Hydrocarbon heat transfer coefficients: preliminary isobutane results

Technical Report · Thu Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6273468· OSTI ID:6273468

Tleimat, B W; Laird, A D.K.; Rie, H; Hsu, I C; Seban, R A

Research designed to obtain baseline heat transfer data on secondary fluid candidates for geothermal cycle systems is described. The apparatus was designed to provide baseline data under clean conditions to determine inside and outside heat transfer film coefficient, respectivly, for heating and condensation of secondary fluids being considered for binary systems. The secondary fluid loop simulates the binary cycle with steam, instead of geothermal fluid, as the heating fluid and a throttling valve instead of the turbine. Results on film coefficient for condensing the isobutane on the outside of a tube at various pressures and condensate loading, as well as preliminary results on flm coefficient for heating the isobutane inside a tube at 4.14 MPa (600 psia) and various flow rates, are presented. The isobutane was heated in a horizontal, type 316 stainless steel, instrumented tube by steam condensing on the outside. In the condenser, the isobutane was condensed on the outside of a horizontal tube, idential to that in the heater, by cooling water inside the tube. Each instrumented tube was fitted with a total of fifteen thermocouples imbedded in the wall of the tube at five stations located equally along the length of the tube. The inside and outside wall temperature of the tube at each of the five stations was calculated from the location of the imbedded thermocouples and their temperatures. The heat rate to the isobutane in the heater was determined by measuring the rate of condensing steam on the outside of the tube under eachof four sections by means of specially designed vapor-traced meters. The heat rate released by the condensing isobutane was also determined by measuring the rate of isobutane condensing on the outside of the tube with meters similar to those in the heater.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Berkeley (USA). Lawrence Berkeley Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6273468
• Report Number(s): LBL-8645
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
150802* -- Geothermal Power Plants-- Power Plant Systems & Components
2-METHYLPROPANE
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360603 -- Materials-- Properties
ALKANES
ALLOYS
BINARY-FLUID SYSTEMS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM STEELS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL STEELS
CONVERSION
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
ENERGY CONVERSION
ENERGY TRANSFER
ENTHALPY
FILM CONDENSATION
FLUIDS
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION
Geothermal Legacy
HEAT RESISTANT MATERIALS
HEAT RESISTING ALLOYS
HEAT TRANSFER
HEATING
HYDROCARBONS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MATERIALS
MOLYBDENUM ALLOYS
NICKEL ALLOYS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
STAINLESS STEEL-316
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TUBES
VAPOR CONDENSATION
WORKING FLUIDS