Numerical study on condensation heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of ethane/propane mixture upward flow in a spiral pipe

Spiral wound heat exchanges (SWHE) has been the most widely used in large-scale liquid natural gas (LNG) plants. However, few studies have been focused on the condensation heat transfer and pressure drop for hydrocarbon mixture refrigerant in SWHE tube side. In this paper, the condensation heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics for ethane/propane mixture upward flow in a spiral pipe were numerically investigated. The numerical model was established and verified based on the existing experimental results and new flow pattern observation experiments. It discussed the variation trends of void fraction, frictional pressure drop, heat transfer coefficient and heat and mass transfer resistance with various parameters, such as, vapor quality, mass flux, heat flux, saturation pressure and inclination angle. Comparing with the existing correlations, the results showed that Steiner’s correlation, modified Fuchs’s correlation, Boyko’s correlation could better predict the void fraction, frictional pressure drop, film heat transfer coefficient with mean absolute deviation of 6.08%, 10.67% and 13.06%, respectively. Meanwhile, modified Silver approach was used to modify the mixed effects of ethane/propane mixture on heat transfer. The study provides some constructive instructions to understand the condensation of zeotropic mixtures in the spiral pipe, and is helpful in designing more effective SWHE.