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Two-phase refrigerant distribution in a parallel flow minichannel heat exchanger having lower combining/dividing header

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Abstract

R-410A distribution in a two pass evaporator with lower horizontal combining–dividing header was investigated. Tubes were heated to yield a test section outlet superheat of 5 °C with inlet quality of 0.2. The number of tubes was ten for the inlet pass and 12 or 14 for the outlet pass. For each case, mass flux was varied from 73 to 143 kg/m2 s. In the combining/dividing header, two-phase mixture out of the inlet pass is first merged and then re-distributed to the outlet pass. More liquid is forced downstream as mass flux or quality increases Effect of insertion device in the inlet header was also investigated. Efforts were made to develop correlations to predict the liquid or gas distribution in a header with limited success. Header pressure drop data are also provided.

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Abbreviations

c p :

Specific heat (J/kg K)

CR :

Ratio of inlet and outlet channel number

d :

Tube inner diameter (m)

D :

Header diameter (m)

f :

Friction factor

Fr:

Froude number

G :

Mass flux (kg/m2 s)

GFR :

Gas flow ratio

h :

Enthalpy (J/kg)

L :

Length (m)

LFR :

Liquid flow ratio

m :

Mass flow rate (kg/s)

N :

Number of channel

P :

Pressure (Pa)

P c :

Critical pressure (Pa)

R:

Function of measured variable

Q :

Supplied heat (W)

Re:

Reynolds number

SD:

Standard deviation

T :

Temperature (K)

v :

Specific volume (m3/kg)

w :

Uncertainty of parameter

We:

Weber number

x :

Quality or measured variable

α :

Void fraction

ΔP :

Pressure drop (Pa)

μ :

Viscosity (kg/ms)

\( \Phi ^{\text{2}} \) :

Two-phase multiplier

ρ :

Density (kg/m3)

σ :

Surface tension (N/m)

a:

Acceleration

avg:

Average

ch:

Channel

cont:

Contraction

deg:

Degradation

exp:

Expansion

f:

Friction factor or friction

ft:

Flat tube

g:

Gas or gravitation

go:

All gas

H:

Header or homogeneous

head:

Header

i:

Inlet or ith

ideal:

Ideal

in:

Inlet

l:

Liquid

lg:

Latent heat

lo:

All liquid

meas:

Measured

minor:

Minor

o:

Outlet

out:

Outlet

p:

Preheater

r:

Refrigerant

rt:

Round tube

sat:

Saturation

T:

Tube

w:

Cooling water

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical System Engineering, University of Incheon, 12-1, Songdo-Dong, Yeonsu-Gu, Incheon, 406-772, Korea

    Ho-Won Byun & Nae-Hyun Kim

Authors
  1. Ho-Won Byun
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  2. Nae-Hyun Kim
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Correspondence to Nae-Hyun Kim.

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Byun, HW., Kim, NH. Two-phase refrigerant distribution in a parallel flow minichannel heat exchanger having lower combining/dividing header. Heat Mass Transfer 51, 1445–1459 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-015-1517-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-015-1517-3

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