Comparison of heat transfer in straight and corrugated minichannels with two-phase flow

Abstract

Measurements of heat transfer rates performed with an experimental condensation heat exchanger are reported for a corrugated minichannel tube and for a straight minichannel tube. The two cases were compared at same flow regimes. The corrugation appears advantageous for relatively low steam pressures and flow rates where much higher heat transfer rates were observed close to the steam entrance, thus allowing shortening the heat exchanger with the associated advantages of costs lowering and smaller built-up space. At high steam pressures and high flow rates both tubes performed similarly.