Performance Evaluation of Liquid Flow With NPCM in Microchannels

Volume 4 ◽  
2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Q. Xing ◽  
Y.-X. Tao ◽  
Y. L. Hao

A two-phase, non-thermal-equilibrium based model is applied to the numerical simulation of laminar flow and heat-transfer characteristics of suspension with nano-size phase change material (NPCM) particles in a microchannel. The model solves the conservation of mass, momentum and thermal energy equations for liquid and particle phases separately. The study focuses on the parametric study of optimal conditions where heat transfer is enhanced with an increase in fluid power necessary for pumping the two-phase flow. The main contribution of NPCM particles to the enhancement of heat transfer in a micro-size tube is to increase the effective thermal capacity and utilize the latent heat effect under the laminar flow condition. An effectiveness factor εeff is defined to evaluate the heat transfer enhancement compared to the single phase flow heat transfer and is calculated under different wall heat fluxes and different Reynolds numbers. The comparison is also made to evaluate the performance index (PI); i.e., the ratio of total heat transfer rate to fluid flow power (pressure drop multiplied by volume flow rate) between NPCM suspension flow and pure water single-phase flow. The results show that for a given Reynolds number, there exists an optimal heat flux under which the εeff value is the greatest. In general, the NPCM suspension flow with phase change has a significantly higher performance index than the pure-fluid flow.

2005 ◽  
Vol 127 (8) ◽  
pp. 931-940 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Q. Xing ◽  
Y.-X. Tao ◽  
Y. L. Hao

A two-phase, non thermal equilibrium-based model is applied to the numerical simulation of laminar flow and heat transfer characteristics of suspension with microsize phase-change material (PCM) particles in a microchannel. The model solves the conservation of mass, momentum, and thermal energy equations for liquid and particle phases separately. The study focuses on the parametric study of optimal conditions where heat transfer is enhanced with an increase in fluid power necessary for pumping the two-phase flow. The main contribution of PCM particles to the enhancement of heat transfer in a microsize tube is to increase the effective thermal capacity and utilize the latent heat effect under the laminar flow condition. An effectiveness factor εeff is defined to evaluate the heat transfer enhancement compared to the single-phase flow heat transfer and is calculated under different wall heat fluxes and different Reynolds numbers. The comparison is also made to evaluate the performance index, i.e., the ratio of total heat transfer rate to fluid flow power (pressure drop multiplied by volume flow rate) between PCM suspension flow and pure water single-phase flow. The results show that for a given Reynolds number, there exists an optimal heat flux under which the εeff value is the greatest. In general, the PCM suspension flow with phase change has a significantly higher performance index than the pure-fluid flow. The comparison of the model simulation with the limited experimental results for a MCPCM suspension flow in a 3mmdia tube reveals the sensitivity of wall temperature distribution to the PCM supply temperature and the importance of characterizing the phase change region for a given tube length.


Author(s):  
B. Schilder ◽  
S. C. M. Yu ◽  
N. Kasagi ◽  
S. Hardt ◽  
P. Stephan

The pressure drop and the convective heat transfer characteristics of ethanol and water in a 600 μm diameter tube with and without phase change has been studied experimentally. The test section consists of a glass tube coated with a transparent ITO (indium tin oxide) heater film. For single phase flow it was found that the measured Nusselt numbers and friction factors are in good agreement with the theoretical values expected from Poiseuille flow. Subsequently, the boiling heat transfer of ethanol was studied. It was found that boiling with bubble growth in both upstream and downstream directions leaving behind a thin evaporating liquid film on the tube wall is the dominant phase change process. Local Nusselt numbers are calculated for the two phase flow at different heat fluxes and Reynolds numbers. Compared to single phase flow the heat transfer is enhanced by a factor of 3 to 8.


Author(s):  
Suizheng Qiu ◽  
Minoru Takahashi ◽  
Guanghui Su ◽  
Dounan Jia

Water single-phase and nucleate boiling heat transfer were experimentally investigated in vertical annuli with narrow gaps. The experimental data about water single-phase flow and boiling two-phase flow heat transfer in narrow annular channel were accumulated by two test sections with the narrow gaps of 1.0mm and 1.5mm. Empirical correlations to predict the heat transfer of the single-phase flow and boiling two-phase flow in the narrow annular channel were obtained, which were arranged in the forms of the Dittus-Boelter for heat transfer coefficients in a single-phase flow and the Jens-Lottes formula for a boiling two-phase flow in normal tubes, respectively. The mechanism of the difference between the normal channel and narrow annular channel were also explored. From experimental results, it was found that the turbulent heat transfer coefficients in narrow gaps are nearly the same to the normal channel in the experimental range, and the transition Reynolds number from a laminar flow to a turbulent flow in narrow annuli was much lower than that in normal channel, whereas the boiling heat transfer in narrow annular gap was greatly enhanced compared with the normal channel.


Author(s):  
Sira Saisorn ◽  
Somchai Wongwises ◽  
Piyawat Kuaseng ◽  
Chompunut Nuibutr ◽  
Wattana Chanphan

The investigations of heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics of non-boiling air-water flow in micro-channels are experimentally studied. The gas-liquid mixture from y-shape mixer is forced to flow in the 21 parallel rectangular microchannels with 40 mm long in the flow direction. Each channel has a width and a depth of 0.45 and 0.41 mm, respectively. Flow visualization is feasible by incorporating the stereozoom microscope into the camera system and different flow patterns are recorded. The experiments are performed under low superficial velocities. Two-phase heat transfer gives better results when compared with the single-phase flow. It is found from the experiment that heat transfer enhancement up to 53% is obtained over the single-phase flow. Also, the change in the configuration of the inlet plenum can result in the different two-phase flow mechanisms.


