Numerical Simulation and Control of Two-Phase Flow with Evaporation in a Vertical Tube Submitted to a Conjugate Heat Transfer

A better understanding of two-phase flows with evaporation allows leading to an optimal design of evaporators. For that purpose, numerical simulations are very useful. In this paper, a numerical study has been carried out in order to model and simulate the combination of a two-phase flow with evaporation in a vertical tube. The VOF （volume-of-fluid） multiphase flow method and a phase-change model for the mass transfer have been used. For an accurate modeling, the effect of axial conduction has been also taken into account using a conjugate heat transfer model. Since thermal oscillations are undesirable as they can lead to the failure of the tube, flow instabilities have also been analyzed, using FFT （fast Fourier transforms）, in order to comprehend their behavior and influence. A control study of the flow instabilities in the tube is also presented. For that purpose tube inlet temperature has been varied using a gain control parameter.

Heat Transfer and Flow Analysis in Loop Heat Pipe with Multiple Evaporators Using Network Model

Thermal performance of a loop heat pipe with two evaporators and two condensers was examined using a lumped network model analysis. Thermosyphon-type vertical loop heat pipe and capillary-pump-type horizontal loop heat pipe were calculated by examining the change of heating rate of two evaporators. Calculation results showed that the vapor and liquid flow rates in the loop heat pipe and the thermal conductance of the heat pipe changed significantly depending on the distribution ratio of the heating rate of the multiple evaporators. The thermal performance of the vertical loop heat pipe with two evaporators was also examined and experimental results of flow direction and thermal conductance of the heat pipe agreed with the analytical results. The lumped network model analysis is therefore considered accurate and preferable for the practical design of a loop heat pipe with multiple evaporators.

Effect of Flow Directions on Multiphase Flow Boiling Heat Transfer Enhanced by Suspending Particles in a Circulating Evaporation System

A circulating fluidized bed evaporator(including down-flow, horizontal, and up-flow beds) was constructed to study the effect of flow directions on multiphase flow boiling heat transfer. A range of experimental investigations were carried out by varying amount of added particles(0-2%), circulation flow rate(2.15-5.16 m^3/h) and heat flux(8-16 kW/m^2). The comparison of heat transfer performance in different vertical heights of the horizontal bed was also discussed. Results reveal that the glass bead particle can enhance heat transfer compared with vapor-liquid two-phase flow for all beds. At a low heat flux(q = 8 kW/m), the heat-transfer-enhancing factor of the horizontal bed is obviously greater than those of the up-flow and down-flow beds. With the increase in the amount of added particles, the heat-transfer-enhancing factors of the up-flow and down-flow beds increase, whereas that of the horizontal bed initially increases and then decreases. However, at a high heat flux(q=16 kW/m), the heat-transfer-enhancing factors of the three beds show an increasing tendency with the increase in the amount of added particles and become closer than those at a low heat flux. For all beds, the heat-transfer-enhancing factor generally increases with the circulation flow rate but decreases with the increase in heat flux.

Pressure Drop of Liquid–Solid Two-Phase Flow in the Vertical Tube Bundle of a Cold-Model Circulating Fluidized Bed Evaporator

A cold-model vertical multi-tube circulating fluidized bed evaporator was designed and built to conduct a visualization study on the pressure drop of a liquid–solid two-phase flow and the corresponding particle distribution.Water and polyformaldehyde particle(POM)were used as the liquid and solid phases,respectively.The effects of operating parameters such as the amount of added particles,circulating flow rate,and particle size were systematically investigated.The results showed that the addition of the particles increased the pressure drop in the vertical tube bundle.The maximum pressure drop ratios were 18.65%,21.15%,18.00%,and 21.15%within the experimental range of the amount of added particles for POM1,POM2,POM3,and POM4,respectively.The pressure drop ratio basically decreased with the increase in the circulating flow rate but fluctuated with the increase in the amount of added particles and particle size.The difference in pressure drop ratio decreased with the increase in the circulating flow rate.As the amount of added particles increased,the difference in pressure drop ratio fluctuated at low circulating flow rate but basically decreased at high circulating flow rate.The pressure drop in the vertical tube bundle accounted for about 70%of the overall pressure drop in the up-flow heating chamber and was the main component of the overall pressure within the experimental range.Three-dimensional phase diagrams were established to display the variation ranges of the pressure drop and pressure drop ratio in the vertical tube bundle corresponding to the operating parameters.The research results can provide some reference for the application of the fluidized bed heat transfer technology in the industry.

