Boiling heat transfer of refrigerant R-113 in a small-diameter, horizontal tube

Abstract
Results of a study of boiling heat transfer from refrigerant R-113 in a small-diameter (2.92-mm) tube are reported. Local heat transfer coefficients over a range of heat fluxes, mass fluxes, and equilibrium mass qualities were measured. The measured coefficients were used to evaluate eight different heat transfer correlations, some of which have been developed specifically for refrigerants. High heat fluxes and low flow rates are inherent in small channels, and this combination results in high boiling numbers. The high boiling number of the collected data shows that the nucleation mechanism was dominant. As a result, the two-phase correlations that predicted this dominance also predicted the data best if they also properly modeled the physical parameters. The correlations of Lazarek and Black and of Shah, as modified in this study, predicted the data very well. It is also shown that a simple form, suggested by Stephan and Abdelsalam for nucleate boiling, correlates the data equally well. This study is part of a research program in multiphase flow and heat transfer, with the overall objective of developing validated design correlations and predictive methods that will facilitate the design and optimization of compact heat exchangers for use with environmentally acceptable alternatives for chlorofluorocarbonmore » (CFC) refrigerants and refrigerant mixtures.« less