Mehmed Rafet Özdemir

Low mass quality flow boiling in microtubes at high mass fluxes

In this article, an experimental study on boiling heat transfer and fluid flow in microtubes at high mass fluxes is presented. De-ionized water flow was investigated over a broad range of mass flux (1000 kg/m2s-7500 kg/m2s) in microtubes with inner diameters of ~ 250 micrometers and ~ 685 micrometers. The reason for using two different capillary diameters was to investigate the size effect on flow boiling. De-ionized water was used as working fluid, and the test section was heated by Joule heating. Heat transfer coefficients and qualities were deduced from local temperature measurements. It was found that high heat removal rates could be achieved at high flow rates under subcooled boiling conditions. It was also observed that heat transfer coefficients increased with mass flux, whereas they decreased with local quality and heat flux. Moreover, experimental heat flux data were compared with partial boiling correlations and fully developed correlations. It was observed that at low wall superheat values there was only a small inconsistency between the experimental data and the conventional partial boiling prediction method of Bergles, while the subcooled and low quality fully developed boiling heat transfer correlation of Kandlikar could fairly predict experimental results at high wall superheat values.

Thermally Developing Single-Phase Flows in Microtubes

The pressure drop and heat transfer due to the flow of de-ionized water at high mass fluxes in microtubes of ~ 254 ;m and ~ 685 ;m inner diameters is investigated in the laminar, transition and the turbulent flow regimes. The flow is hydrodynamically fully developed and thermally developing. The experimental friction factors and heat transfer coefficients are respectively predicted to within ±20 % and ±30 % by existing open literature correlations. Higher single phase heat transfer coefficients were obtained with increasing mass fluxes, which is motivating to operate at high mass fluxes and under thermally developing flow conditions. The transition to turbulent flow and friction factors for both laminar and turbulent conditions were found to be in agreement with existing theory. A reasonable agreement was present between experimental results and theoretical predictions recommended for convective heat transfer in thermally developing flows.