An Experimental Comparison of Enhanced Heat Transfer Condenser Tubing.

Abstract

Ten 15.9 mm (5/8 in.) nominal outside diameter geometrically enhanced tubes of different metals were tested to determine their heat transfer and hydrodynamic performance. Results were compared to smooth copper-nickel tubes. Steam at about 21kPa (3 psia) was condensed on the outside surface of each enhanced tube, horizontally mounted in the center of a dummy tube bank. Each tube was cooled on the inside by water at velocities of 2.7 to 7.6 m/sec (3 to 25 ft/sec). The overall heat transfer coefficient was determined from experimental data. The inside heat transfer coefficients were determined using the Wilson plot technique. Friction factor in the enhanced section was determined from the cooling water pressure drop. Enhanced geometries (utilizing pitch, helix angle and groove depth) were found to improve the corrected overall heat transfer coefficient by as much as 2 times that for smooth tubes. Use of enhanced tubes in place of smooth tubes will permit a decrease in condenser tube surface area from 17 to 53 percent for constant heat loads and constant pumping power. (Author)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 1978
Accession Number
ADA062204

Entities

People

  • James Henry Fenner

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Coefficients
  • Computer Programs
  • Computers
  • Condenser Tubes
  • Diameters
  • Energy Transfer
  • Engineering
  • Experimental Data
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Geometry
  • Heat Transfer
  • Heat Transfer Coefficients
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Plastic Explosives
  • Reynolds Number
  • Test Facilities
  • Turbulent Mixing

Readers

  • Combustion and Flow Dynamics.