ASSESSMENT OF CORRELATIONS FOR SINGLE-PHASE HEAT EXCHANGERS

R. K. Shah and M. S. Bhatti

Harrison Radiator Division
General Motors Corporation
Lockport, New York, 14094, U.S.A.

ABSTRACT

In many two-phase two-fluid heat exchangers, one side has single-phase

fluid while the other side has two-phase fluid. Generally, the single-phase
side represents the dominant thermal resistance, particularly with gas or
oil flows. Hence, in order to determine accurately the performance of the
exchanger, it is necessary to find out heat transfer and flow friction
characteristics of the single-phase fluid side in addition to those for the
two-phase side. The objective of this paper is to summarize important
theoretical solutions and correlations for simple geometries that are
common in compact heat exchangers followed by experimental correlations for
some important complex geometries. The theoretical solutions are assessed
from the practical point of view so that they provide sound basis and
guidelines for correlations and extrapolation/interpolation of heat transfer
and flow friction characteristics of practical heat transfer surfaces.

INTRODUCTION
Single-phase fluid side in a two-phase heat exchanger generally
represents higher thermal resistance than the two-phase side, such as in
air-cooled condensers, air-conditioning evaporators, liquefication of
oxygen and nitrogen, etc. Hence, in this paper, design correlations for
single-phase side are discussed and interpreted from the designer's point
of view. The design correlations are generally presented in terms of
dimensionless heat transfer coefficients and friction factors (simply
referred to as surface characteristics) for the exchanger surfaces. While
many of these theoretical and experimental correlations are available in
standard textbooks, the purpose here is to interpret functional relationships
and trends of theoretical solutions to provide guidelines for correlating
experimental data and how to make moderate extrapolations of known design
data for surfaces for which no experimental design data exist. Before
presenting and discussing the theoretical solutions and experimental
correlations, dimensionless groups used in such solutions/correlations are
summarized with a specific example of how the surface characteristics of a
heat transfer surface are presented.
Important dimensionless groups that are used in presenting and
correlating the internal flow fluid friction and forced convection heat
transfer are summarized in Table 1 with their definitions and physical
meanings. It should be emphasized that in all dimensionless groups,
wherever applicable, the hydraulic diameter is consistently used as a
characteristic dimension. Also there are a number of different definitions
used in the literature for some of the dimensionless groups, and the user
should pay particular attention to the specific definitions used in the
paper before using specific results. This is particularly true for the
Nusselt number with many different temperature differences used in the
definition, and for f, Re, Nu and other dimensionless groups having
characteristic dimensions different from Dh .

81

S. Kakaf et al. (eds.), Two-Phase Flow Heat Exchangers, 81-122.

© 1988 by Kluwer Academic Publishers_
82

Table 1. Important dimensionless groups for internal flow forced

convection heat transfer and flow friction, useful in heat
exchanger design.

Dimensionless Definitions and Physical Meaning

Groups Working Relationships and Comments

Reynolds number It is a flow modulus. It is

proportional to the ratio of
flow momentum rate ("inertia
force") to viscous force.

Fanning friction T It is the ratio of wall shear

W
factor f (skin frictional) stress to
the flow kinetic energy per
unit volume. It is common-
r rh ly used in heat transfer
6p
f ~* ---.h literature.
L 2 L
(Pu /2g )
m c
Apparent Fanning It includes the effects of
friction factor r
f ~* ----.!l skin friction and the change
app L in the momentum rates in
the entrance region
(developing flows).

Incremental L It represents the excess

K(x) (f -f )
pressure drop app fd rh dimensionless pressure drop
number in the entrance region over
K(oo) constant that for iully developed
for x -+ OJ flow.
Darcy friction D It is four times the Fanning
factor fD 4f = tcp* ----.!l friction factor and is
L
commonly used in fluid
mechanics literature.
Euler number lip
Eu IIp* It is the pressure drop
2 normalized with respect to
(pu /2g )
m c the dynamic velocity head.
Eu is commonly used in the
Soviet literature.
Dimensionless axia"l It is the ratio of the
distance for the dimensionless axial distance
fluid flow problem (x/D h ) to the Reynolds
number. It is useful in
the hydrodynamic entrance
region.

Nusselt number q"D It is the ratio of the

h h
Nu convective conductance h to
k/D h k(t w - t m)
the pure molecular thermal
conductance k/D h .
Nu St Pr Re