IIT Jodhpur research reveals technique to measure condensation heat transfer using infra-red thermal imaging

NEW DELHI: Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur have conducted a research, which uses infra-red thermal imaging technique to measure the boiling and condensation heat transfer. The research was led by the professors of the department of mechanical engineering at IIT Jodhpur, Hardik Kothadia and Arun Kumar. Several other members of the department, namely Prodyut Ranjan Chakraborty, Saakshi Dhanekar and others were also a part of the research work.

A statement from the institute said that the research was later published in the International Journal of thermal sciences. The research study was partially funded by the Ministry of Defence, as a Techno-commercial project, the statement further read.

In the research, SS-304 tubes of different diameters were used and the impact of coil orientation on the heat transfer distribution, pressure drop and critical heat flux during flow boiling was also investigated. At the end of the research, it was inferred that the orientation of the coils did not significantly affect the two-phase pressure drop, but affected the wall temperature, heat transfer distribution and critical heat flux.

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Key focus areas of the research included measurement of heat boiling transfer using infra-red thermal imaging technique, multi-effect desalination system to convert saline water to drinking water, study of flow mixing in an industrial application using a multi-electrode sensor system and measurement of void fraction and steam quality during steam-water two-phase flows.

Hardik Kothadia, the assistant professor leading the research, said: "Infrared thermal imaging and multi-electrode sensor system are unique techniques for the visualisation of temperature distribution and multiphase flows".