Heat transfer in the critical region

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Abstract
Heat transfer coefficients were measured experimentally for carbon dioxide in turbulent flow in an 0.18‐in. I.D. pipe. The pressure was 1,200 lb./sq. in. abs. and the bulk temperature varied from 70° to 120°F. In this critical region the coefficients between fluid and tube wall ranged from 300 to 2,600 B.t.u./(hr.)(sq. ft./°F.) over a Reynolds number interval of 30,000 to 300,000.Existing empirical and semitheoretical correlations were found inadequate in this region, where the thermal conductivity, viscosity, density, and specific heat are all varying rapidly and nonuniformly with temperature. A method of integrating the heat and momentum transfer equations with variable physical properties, recently proposed by Deissler, was applied to the experimental data and found to fit well. The application required extensive calculations, which were carried out with an Electrodata digital computer.A simplified procedure was proposed for estimating heat transfer coefficients in the critical region by using a semitheoretical equation developed for zero heat flow. Simple rules were suggested for estimating the temperature at which to evaluate the physical properties when this equation is applied to the realt case of finite heat transfer. The method worked well when compared with the computed heat transfer coefficients of Deissler for supercritical wate but showed about 30% deviation when compared with the carbon dioxide results. This discrepancy is believed due to the fact that the carbon dioxide was very close to the critical point (reduced pressure = 1.1) but the water was somewhat further removed (reduced pressure = 1.6).

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