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Experimental investigation of the secondary flow influencing on two-phase heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics in curved micro-tube
Author(s)
Date Issued
May 15, 2026
Type
Conference Paper
Abstract
This study investigates the flow behavior, heat transfer, and pressure drop in a helically coiled microchannel exposed to a range of heat flux levels. The analysis focuses on the effects of secondary flow and two-phase (phase-change) flow of R134a refrigerant under vertically upward conditions. The experiment involved fabricating a helically coiled channel with a 1 mm inner diameter. Experiments were conducted with a mass flux of 636 kg/m²·s, a saturation pressure of 0.9 MPa, and heat fluxes ranging from 0.1 to 10 kW/m². The experimental results demonstrated that the helical tubes enhance heat transfer through secondary flows and Dean vortices, which increase turbulence and disrupt the thermal boundary layer.
Citation
Aip Conference Proceedings, 3434(1), 2026