Experimental studies of heat transfer in a tube bundle model

In this article, both numerical and experimental results are presented for heat transfer within subsea tube bundles. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) calculations were performed to develop correlations for the Nusselt numbers at various tube surfaces. To validate the CFD calculations, experimental studies were implemented in a water-filled tube bundle. The experimental system consisted of one heating tube and two production tubes, the three tubes being mounted on a carrier tube with the space between the tubes being filled with water. The predicted Nusselt numbers, taking account of interaction effects, agreed with the experimental data for the carrier tube and the lower production tube. The experimental heat losses from the production tubes and the heating tube are ∼ 10 per cent higher than those predicted.