Two-phase flows downstream, upstream and within Plate Heat Exchangers

Abstract

Air-water flows were assessed within Plate Heat Exchangers (PHE) with the aid of fast camera imaging. Tests occurred in transparent setups with three chevron angle arrangements (30^o/30^o, 30^o/60^o and 60^o/60^o), representative of low, in-between and high pressure drop channels. Evaluation upstream the PHE inlet happened with Electrical Capacitance Tomography. Three patterns were tested: bubbly, slug and stratified. The effects of flow direction, superficial fluid velocities, two-phase pattern, and chevron angle arrangement on air-water distributions were assessed. The PHE channel outlet is characterized by intense flow recirculation. Bubble entrapment occurs in the core of the recirculation zones. Energy dissipation processes along the PHE channel flow affect the inlet gaseous content, intensifying the mixing process of air and water phases, particularly at flow distribution areas owing to the occurrence of flow acceleration and deceleration. Bubble distribution is wide since the break-up process is rather heterogeneous. Prediction of the maximum bubble diameter was obtained with a modification to Hinze's model. Coalescence can occur with small liquid superficial velocities. At the exit manifold, the recirculation zones affect the two-phase pipe flow. In addition to swirling decay, two-phase flow features and gravitational forces need to be accounted to determine the necessary pipe length to attain stationary process.