Subcooled and Saturated Boiling Heat Transfer Data Compared with Existing Correlations

Abstract

Subcooled and saturated boiling heat transfer data from experiments performed recently at Mc- Master University are compared with existing correlations. The test section consisted of a 93.2 cm vertical section of 4.6 mm ID Inconel 600 tubing, electrically heated by a 96 kW DC power supply. Data was collected 4 and 24 cm from the test section outlet at a pressure of 2.0 MPa, for mass fluxes of 1500 and 2000 kg m−2 s−1, inlet temperatures of 126, 148, 170, and 180oC, and heat fluxes from 100 to 1100 kW m−2. Maximum equilibrium quality was 0.062. All of the subcooled boiling correlations showed good agreement with the data. The correlation of Thom et al predicted approximately 95% of the data within ±30%. The Chen correlation generally overpredicted satu- rated boiling data by 100–200% while the Steiner-Taborek correlation was able to predict 76% of the data within ±30%.