particles in a liquid. Their density and refrigerant capacity are greater than those of a liquid-state fluid alone. Owing to these advantages, there are high expectations for use of slush fluids in various applications such as a clean-energy fuel, fuel for space-planes to improve the efficiency of transportation and storage, and as a refrigerant for high-temperature superconducting power machines. Experimental tests were performed with slush nitrogen to obtain the frictional pressure drop flowing in a horizontal pipe with an inner diameter of 15 mm and a length of 400 mm. The primary objective of the study was to investigate the pressure drop reduction phenomenon according to changes in velocity and solid fraction. The pressure drop correlation between the friction factor and the Reynolds number was obtained, and an empirical correlation between them was derived. The flow pattern for slush nitrogen inside a pipe and the behavior of solid particles were observed using a high-speed video camera and the PIV method. From the experimental results, the pressure drop reduction phenomenon emerged clearly when the flow velocity was higher than 3.6 m/s and the flow pattern of solid particles inside the pipe was pseudo-homogeneous.     

Pressure-drop reduction and heat-transfer deterioration of slush nitrogen in horizontal pipe flow

Cryogenic slush fluids such as slush hydrogen and slush nitrogen are two-phase, single-component fluids containing solid particles in a liquid. Since their density and refrigerant capacity are greater than those of liquid-state fluid alone, there are high expectations for the use of slush fluids in various applications such as clean-energy fuels, spacecraft fuels for improved efficiency in transportation and storage, and as refrigerants for high-temperature superconducting equipment. Experimental tests were performed using slush nitrogen to obtain the flow and heat-transfer characteristics in two different types of horizontal circular pipes with inner diameters of 10 and 15 mm. One of the primary objectives for the study was to investigate the effect of pipe diameter on the pressure-drop reduction and heat-transfer deterioration of slush nitrogen according to changes in the pipe flow velocity, solid fraction and heat flux. In the case of an inner diameter of 15 mm, pressure drop was reduced and heat-transfer characteristics deteriorated when the pipe flow velocity was higher than 3.6 m/s. On the other hand, in the case of an inner diameter of 10 mm, pressure drop was reduced and heat-transfer characteristics deteriorated when the pipe flow velocity was higher than 2.0 m/s. From these results, it can be seen that a larger pipe diameter produces a higher onset velocity for reducing pressure drop and deteriorating heat-transfer characteristics. Furthermore, based on observations using a high-speed video camera, it was confirmed that pressure drop was reduced and heat-transfer characteristics deteriorated when the solid particles migrated to the center of the pipe and the flow pattern of the solid particles inside the pipe was pseudo-homogeneous.     

Experimental study of laminar natural convection heat transfer from a vertical cylinder to slush nitrogen under constant heat flux conditions

Natural convection heat transfer from a vertical cylinder immersed in slush and subcooled liquid nitrogen and subjected to constant heat fluxes was investigated in order to determine the relative merits of slush nitrogen (SlN₂) for immersion cooling. A glass dewar was used as a test vessel in which a cylindrical heater was mounted vertically, and heat transfer measurements were carried out for SlN₂ and subcooled liquid nitrogen (LN₂) in the laminar flow range. The results revealed advantages of SlN₂ over subcooled LN₂ in natural convection cooling. The local temperatures of the heated surface surrounded by solid nitrogen particles are measured to increase at much slower rates than in subcooled LN₂, which is due to the latent heat of fusion of solid nitrogen. Even after the solid nitrogen particles surrounding the heater are apparently depleted, the average heat transfer coefficients for SlN₂ are still found to be greater than those for LN₂ with the improvement in heat transfer being larger for lower Grashof number regime. Our analysis also indicates that solid nitrogen particles in close proximity to heated surface do not discourage local convection due to the porous nature of SlN₂, making the heat transfer in SlN₂ more effective than in the case of solid–liquid phase change of nitrogen involving melting and conduction processes.     

