A new method is proposed for the design of horizontal condenser tubes that emphasises the relationship between heat transfer and the existing flow situation (flow pattern). The dimensionless groups that were developed to characterise the observed flow pattern transitions are shown here to be capable of defining the transition from one heat transfer mechanism to another. In the proposed method, a condenser tube is subdivided into zones in which specific flow patterns are expected to exist. Boundaries of these zones are defined by dimensionless groups and a heat transfer correlation is recommended for each zone. This approach resulted in good accuracy, as demonstrated by comparisons with a heat transfer data base corresponding to different fluids, tube diameters, and orientations.

KEYWORDS: heat flow, condensers, designing, horizontal, tubes, data, databases, fluid flow, calculating.