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Effects of operating conditions on flow and heat transfer characteristics of mist cooling in a square ribbed channel

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Abstract

Flow and heat transfer characteristics of mist/steam cooling and mist/air cooling in a square channel with 60º rib angle are numerically investigated for a wide range of operating parameters, such as Reynolds number ranging from 10000 to 60000, reference pressure from 0.1 MPa to 0.5 MPa and inlet temperature from 120 °C to 200 °C. Also, the heat transfer characteristics of mist cooling are compared with the corresponding cases of single-phase coolant such as steam and air. The 3D steady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations with a standard k-ω turbulent model are solved by using commercial software ANSYS CFX. The CFD model has been validated by experimental data for steam-only case with a good agreement. In addition, distribution and evolution of secondary flow in the ribbed channel are analyzed by vortex core technology and their effects on heat transfer are investigated for these four coolants. The results show that the strength of longitudinal secondary flow has a significant influence on the Nusselt number (Nu) distribution on the ribbed surface. The Nusselt number distribution is periodical in stream-wise direction for steam and air cooling, whereas Nusselt number gradually increases for mist/steam and mist/air cooling. It is found that longer travelling distance of droplets in the ribbed channel result in a higher heat transfer enhancement of mist cooling. The heat transfer characteristics of mist cooling are insensitive to pressure, but inversely correlated with coolant inlet temperature compared with steam and air cooling for the tested parameter ranges.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710049, Shaanxi, China

    Tieyu Gao, Junxiong Zeng, Jun Li & Jianying Gong

  2. Onsey Thermo-fluids Lab., Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PJ, UK

    Qingfeng Xia

Authors
  1. Tieyu Gao
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  2. Junxiong Zeng
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  3. Qingfeng Xia
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  4. Jun Li
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  5. Jianying Gong
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Correspondence to Qingfeng Xia.

Additional information

Recommended by Associate Editor Ji Hwan Jeong

Tieyu Gao, Ph.D., was Born in 1973, China. Currently he works in Xi’an Jiaotong University. His major research includes two-phase flow in turbomachinery and the air and steam cooling technology of gas turbine.

Qingfeng Xia obtained his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Manchester in March 2012. Currently, he is a Research Associate at the Department of Engineering Science, the University of Oxford. His research interests include flow visualization, condition monitoring, sensor design and Multi-physics modelling.

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Gao, T., Zeng, J., Xia, Q. et al. Effects of operating conditions on flow and heat transfer characteristics of mist cooling in a square ribbed channel. J Mech Sci Technol 31, 1517–1530 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-017-0251-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-017-0251-9

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