A new heat transfer correlation based on flow patterns for hydrocarbon refrigerants condensation flow

To accurately predict heat transfer coefficients for hydrocarbon refrigerants condensation flow in heat exchangers is imperative for designing efficient systems. While various studies have proposed numerous correlations for predicting heat transfer coefficients, some of these correlations are based on fitted experimental data and are limited to predicting specific conditions. The prediction accuracy and capability for different working fluids remain to be evaluated. Currently, most researches mainly focus on pure working fluids, with relatively little attention given to mixed working fluids. In this study, six commonly used heat transfer correlations are evaluated and a new heat transfer correlation based on flow patterns is proposed. The research results indicate that the existing correlations have poor universality for predicting hydrocarbon refrigerants, and the prediction accuracy needs to be improved. The correlation developed in this study demonstrates good prediction performance for condensation heat transfer coefficients of 413 sets of hydrocarbon refrigerants, including methane, propane, ethane/propane, and methane/propane. The overall mean relative deviation (MRD) is −1.77%, and mean absolute relative deviation (MARD) is 8.12%. The correlation developed in this study can provide theoretical guidance for predicting condensation heat transfer coefficient for pure and mixed hydrocarbon refrigerants, aiding in the design of efficient heat exchangers.