An overview of measurements, data compilations and prediction methods for the critical heat flux in water-cooled tubes

This paper describes the history and state of the art of measuring and predicting the Critical Heat Flux (CHF) in water-cooled tubes. Over the past 70 years, over 40,000 tube-CHF measurements have been obtained in over 160 separate studies. About 17 separate compilations of CHF datasets in water-cooled tubes have been produced, many overlapping each other. In addition, hundreds of tube-based CHF prediction methods can be found in the literature. The pertinent experimental details and concerns for these datasets and the proliferation of CHF prediction methods are discussed. A graphical presentation of the ranges of conditions covered by these CHF datasets is included.