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An experimental study on refrigerant distribution in a two row/four pass parallel flow minichannel heat exchanger

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Abstract

R-410A distribution was experimentally studied for a parallel flow evaporator having two row/four pass configuration. The evaporator has inlet, intermediate and row-crossing headers. Tests were conducted for the mass flux from 70 to 130 kg/m2s with the quality at the inlet of 0.2 and exit superheat 5 °C. Significant heat transfer degradation (13–40 %) was realized for the two row/four pass configuration due to flow mal-distribution. Of the three insert hole sizes, 4.0 mm hole yielded the least heat transfer degradation followed by 6.0 and 2.0 mm holes. At the inlet header, more liquid flowed into upstream channels. At the intermediate headers, more liquid was supplied into downstream channels. Similar flow distribution was obtained before and after the row crossing header. Header pressure drops were obtained by subtracting the flat tube pressure drops and other minor pressure drops from measured pressure drops.

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Abbreviations

A :

Surface area (m2)

c p :

Specific heat (J/kgK)

d :

Tube inner diameter (m), or insert hole diameter (m)

D :

Header diameter (m)

f :

Friction factor

Fr:

Froude number

G :

Mass flux (kg/m2s)

GFR :

Gas flow ratio

h :

Enthalpy (J/kg), or heat transfer coefficient (W/m2K)

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

T :

Temperature (K)

v :

Specific volume (m3/kg)

w :

Uncertainty of parameter

We:

Weber number

x :

Quality or measured variable

\( \alpha \) :

Void fraction

\( \Delta P \) :

Pressure drop (Pa)

\( \eta \) :

Surface efficiency

\( \mu \) :

Viscosity (kg/ms)

\( \Phi ^{2} \) :

Two-phase multiplier

\( \rho \) :

Density (kg/m3)

\( \sigma \) :

Surface tension (N/m), or contraction ratio

a:

Acceleration

avg:

Average

ch:

Channel

cont:

Contraction

deg:

Degradation

exp:

Expansion

f:

Friction

ft:

Flat tube

g:

Gas or gravitation

go:

Gas only

H:

Header or homogeneous

i:

ith

ideal:

Ideal

in:

Inlet

ins:

Insert

int:

Intermediate

l:

Liquid

lg:

Latent heat

lo:

Liquid only

meas:

Measured

minor:

Minor

o:

Outside

out:

Outlet

p:

Preheater

r:

Refrigerant

rt:

Round tube

sat:

Saturation

T:

Tube

trans:

Transition

w:

Cooling water

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical System Engineering, Incheon National University, 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. An experimental study on refrigerant distribution in a two row/four pass parallel flow minichannel heat exchanger. Heat Mass Transfer 52, 2237–2255 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-015-1741-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-015-1741-x

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