Saturated Flow boiling Heat Transfer Characteristics of Propane in a Smooth Vertical Minichannel up to Dryout Incipience

In this article the two phase heat transfer results of propane are presented. Experiments are performed up to dryout incipience in a circular mini channel made of stainless steel (AISI 316) having an internal diameter of 1.70 mm and a heated length of 245 mm. Experimental tests are done at a saturation temperature of 23 oC and for a heat flux range 5 - 240 kW/m2. Mass flux ranges from 100 to 400 kg/m2s. The effects of mass flux, heat flux and vapour quality on heat transfer coefficient are explored in detail. The results shows that the local heat transfer coefficients of propane are more or less independent of mass flux and vapour quality and is a strong function of heat flux until the occurrence of partial dryout. Finally the experimental results are compared with well known micro and macro scale correlations from the literature.
QC 20120214