Local Boiling Heat Transfer to Water at Low Reynolds Numbers and High Pressures

Abstract

Local surface coefficients of heat transfer and maximum heat-flux density are presented for degassed, distilled water flowing upward in a vertical L-nickel tube under the following conditions: Mass velocities in the range 2.6 to 73 lb_m/ft² sec (or inlet velocities in the range 0.05 to 1.4 fps), absolute pressures up to 2000 psia, and liquid sub-cooling between 0 to 300 F. The effects of natural convection on the nonboiling heat-transfer process were found to be significant, causing the transition from laminar to turbulent flow at the surface to occur at length Reynolds number in the range 60,000–100,000. Emphasis is placed on data in the region of surface boiling. The test section dimensions were 0.180 in. ID and 9.4 in. long.