Research & Development: Heat Transfer and Fluid Dynamics

Heat transfer is a critical technology in the design of steam generation equipment.

For many years, B&W has been conducting heat transfer research from hot gases to tube walls and from the tube walls to enclosed water, steam and air.

Early in the 1950s, research in heat transfer and fluid mechanics was initiated in the supercritical pressure region above 3200 psi (22.1 MPa). This work was the technical foundation for the large number of supercritical pressure once-through steam generators currently in service in the electric power industry.

Advances in numerical modeling technology have made possible the evaluation of the complex three-dimensional flow, heat transfer and combustion processes in coal-fired boiler furnaces.

B&W is a leader in the development of numerical computational models to evaluate the combustion of coal, biomass, black liquor and other fuels that have a discrete phase, and the application of these models to full boiler and system analysis. Continuing development and validation of these models will enhance new boiler designs and expand applications. These models are also valuable tools in the design and evaluation of combustion processes, pollutant formation, and environmental control equipment.

Research, analytical and field test studies in boiling heat transfer, two-phase flow, and stability, among other key areas, continue today by B&W alone and in cooperation with a range of world class organizations.

For more information, please contact us.