Design and Development of LN2 sub-cooler for TIFR, Mumbai

Mr. Aniket Bhimarao Pachimbare

Second year M-Tech Thermal Engg., Department of Mechanical Engg., V. J. T. I. Mumbai, Maharashtra
Dr. M. V. Tendolkar
Department of Mechanical Engg., V. J. T. I. Mumbai, Maharashtra
K. V. Srinivasan
Low Temp facility, T.I.F.R. Mumbai, Maharashtra

Abstract
My present study deals with thermal designing of a suitable helical coil & bath type Helical coil heat exchangers have a more complex flow pattern due to the
Results
Liquid Nitrogen Sub-cooler .The operating parameters of this sub-cooler will handle liquid geometrical configuration of helical coils, which also impart additional centrifugal CFD analysis of single phase liquid nitrogen flow through
nitrogen at 2 bar pressure with the quality factor of about 0.25 is sub-cooled by using liquid force on the inner coil flow and increasing the pressure drop on the shell side helical coil
nitrogen bath at 1 bar pressure& 77.34K temperature. Helically coiled heat exchanger is
used in order to obtain a large heat transfer area per unit volume and to enhance the heat For flow through helical coil another dimensionless number is introduced called
transfer coefficient on the inside surface.. Heat load, coil length & pressure drop calculations as Dean number (De)
are done to estimate the theoretical values using heat & mass transfer as well as fluid
mechanics principles and numerical correlations. This study also deals with the
computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of helical coiled tubular heat exchanger used where d= tube diameter
for liquid Nitrogen flowing in turbulent condition at 2 bar pressure D= coil/curvature diameter
Introduction Kalb & Seader developed concise correlation of numerically calculated fully
developed Nusselt number for Prandtl number range of 0.7 to 5
Low temperature facility of Tata Institute of fundamental Research Mumbai provides
liquid helium & nitrogen along with the various support services to various facilities &
laboratories within the institute. Liquid nitrogen is produced in STIRLIN-8 plant at rate of 400
lit/hr at 4 bar pressure. That Liquid nitrogen is flowing through a 310 meters long vacuum
jacketed and super-insulated pipeline to the Pelletron LINAC Facility. While passing through Where h= het transfer coefficient
pipe, properties of liquid nitrogen changes due to various frictional losses, structural losses
k=Thermal conductivity
and heat in leaks. In order to meet the required properties at receiving end, a suitable helical
coil & bath type Liquid Nitrogen Sub-cooler is required design. Cryostat of sub-cooler is Finally total coil length is calculated for effective heat transfer, based on heat
equipped with all necessary safety system such as inner vessel safety valve, rupture disc transfer coefficient.
combination pressure gauge, liquid nitrogen level gauge . Conclusions
On the basis of analysis, solution algorithm and results discussed, the
Problem Statement following conclusions have been drawn.
1. Estimated coil turns are sufficient to desire temperature drop or to sub-
Pressure Drop Calculation cool the single phase liquid nitrogen .
Source Separation model for calculation of pressure drop has been found to be
most suitable for liquid nitrogen hence using same following calculation were 2. Dividing the total coil length into parts, are favorable to enhance heat
made. transfer also leads to reduce in pressure drop.

The parameters used in correlating adiabatic two phase frictional drop

subcooler according to Lockhart Martinelli separation model as follows
Future Work
state point 1 2 3 4 CFD analysis of 2 phase liquid nitrogen flow through helical coil
Pressure(bar) 5 2 2 1
Installing Diffuser at inlet of sub-cooler,
Quality 0 0.25 0 1 to improve LN2 quality
Temp (K) 94 83.6 78 77.34
Enthalpy (KJ/kg) 64.26 -61.415 -120.53
Model of LN2 Sub-cooler

Design Procedure References:

1. Barron, R.F., Cryogenic systems, Oxford University Press(1985)
Heat Transfer Rate Calculation
2. Charles Kalb & J.D.Seader ,fully developed viscous-flow heat transfer in
Fluid is present at inlet in 2 phase , so we require to absorb latent heat as well as
curved circular tubes with uniform wall temperature, AlChE
sensible heat for sub-cooling .
Journal,Vol.20,March 1974.
Q= m*(h2 h3) 3. J. K. Partridge, J. W. Tuttle, mathematica model and experimental result for
Where m= mass flow rate (kg/sec) cryogenics densification and sub-cooling using a submerged cooling source,
h= Enthalpy (KJ/kg) cryogenics52 Elsevier(2012) PP262-267.
4. Andy Kuwazaki & Todd Leicht (Fermi-Lab), Liquid N2 Subcooler Coil
Sizing for D-Zero Upgrade,Oct 3, 1995
Heat Transfer Coefficient Calculation
In an effort to provide the same amount of heat transfer as a straight tube heat exchanger 5. NIST Website - www.nist.gov
in a smaller space, engineers replace the straight inner pipe with a helical coil.
This allows for more heat transfer surface area in a smaller length shell, but increases the
pressure drop across the heat exchanger.