Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 May 2011
The present theoretical study investigates turbulent film boiling on an elliptical tube with steam heating surface inside. The flow direction of the heating steam is opposite to the vapor film of the outer tube. Thus, the surface temperature is expressed by cosine function. The effect of temperature amplitude, eccentricity, nonlinear viscosity, nonlinear thermal conductivity, radiation and eddy diffusivity are all included in the present analysis. And the paper also discusses the vapor thickness, local Nusselt number and mean Nusselt number. The result shows, first, under the free convection turbulent film boiling with temperature variation, the bigger the temperature amplitude value is, the better the heat transfer efficiency is. Next, the increase of the eccentricity values will bring out the increase of the Nusselt number. Finally, a comparison between the results of the present study and those reported in a previous theoretical data is provided.