Brazilian Journal

of Chemical ISSN 0104-6632

Engineering Printed in Brazil
www.abeq.org.br/bjche

Vol. 26, No. 01, pp. 33 - 43, January - March, 2009

EXPERIMENTAL AND THEORETICAL STUDY OF

POOL BOILING HEAT TRANSFER TO AMINE
SOLUTIONS
S. M. Peyghambarzadeh1*, M. Jamialahmadi2, S. A. Alavi Fazel3 and S. Azizi4
1
Islamic Azad University, Mahshahr Branch, Fax: + (98) 1512225952,
Phone: + (98) 9123241450, Mahshahr, Iran.
E-mail: peyghambarzadeh@gmail.com
2
Petroleum University of Technology, Phone: + (98) 9163113373, Ahvaz, Iran,
E-mail: jamialahmadi@yahoo.com
3
Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch,
Phone: + (98) 9166137305, Tehran, Iran.
E-mail: seyedali.alavifazel@gmail.com
4
Islamic Azad University, Mahshahr Branch,
Phone: + (98) 9113552866, Mahshahr, Iran.
E-mail: shimaazizi77@yahoo.com

(Submitted: March 3, 2008 ; Revised: June 20, 2008 ; Accepted: July 9, 2008)

Abstract- In this investigation, a large number of experiments have been performed to measure the nucleate
boiling heat transfer coefficients of water/diethanolamine (DEA) and water/monoethanolamine (MEA) binary
solutions. Based on these experimental data, effects of physical properties such as surface tension and
viscosity of mixtures on nucleate boiling heat transfer coefficients and also on bubble dynamics have been
discussed. Meanwhile, some photographs have also been selected which illustrate the behaviours of bubbles
near the heat transfer surface. In this article, a new correlation has been developed on the basis of the
correlation of Stephan and Körner which is known as a successful correlation for the prediction of nucleate
boiling heat transfer coefficients of mixtures. Comparison of the prediction of this new correlation with
experimental data indicates that this modification can significantly improve the performance of the Stephan
and Körner correlation.
Keywords: Nucleate pool boiling; Amine solutions; Bubble; New correlation.

INTRODUCTION fields of contemporary heat transfer research.

Despite extensive research, a complete
Nucleate boiling has been utilized extensively in understanding of boiling is still lacking, even for
industry because it is one of the most efficient modes many simple cases. This may be due to the fact that,
of heat transfer, particularly in high-energy-density in addition to the thermo-physical properties of the
systems such as nuclear reactors, power plants, fluid, many parameters such as surface condition,
electronics packaging and the like. Scientific mass transfer effect, presence of impurities and
research into boiling and the industrial usage spans deposition of foreign materials on the heat transfer
over several past decades. Starting from the surface are inherent factors that influence bubble
pioneering paper of Nukiyama (1934), widespread generation (Jamialahmadi et al, 2008).
data have accumulated from experimental studies Boiling of pure components has been well
dealing with a diverse array of conditions. Heat established, while the boiling of mixtures has been
transfer in boiling is one of the most challenging studied in less detail, especially in organic and
*To whom correspondence should be addressed
34 S. M. Peyghambarzadeh, M. Jamialahmadi, S. A. Alavi Fazel and S. Azizi

