CT-24 Improved Pressure Drop Method for Condensation in Horizontal Tubes
HTRI’s existing two-phase friction pressure drop method for horizontal tubeside condensation was based on limited condensation data taken in the 1970s. That method underpredicts pressure drop data significantly when extrapolated to the mist and shear-controlled flow regions. During 2007 and 2008, we collected additional condensation data from the Multipurpose Condensation Unit (MCU) using pure and binary fluids. To improve the correlating factor for two-phase friction, C, we further evaluated HTRI methods, along with open and proprietary literature methods, including the original Lockhart-Martinelli correlations. To examine the performance of two-phase momentum pressure drop, we studied the key parameter—vapor volume fraction, Rv—and compared several correlations. This report documents all the HTRI experimental data and summarizes the pressure drop method evaluation and improvement for horizontal tubeside condensation.