Two-phase countercurrent flow in a model of a pressurized water reactor hot leg

The onset of flooding or countercurrent flow limitation (CCFL) determines the maximum rate at which one phase can flow countercurrently to another phase. In the present study, the experimental data of the CCFL for gas and liquid in a horizontal pipe with a bend are investigated. The different mechanisms that lead to flooding and that are dependent on the liquid flow rate are observed. For low and intermediate liquid flow rates, the onset of flooding appears simultaneously with the slugging of unstable waves that are formed at the crest of the hydraulic jump. At low liquid flow rates, slugging appears close to the bend; at higher liquid flow rates, it appears far away from the bend, in the horizontal section. For high liquid flow rates, no hydraulic jump is observed, and flooding occurs as a result of slug formation at the end of the horizontal pipe. The effects of the inclination angle of the bends, the liquid inlet conditions and the length of the horizontal pipes are of significance for the onset of flooding. A mathematical model of Ardron and Banerjee is modified to predict the onset of flooding. Flooding curves calculated by this model are compared with present experimental data and those of other researchers. The predictions of the onset of flooding as a function of the length-to-diameter ratio are in reasonable agreement with the experimental data.     

Growth of hexagonal prism ZnO nanorods on Zn substrates by hydrothermal method and their photoluminescence

Hexagonal prism ZnO nanorods were successfully grown on Zn substrates by the 120 °C and 24 h hydrothermal reaction of the solutions with pH of 9–12. Results from XRD, SEM, TEM, SAED and HRTEM showed that the as-synthesized products were wurtzite ZnO with the shape of hexagonal prism nanorods grown along the [0 0 1] direction with smooth prismatic side planes. The PL spectra showed strong emission band at 543 nm in the green-yellow region due to the recombination of electrons trapped in singly ionized oxygen vacancies and photoexcited holes. This facile, reproducible and effective low-cost approach is promising for the future large-scale synthesis of wurtzite ZnO nanostructures for different applications in nanotechnology.     

Numerical investigation of refrigerant flow through non-adiabatic capillary tubes

A mathematical model is developed to study flow characteristics in non-adiabatic capillary tubes. The theoretical model is based on conservation of mass, energy and momentum of fluids in the capillary tube and suction line. The mathematical model is categorized into three different cases, depending on the position of the heat exchange process. The first case is considered when the heat exchange process starts in the single-phase flow region, the second case is determined when the heat exchange process starts at the end of the single-phase flow region, and the last case is considered when the heat exchange process takes place in the two-phase flow region. A set of differential equations is solved by the explicit method of finite-difference scheme. The model is validated by comparing with the experimental data obtained from previous works. The results obtained from the present model show reasonable agreement with the experimental data. The present non-adiabatic capillary tube model can be used to integrate with system models working with alternative refrigerants for design and optimization.     

Two-phase flow model of refrigerants flowing through helically coiled capillary tubes

This paper presents a numerical study of the flow characteristics of refrigerants flowing through adiabatic helically coiled capillary tubes. The theoretical model is based on conservation of mass, energy and momentum of the fluids in the capillary tube. The two-phase flow model developed was based on the homogeneous flow assumption. The viscosity model was also based on recommendations from the literature. The developed model can be considered as an effective tool for designing and optimizing capillary tubes working with newer alternative refrigerants. The model is validated by comparison with the experimental data of Kim et al. (2002) for R-22, R-407C and R-410A, and Zhou and Zhang (2006) for R-22. The results obtained from the present model show reasonable agreement with the experimental data. The proposed model can be used to design helical capillary tubes working with various refrigerants.     

Investigation on power output of the gamma-configuration low temperature differential Stirling engines

This paper provides a study on power output determination of a gamma-configuration, low temperature differential Stirling engine. The former works on the calculation of Stirling engine power output are discussed. Results from this study indicate that the mean pressure power formula is most appropriate for the calculation of a gamma-configuration, low temperature differential Stirling engine power output.     

Correlations for evaporation heat transfer coefficient and two-phase friction factor for R-134a flowing through horizontal corrugated tubes

Correlations for the evaporation heat transfer coefficient and two-phase friction factor of R-134a flowing through horizontal corrugated tubes are proposed. In the present study, the test section is a horizontal counter-flow concentric tube-in-tube heat exchanger with R-134a flowing in the inner tube and hot water flowing in the annulus. Smooth tube and corrugated tubes with inner diameters of 8.7 mm and lengths of 2000 mm are used as the inner tube. The corrugation pitches are 5.08, 6.35, and 8.46 mm and the corrugation depths are 1, 1.25, and 1.5 mm, respectively. The outer tube is made from smooth copper tube with an inner diameter of 21.2 mm. The correlations presented are formed by using approximately 200 data points for five different corrugated tube geometries and are then proposed in terms of Nusselt number, equivalent Reynolds number, Prandtl number, corrugation pitch and depth, and inside diameter.     

Condensation heat transfer and flow characteristics of R-134a flowing through corrugated tubes

This article presents the condensation heat transfer and flow characteristics of R-134a flowing through corrugated tubes experimentally. The test section is a horizontal counter-flow concentric tube-in-tube heat exchanger 2000 mm in length. A smooth copper tube and corrugated copper tubes having inner diameters of 8.7 mm are used as an inner tube. The outer tube is made from smooth copper tube having an inner diameter of 21.2 mm. The corrugation pitches used in this study are 5.08, 6.35, and 8.46 mm. Similarly, the corrugation depths are 1, 1.25, and 1.5 mm, respectively. The test conditions are performed at saturation temperatures of 40–50 °C, heat fluxes of 5–10 kW/m², mass fluxes of 200–700 kg/m² s, and equivalent Reynolds numbers of 30000–120000. The Nusselt number and two-phase friction factor obtained from the corrugated tubes are significantly higher than those obtained from the smooth tube. Finally, new correlations are developed based on the present experimental data for predicting the Nusselt number and two-phase friction factor for corrugated tubes.     

A Visual Study of Two-Phase Flow Patterns of HFC-134a and Lubricant Oil Mixtures

The two-phase flow patterns of HFC-134a with lubricant oil mixtures inside a smooth horizontal tube were experimentally elucidated. Tests were performed in an inside diameter of 7.8 mm having a lubricating oil concentration of 5%. Tests were made of mass fluxes ranging between 150 and 590 kg/m 2 s. The most obvious difference from oil-free cases reported is the presence of froth flow pattern. Apparently, this flow pattern is related to the increase of surface tension and viscosity. With the presence of lubricant oil, the onset of transition from stratified flow region to annular flow regime shifted to a lower value of superficial gas velocity. In addition, the tearing phenomenon of the refrigerant-oil mixtures may be related to its relevant properties such as wettability and surface tension.     

Experimental and numerical study on heat transfer and flow characteristics in an alternating cross‐section flattened tube

An experimental and numerical study on convection heat transfer of water flowing through an alternating cross‐section flattened (ACF) tube are investigated in this paper. The thermal‐fluid characteristics were evaluated by numerical simulation. The test run conditions covered a mass flux of 200 to 800 kg m^?2 s^?1, a heat flux of 10 kW/m², and an inlet temperature of 40°C. The results showed that the Nusselt number increased with the increase in mass flux. Moreover, the heat transfer was also affected by the flow characteristics. Vortices were formed at the curved wall, and their intensities were increased along the flow direction. It was also found that the heat transfer and pressure drop were larger than that of the circular tube. However, the thermal performance was greater than the pressure loss penalty. The comparison results showed that the ACF tube had better performance than the circular tube. Further, the details of heat transfer, flow resistance, and fluid behavior were investigated and discussed in this study.