Effect of electromagnetic parameters on melt flow and heat transfer of AZ80 Mg alloy during differential phase electromagnetic DC casting based on numerical simulation

Based on multi-physical field coupling numerical simulation method,magnetic field distribution,melt flow,and heat transfer behavior of aΦ300 mm AZ80 alloy billet during differential phase electromagnetic DC casting(DP-EMC)with different electromagnetic parameters were studied.The results demonstrate that the increase in current intensity only changes the magnitude but does not change the Lorentz force's distribution characteristics.The maximum value of the Lorentz force increases linearly followed by an increase in current intensity.As the frequency increases,the Lorentz force's r component remains constant,and the z component decreases slightly.The change in current intensity correlates with the melt oscillation and convection intensity positively,as well as the liquid sump temperature uniformity.It does not mean that the higher the electric current,the better the metallurgical quality of the billet.A lower frequency is beneficial to generate a more significant melt flow and velocity fluctuation,which is helpful to create a more uniform temperature field.Appropriate DP-EMC parameters for aΦ300 mm AZ80 Mg alloy are 10-20 Hz frequency and 80-100 A current intensity.

Simplified Correlation Equations of Heat Transfer Coefficient during Phase Change for Flow inside Tubes

In this work, the easy to use, simple and direct equations were formulated and tested. These equations can be used to calculate the mean values of the heat transfer coefficients of inside tube flow during phase change. Analytical and experimental methods were used to correlate these equations. Two different forms were used, one for evaporation case and the other for condensation case. Carbon dioxide, CO2, was used as case study. Correlated values of the mean heat transfer coefficients （hcor,.） were compared with the experimental results （he^e） and with other published result, a good agreement was noticed. The resulted correlations can be used to simplify the design and performance studies of both condensers and evaporators.

Experimental Investigation on the Effection of Flow Regulator in a Multiple Evaporators/Condensers Loop Heat Pipe with Plastic Porous Structure

Multiple loop heat pipes which have two evaporators and two condensers in one loop are a kind of active heat transfer device. Since they have two evaporators and two condensers, the operating mode also becomes multiple. This work discusses the cases that multiple loop heat pipes were operated with one condenser at high temperature and the other at low temperature. To avoid the high temperature returning liquid and keep the multiple loop heat pipes work properly, the flow regulator which was made of polyethylene was designed, fabricated and applied in this test. The effect of flow regulator was confirmed and analyzed. In the test that large temperature difference existed between two sinks, it can be found according to the result that the flow regulator worked effectively and prevented the high temperature vapor to enter the inlet of common liquid line, which can keep the evaporators and returning liquid to operate at low temperature. With the increment of heat loads and the temperature difference between two sinks, the pressure difference between two condensers became larger and larger. When the pressure difference was larger than the flow regulator’s capillary force, the flow regulator could not work properly because the high temperature vapor began to flow through the flow regulator. According to the test data, the flow regulator can work properly within the sinks’ temperature 0°C/60°C and the two evaporators’ heat load 30/30 W.

Numerical Study of Thermal Performance of a Capillary Evaporator in a Loop Heat Pipe with Liquid-Saturated Wick

Heat transfer of a capillary evaporator in a loop heat pipe was analyzed through 3D numerical simulations to study the effects of the thermal conductivity of the wick, the contact area between the casing and the wick, and the subcooling in the compensation chamber (CC) on the thermal performance of the evaporator. A pore network model with a distribution of pore radii was used to simulate liquid flow in the porous structure of the wick. To obtain high accuracy, fine meshes were used at the boundaries among the casing, the wick, and the grooves. Distributions of temperature, pressure, and mass flow rate were compared for polytetra-fluoroethylene (PTFE) and stainless steel wicks. The thermal conductivity of the wick and the contact area between the casing and the wick significantly impacted thermal performance of the evaporator heat-transfer coefficient and the heat leak to the CC. The 3D analysis provided highly accurate values for the heat leak;in some cases, the heat leaks of PTFE and stainless steel wicks showed little differences. In general, the heat flux is concentrated at the boundaries between the casing, the wick, and the grooves;therefore, thermal performance can be optimized by increasing the length of the boundary.

