The CFD studies on the influence of un-wetted area on the heat transfer performance of the horizontal tube falling film evaporation

This paper discusses about the effect of un-wetted area of tube on the heat transfer performance of horizontal tube falling film evaporation. A 2D CFD model was developed to perform simulations and investigate the output and validated them with published data available in the literature. In the present study the VOF method is used to track the boundary of the liquid vapour from the contours of volume fraction. Effect of varying tube wall temperature or wall super heat (6 to 11°C) on un-wetted area, heat transfer co-efficients and mass transfer co-efficients of the circular tube were obtained from the simulation model and the results were analysed and reasons were identified and discussed here. The threshold value of wall super heat above which phase change occurs between liquid film and tube surface is identified as 6°C. Also it is noted that mass transfer rate increases and then decreases with increase of wall super heat and heat transfer co-efficient showed declining trend.