Pulsed Heat Transfer

Abstract

The "Water-Blow" Pulsation generator has been used to produce pulsing fluid flow in an off-the-shelf industrial single pass heat exchanger containing 5/8 in. 0. D. tubes, 37 inches long. Experimental results showed that heat transfer from steam to flowing water could be enhanced by as much as 100%, although a more practical enhancement would likely be about 40%. From the experimental results it was estimated that pulsing air requirement (standard cu. ft. air per cu. ft. water) increased linearly from about 0 to 4.0 over a range of heat transfer enhancement from 0 to 40%. Two factors which influenced pulsing air requirement were the air surge volume sizes and the pressure fluctuations which occurred therein.