Operating Characteristics of Multiple Evaporators and Multiple Condensers Loop Heat Pipe with Polytetrafluoroethylene Wicks

This paper presents fabrication and testing of a multiple-evaporator and multiple-condenser loop heat pipe (MLHP) with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) porous media as wicks. The MLHP has two evaporators and two condensers in a loop heat pipe in order to adapt to various changes of thermal condition in spacecraft. The PTFE porous media was used as the primary wicks to reduce heat leak from evaporators to compensation chambers. The tests were conducted under an atmospheric condition. In the tests that heat loads are applied to both evaporators, the MLHP was stably operated as with a LHP with a single evaporator and a single condenser. The relation between the sink temperature and the thermal resistance was experimentally evaluated. In the test with the heat load to one evaporator, the heat transfer from the heated evaporator to the unheated evaporator was confirmed. In the heat load switching test, in which the heat load is switched from one evaporator to another evaporator repeatedly, the MLHP could be stably operated. The loop operation with the large temperature difference between the heat sinks was also tested. From this result, the stable operation of the MLHP in the various conditions was demonstrated. It was also found that a flow regulator which prevents the uncondensed vapor from the condensers is required at the inlet of the common liquid line when one condenser has higher temperature and cannot condense the vapor in it.

Influence of liquid film shape on evaporation performance of agitated thin film evaporator

The agitated thin film evaporator(ATFE),which is known for its high efficiency,force the material to form a film through the scraping process of a scraper,followed by evaporation and purification.The complex shape of the liquid film inside the evaporator can significantly affect its evaporation capability.This work explores how change in shape of the liquid films affect the evaporation of the materials with non-Newtonian characteristics,achieved by changing the structure of the scraper.Examining the distribution of circumferential temperature,viscosity,and mass transfer of the flat liquid film shows that the film evaporates rapidly in shear-thinning region.Various wavy liquid films are developed by using shear-thinning theory,emphasizing the flow condition in the thinning area and the factors contributing to the exceptional evaporation capability.Further exploration is conducted on the spread patterns of the wavy liquid film and flat liquid film on the evaporation wall throughout the process.It is noted that breaking the wavy liquid film on the evaporating wall during evaporation is challenging due to its film-forming condition.For which the fundamental causes are demonstrated by acquiring the data regarding the flow rate and temperature of the liquid film.The definitive findings of the analysis reveal a significant improvement in the evaporation capability of the wavy liquid film.This enhancement is attributed to increasing the shear-thinning areas and maintaining the overall shape of the film throughout the entire evaporation process.

Surface-particle-emulsion heat transfer model between fluidized bed and horizontal immersed tube

A mathematical model, surface-particle-emulsion heat transfer model, ispresented by considering voidage variance in emulsion in the vicinity of an immersed surface. Heattransfer near the surface is treated by dispersed particles touching the surface and through theemulsion when the distance from the surface is greater than the diameter of a particle. A film withan adjustable thickness which separates particles from the surface is not introduced in this model.The coverage ratio of particles on the surface is calculated by a stochastic model of particlepacking density on a surface. By comparison of theoretical solutions with experimental data fromsome references, the mathematical model shows better qualitative and quantitative prediction forlocal heat transfer coefficients around a horizontal immersed tube in a fluidized bed.

Experimental study on convective boiling heat transfer in narrow-gap annulus tubes

Since convective boiling or highly subcooled single-phase forced convection in micro-channels is an effective cooling mechanism with a wide range of applications, more experimental and theoretical studies are re- quired to explain and verify the forced convection heat transfer phenomenon in narrow channels. In this experimental study, we model the convective boiling behavior of water with low latent heat substance Freon 113 (R-113), with the purpose of saving power consumption and visualizing experiments. Both heat transfer and pressure drop characteris- tics were measured in subcooled and saturated concentric narrow gap forced convection boiling. Data were obtained to qualitatively identify the effects of gap size, pressure, flow rate and wall superheat on boiling regimes and the tran- sition between various regimes. Some significant differences from unconfined forced convection boiling were found, and also, the flow patterns in narrow vertical annulus tubes have been studied quantitatively.

Experiment on Boiling Heat Transfer of Refrigerant R134a in Mini-channels

The flow boiling heat transfer characteristics of refrigerant R134 a flowing inside two different kinds of minichannels are investigated. One channel is multi-port extruded with the hydraulic diameter of 0.63 mm,and the other one is rectangular with offset fins and a hydraulic diameter of 1.28 mm. The experiments are performed with a mass flow rate between 68 and 630 kg/(m^2·s),a heat flux between 9 and 64 kW/m^2,and a saturation pressure between 0.24 and 0.63 MPa,under the constant heat flux heating mode. It is found that the effect of mass flow rate on boiling heat transfer is related to heat flux,and that with the increase of heat flux,the effect can only be efficient in higher vapor quality region. The effects of heat flux and saturation pressure on boiling heat transfer are related to a threshold vapor quality,and the value will gradually decrease with the increase of heat flux or saturation pressure. Based on these analyses,a new correlation is proposed to predict the boiling heat transfer coefficient of refrigerant R134 a in the mini-channels under the experimental conditions.