inorganic mixtures, which has considerable practical stainless steel sheathed rod and four stainless steel
significance. Nucleate pool boiling of liquid sheathed thermocouples with an outside diameter of
mixtures finds many applications in chemical and 0.25 mm are embedded along the circumference of
petrochemical process industries, principally the the heater close to the heating surface. A PC-based
processes involving the boiling of multicomponent data acquisition system was used to measure
liquid mixtures. Recent interest in these as working temperatures and heat flux. The power supplied to
fluids in thermal power plants and refrigeration the test heater could be calculated from the measured
systems is growing because of their potential to current and voltage drop.
reduce available energy loss in heat exchanges The average of five readings was used to
(Fujita and Bai, 1997). determine the difference between wall and bulk
temperature for each thermocouple. The heat transfer
coefficient, h, is calculated from Equation (1):
EXPERIMENTAL APPARATUS, PROCEDURE
AND CHEMICALS Q
h= (1)
The complete pool boiling apparatus is shown in
( Ts − Tb )av.
Figure 1. The apparatus consists of a cylindrical
stainless steel tank containing 38 liters of test liquid Initially, test section and tank were cleaned and
and a vertical condenser to condense the evaporated the system connected to a vacuum pump. Once the
liquid with tap water and recycle it to the pool. The pressure of the system reached approximately 10
test section is mounted horizontally within the tank KPa, the test solution was introduced. Following
and can be observed and photographed through this, the tank band heater was switched on and the
observation glasses at both sides of the tank. Tank temperature of the system allowed to rise. Once the
and condenser are heavily insulated to reduce heat system was de-aerated it was left at the desired
losses to the ambient air. The temperature in the tank pressure and the corresponding saturation
is regulated by an electronic temperature controller temperature for about three hours to obtain a
and a variable electrical transformer in conjunction homogenous condition throughout. Then, the power
with a band heater covering the complete cylindrical was supplied to the test heater (rod heater) and kept
outside surface. The pressure in the apparatus is at a predetermined value. Data acquisition system,
monitored continuously and a pressure relief valve is and camera or video equipment were simultaneously
installed for safety reasons. Boiling occurs at the switched-on to record temperatures, heat flux and
outside of a cylindrical stainless steel test heater with visual information. Some runs were repeated later to
a diameter of 10.67 mm, and a heated length of 99.1 check the reproducibility of the experiments, which
mm. The test heater consists of an internally heated proved to be excellent.

Figure 1: Schematic diagram of the pool boiling apparatus

Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering

 Experimental and Theoretical Study of Pool Boiling Heat Transfer to Amine Solutions 35

Table 1: Some important physical properties of chemicals used in the experiments

Thermal
Boiling Liquid density Surface tension Heat capacity
conductivity
Point (K) (kg/m3) (N/m) (J/kg.K)
(W/m.K)
Water 373 920 0.058 0.676 4480
MEA 443 1285 0.033 0.22 3610
DEA 541 1063 0.022 0.18 3130

550
DEA / Water
Temperature (K) MEA / Water

500

450

400

0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0

Xw and Yw
Figure 2: Bubble point and dew point curves for MEA/water and DEA/water solutions

In this investigation, MEA and DEA individually a) The physical properties of distilled water are well
with distilled water were used as test fluids. MEA was known with high accuracy.
obtained from Razi Chemical Complex in Mahshahr in b) Boiling heat transfer coefficient had been
a purity greater than 99% by weight and DEA was investigated by several investigators over a wide
obtained from Bidboland gas refinery (the first natural range of heat fluxes and system pressures with the
gas refinery in Iran) in the purity of 85% by weight. It highly accurate Gorenflo Standard Pool Boiling
should be noted that these two chemicals were Apparatus (Gorenflo, 2001). All these researches
manufactured at the Arak Petrochemical Complex in agree that the Gorenflo correlation predicts the
Iran. MEA and DEA are colourless liquids which have nucleate pool boiling heat transfer coefficient of
a slightly ammonia-like odour. Some of the physical distilled water with an absolute, mean and average
properties of pure water, MEA and DEA are shown in error of less than 6%.
Table 1. These physical properties are evaluated with Figure 3 illustrates the measured heat transfer
the aid of Aspen Plus software at atmospheric pressure coefficient in the present investigation as a function
and boiling point temperatures of each component. of heat flux at 1 atm (101.3 KPa) pressure. The
Figure 2 shows vapour-liquid equilibrium curves for results illustrate that the heat transfer coefficient
MEA/water and DEA/water solutions. These were increases as heat flux increases. Two distinctive
obtained using Non-random two liquids (NRTL) regimes can be distinguished. At low heat fluxes -
equation with ideal gas and Henry’s law which is although not shown here - the heat transfer
known to estimate the activity coefficients of non-ideal coefficient depends moderately on heat flux. In this
multicomponent mixtures with good accuracy. region, heat is transferred mostly by natural
convection and is not related to the current
investigation. At higher heat fluxes, the increasing
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
wall temperature leads to the formation of bubbles at
Results for Distilled Water the surface. In the nucleate boiling regime, the
influence of heat flux is stronger and a straight line
Distilled water was used to check the accuracy of could be fitted through the data points in the double
the experimental results and the calibration of the logarithmic plot. The experimental data are
system for two reasons: compared with the prediction from correlation
Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol. 26, No. 01, pp. 33 - 43, January - March, 2009
36 S. M. Peyghambarzadeh, M. Jamialahmadi, S. A. Alavi Fazel and S. Azizi

