Single Phase Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop Characteristics of Micro-fin Tubes

C. B. Chiou*,C. C. Wang, Member ASHRAE, Ph.D. and D. C. Lu*, Ph.D.

nergy & Resources Laboratories,

Industrial Technology Research Institute Hsinchu 310, Taiwan *Department of Mechanical Engineering National Chiao Tung University Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
ABSTRACT Single phase heat transfer as well as pressure drop characteristics for micro-fin tubes with nominal diameter 9.52 mm are reported in the present investigations. Experiments were conducted in a double pipe heat exchanger with water as the working medium. In the present experiments, two commercially available micro-fin tubes and a smooth tube were tested. The heat transfer coefficients were obtained using the Wilson plot technique. It was found that the micro-fin tube exhibits a rough tube characteristics. At low and medium Reynolds number range (Re < 15000), the roughness Reynolds number lies in the transition range (e+ < 23). As a result, the Dittus-Boelter type Wilson plot function can not correlate the heat transfer data well in this range. It was found that using a heat-momentum analogy, a better correlation of the present micro-fin heat transfer data is achieved. REFERENCES Dipprey, D.F. and R.H. Sabersky. 1963. Heat and Momentum Transfer in Smooth and rough tubes at Various Prandtl Numbers. Int. J. Heat and Mass Transfer. 6: 329-353.

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