Single Phase and Two Phase Flow Characteristics and Heat Transfer in Micro-Fin Tubes

Abstract

An experimental investigation was performed with R22 and R410a for single-phase flow, evaporation and condensation inside five micro-fin tubes of various geometries to obtain pressure drop and heat transfer characteristics. The results suggest single-phase flow heat transfer coefficients are increased by 46% to 64% compared with smooth tubes values. Tube geometries that had higher evaporation heat transfer coefficients or higher condensation heat transfer coefficients were identified. Condensation pressure drop characteristics also varied with tube geometry. Based on experiment data, a new correlation which contains the characteristics of a liquid film in annular flow is established. The new correlation can predict the experimental data within an error band of 15% and, for 77% of the data from the literature, within an error band of 30%. The Choi et al. correlation can predict the present condensation pressure drop data within a 20% error band and the Yu and Koyama correlation can predict the present condensation heat transfer coefficient data within 25%.