An investigation into the heat transfer characteristics of spiral wall with internal rib in a supercritical sliding-pressure operation once-through boiler

Abstract

Within the pressure range of 9–28 MPa, mass velocity range of 600–1 200 kg/(m² · s), and heat flux range of 200–500 kW/m², experiments were performed to investigate the heat transfer to water in the inclined upward internally ribbed tube with an inclined angle of 19.5 degrees, a maximum outer diameter of 38.1 mm, and a thickness of 7.5 mm. Based on the experiments, it was found that heat transfer enhancement of the internally ribbed tube could postpone departure from nucleate boiling at the sub-critical pressure. However, the heat transfer enhancement decreased near the critical pressure. At supercritical pressure, the temperature difference between the wall and the fluid increased near the pseudo-critical temperature, but the increase of wall temperature was less than that of departure from nucleate boiling at sub-critical pressure. When pressure is closer to the critical pressure, the temperature difference between the wall and the fluid increased greatly near the pseudo-critical temperature. Heat transfer to supercritical water in the inclined upward internally ribbed tube was enhanced or deteriorated near the pseudo-critical temperature with the variety of ratio between the mass velocity and the heat flux. Because the rotational flow of the internal groove reduced the effect of natural convection, the internal wall temperature of internally ribbed tube uniformly distributed along the circumference. The maximum internal wall temperature difference of the tube along the circumference was only 10 degrees when the fluid enthalpy exceeded 2 000 J/g. Considering the effect of acute variety of the fluid property on heat transfer, the correlation of heat transfer coefficient on the top of the internally ribbed tube was provided.