Estimation of the condensation heat transfer coefficient for steam water at low pressure in a coiled double tube condenser integrated to a heat transformer

 

C. Barnaba, M.A. García-Alvarado, I.G. Medina-Meza and J. M. Tejero-Andrade

 

 

An experimental study was conducted to calculate the condensation heat transfer coefficient of steam water in a double helical tube condenser. The steam flows through the inner tube and the cooling water flows in counter flow in the annular section. The operating pressure of the condenser is ranging from 4 kPa to 9 kPa and the Reynolds number of steam is ranging from 7200 to 23200. The mass flux of the cooling water is ranging from 450 kg/m2s to 850 kg/m2s. The heat transfer coefficient is calculated by two methods: the first is based on energy balance and heat transfer equations, and the second by Wilson Plot method. The heat transfer coefficient results shows similarity between both methods and it is ranging from 2200 W/m2°C to 5500 W/m2°C. Furthermore, we propose a correlation for the condensation heat transfer coefficient based on the Nusselt, Reynolds and Prandtl numbers.