A comparison between HIGHFLUX and plain tubes, boiling pentane in a horizontal kettle reboiler

• Published in: Applied thermal engineering Vol. 22; no. 7; pp. 803 - 814
• Main Authors: McNeil, D.A., Burnside, B.M., Miller, K.M., Tarrad, A.H.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2002; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Boiling; Boiling liquids; Devices using thermal energy; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Enhancement; Exact sciences and technology; Heat exchangers (included heat transformers, condensers, cooling towers); Hydrocarbons; Reboiler; Reboilers; Shell side; Tubes (components); Boiling; Enhancement; Reboiler; Shell side; Heat exchanger; Heat transfer coefficient; Horizontal tube; Pentane; Heat transfer; Shell and tube exchanger; Tubular heat exchanger
• ISSN: 1359-4311
• DOI: 10.1016/S1359-4311(01)00122-3

An experimental study has been undertaken into the enhancement obtained in the heat-transfer coefficients when HIGHFLUX tubes are used in preference to plain tubes while boiling pentane. The study involved two experimental facilities, a single-tube pool boiler and a 241 tube, 17 row by 17 column, thin slice kettle reboiler. The pool boiling results show that the HIGHFLUX tubes produce heat-transfer coefficients that are up to five times larger than their plain tube counterparts. In flow boiling the enhancement is 3–6 times. In both cases, HIGHFLUX tube performance is shown to deteriorate when small degrees of subcooling are present in the liquid. The deterioration still leaves the HIGHFLUX tubes with a significantly higher heat-transfer coefficient than the plain tubes. Existing flow boiling design methodologies are shown to produce performance characteristics that HIGHFLUX tubes do not follow.