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Heat Loss Analysis of Flow Boiling Experiments Onboard International Space Station with Unclear Thermal Environmental Conditions (1st Report: Subcooled Liquid Flow Conditions at Test Section Inlet)

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Abstract

Two series of flow boiling experiments have been conducted onboard the International Space Station (ISS) as a part of the TPF (Two-Phase Flow) experiment promoted by JAXA during July 2017–March 2018, February 2019–July 2019. Microgravity data on two-phase flow and heat transfer in flow boiling of n-Perfluorohexane (FC-72) have been obtained by a copper heated test tube and a transparent glass heated tube in a wide experimental range of mass velocity, liquid subcooling, vapor quality and heat flux. Furthermore, detailed two-phase flow behaviors have been observed by using high frame rate camera in the unheated observation section. In order to elucidate the accurate influence of gravity on flow boiling, it is essential to compare the heat transfer data and two-phase flow behaviors obtained under normal (terrestrial) gravity and microgravity environments at the same flow and heating conditions. However, both experiments cannot be performed by using the same experimental apparatus and under the same thermal environmental conditions. In addition, the heat loss cannot be negligible due to the forced avionics air flow inside the experimental apparatus in ISS. Therefore, exact evaluation of the fluid conditions at the inlet of the heated test tube requires the heat loss model with high-accuracy. In the present paper, the heat loss models for evaluating the degree of liquid subcooling at the inlet of the heated test tube and net heat flux from the heated tube to test fluid has been developed by using the results of preliminary heat loss experiments conducted onboard ISS. The correction of the degree of liquid subcooling by the proposed heat loss models is not negligible for the accurate analysis of gravity effects. The accuracy of the heat loss models has been verified through the evaluation of heat transfer coefficients for single-phase turbulent forced convection obtained from the heating experiments onboard ISS.

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Abbreviations

c p :

Specific heat [J/(kg·K)]

d i :

Inner tube diameter [m]

d o :

Outer tube diameter [m]

G :

Mass velocity [kg/(m2·s)]

h :

Specific enthalpy [J/kg]

k :

Thermal conductivity [W/(m·K)]

L :

Length [m]

ṁ :

Mass flow rate [kg/s]

Nu :

Nusselt number [-]

P :

Pressure [MPa]

q :

Heat flux [W/m2]

Q̇ :

Heat transfer rate [W]

R :

Thermal resistance [K/W]

Re :

Reynolds number [-]

T :

Temperature [ºC]

X :

Thermal resistance due to heat transfer at the surface of thermal insulation material[K/W]

Y wall :

Thermal resistance due to heat conduction across tube wall [K/W]

Y insul :

Thermal resistance due to heat conduction across thermal insulation material [K/W]

α :

Heat transfer coefficient [W/(m2·K)]

ΔT lm :

Log mean temperature difference [K]

ΔT sub :

Degree of liquid subcooling [K]

ΔP :

Differential pressure [MPa]

ϕ :

Correction factor

ave:

Average

avio :

Avionics air

c:

Convection

f:

Fluid

in:

Inlet

MHT:

Metal heated tube

out:

Outlet

PH:

Preheater

R:

Radial direction

sat:

Saturate

X:

Axial direction

XU:

Axially upstream

XD:

Axially downstream

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Acknowledgement

The authors express appreciation for the support of ISS Experiments by T. Kurimoto, K. Sawada, K. Fujii, T. Shimaoka, D. Fujii, R. Ukena, M. Semba, Y. Akagi and collaborating persons of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Japan Space Forum (JSF), Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation (JAMSS), IHI Aerospace (IA).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Kitakyushu, Kitakyushu, Japan

    Koichi Inoue

  2. Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

    Haruhiko Ohta & Yasuhisa Shinmoto

  3. Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation, Tsukuba, Japan

    Yuuki Toyoshima

  4. Kobe University, Kobe, Japan

    Hitoshi Asano

  5. University of Hyogo, Himeji, Japan

    Osamu Kawanami

  6. Muroran Institute of Technology, Muroran, Japan

    Ryoji Imai

  7. Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Japan

    Koichi Suzuki

  8. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tsukuba, Japan

    Satoshi Matsumoto

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  1. Koichi Inoue
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  2. Haruhiko Ohta
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  9. Satoshi Matsumoto
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Correspondence to Koichi Inoue.

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Appendix 1 Calculation procedure for the evaluation of correction factor

Appendix 1 Calculation procedure for the evaluation of correction factor

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Inoue, K., Ohta, H., Toyoshima, Y. et al. Heat Loss Analysis of Flow Boiling Experiments Onboard International Space Station with Unclear Thermal Environmental Conditions (1st Report: Subcooled Liquid Flow Conditions at Test Section Inlet). Microgravity Sci. Technol. 33, 28 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-021-09869-5

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