Pressure drop and heat transfer characteristics of clathrate hydrate slurry in a plate heat exchanger

Pressure drop and heat transfer characteristics of 0-17.5 vol% tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) clathrate hydrate slurry (CHS) as a secondary refrigerant flowing through a plate heat exchanger (PHE) were investigated in the present research. It was found that the pressure drop of TBAB CHS was about 3.0-50.0 kPa which was about 1.2-2 times of that of the chilled water at the flow rate of 2.5-13.0 L min⁻¹. The pressure drop increased with the increase of the volume fraction. Variation of the pressure drop with the modified Reynolds number was discussed and compared with that of the ice slurry. Flow friction factor correlation and local heat transfer correlation for TBAB CHS flowing through PHE were both proposed based on the experimental data. In addition, the influential factors, such as the inlet water temperature and inlet CHS volume fraction, on the overall heat transfer coefficient were discussed.     

Liquid nitrogen injection into water: Pressure build-up and heat transfer

This paper is concerned about the expansion of a small amount of liquid nitrogen injected into a relatively large pool of water and the heat transfer behaviour during the process. Both the transient pressure and temperature profiles are experimentally measured and analysed. The results show that the pressure and the rate of pressure rise increase approximately linearly with increasing injection pressure and reach, respectively, to 284 kPa and 500 kPa/s at a liquid nitrogen injection velocity of ∼0.85 m/s. The temperature varies little during the injection process due to relatively small amount of liquid nitrogen injected. A comparison of the experimental results with related work on surface boiling of cryogen suggests that the heat transfer of direct mixing be much stronger than boiling on smooth surfaces and flow boiling through smooth pipes, but comparable to the boiling on very rough surfaces and flow boiling in pipes with porous inserts. A comparison with the results generated by injecting a small amount of water into liquid cryogens shows that a higher pressure increase rate could be achieved if operating conditions are optimised to induce fragmentation. Implications of the results to cryogenic engine work output and ways to improve the performance of cryogenic engines are also discussed.     

氮浆在水平圆管中流动压降的数值模拟

氮浆因其密度高、温度低、热容大等特性,可作为高温超导器件等的潜在冷却剂.氮浆的流动特性(尤其是压降)是其在应用中很重要的特征参数.建立了氮浆在水平圆管中流动时压降的二维计算模型,并应用双流体模型、Syamlal-O'Brien曳力模型的CFD模拟方法,对系统中跟流动压降相关的关键因素进行了分析,得出了固氮体积分数、氮浆流速、管道直径和固氮颗粒大小等参数对氮浆液固两相流在水平圆管内流动压降的影响情况.     

Heat transfer characteristics of spirally-coiled circular fin-tube heat exchangers operating under frosting conditions

The objective of this study is to investigate the heat transfer characteristics of spirally-coiled circular fin-tube heat exchangers under frosting conditions. The heat transfer rate, pressure drop, frost thickness, and Nusselt number of the heat exchanger were measured and analyzed by varying the fin pitch and number of tube rows under frosting conditions. In addition, the Nusselt number of the spirally-coiled circular fin-tube exchanger was compared with those of flat plate fin-tube heat exchangers with discrete fins. An empirical correlation of the Nusselt number was developed as a function of the Reynolds number, dimensionless fin pitch normalized by the hydraulic diameter, i.e., D_h/F_p, Fourier number, and number of tube rows. The measured Nusselt number was consistent with the predicted value with mean and average deviations of 3.5% and 0.3%, respectively.     

Condensation heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of CO2 in a microchannel

The condensation heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop of CO₂ in a multiport microchannel with a hydraulic diameter of 1.5 mm was investigated with variation of the mass flux from 400 to 1000 kgm⁻²s⁻¹ and of the condensation temperature from −5 to 5 °C. The heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop increased with the decrease of condensation temperature and the increase of mass flux. However, the rate of increase of the heat transfer coefficient was retarded by these changes. The gradient of the pressure drop with respect to vapor quality is significant with the increase of mass flux. The existing models for heat transfer coefficient overpredicted the experimental data, and the deviation increased at high vapor quality and at high heat transfer coefficient. The smallest mean deviation of ±51.8% was found by the Thome et al. model. For the pressure drop, the Mishima and Hibiki model showed mean deviation of 29.1%.     