Author(s):  
Dae W. Kim ◽  
Emil Rahim ◽  
Avram Bar-Cohen ◽  
Bongtae Han

The thermofluid characteristics of a chip-scale microgap cooler, including single-phase flow of water and FC-72 and flow boiling of FC-72, are explored. Heat transfer and pressure drop results for single phase water are used to validate a detailed numerical model and, together with the convective FC-72 data, establish a baseline for microgap cooler performance. Experimental results for single phase water and FC-72 flowing in 120 μm, 260 μm and 600 μm microgap coolers, 31mm wide by 34mm long, at velocities of 0.1 – 2 m/s are reported. “Pseudo-boiling” driven by dissolved gas and flow boiling of FC-72 are found to provide significant enhancement in heat transfer relative to theoretical single phase values.


2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Cavallini ◽  
Davide Del Col ◽  
Marko Matkovic ◽  
Luisa Rossetto

Condensation in minichannels is widely used in air-cooled condensers for the automotive and air-conditioning industry, heat pipes, and compact heat exchangers. The knowledge of pressure drops in such small channels is important in order to optimize heat transfer surfaces. Most of the available experimental work refers to measurements obtained within multiport smooth extruded tubes and deal with the average values over the number of parallel channels. In this context, the present authors have set up a new test apparatus for heat transfer and fluid flow studies in single minichannels. This paper presents new experimental frictional pressure gradient data, relative to single-phase flow and adiabatic two-phase flow of R134a and R32 inside a single horizontal minitube, with a 0.96 mm inner diameter and with not-negligible surface roughness. The new all-liquid and all-vapor data are successfully compared against predictions of single-phase flow models. Also the two-phase flow data are compared against a model previously developed by the present authors for adiabatic flow or flow during condensation of halogenated refrigerants inside smooth minichannels. Surface roughness effects on the liquid-vapor flow are discussed. In this respect, the friction factor in the proposed model is modified, in order to take into consideration also effects due to wall roughness.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gamal B. Abdelaziz ◽  
M. Abdelgaleel ◽  
Z.M. Omara ◽  
A. S. Abdullah ◽  
Emad M.S. El-Said ◽  
...  

Abstract This study investigates the thermal-hydraulic characteristics of immiscible two-phase flow (gas/liquid) and heat transfer through porous media. This research topic is interested among others in trickle bed reactors, the reservoirs production of oil, and the science of the earth. Characteristics of two-phase concurrent flow with heat transfer through a vertical, cylindrical, and homogeneous porous medium were investigated both numerically and experimentally. A generalized Darcy model for each phase is applied to derive the momentum equations of a two-phase mixture by appending some constitutive relations. Gravity force is considered through investigation. To promote the system energy equation, the energy equation of solid matrix for each phase are deemed. The test section is exposed to a constant wall temperature after filled with spherical beads. Numerical solution of the model is achieved by the finite volume method. The numerical procedure is generalized such that it can be reduced and applied to single phase flow model. The numerical results are acquired according to, air/water downward flow, spherical beads, ratio of particle diameter to pipe radius D=0.412, porosity φ=0.396, 0.01≤Re≤500, water to air volume ratio 0≤W/A≤∞, and saturation ratio 0≤S1≤1. To validate this model an experimental test rig is designed and constructed, and the corresponding numerical results are compared with its results. Also, the numerical results were compared with other available numerical results. The comparisons show good agreement and validate the numerical model. One of the important results reveals that the heat transfer is influenced by two main parameters; saturation ratios of the two fluids; S1 and S2, and the mixture Reynolds number Re. The thermal entry length is directly dependent on Re, S1, and the thermofluid properties of the fluids. A modified empirical correlation for the entrance length; Xe =0.1 Re.Pr.Rm is predicted, where Rm =Rm(S1, S2, ρ1, ρ2, c1, c2). The predicted correlation is verified by comparing with the supposed correlation of Poulikakos and Ranken (1987) and El-Kady (1997) for a single-phase flow; Xe/Pr=0.1 Re.


Author(s):  
Alberto Cavallini ◽  
Davide Del Col ◽  
Marko Matkovic ◽  
Luisa Rossetto

Condensation in minichannels is widely used in air-cooled condensers for the automotive and air-conditioning industry, in heat pipes and other applications for cooling electronics. The knowledge of pressure drops in such small channels is important in order to optimize heat transfer surfaces. Most of the available experimental work refers to measurements obtained within multiport smooth extruded tubes and deal with the average values over the number of parallel channels. In this context, the present authors have set up a new test apparatus for heat transfer and fluid flow studies in single minichannels. This paper presents new experimental frictional pressure gradient data, relative to single-phase flow and adiabatic two-phase flow of R134a inside a single horizontal mini tube, with 0.96 mm inner diameter and with not-negligible surface roughness. The new all-liquid and all-vapour data are successfully compared against predictions of single-phase flow models. Also the two-phase flow data are compared against Cavallini et al. [1, 2] model, valid for adiabatic flow or for flow during condensation of halogenated refrigerants inside smooth minichannels. Surface roughness effects on the liquid-vapour flow are discussed. In this respect, the friction factor in the proposed model is modified, in order to take into consideration also effects due to wall roughness.


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