Investigation of two phase heat transfer and pressure drop of propane in a vertical circular minichannel

This article reports the flow boiling heat transfer and pressure drop results of propane in a vertical circular stainless steel minichannel having an internal diameter of 1.70 mm and a heated length of 245 mm. Two phase heat transfer and pressure drop experiments have been performed at saturation temperatures of 23, 33 and 43 °C. Heat flux is varied from 5 to 280 kW/m2 and mass flux is varied from 100 to 500 kg/m2 s. The results show that the two phase frictional pressure drops, as expected, are increased with the increase of mass flux, vapour qualities and with the decrease of saturation temperature. The heat transfer coefficients are showed to increase with the increase of heat flux and saturation temperature while the influence of mass flux and vapour quality is observed as insignificant. After incipience of dryout, the decrease in heat transfer coefficient and also the two phase frictional pressure drop, especially at higher mass fluxes, is observed. The two phase frictional pressure drop correlations of Müller-Steinhagen and Heck and Friedel and two phase flow heat transfer correlations of Cooper and Liu and Winterton well predicted the experimental results.

► Experimental study of heat transfer and pressure drop of propane in mini channels.
► Heat transfer coefficient increases with the increase of heat flux.
► Pressure drop increases with vapour quality and decreases with saturation temperature.
► Heat transfer and pressure drop decreases near dryout.
► Comparison of heat transfer and pressure drop of propane with correlations.