Numerical analysis on pressure drop and heat transfer performance of mesh regenerators used in cryocoolers

An anisotropic porous media model for mesh regenerator used in pulse tube refrigerator (PTR) is established. Formulas for permeability and Forchheimer coefficient are derived which include the effects of regenerator configuration and geometric parameters, oscillating flow, operating frequency, cryogenic temperature. Then, the fluid flow and heat transfer performances of mesh regenerator are numerically investigated under different mesh geometric parameters and material properties. The results indicate that the cooling power of the PTR increases with the increases of specific heat capacity and density of the regenerator mesh material, and decreases with the increases of penetration depth and thermal conductivity ratio (a). The cooling power at a = 0.1 is 0.5-2.0 W higher than that at a = 1. Optimizing the filling scale of different mesh configurations (such as 75% #200 twill and 25% #250 twill) and adopting multi segments regenerator with stainless steel meshes at the cold end can enhance the regenerator’s efficiency and achieve better heat transfer performance.     

Short-time heat impulse intensification of heat transfer in liquid nitrogen

The cryogenic technology deals with fluids produced from gases after liquefaction. Boiling of cryogenic fluids is frequently characterized by a hysteresis of their boiling curve. The present experimental work demonstrates an opportunity to intensify heat transfer in those fluids by means of short-term heat impulsion from a heater. The intensification takes place due to the impulse-induced transition of heat transfer regime from natural convection towards nucleate boiling. The process takes place when the impulse magnitude overcomes certain minimum value that was quantified experimentally. We also propose a theoretical expression for the minimum energy that is in agreement with the experimental data.     

Evaporation heat transfer and pressure drop of ammonia in a mixed configuration chevron plate heat exchanger

Ammonia is a naturally occurring environment friendly refrigerant with attractive thermo-physical properties. Experimental investigation of heat transfer and pressure drop during steady state evaporation of ammonia in a commercial plate heat exchanger has been carried out for an un-symmetric 30°/60° chevron plate configuration. Experiments were conducted for saturation temperatures ranging from −25 °C to −2 °C. The heat flux was varied between 21 kW m⁻² and 44 kW m⁻². Experimental results show significant effect of saturation temperature, heat flux and exit vapor quality on heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop. Current mixed plate configuration data are compared with previous studies on the same heat exchanger with symmetric plate configurations. This comparison highlighted importance of optimization in selection of the heat exchangers. Correlations for two phase Nusselt number and friction factor for each chevron plate configuration considered are developed. A Nusselt number correlation generalized for a range of chevron angles is also proposed.     

Confined jet impingement of liquid nitrogen onto different heat transfer surfaces

Jet impingement of liquid nitrogen owns many applications in the cryogenic cooling aspects, such as, cooling of high-power chips in the electronic devices and cryoprobes in the cryosurgery. In the present study, we systematically investigated the confined jet impingement of liquid nitrogen from a tube of about 2.0 mm in diameter onto the heat transfer surfaces of about 5.0 mm in basement diameter with different heat transfer surface geometries and conditions, i.e., flat surface, hemispherical surface and flat surface with a needle. The effects of many influential factors, such as, the geometry of the heat transfer surface, jet velocity, distance between the nozzle exit and heat transfer surface, heat transfer surface condition, and some other, on the heat transfer were investigated. The heat transfer correlations were also proposed by using the experimental data, and it was found that the heat transfer mechanism of liquid impingement in the confined space was dominated by the convective evaporation rather than the nucleate boiling in the present case. The critical heat flux (CHF) of the confined jet impingement was measured and the visualization of the corresponding flow patterns of the confined jet impingement of liquid nitrogen was also conducted simultaneously to understand the heat transfer phenomena.     

Effects of storage on flow and heat transfer characteristics of ice slurry

The effect of storage on flow and heat transfer characteristics of ice slurry was investigated experimentally. After ice slurry had been stored in the storage tank, variations in ice particle size were measured using a microscope, and diameter distribution and average diameter determined. The ice packing factor, Reynolds number and storage time were varied as experimental parameters. The pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient were measured when the ice slurry flowed in the horizontal tube. For laminar flow, the ratios of pipe friction and heat transfer coefficient decreased with storage time. For more than 12 h storage time, the ice slurry could not flow in the tube. The adhesion between ice particles seemed to cause a blockage in the tube. On the other hand, for turbulent flow, the pipe friction and ice slurry heat transfer coefficients were similar to that of the ethanol solution, and the storage effect was insignificant.     

