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Title: Analysis of flow boiling of ammonia and R-114 in a matrix heat exchanger

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5968464

An analysis is carried out for flow boiling in a vertical matrix aluminum heat exchanger. The prediction model, developed for thin film evaporation in a previous study, is extended to include heat transfer in the slug-flow regime that exists at low mass qualities. Appropriate criteria is used to switch from slug-flow to thin-film annular-flow analysis. The two-phase-flow convective heat transfer enhancement for the slug-flow is correlated with inclusion of fluid Reynolds and Prandtl numbers in addition to commonly used Martinelli parameter. This approach reflects transient nature of heat transfer in the slug-flow regime. The thin-film annular-flow analysis developed in the previous study is refined with inclusion of a reliable two-phase friction factor correlation. The experimentally measured pressure drop is used to validate the friction factor correlation. The resulting prediction method is used to predict exit mass qualities for ammonia and R-114. The experimental analysis includes flow boiling of ammonia and R-114 in a vertical brazed-aluminum matrix heat exchanger. The test unit has straight perforated fins on the fluid side and extruded rectangular channels on the single-phase (water) heating-media side. Only two parameters are adjusted to validate the analytical prediction method, the constant in the friction factor correlation, and the constant in the slug-flow heat transfer correlation. The results show that the combination of slug-flow and thin-film annular-flow model gives better prediction of the overall performance of the matrix heat exchanger than a single model applied for the whole range of mass qualities. 36 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
5968464
Report Number(s):
CONF-890819-15; ON: DE89012427
Resource Relation:
Conference: ASME/AIChE national heat transfer conference, Philadelphia, PA, USA, 6-9 Aug 1989; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English