Flow Visualization and Local Measurement of Forced Convection Heat Transfer in a Microtube

Abstract

The pressure drop and the convective heat transfer characteristics of ethanol and water in a circular tube with a diameter of 600 μm with and without phase change have been studied experimentally. The test section consists of a glass tube coated with a transparent indium tin oxide heater film. For single-phase liquid flow (including superheated liquid) it was found that the measured Nusselt numbers and friction factors are in good agreement with the theoretical values expected from Poiseuille flow. Subsequently, the boiling heat transfer of ethanol was studied. It was found that boiling with bubble growth in both upstream and downstream directions leaving behind a thin evaporating liquid film on the tube wall is the dominant phase change process. Wavy patterns on the film surface indicate shear forces between vapor and liquid phase during slug flow. Temporary dryout phenomena occur even at a low mean vapor quality due to film rupture as a result of film instabilities. Local Nusselt numbers are calculated for the two-phase flow at different heat fluxes and Reynolds numbers. Compared with single-phase flow the heat transfer is enhanced by a factor of 3–8.