MODELING OF HEAT TRANSFER OF UPWARD ANNULAR FLOW IN VERTICAL TUBES

Abstract

This article presents the modeling of heat transfer of upward annular flow in a smooth tube and a spirally internally ribbed tube. First, analytical models of two-phase flow dynamics and heat transfer of annular flow in flow boiling were derived from the liquid film momentum and energy equations for smooth tubes. Combined with empirical correlations for liquid droplet entrainment and deposition rates in annular flow, modeling of heat transfer of upward annular flow in the smooth tube was conducted. The predicted heat transfer coefficients of annular flow agree with the experimental results very well for the smooth tube. Based on the heat transfer model for smooth tubes, a simplified annular flow heat transfer model for the spirally internally ribbed tube was proposed by modifying the interfacial friction factor. The predicted heat transfer coefficients by the modified heat transfer model for the spirally internally ribbed tube agree with the experimental results to some extent. It is suggested that the heat transfer model for the spirally ribbed tube be further improved by modifying the correlations for liquid droplet entrainment and deposition rates in annular flow, which should describe the feature of annular flow in the spirally internally ribbed tube. Extensive experimental data are needed for this purpose.

Keywords:

• Annular flow
• Deposition
• Entrainment
• Flow boiling
• Heat transfer
• Models
• Spirally internally ribbed tube