In-tube passive heat transfer enhancement in the process industry

摘要

Enhanced heat transfer surfaces are used in heat exchangers to improve performance and to decrease system volume and cost. In-tube heat transfer enhancement usually takes the form of either micro-fin tubes (of the helical micro-fin or herringbone varieties), or of helical wire inserts. Despite a substantial increase in heat transfer, these devices also cause non-negligible pressure drops. By making use of well-proven flow pattern maps for smooth tubes and the new ones for smooth and enhanced tubes, it is shown from the refrigerant condensation data that flow patterns have a strong influence on heat transfer and pressure drop. This is done for data obtained from in-tube condensation experiments for mass fluxes ranging from 300 to 800 kg/m(2) s at a saturation temperature of 40 degrees C, for refrigerants R-22, R-134a, and R-407C. The flow regimes, pressure drops, heat transfer coefficients, and the overall performance of three different tubes, namely a smooth-, 18 degrees helical micro-fin-, and a herringbone micro-fin tube (each having a nominal diameter of 9.51 mm), are presented and compared to the performance of smooth tubes with helical wire inserts (with pitches of 5 mm, 7.77 min and 11 min corresponding to helical angles of 78.2 degrees, 72 degrees, and 65.3 degrees, respectively). (c) 2007 Published by Elsevier Ltd.