suggested by Gorenflo (2001). Figure 3 shows that boiling curves of the liquid mixtures are found to
the experimental results are in good agreement with shift to the right hand side, indicating the reduction
the values predicted by this correlation. of heat transfer compared to pure fluids (Fujita and
Tsutsui, 2002, Jamialahmadi et al, 2004, Diao et al,
Results for Binary Solutions 2006 and Zhao et al, 2008). Figure 4 and Figure 5
display the dependency of boiling heat transfer
Boiling heat transfer coefficients for binary coefficient on composition at three different constant
mixtures of MEA/water and DEA/water were heat fluxes for MEA/water and DEA/water binary
obtained for various solution concentrations solutions, respectively. It is observed that the boiling
including: 3, 8, 15, 25, 36, 56, 70 and 84 wt% of less heat transfer coefficient of liquid mixtures is less in
volatile components. According to the literature, compare to pure liquids.

20 Experimental Data
Prediction of Gorenflo Correlation

10
9
8
h (KW/m2.K)

7
6
5
4

1
5 6 7 8 910 20 30 40 50 60708090
100 200 300

Heat Flux (KW/m2)

Figure 3: Pool boiling heat transfer coefficients of distilled water
Heat Transfer Coefficient (KW/m2K)
Heat Transfer Coefficient (KW/m2K)

16
MEA-Water Solutions 14 DEA-Water Solutions
14
12
12
10
10
q = 170 KW/m2 8
q = 200 KW/m2
8
6
6
q = 90 KW/m2
4 q = 90 KW/m2
4

2 q = 15 KW/m2 2
q = 15 KW/m2

0 0
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25 0.30
MEA Mole Fraction DEA Mole Fraction
Figure 4: Heat transfer coefficient of MEA/water Figure 5: Heat transfer coefficient of DEA/water
binary mixtures against MEA mole fraction at binary mixtures against DEA mole fraction at
three different heat fluxes three different heat fluxes

Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering

 Experimental and Theoretical Study of Pool Boiling Heat Transfer to Amine Solutions 37

