Visualization and void fraction measurement of decompressed boiling flow in a capillary tube

A capillary tube is often used as a throttle for a refrigerating cycle. Subcooled refrigerant usually flows from a condenser into the capillary tube. Then, the refrigerant is decompressed along the capillary tube. When the static pressure falls below the saturation pressure for the liquid temperature, spontaneous boiling occurs. A vapor–liquid two-phase mixture is discharged from the tube. In designing a capillary tube, it is necessary to calculate the flow rate for given boundary conditions on pressure and temperature at the inlet and exit. Since total pressure loss is dominated by frictional and acceleration losses during two-phase flow, it is first necessary to specify the boiling inception point. However, there will be a delay in boiling inception during decompressed flow. This study aimed to clarify the boiling inception point and two-phase flow characteristics of refrigerant in a capillary tube. Refrigerant flows in a coiled copper capillary tube were visualized by neutron radiography. The one-dimensional distribution of volumetric average void fraction was measured from radiographs through image processing. From the void fraction distribution, the boiling inception point was determined. Moreover, a simplified CT method was successfully applied to a radiograph for cross-sectional measurements. The experimental results show the flow pattern transition from intermittent flow to annular flow that occurred at a void fraction of about 0.45.