Two-Phase Flow Patterns, Pressure Drop, and Heat Transfer during Boiling in Minichannel Flow Passages of Compact Evaporators

2002 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satish G. Kandlikar
Author(s):  
Weilin Qu ◽  
Seok-Mann Yoon ◽  
Issam Mudawar

Knowledge of flow pattern and flow pattern transitions is essential to the development of reliable predictive tools for pressure drop and heat transfer in two-phase micro-channel heat sinks. In the present study, experiments were conducted with adiabatic nitrogen-water two-phase flow in a rectangular micro-channel having a 0.406 × 2.032 mm cross-section. Superficial velocities of nitrogen and water ranged from 0.08 to 81.92 m/s and 0.04 to 10.24 m/s, respectively. Flow patterns were first identified using high-speed video imaging, and still photos were then taken for representative patterns. Results reveal that the dominant flow patterns are slug and annular, with bubbly flow occurring only occasionally; stratified and churn flow were never observed. A flow pattern map was constructed and compared with previous maps and predictions of flow pattern transition models. Annual flow is identified as the dominant flow pattern for conditions relevant to two-phase micro-channel heat sinks, and forms the basis for development of a theoretical model for both pressure drop and heat transfer in micro-channels. Features unique to two-phase micro-channel flow, such as laminar liquid and gas flows, smooth liquid-gas interface, and strong entrainment and deposition effects are incorporated into the model. The model shows good agreement with experimental data for water-cooled heat sinks.


2004 ◽  
Vol 126 (3) ◽  
pp. 288-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weilin Qu ◽  
Seok-Mann Yoon ◽  
Issam Mudawar

Knowledge of flow pattern and flow pattern transitions is essential to the development of reliable predictive tools for pressure drop and heat transfer in two-phase micro-channel heat sinks. In the present study, experiments were conducted with adiabatic nitrogen-water two-phase flow in a rectangular micro-channel having a 0.406×2.032mm2 cross-section. Superficial velocities of nitrogen and water ranged from 0.08 to 81.92 m/s and 0.04 to 10.24 m/s, respectively. Flow patterns were first identified using high-speed video imaging, and still photos were then taken for representative patterns. Results reveal the dominant flow patterns are slug and annular, with bubbly flow occurring only occasionally; stratified and churn flow were never observed. A flow pattern map was constructed and compared with previous maps and predictions of flow pattern transition models. Features unique to two-phase micro-channel flow were identified and employed to validate key assumptions of an annular flow boiling model that was previously developed to predict pressure drop and heat transfer in two-phase micro-channel heat sinks. This earlier model was modified based on new findings from the adiabatic two-phase flow study. The modified model shows good agreement with experimental data for water-cooled heat sinks.


Author(s):  
Nicholas A. Evich ◽  
Nicholas R. Larimer ◽  
Mary I. Frecker ◽  
Matthew J. Rau

Abstract Advanced manufacturing techniques have improved dramatically in recent years and design freedom for engineered components and systems has never been greater. Despite these advancements, the majority of our design tools for thermal-fluids systems are still rooted within traditional architectures and manufacturing techniques. In particular, the complex nature of two-phase flow and heat transfer has made the development of design methods that can accommodate these complex geometries enabled by new manufacturing techniques challenging. Here, we investigate a new design method for two-phase flow systems. We conduct a multiobjective parameter study considering two-phase flow and heat transfer through a single channel with a circular cross section. To increase our design degrees of freedom, we allow the channel to increase or decrease in cross-sectional area along its flow length, but constrain the channel inlet and outlet to a constant hydraulic diameter. Maximizing heat transfer and minimizing pressure drop are the two design objectives, which we evaluate using two-phase heat transfer correlations and the Homogeneous Equilibrium Model. We find that using small expansion angles can greatly reduce two-phase flow pressure drop and also provide high heat transfer coefficients when compared to straight channel designs. We present a set of feasible designs for varying input heat fluxes, liquid mass flow rates, and channel orientation angles and show how the ideal expansion channel angle varies with these operational conditions.


Author(s):  
Yuqing Xue ◽  
Huixiong Li ◽  
Tianyou Sheng ◽  
Changjiang Liao

A large amount of air need be transported into the reservoir in the deep stratum to supply oxygen to some microbes in Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR). Air-water two-phase flows downward along vertical pipeline during the air transportation. Base on the experiment data described in this paper, the characteristics of air-water two phase flow patterns were investigated. The flow pattern map of air-water two phase flows in the pipe with inner diameter of 65 mm was drawn, criterions of flow pattern transition were discussed, and the dynamic signals of the pressure and the differential pressure of the two phase flow were recorded to characterize the three basic flow regimes indirectly. The frictional pressure drop of downward flow in vertical pipe must not be disregarded contrast with upward two phase flow in the vertical pipe because the buoyancy must be overcame when the gas flows downward along pipe, and there would be a maximum value of frictional when the flow pattern translated from slug flow to churn flow.


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