In the boiling of pure liquids, the liquid and heat transfer reduction were also observed more or less
vapour compositions in the liquid bulk and the in other kinds of two-component mixtures investigated
vapour inside the bubble are the same and, in the past. This could be related to non-linear variation
consequently, the entire boiling process is heat in the mixture physical properties with composition
transfer controlled. In contrast, during to the boiling (Vinayak Rao and Balakrishnan, 2004).
of a multicomponent solution, the vapour-liquid
phase equilibrium characteristics of the mixture Effect of Bubble Dynamic
allow the vapour and liquid phases to be at different
compositions. Hence, as a liquid mixture evaporates Bubble behaviours near the heated surface have
on the heating surface, the vapour contains more of to be studied with more attention. Our experimental
the light component(s). Therefore, the micro-layer is apparatus incorporated the facility to take
depleted in the light component(s) and enriched in photographs of the heated surface during bubble
heavy component(s). This results in mass diffusion generation. These photographs can be useful in
of the light component(s) from the vapour to the understanding bubble behaviour near the heated
micro-layer. Since the rate of mass diffusion is much surface. As can be seen in Figure 4, an extraordinary
slower than heat diffusion, mass transfer of the light event occurs in the boiling of MEA/water binary
component(s) to the bubble interface becomes the solutions, which results in the enhancement of the
limiting process and a portion of the driving force is heat transfer coefficient at 3 and 15 wt% MEA
utilized in overcoming the mass transfer resistance. compared with pure water. Similar behaviour was
Therefore, to obtain a given heat flux, an additional also observed at 3 and 8 wt% DEA in DEA/water
temperature driving force is required for mixtures binary solutions, as shown in Figure 5.
compared to pure liquids. Furthermore, since the Figure 6 shows the appearance of the heat
light component evaporates first and the microlayer transfer surface during pool boiling of MEA
enriches in heavy component, the boiling point of the solutions at different heat fluxes. At pure water or
micro-layer liquid increases and, consequently, the MEA concentrations of 8 wt%, especially at high
boiling heat transfer coefficient could be reduced heat fluxes, large hemispherical bubbles were
compared with pure water. observed and few nucleation sites are active on the
Figure 4 and Figure 5 also show that the addition heat transfer surface. Therefore, the heat transfer
of amine to distilled water usually causes coefficients were lower than those of 3 and 15 wt%
deterioration in the heat transfer. In some cases, MEA. At MEA concentrations of 3 and 15 wt%, the
however, an improvement of heat transfer compared large bubbles disappeared and many small, rigid
with pure water boiling under same conditions is bubbles were formed. Formation of these small
observed in the range of low amine concentration. bubbles and their subsequent release into the
Such a case has also been observed by Wen et al surrounding liquid increases convection currents
(2006) for flow boiling of R-600a and R-290 around the heater and consequently the heat transfer
refrigerants-oil mixtures. In their experiments, the coefficient increases. Furthermore, this heat transfer
heat transfer coefficient increased as the oil coefficient enhancement can also be explained in
concentration increased up to 1% and then decreased terms of the accumulation of amine in the cavities of
with each increase in oil concentration. Reduction of the boiling surface. This excess layer reduces the
surface tension by the addition of the second surface energy between the liquid and the heat
component could be responsible for such boiling transfer surface, causing the activation of more
behaviour of mixtures, but no theoretical background nucleation sites and therefore a higher heat transfer
supporting this idea has been offered so far coefficient.
(Mitrovic, 1998). Thus, the composition is an As Diao et al (2006) concluded, the composition
important factor affecting the heat transfer process for binary mixture has an important effect on the
during the boiling of binary - and multicomponent - boiling site density, bubble departure diameter and
mixtures. As the composition varies, a number of bubble departure time. In this study, this is obvious
physical properties characterizing the mixture also that the addition of amines to distilled water causes
change, such as the surface tension and viscosity of the bubble departure diameter and the bubble
the boiling mixture. Even for the same mixture departure frequency to be decreased in most cases
composition, heat transfer reduction is not uniform and these two parameters result in the degradation of
for heat flux variations, with larger reductions the heat transfer coefficient in the regions of high
occurring at higher heat fluxes, as can be seen in amines concentrations. Figure 6 also clearly implies
Figure 4 and Figure 5. These two characteristics that bubble behaviours are dependent on the heat
regarding the influence of composition and heat flux on flux in nucleate boiling of mixtures.

Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol. 26, No. 01, pp. 33 - 43, January - March, 2009
38 S. M. Peyghambarzadeh, M. Jamialahmadi, S. A. Alavi Fazel and S. Azizi

(a) (b)

(c)
Figure 6: Comparison of bubble appearance in MEA/water solutions at different
heat fluxes. (a) at 32 kW/m2 (b) at 100 kW/m2 (c) at 230 kW/m2

