Review of correlations for subcooled flow boiling heat transfer and assessment of their applicability to water

The subcooled flow boiling heat transfer of water has many applications, such as cooling devices of nuclear power systems and electronics, and the applicability of correlations of subcooled flow boiling heat transfer to water needs to be assessed. A number of correlations for subcooled flow boiling heat transfer were proposed. However, their prediction accuracy for water was not systematically investigated. This paper presents a comprehensive review of correlations of subcooled flow boiling heat transfer. A large database of subcooled flow boiling heat transfer of water containing 1184 data points is compiled from 14 published articles, based on which 21 correlations of subcooled flow boiling heat transfer are assessed, and their prediction accuracy is analyzed for different channel sizes, channel shapes, and flow directions. The results are helpful for understanding the prediction methods of subcooled flow boiling heat transfer and choosing a proper correlation for a given application.