Prediction of Turbulent Convective Heat Transfer to Supercritical CH4/N2 in a Vertical Circular Tube

Cooling of supercritical CH4/N2 mixture is the most important heat transfer process during coalbed methane (CBM) liquefaction. In this paper, numerical studies of the turbulent convective heat transfer of supercritical CH4/N2 flowing inside a vertical circular tube have been conducted with Lam–Bremhorst low Reynolds turbulence model. The present numerical investigations focus on the effects of the nitrogen content, heat flux, and flow orientation. Results indicate that as nitrogen content increases, the maximum heat transfer coefficient gradually decreases and corresponds to lower temperature. Heat transfer coefficient is slightly affected by heat flux in the liquid-like region and increases with increasing heat flux in the gas-like region. Buoyancy effect gradually increases with decreasing bulk temperature, and reaches its maximum at the pseudo-critical point, and then drops as bulk temperature further decreases. It is significant in the liquid-like region and negligible in the gas-like region. At the same time, buoyancy effect enhances heat transfer in the upward flow and impairs it in the downward flow.