EFFECT OF PHYSICAL PROPERTIES bubble growth and detachment, rising velocity from
the heat transfer surface, and consequently the heat
Effect of Surface Tension transfer coefficient that is related to these
phenomena, has been little investigated. Most of the
Apparently, the addition of a small amount of experiments published in the literature are concerned
MEA and DEA to water reduces the surface tension with fluids whose viscosity is essentially not higher
of the solution. Therefore, coalescence of small
than that of water. Although several relationships
embryos into larger bubbles is inhibited, bubble
frequency is increased, dryout on the heated surface indeed include a viscosity term, research works
is reduced, and the critical heat flux condition is verifying these relationships for highly viscous
delayed (Hahne and Grigull, 1977). Meléndez and solutions are lacking. Equation (2) is one of the
Reyes (2006) measured the interfacial energies relations which indicates an influence of viscosity on
effects on pool boiling for combinations of aqueous heat transfer coefficient. The wide range of viscosity
ethanol mixtures and a surfactant (sodium lauryl– exponents (ranging from 0 to -1.4) in heat transfer
sulfate) and concluded that, under proper conditions, relationships for pool boiling may be explained by
the transport of minute concentrations of a surface the small range of fluid viscosities investigated up to
active substance in a pure substance, or the lower now (Hahne and Grigull, 1977).
vapor-pressure substance in a binary mixture,
modifies the interfacial energy and the boiling
characteristics significantly. Effect of the addition of h = const.q m μ n (2)
MEA and DEA to water on the surface tension of
mixture has been presented in Figure 7. Since this Based on the above discussion on the impact of
graph has been plotted at real bulk temperatures of viscosity on heat transfer coefficient, it is obvious
mixtures which are measured during the from Figure 8 that the addition of MEA and DEA to
experiments, small fluctuations appear due to the
strong temperature dependence of surface tension. water would increase the viscosity of the mixture and
thus result in a decrease of the heat transfer
Effect of Viscosity coefficient, as Equation (2) predicts. Indeed, most
probably viscosity is one of the main reasons causing
The effect of viscosity on the various phenomena the large heat transfer reduction in DEA/water binary
related to the boiling such as bubble formation, solutions.
Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering
 Experimental and Theoretical Study of Pool Boiling Heat Transfer to Amine Solutions 39

0.060 0.9
MEA
0.057 DEA
Surface Tension (N/m)

0.8

0.054 0.7

Viscosity (cP)
0.051
0.6
0.048
0.5
0.045
0.4
0.042 MEA
DEA
0.3
0.039
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8
MEA and DEA wt.% MEA and DEA wt.%
Figure 7: Surface tension vs. concentration for Figure 8: Viscosity vs. concentration for
MEA/water and DEA/water mixtures at real MEA/water and DEA/water mixtures at
bulk temperatures real bulk temperatures

DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW CORRELATION for the two pure components A and B calculated for
the same pressure and heat flux as the mixture. These
Due to the very complex nature of binary mixture wall superheat values will be denoted ∆TA and ∆TB,
boiling phenomena, there is no generally accepted respectively. Then ∆TI is given by
theoretical model for predicting the heat transfer
coefficient of a mixture with satisfactory accuracy at ΔTI = (1 − x ) ΔTA + xΔTB (4)
present (Diao et al, 2006). Based on experimental
and theoretical studies, Stephan and Kern (2004) Stephan and Körner (1969) found that Θ in
evaluated heat and mass transfer phenomena in Equation (3) could be correlated against the value of
nucleate boiling of pure substances and binary (y-x). Thus:
mixtures. In a binary mixture, the phase equilibrium
temperature is influenced by the strong gradient of
concentration and thus the micro-scale heat transfer Θ = A(y − x) (5)
is significantly reduced.
Stephan and Körner (1969) have suggested a “A” was found to vary with pressure, and over
simple method whereby heat transfer coefficients in the pressure range of 1-10 bar the following
binary systems may be computed from data for the expression was used:
pure components. The method is illustrated in Figure
9. The upper part of this diagram represents an A = A 0 ( 0.88 + 012P ) (6)
equilibrium diagram for the system A-B and shows
the mole fraction of component B in the vapour where “P” is the system pressure in bar and A0 is a
phase (y) plotted against the mole fraction of constant dependent on the particular binary system
component B in the liquid phase (x) for a constant studied. Values of A0 are given in Table 2 for some
pressure. The lower part of diagram shows the common systems. A value of A0 of 1.53 was
difference in temperature between the heating recommended when no experimental data for the
surface Tw and the bubble point Tsat(x) corresponding system under consideration are available. This
to a liquid composition (x). The curve of (Tw- Tsat(x)) method is not reliable if one of the components is
passes through a maximum, corresponding to the strongly surface active (Stephan and Kern, 2004).
maximum value of (y-x). The value of (Tw- Tsat(x)) All the correlations which were developed on the
may be expressed as; basis of the concentration difference of the light
component in the vapour and liquid phases, (y-x)
( Tw − Tsat (x) ) = ΔTI + ΔTE = ΔTI (1 + Θ ) (3) have an adjustable parameter that should be
determined via experiment. In the case of the
in which ∆TI is the ideal value of the temperature Stephan and Körner correlation, this adjustable
difference and is evaluated from the values of ∆Tsat parameter is A0. In order to find the value of this

Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol. 26, No. 01, pp. 33 - 43, January - March, 2009
40 S. M. Peyghambarzadeh, M. Jamialahmadi, S. A. Alavi Fazel and S. Azizi

parameter, the following procedures have to be Now, if we plot the left hand side term in
performed. Equation (8) against (y-x) for each heat flux, the
slopes of the lines, which are fitted by the aid of
h 1 linear regression, give A0 for each heat flux, as
= (7)
h id 1 + A 0 ( y − x )( 0.88 + 0.12P ) shown in Figure 10 for MEA/water and DEA/water
solutions. Since the value of A0 in the Stephan and
In the experiments selected for the development Körner correlation (1969) varies with heat flux, we
of a new model, total pressure was maintained can find this dependency by means of plotting A0
constant at 1 bar. So, the value of (0.88+0.12P) is
against the heat flux and fitting a line to these points.
equal to unity. Thus:
This is shown in Figure 11 for MEA/water and
h id DEA/water binary mixtures and the subsequent
− 1 = A0 ( y − x ) (8) equations were found for A0.
h
M ole fraction in vapor (y)

(y-x)
T w -T sat (x)

ΔTE

ΔTB
ΔTI
ΔTA
Mole fraction in liquid (x)
0 1
Figure 9: The evaluation of boiling heat transfer coefficients for binary systems.

Table 2: Values of A0 for use in Equations (5) and (6) (Stephan and Kern, 2004)

System A0
Acetone-ethanol 0.75
Acetone-butanol 1.18
Acetone-water 1.40
Ethanol-benzene 0.42
Ethanol-cyclohexane 1.31
Ethanol-water 1.21
Benzene-toluene 1.44
Isopropanol-water 2.04
Methyl ethyl keton-toluene 1.32
Methyl ethyl keton-water 1.21
Propanol-water 3.29
Water-glycerine 1.50
Water-pyridin 3.56

Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering

 Experimental and Theoretical Study of Pool Boiling Heat Transfer to Amine Solutions 41

1.2 2.5

0.8 q4 = 150000 W/m2 2.0

q4 = 150000 W/m2
( h / hid ) - 1

( h / hid ) - 1
1.5
0.4
q3 = 90000 W/m2
q3 = 90000 W/m2
1.0
0.0 q2 = 30000 W/m2

0.5
-0.4 q2 = 30000 W/m2
q1 =14000 W/m2
0.0
q1 =14000 W/m2
-0.8
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3
(yw-xw) (yw-xw)

(a) (b)
Figure 10: Plotting (h / hid) - 1 against (yw-xw) in order to find A0 in Stephan and Körner correlation,
a) for MEA/water solutions, b) for DEA/water solutions

2.5
A0 = 0.0117 q - 0.5894 10 A0 = 0.0358 q - 1.8463
2.0

1.5 8

1.0
6
A0

A0

0.5

0.0 4

-0.5
2
-1.0
MEA / Water DEA / Water
-1.5 0
0 50 100 150 200 0 50 100 150 200 250
q (KW/m2) q (KW/m2)
(a) (b)
Figure 11: Variation of A0 in the Stephan and Körner correlation with heat flux
a) MEA/water solutions b) DEA/water solutions

Therefore, in the case of MEA/water binary Thus, in the new correlation “A” is function of
mixtures, the correlation of Stephan and Körner pressure and heat flux simultaneously.
modifies to the following form:

h 1 COMPARISION OF RESULTS
= (9)
hid 1+ ( 0.0117q − 0.5894)( 0.88 + 0.12P)( y − x)
Nucleate boiling heat transfer coefficients of
MEA/water and DEA/water binary mixtures have
And for DEA/water binary mixtures this been compared with the three different states of
correlation changes as follow: correlation suggested by Stephan and Körner and the
respective RMS error - which is defined in Equation
h 1 (11) - produced in the prediction of these correlations
= (10)
hid 1 + ( 0.0358q −1.8463)( 0.88 + 0.12P)( y − x ) is given in Table 3.

Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol. 26, No. 01, pp. 33 - 43, January - March, 2009
42 S. M. Peyghambarzadeh, M. Jamialahmadi, S. A. Alavi Fazel and S. Azizi

Table 3: RMS errors produced by different modifications to the Stephan and Körner correlation to
predict the nucleate boiling heat transfer coefficient of mixtures

Number of
New correlation
Binary solution A0=1.53 A0=The best constant experimental
A0=f(q)
data
MEA/water 23.8 % 23.6 % 18.7 % 101
DEA/water 36.8 % 17.0 % 14.5 % 87

⎛ 2 ⎞0.5 boiling point of the micro-layer liquid increases and,

1
n ⎛ h exp,i − h cal,i ⎞
E Rms =⎜
⎜n ∑ ⎜
⎜
i =1 ⎝
h exp,i
⎟
⎟
⎠
⎟
⎟
(11)
consequently, these two parameters lead to the
degradation of boiling heat transfer coefficients of
⎝ ⎠ binary mixtures compared with pure water.
3. Analysis of images which were taken for the
Data in Table 3 indicate that, when A0=1.53, the mechanism of bubble formation on the heat transfer
error is greater than in the other cases. It was surface indicates that, whenever the bubble detachment
recommended by Stephan and Körner (1969) to diameter is larger and the bubble frequency is higher,
apply this case when no experimental data are the heat transfer coefficient tends to be increased.
available, but in the presence of experimental data, if 4. A new correlation was developed on the basis
A0 is considered to be a function of heat flux, the of the Stephan and Körner correlation to predict the
respective error is smaller than the case in which A0 nucleate boiling heat transfer coefficient of binary
is constant for each binary. It is found that A0=1.25 mixtures. In the Stephan and Körner correlation, the
is the best value that minimizes predictive error for value of parameter “A” is dependent on pressure and
MEA/water mixtures and A0=7.1 is the best value for the particular binary mixture, but in this new
DEA/water mixtures. These two values can be added correlation the value of “A” should also be evaluated
to Table 2 for this pair of binary mixtures. as a function of heat flux. It was shown that this
modification can improve the performance of the
Stephan and Körner correlation.
CONCLUSION

The heat transfer to liquid mixtures of water/DEA NOMENCLATURE

and water/MEA was investigated over a wide range of
heat flux and concentration under saturated pool boiling A Pressure dependent term in
condition. The following conclusions were obtained: the Stephan and Körner
1. It is concluded that the heat transfer coefficient correlation
enhancement occurred at low concentrations of A0 Constant in Stephan and
amine solutions due to the accumulation of amine in Körner correlation
the cavities of boiling surface. Apparently, the E Error
excess layer reduces the surface energy between the h Heat transfer coefficient Wm-2K-1
liquid and the heat transfer surface causing the n Number of experimental data
activation of more nucleation sites and consequently P Pressure bar
bringing about higher heat transfer coefficients. q Heat flux kWm-2
2. As a liquid mixture evaporates on the heating Q Heat flux Wm-2
surface, the vapour contains more amounts of the T Temperature K
light component(s). Therefore, the micro-layer is ∆T Temperature difference K
depleted in the light component(s) and enriched in x Liquid phase mole fraction
heavy component(s). This results in mass diffusion y Vapor phase mole fraction
of the light component(s) from the bulk to the micro-
layer. Since the rate of mass diffusion is much Superscripts and Subscripts
slower than heat diffusion, mass transfer of the light
component(s) to the bubble interface becomes the A Component A
limiting process and a portion of the driving force is av. Average
utilized in overcoming the mass transfer resistance. B Component B
Besides, by evaporating light component(s), the b Bulk
Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering
 Experimental and Theoretical Study of Pool Boiling Heat Transfer to Amine Solutions 43

cal. Calculated Transfer, 47, p. 729 (2004).

E Excess Jamialahmadi, M., Muller-Steinhagen, H.,
exp. Experimental Abdollahi, H., Shariati, A., Experimental and
I Ideal theoretical studies on subcooled flow boiling of
id. Ideal pure liquids and multicomponent mixtures, Int. J.
Rms Root mean square of Heat and Mass Transfer, 51, p. 2482 (2008).
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Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol. 26, No. 01, pp. 33 - 43, January - March, 2009