The Multi-Phase Flow Test Facility “EMMA” to Investigate Local Heat Transfer Coefficients and Liquid Water Films at Wet Steam Conditions

Abstract Conventional power plants are obliged to compensate for the fluctuations in power generation, due to the rising amount of renewable energies, to ensure grid stability. Consequently, steam turbines are more frequently facing load variation and startup/shut-down cycles leading to an increase of thermal stress induced by phase change phenomena. The review of existing test facilities providing measurement data of heat transfer coefficients influenced by multiphase phenomena, such as surface wettability and dry-out, revealed the necessity for a new measurement application. This paper presents the design of the Experimental Multi-phase Measurement Application “EMMA” to generate the required conditions in combination with an academic turbine housing geometry. The performed investigations are focused on the local distribution of heat transfer coefficients (HTC) and the surface wettability affected by phase change phenomena. Two main film formation mechanisms can be observed, depending on the thermal gradient between the fluid and the wall. These are a) saturated/superheated steam in contact with a sub-cooled wall leading to film-wise/drop-wise condensation and b) primary condensed wet steam droplets depositing on a superheated wall, leading to evaporation. Both, the liquid film and the local heat transfer are measured simultaneously. An overview of applicable thickness measurement methods for transparent liquid films is given and the applied optical measurement system is further described. Moreover the HTC measurement methods are presented considering the occurring case of phase change.