Boiling heat transfer and pressure drop of R290 in a micro-fin tube

The present study focuses on the analysis of heat transfer and pressure drop of R290 in a horizontal micro-fin tube. In this regard, experiments were conducted, and flow patterns, heat transfer coefficient, and friction pressure drop were analyzed under various conditions. A wide range of conditions was studied, including saturation pressures ranging from 0.215 to 0.415 MPa, mass fluxes ranging from 70 to 190 kg m−2 s−1, heat fluxes in the range of 10.6–73.0 kW m−2, and vapor qualities from 0 to 0.96. The performed analyses revealed four flow patterns, including bubbly flow, plug flow, slug flow, and annular flow. It is found that the onset of dry-out occurs when the liquid film thickness is equal to the fin height and occurs earlier at high heat fluxes and low saturation pressures. The maximum heat transfer coefficient and friction pressure drop occur at the onset of dry-out, and the heat transfer coefficient exhibits a significant correlation with the heat flux. The obtained results were verified using the heat transfer correlation of Cavallini and the friction pressure drop correlation of Rollman, where the average relative deviation (ARD) was −24.01% and −8.65%, respectively.