Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of Header Configuration on Refrigerant Distribution in Parallel Flow Microchannel Evaporators

  • Published:
Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University (Science) Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The refrigerant flow distribution in the parallel flow microchannel evaporators is experimentally investigated to study the effect of header configuration. Six different configurations are tested in the same evaporator by installing insertion device and partition plate in the header to ensure the consistency of the other structure parameters. The results show that the uniformity of refrigerant flow distribution and the heat transfer rate are greatly improved by reducing the sectional area of header. The heat transfer rate can increase by 67.93% by reducing the sectional area of both inlet and outlet headers. The uniformity of refrigerant flow distribution and the heat transfer rate become worse after installing the partition plate in the insertion devices and changing the inner structure of the header further.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

A :

Area, mm2

c p :

Specific heat, J/(g•K)

h :

Enthalpy, J/g

l f :

Latent heat, J/g

p :

Pressure, Pa

q m :

Mass flow rate, kg/s

t :

Temperature, °C

t DB :

Dry bulb temperature, °C

t WB :

Wet bulb temperature, °C

x :

Quality

Δp :

Differential pressure, Pa

Φ :

Heat transfer rate, W

air:

Air side

h:

Header

in:

Inlet

out:

Outlet

ref:

Refrigerant

sub:

Subcooling

sup:

Superheat

References

  1. KULKARNI T, BULLARD C W, CHO K. Header design tradeoffs in microchannel evaporators [J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2004, 245/6): 759–776.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. BRIX W, KÆRN M R, ELMEGAARD B. Modelling refrigerant distribution in microchannel evaporators [J]. International Journal of Refrigeration, 2009, 327): 1736–1743.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. TUO H, HRNJAK P. Effect of the header pressure drop induced flow maldistribution on the microchannel evaporator performance [J]. International Journal of Refrigeration, 2013, 368): 2176–2186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. KIM N H, BYUN H W. Refrigerant distribution in a minichannel evaporator having vertical headers [J]. Heat Transfer Engineering, 2014, 3511/12): 1105–1113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. BOWERS C D, MAI H, ELBEL S, et al. Refrigerant distribution effects on the performance of microchannel evaporators [C]//International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference. West Lafayette, IN, USA: Purdue e-Pubs, 2012: 2173.

    Google Scholar 

  6. BYUN H W, KIM N H. Two-phase refrigerant distribution in an intermediate header of a parallel flow minichannel heat exchanger [J]. International Journal of Refrigeration, 2015, 59: 14–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. BYUN H W, KIM N H. Effect of row-crossing header configuration on refrigerant distribution in a two row/four pass parallel flow minichannel heat exchanger [J]. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2015, 89: 124–137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. KIM N H, LEE E J, BYUN H W. Two-phase refrigerant distribution in a parallel flow minichannel heat exchanger having horizontal headers [J]. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2012, 5525/26): 7747–7759.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. ZOU Y, HRNJAK P S. Refrigerant distribution in the vertical header of the microchannel heat exchanger: Measurement and visualization of R410A flow [J]. International Journal of Refrigeration, 2013, 368): 2196–2208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. ZOU Y, HRNJAK P S. Effects of fluid properties on two-phase flow and refrigerant distribution in the vertical header of a reversible microchannel heat exchanger: Comparing R245fa, R134a, R410A, and R32 [J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2014, 701): 966–976.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. ZOU Y, HRNJAK P S. Experiment and visualization on R134a upward flow in the vertical header of microchannel heat exchanger and its effect on distribution [J]. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2013, 62: 124–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. WIJAYANTA A T, MIYAZAKI T, KOYAMA S. Refrigerant distribution in horizontal headers with downward minichannel-branching conduits: Experiment, empirical correlation and two-phase flow pattern map [J]. Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, 2017, 81: 430–444.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. TUO H, BIELSKUS A, HRNJAK P. Experimentally validated model of refrigerant distribution in a parallel microchannel evaporator [J]. SAE International Journal of Materials & Manufacturing, 2012, 52): 365–374.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. KUMARAN R M, KUMARAGURUPARAN G, SORNAKUMAR T. Experimental and numerical studies of header design and inlet/outlet configurations on flow mal-distribution in parallel micro-channels [J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2013, 581/2): 205–216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. LI H, HRNJAK P. An infrared thermography based method for quantification of liquid refrigerant distribution in parallel flow microchannel heat exchanger [J]. SAE International Journal of Materials & Manufacturing, 2015, 83): 603–608.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China

    Dengjia Yu  (俞登佳), Jinwei Liu  (刘金伟), Hongbin Lü  (吕鸿斌), Junye Shi  (施骏业) & Jiangping Chen  (陈江平)

  2. Shanghai High Efficiency Cooling System Research Center, Shanghai Yinlun Heat Exchange System Co., Ltd., Shanghai, 201414, China

    Junye Shi  (施骏业) & Jiangping Chen  (陈江平)

  3. Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd., Chongqing, 404100, China

    Dian You  (游典)

Authors
  1. Dengjia Yu  (俞登佳)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jinwei Liu  (刘金伟)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hongbin Lü  (吕鸿斌)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Junye Shi  (施骏业)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Dian You  (游典)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Jiangping Chen  (陈江平)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jiangping Chen  (陈江平).

Additional information

Foundation item: the Key Industry Common Key-Technology Innovation Project of Chongqing Municipal Science and Committee (No. cstc2015zdcy-ztzx60001)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yu, D., Liu, J., Lü, H. et al. Effect of Header Configuration on Refrigerant Distribution in Parallel Flow Microchannel Evaporators. J. Shanghai Jiaotong Univ. (Sci.) 24, 273–280 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12204-019-2068-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12204-019-2068-4

Keywords

CLC number

Document code

Search

Navigation