Two-phase annular flow and evaporative heat transfer in a microchannel

Abstract

A physical and mathematical model has been developed to predict the two-phase flow and heat transfer in a microchannel with evaporative heat transfer. Sample solutions to the model were obtained for both constant wall temperature and constant wall heat flux conditions. Results are provided for evaporation rate, liquid film thickness, liquid and vapor phase pressure and temperature distributions. In addition to the sample calculations that were used to illustrate the transport characteristics, computations based on the current model were performed to generate results for comparisons with the experimental results of Qu and Mudawar (2004) where two different mass flow rates of the working fluid were used in the experiment. The comparisons of total pressure drops with the experimental data of Qu and Mudawar (2004) cover the wall heat flux range of 142.71–240 W/cm 2 with a total channel mass flux of 400.1 kg/m 2 s and also the wall heat flu range of 99.54–204.39 W/cm 2 with total channel mass flux of 401.9 kg/m 2 s. The calculated results from the current model match closely with those of Qu and Mudawar (2004).