Flow Pattern and Heat Transfer Behavior of Boiling Two-Phase Flow in Inclined Pipes

Movable Electrical Conducting Probe (MECP), a kind of simple and reliable measuring transducer, used for predicting full-flow-path flow pattern in a boiling vapor/liquid two-phase flow is introduced in this paper. When the test pipe is set at different inclination angles, several kinds of flow patterns, such as bubble, slug, churn, intermittent, and annular flows, may be observed in accordance with the locations of MECP. By means of flow pattern analysis, flow field numerical calculations have been carried out, and heat transfer coefficient correlations along full-flow-path derived. The results show that heat transfer performance of boiling two-phase flow could be significantly augmented as expected in some flow pattern zones. The results of the investigation, measuring techniques and conclusions contained in this paper would be a useful reference in foundational research for prediction of flow pattern and heat transfer behavior in boiling two-phase flow, as well as for turbine vane liquid-cooling design.

Two-Phase Flow Patterns and Heat Transfer in Parallel Microchannels

MicroChannel heat sinks with two-phase flow can satisfy the increasing heat removal requirements of modern micro electronic devices. One of the important aspects associated with two- phase flows in microchannels is to study the bubble behavior. However, in the literature most of the reports present data of only a single channel. This does not account for flow mixing and hydrodynamic instability that occurs in parallel microchannels, connected by common inlet and outlet collectors. In the present study, experiments were performed for air- water and steam- water flow in parallel triangular microchannels with a base of 200-300μ m. The experimental study is based on systematic measurements of temperature and flow pattern by infrared radiometry and high-speed digital video imaging. In air-water flow, different flow patterns were observed simultaneously in the various microchannels at a fixed values of water and gas flow rates. In steam-water flow, instability in uniformly heated microchannels was observed.

PREDICTION OF HEAT TRANSFER OF AIR-WATER TWO PHASE FLOW IN A SMALL TUBE

Theoretical and experimental study has been performed on heat transfer of airwater two phase laminar annular flow through a uniformly heated vertical small tube. Analysis ascertains that the mechanism of heat transfer is the evaporation of a very thin liquid film attached on the tube wall. The predictions of analytical solutions are quite good compared with the experimental results.

Heat Transfer Method for Solid Flow Rate Measurement in Gas-Solid Two Phase Flow

A new method for measuring the solid flow rate in gas solid two phase flow is introduced in this paper. An electrically heated probe was put in a gas solid two phase flow. For certain solid particles, the flow media with different velocities and concentrations of particles produced different effects on heat transfer with the probe. The solid flow rate can be measured according to the intensity of heat transfer. Experiments were made on a pilot pneumatic conveying device. Research results prove that the method works effectively and reliably.

Investigation of Heat Transfer of Tube Line of Staggered Tube Bank in TwoPhase Flow

This article presents the results of experimental investigation of heat transfer process, carded out using the model of heat exchanger. Two-phase statically stable foam flow was used as a heat transfer fluid. Heat exchanger model consisted of staggered tube bank. Experimental results are presented with the focus on influence of tube position in the line of the bank, volumetric void component and velocity of gas component of the foam. The phenomena of liquid draining in cellular foam flow and its influence on heat transfer rate has also been discussed. The experi- mental results have been generalized by relationship between Nusselt, Reynolds and Prandtl numbers.

INVERSE CIRCULATING THERMOSYPHON EVAPORATOR

In this paper,the mechanism of operation of an inverse circulating thermosyphon evaporator isproposed.The performance characteristics of this novel evaporator have been studied experimentally andtheoretically,The inverse circulating thermosyphon evaporators have higher heat transfer coefficient and longeroperation period in comparison with ordinary circulating ordinary circulating evaporators.

Numerical Prediction of Turbulent Flow and Heat Transfer with Phase Change in Crystallizer of Inverse Casting

A two-dimensional mathematical model has been undertaken to describe coupled liquid steel’s turbulent flow and heat transfer with solidification in the crystallizer of inverse casting. The solid-liquid phase change phenomena have been modeled by using the continuum formulations and considering the mush zone as porous media. The turbulence flow has been accounted for, using a modified version of the low-Reynolds-number k -ε turbulence model. A well-known numerical procedure, SIMPLE, has been used to solve the control equations. The effects of some main parameters on the solidification behavior have been studied, such as the casting speed, the thickness and the initial temperature of mother sheet the superheat degree of liquid steel.