Prediction of Critical Heat Flux in Annular Flow Using a Film Flow Model

Abstract

A new set of correlations for the film flow analysis was developed to predict the critical heat flux in annular flow regime accurately. All the correlations adopted here were based on experimental data or considerations of the processes in annular flow; the resulting model required no parameters that should be adjusted from the measured data of critical heat flux. The 4,375 data of critical heat flux in forced flow of water in vertical uniformly heated round tubes were used to test the basic performance of the model. The comparisons between the calculated and measured critical heat fluxes showed that the predicted results by the present model agree with the experimental data fairly well if the flow pattern at the onset of critical heat flux condition is considered annular flow. The predictive capability was not deteriorated even in the cases of small diameter tube, short length tube as well as low vapor quality. Good agreements were also achieved in the preliminary tests against the critical heat flux data for Freon 12 and Freon 21. It is expected from these results that the present model satisfactorily expresses the important phenomena to predict the critical heat flux in annular flow regime.