Thermal performance calculation and analysis of heat transfer tube in super open rack vaporizer

As one of the most widely-used liquefied natural gas (LNG) vaporizer, super open rack vaporizer (SuperORV) consists of panel-shaped heat transfer tubes with duplex tube configuration. In this paper, an energy balance-based distributed parameter model for predicting the thermal performance of SuperORV heat transfer tube was developed, where introduces numerous empirical correlations. The results from the model exhibit a good agreement with the experimental data, which implies the calculation model is reliable. Based on this, the heat transfer process of SuperORV heat transfer tube was simulated numerically, the bulk fluid and metal temperature profiles along the heat transfer tube was obtained at the condition with ice formation and heat transfer enhancement measures, the thermal performance of SuperORV heat transfer tube was analyzed, and the effects of operating parameters and heat transfer enhancement measures on the thermal performance were discussed. The results show that the operating parameters have important effects on the thermal performance of heat transfer tube, and the heat transfer enhancement measures can improve the heat transfer performance markedly. The required minimum tube length while both inner fin and twisted tape insert were applied is shortened by 60% compared with that without heat transfer enhancement measures.