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.     

Condensation heat transfer and pressure drop in flattened microfin tubes having different aspect ratios

In this study, condensation heat transfer coefficients and pressure drops of R-410A are obtained in flattened microfin tubes made from 7.0 mm O.D. round microfin tubes. The test range covers saturation temperature 45 °C, mass flux 100–400 kg m⁻² s⁻¹ and quality 0.2–0.8. Results show that the effect of aspect ratio on condensation heat transfer coefficient is dependent on the flow pattern. For annular flow, the heat transfer coefficient increases as aspect ratio increases. For stratified flow, however, the heat transfer coefficient decreases as aspect ratio increases. The pressure drop always increases as aspect ratio increases. Possible reasoning is provided based on the estimated flow pattern in flat microfin tubes. Comparison with existing round microfin tube correlations is made.     

Evaporative heat transfer and pressure drop of R410A in microchannels

Convective boiling heat transfer coefficients and two-phase pressure drops of R410A are investigated in rectangular microchannels whose hydraulic diameters are 1.36 and 1.44 mm. The mass flux was varied from 200 to 400 kg/m²s, heat flux from 10 to 20 kW/m², as the saturation temperatures were maintained at 0, 5 and 10 °C. A direct heating method was used to provide heat flux into the fluid. The boiling heat transfer coefficients of R410A in the microchannels were much different with those in single tubes, and the test conditions only slightly affected the heat transfer coefficients before dryout vapor quality. The present heat transfer correlation for microchannels, which was developed by introducing non-dimensional parameters of Bo, We_l, and Re_l used in the existing heat transfer correlations for large diameter tubes, yielded satisfactory predictions of the present data with a mean deviation of 18%. The pressure drops of R410A in the microchannels showed very similar trends with those in large diameter tubes. The existing two-phase pressure drop correlations for R410A in microchannels satisfactorily predicted the present data.     

Air-side heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of accelerated flow evaporators

We investigate an alternative tube-fin evaporator design (accelerated flow evaporator, AFE) in which the air-side local heat transfer coefficient is increased due to a progressive reduction of the free-flow area. For a given heat transfer rate, this enhancement is expected to partially compensate the decrease in surface area, which reduces the evaporator material cost. The air-side thermal-hydraulic behavior of nine AFEs was determined experimentally, and a calculation method that relies on j and f correlations for plain tube-fin heat exchangers and on mass and momentum balances has been proposed. The method enables the calculation of the by-pass fraction associated with the air stream through the clearance between the tube bank and the outer edge of the fins. The agreement between the model, which introduces no additional fitting parameters, and the experiments is within ±10% for all heat transfer data and ±15% for the majority of the pressure drop data.     

Charge reduction experimental investigation of CO2 single-phase flow in a horizontal micro-channel with constant heat flux conditions

The use of carbon dioxide as alternative refrigerant in refrigeration plants and heat pumps has been focused recently. Through the specific properties of CO₂, the use of very compact heat exchangers is relevant and the technology of micro-channel heat exchangers rises as a suitable solution. The experimental investigation of CO₂ flow in a single micro-channel with an inner diameter of 529 μm is planned with an original test section. This test section is initially dedicated for further CO₂ two-phase flow analysis. The local heat transfer coefficients are estimated with micro-thermocouples stuck on the micro-channel wall. The pressure drop is also measured. This paper presents the first results in single-phase pressure drop and heat transfer and exhibits promising coming data in two-phase flow pressure drop and heat transfer for mass velocity between 200 kg/m²/s and 1400 kg/m²/s and working saturation temperature between −10 °C and 5 °C. The results stress on the good accuracy of suitable classical laws to predict pressure drop and heat transfer in single-phase flow in micro-channel.