Film Condensation of R-113 on In-Line Bundles of Horizontal Finned Tubes

Abstract

Film condensation of R-113 on in-line bundles of horizontal finned tubes with vertical vapor downflow was experimentally investigated. Two tubes with flat-sided annular fins and four tubes with three-dimensional fins were tested. The test sections were 3×15 tube bundles with and without two rows of inundation tubes at the top. Heat transfer measurements were carried out on a row-by-row basis. The heat transfer enhancement due to vapor shear was much less for a finned tube bundle than for a smooth tube bundle. The decrease in heat transfer due to condensate inundation was more marked for a three-dimensional fin tube than for a flat-sided fin tube. The predictions of the previous theoretical model for a bundle of flat-sided fin tubes agreed well with the measured data for low vapor velocity and a small to medium condensate inundation rate. Among the six tubes tested, the highest heat transfer performance was provided by the flat-sided fin tube with fin dimensions close to the theoretically determined optimum values.