Thermal analysis of double-pipe heat exchanger in thermodynamic vent system

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Full use and effective management of cold capacity are significant for improving the performance of heat exchanger in the thermodynamic vent system (TVS). To understand the operation principle of TVS easily, the thermodynamic analysis, based on the ideal gas state equation and energy conservation equation, is detailed introduced. Some key operation parameters are optimized and suggested. As the low mass flow rate and low heat fluxes are involved in flow boiling of the annular pipe fluid, the Kandlikar’s boiling heat transfer correlation is selected to predict the flow boiling process, after validated with the related experimental results. One quasi-steady state model is established to investigate the heat transfer performance of double-pipe heat exchanger in normal gravity, with the bulk fluid natural convection, annular pipe two-phase boiling and inner pipe forced convection coupled from outside to inside. Determined by the local pressure and temperature, the fluid thermophysical properties are variable with the pipe length and time. With the variable fluid thermophysical properties, both the static analysis and the transient thermal performance of TVS heat exchanger are investigated respectively. Meanwhile, effects of the external natural convection and the pipe sizes on the thermal and flow performance of heat exchanger are detailed researched and analyzed. Some valuable conclusions are obtained and significant to optimize the TVS heat exchanger design.