skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Evaluation of commercial enhanced tubes in pool boiling: Topical report

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5885134· OSTI ID:5885134

In support of a study of shellside boiling with enhanced tubes, a pool boiling apparatus was developed and used to test single tubes with various structured boiling surfaces in R-113. The basic design of the tube-bundle test section was carried out and certain critical design features were tested experimentally. Copper tubes, 3/4 in. o.d. and 4 in. long, were selected with 1/4 in. diameter cartridge heaters. Four thermocouples were inserted in 3/32 in. diameter, 2 in. long holes. The pool boiling characteristics of a plain tube agree well with previous tests. Wolverine Turbo-B tubes with small, medium, and large features performed identically for a heat flux greater than 20 kW/m/sup 2/. For lower heat flux, however, the Turbo-B S was slightly superior. In general, the Wolverine Turbo-B tubes had more favorable boiling characteristics than the single Wieland Gewa-T tube that was tested. The test procedure is deemed entirely adequate for screening enhanced tubes to see which ones should be used in the tube-bundle test section. Three different ways of mounting the tubes were tested in R-113 at 65/degree/C and 5 bar gage pressure. As all three constructions sealed well, the simplest design is recommended in which a snap ring fixes the tube to the wall and an O-ring seals against the pressure. The general design features of the tube bundle test chamber are also presented. 14 refs.

Research Organization:
Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
FC07-88ID12772
OSTI ID:
5885134
Report Number(s):
DOE/ID/12772-1; ON: DE89009028
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English