Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Experimental Study on Hydrodynamic Behavior of Falling Film over Vertical Tube

  • Published:
Journal of Thermal Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Falling film configurations play an important role in characterizing the heat transfer due to changes in hydrodynamic behavior. The purpose of this study is to establish a novel film distributor to investigate the hydrodynamic behavior of the falling film on the vertical tube. The falling film thickness and flow patterns on the vertical tube were analyzed at a feed water temperature of 30°C for film Re ranged from 53 to 4544 and the heat fluxes ranged from 1.33 to 49.45 kW/m2. The correlation between the average falling film thickness and the film Re was fitted; the maximum deviation between the experimental data and the predicted values was 7.58%. Additionally, the film thickness changed sharply when the heat flux increased to a certain value. With the further increase of the heat flux, dry patches appeared on the surface of the experimental tube. There was Marangoni effect on vertical tube and the falling film thickness and flow patterns were significantly affected by heating. The interval value of the critical heat flux with film Re was obtained. Compared with the porous film distributor reported in the literature, the critical heat flux of the new film distributor increased by 3.72%–56.95%.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

d :

outer diameter of tube/m

g :

acceleration of gravity/m·s−2

I :

electric current/A

k :

thermal conductivity/kW·(m·K)−1

L :

length of the test tube/m

L H :

length of the heating tube/m

q :

heat flux density/kW·m−2

Re :

film Reynolds number

T :

temperature/°C

t :

time/s

U :

electric voltage/V

U y :

the uncertainty of y

w :

mass flow rate/kg·s−1

DC:

direct current

Γ :

mass flow rate per unit width of the wall/kg(m·s)−1

δ :

falling film thickness/m

θ :

incline angle/(°)

μ :

dynamic viscosity/Pa·s

ρ :

density/kg·m−3

σ :

surface tension/N·m−1

ν :

kinematic viscosity/m2·s−1

+:

dimensionless

1, 2, 3, i :

point

Critical:

critical value

G:

gas

L:

liquid

w:

wall

References

  1. Mikhaeel M.M.K., Jacobi A.M., Using thermodynamic availability to predict the transitional film reynolds number between the droplet and jet modes in falling liquid between horizontal tubes. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2021, 164: 120557.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Fiorentino M., Starace G., Numerical investigations on two-phase flow modes in evaporative condensers. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2016, 94: 777–785.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Hao J., Xu Y., He T., et al., Numerical study on heat transfer of oily wastewater spray falling film over a horizontal tube in a sewage source heat pump. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2019, 142: 118423.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Bustamante J.G., Garimella S., Experimental assessment of flow distributors for falling-films over horizontal tube banks. International Journal of Refrigeration, 2019, 101: 24–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Shen Y., Shi C., Zhang L., et al., Falling film evaporation in a vertical tube with a new type of liquid distributor designed using the brachistochrone principle. Vacuum, 2021, 187: 110023.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Tatara R., Payvar P., Measurement of spray boiling refrigerant coefficients in an integral-fin tube bundle segment simulating a full bundle. International Journal of Refrigeration, 2001, 24: 744–754.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Nusselt W., Die Oberflachenkondensation des Wasserdampfes, VDI Z, 1916.

  8. Chen X., Shen S., Wang Y., et al., Measurement on falling film thickness distribution around horizontal tube with laser-induced fluorescence technology. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2015, 89: 707–713.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Hu P., Huang X., Bao K., et al., Experiment study on film width and thickness of free falling water film on a large inclined plate. Nuclear Engineering and Design, 2020, 358: 110445.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Zeng J., Wang Y., Wei Z., et al., Thickness distribution and fluctuation characteristics of liquid falling film under turbulent conditions. Chemical Engineering Science, 2021, 248: 117172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Zhang Y., Wang D., Liu Y., et al., Distribution characteristics of falling film thickness around a horizontal corrugated tube. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2020, 154: 119773.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Moran K., Inumaru J., Kawaji M., Instantaneous hydrodynamics of a laminar wavy liquid film. International Journal of Multiphase Flow, 2002, 28: 731–755.

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  13. Zhou D.W., Gambaryan-Roisman T., Stephan P., Measurement of water falling film thickness to flat plate using confocal chromatic sensoring technique. Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, 2009, 33: 273–283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Yu Y.Q., Cheng X., Experimental study of water film flow on large vertical and inclined flat plate. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 2014, 77: 176–186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Huang X.G., Yang Y.H., Hu P., et al., Experimental study of water-air countercurrent flow characteristics in large scale rectangular channel. Annals of Nuclear Energy, 2014, 69: 125–133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Du W., Zhuo S., Yang L., et al., Numerical simulation and parameter sensitivity analysis of coupled heat transfer by PCCS containment wall. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2017, 113: 867–877.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Hu X., Jacobi M.A., The intertube falling film: Part 1—flow characteristics, mode transitions, and hysteresis. Journal of Heat Transfer, 1996, 118: 616–625.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Ding Z., Wong T.N., Falling liquid films on a slippery substrate with Marangoni effects. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2015, 90: 689–701.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Fujita T., Ueda T., Heat transfer to falling liquid films and film breakdown—I: Subcooled liquid films. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 1978, 21: 97–108.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. Hartley D.E., Murgatroyd W., Criteria for the break-up of thin liquid layers flowing isothermally over solid surfaces. International Journal of Heat & Mass Transfer, 1964, 7: 1003–1015.

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  21. Chattopadhyay S., Mukhopadhyay A., Barua A.K., et. al., Thermocapillary instability on a film falling down a non-uniformly heated slippery incline. International Journal of Non-Linear Mechanics, 2021, 133: 103718.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. Imura H., Sasaguchi K., Kozai H., et al., Critical heat flux in a closed two-phase thermosyphon. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 1983, 26: 1181–1188.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. Yang L., Song X., Xie Y., Effect of the dryout in tube bundles on the heat transfer performance of falling film evaporators. Procedia Engineering, 2017, 205: 2176–2183.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Qi R., Dong C., Yu S., et al., Modelling and experiments of falling film break-up characteristics considering mass transfer for liquid desiccant dehumidification. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2021, 181: 122027.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Liu S., Mu X., Shen S., et al., Experimental study on the distribution of local heat transfer coefficient of falling film heat transfer outside horizontal tube. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2021, 170: 121031.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Fujita T., Ueda T., Heat transfer to falling liquid films and film breakdown—II: Saturated liquid films with nucleate boiling. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 1978, 21(2): 109–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Yue Y.K., Yang J.J., Li X.Q., et al., Experimental research on falling film flow and heat transfer characteristics outside the vertical tube. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2021, 199: 117592.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2020YFF0303902), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51876216 and No. 21978308), Special Fund for Central Guiding Local Science and Technology Development (ZYYD2022B11, 2022ZY0048).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Cryogenics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China

    Yunkai Yue, Zhentao Zhang, Hailun Zhang, Junling Yang, Xiaoqiong Li & Yu Zhang

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Yunkai Yue, Junling Yang & Yu Zhang

  3. Key Laboratory of Technology on Space Energy Conversion, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, 100190, China

    Zhentao Zhang

Authors
  1. Yunkai Yue
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zhentao Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hailun Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Junling Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Xiaoqiong Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Yu Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Junling Yang.

Ethics declarations

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yue, Y., Zhang, Z., Zhang, H. et al. Experimental Study on Hydrodynamic Behavior of Falling Film over Vertical Tube. J. Therm. Sci. 32, 1512–1522 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11630-023-1732-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11630-023-1732-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation