Numerical simulation of the effects of a suction line heat exchanger on vapor compression refrigeration cycle performance

Most modern refrigerators incorporate heat transfer between the refrigerant in a capillary tube and the refrigerant in a suction line. This heat transfer is achieved by a non-adiabatic capillary tube called a capillary tube-suction line heat exchanger and is supposed to improve the performance of the small vapor compression refrigeration cycle by removing some enthalpy of the refrigerant at the evaporator entrance. To investigate the effects of this heat transfer on the refrigeration cycle, a computer program was developed based on conservation equations of mass, momentum, and energy. The non-adiabatic capillary tube model is based on a homogeneous two-phase flow model. The simulation results show that both the location and length of the heat exchange section influence the coefficient of performance (COP) as well as the cooling capacity. It is noteworthy that the influence was not monotonic; that is, the performance may be deteriorated under certain conditions.     

Effect on boiling heat transfer of horizontal smooth minichannel for R-410A and R-407C

An experimental study of boiling heat transfer with refrigerants R-410A and R-407C is presented. The present paper is focused on pressure drop and boiling heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerants inside a horizontal smooth minichannel. To evaluate the diameter size effect on pressure and heat transfer characteristics, minichannels with inner diameters of 1.5 mm and 3.0 mm and with lengths of 1500 mm and 3000 mm respectively are used. The pressure drop increases with mass flux and heat flux for both inner tube diameters and for both the refrigerants. The pressure drop of R-407C is higher than that of R-410A, but the heat transfer coefficient of R-410A is higher than of R-407C at the low quality region. The heat transfer coefficient in the tube with an inner diameter of 1.5 mm is higher than that of 3.0 mm diameter tube at the low quality region. The comparison of present heat transfer coefficient with the predictions of some previous correlations shows a large deviation. Therefore, there is a necessity to develop a new correlation.     

CO_2跨临界循环中非绝热毛细管传热性能的试验研究

为了测试在相同工况下,CO2跨临界循环非绝热毛细管各区段的换热能力;并测试毛细管进口压力10MPa,进口温度39℃,蒸发温度7℃,制冷量1k W时,5种内径毛细管所需的长度,以及毛细管换热量随毛细管管径的变化情况,搭建了CO2跨临界循环试验台,进行了相关试验,试验结果表明:非绝热毛细管在超临界区域换热能力最强,亚临界两相区换热能力最弱,毛细管换热量随毛细管内径增大而增加。     

A comparison of the effect of the electrohydrodynamic technique on the condensation heat transfer of HFC-134a inside smooth and micro-fin tubes

The results of the condensation heat transfer enhancement and pressure drop of HFC-134a by using the electrohydrodynamic (EHD) technique are presented. The test section is a horizontal tube-in-tube heat exchanger where the refrigerant flows in the inner tube and water flows in the annulus. The outer tube is a smooth copper tube havign outer diameter of 21.2 mm. Two types of inner tubes, smooth and micro-fin copper tubes, are tested. The outer diameter and length of both inner tubes is 9.52 mm and 2.5 m, respectively. A stainless steel cylindrical electrode of 1.47 mm in diameter is placed in the center of the tube. Experiments are conducted under conditions providing mass flux of 400 kg/m²s, saturated temperature of 40°C, heat flux of 20 kW/m² and applied voltage of 2.5 kV. The experimental results indicate that the EHD enhancements of the smooth tube are higher than those of the micro-fin tube over the range of average quality. The maximum heat transfer enhancements for smooth and micro-fin tubes are 1.1. times and 1.08 times, respectively. For a smooth tube, the pressure drop induced by EHD is considerably small. However, the application of EHD in a micro-fin tube can lead to 10% increase in the pressure drop.     

Measurement and correlation of boiling heat transfer coefficient of R-1234yf in horizontal small tubes

We report experimental data of boiling heat transfer of R-1234yf in horizontal small tubes. The experimental data obtained in the horizontal circular small tubes of 1.5 and 3.0 mm inner diameter, the lengths of 1000 and 2000 mm, the mass flux range from 200–650 kg/m²s, the heat flux range from 5–40 kW/m² and saturation temperature of 10 and 15°C, was used to develop a modified correlation for the heat transfer coefficient. The flow pattern of the experimental data was mapped and analyzed with existing flow pattern maps. The heat transfer coefficient was also compared with some well-known correlations.     

Thermal performance of a spirally coiled finned tube heat exchanger under wet-Surface conditions

This paper is a continuation of the authors’ previous work on spiral coil heat exchangers. In the present study, the heat transfer characteristics and the performance of a spirally coiled finned tube heat exchanger under wet-surface conditions are theoretically and experimentally investigated. The test section is a spiral-coil heat exchanger which consists of a steel shell and a spirally coiled tube unit. The spiral-coil unit consists of six layers of concentric spirally coiled finned tubes. Each tube is fabricated by bending a 9.6 mm diameter straight copper tube into a spiral-coil of four turns. The innermost and outermost diameters of each spiral-coil are 145.0 and 350.4 mm, respectively. Aluminium crimped spiral fins with thickness of 0.6 mm and outer diameter of 28.4 mm are placed around the tube. The edge of fin at the inner diameter is corrugated. Air and water are used as working fluids in shell side and tube side, respectively. The experiments are done under dehumidifying conditions. A mathematical model based on the conservation of mass and energy is developed to simulate the flow and heat transfer characteristics of working fluids flowing through the heat exchanger. The results obtained from the present model show reasonable agreement with the experimental data.     

R410A在内螺纹强化管管内冷凝的传热性能试验研究

为了研究水平强化单管的管内冷凝性能,搭建了实验台。研究了在冷却水量不变的情况下,R410A在不同冷凝温度(35℃和40℃)和不同管径(5mm和9.52mm)下的换热情况。结果表明:总换热系数和压降随工质质量流量的增大而增大,质量流量对管内换热系数影响不是很大。冷凝温度40℃,5mm铜管的换热系数最高;冷凝温度40℃,9.52mm铜管的压降最小。     

流动沸腾条件下微通道壁面温度的红外特征

设计并搭建了沸腾换热试验台,采用TH5104红外热像仪测量微通道壁面温度来研究混合制冷工质在微通道内的沸腾换热特性.测量试件是一外径为1.22 mm,内径为0.86 mm,长为200 mm的不锈钢单圆管.实验利用红外热像仪测量并记录下质量流量为1 726～8 635 kg/m2·s,热流密度为65～231 kW/m2时壁面温度的变化情况.实验分析和讨论结果显示:微通道壁面的温度分布沿着轴向变化有明显的规律性;水平微尺度通道内流动沸腾过程中,试件前后段有较大的温差效应,温差的正负与热流密度的大小有关;壁面温度的变化与热流密度、管内工质的流型和换热形式关系密切,流型越复杂,壁面温度变化越剧烈.     

Two-phase flow heat transfer of propane vaporization in horizontal minichannels

Experiments were performed on the convective boiling heat transfer in horizontal minichannels using propane. The test section was made of stainless steel tubes with inner diameters of 1.5 mm and 3.0 mm and lengths of 1000 mm and 2000 mm, respectively, and it was uniformly heated by applying an electric current directly to the tubes. Local heat transfer coefficients were obtained for a heat flux range of 5–20 kW m⁻², a mass flux range of 50–400 kg m⁻² s⁻¹, saturation temperatures of 10, 5, and 0°C and quality ranges of up to 1.0. The nucleate boiling heat transfer contribution was predominant, particularly at the low quality region. Decreases in the heat transfer coefficient occurred at a lower vapor quality with a rise of heat flux and mass flux, and with a lower saturation temperature and inner tube diameter. Laminar flow appeared in the minichannel flows. A new boiling heat transfer coefficient correlation that is based on the superposition model for propane was developed with 8.27% mean deviation. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Jae Young Lee Jong-Taek Oh received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Refrigeration Engineering from Pukyong National University, Korea. Dr. Oh is currently a Professor at Department of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineering, Chonnam National University at Yeosu, Korea. Dr. Oh’s research interests are in the area of boiling and condensation heat transfer and pressure drop of refrigerants with small tubes, heat pump and transportation refrigeration.     

Theoretical and experimental studies on boiling heat transfer for the Thermosyphons with various helical grooves

Boiling heat transfer characteristics of a two-phase closed thermosyphons with various helical grooves are studied experimentally and a mathematical correlation is developed to predict the performance of such thermosyphons. The study focuses on the boiling heat transfer characteristics of two-phase closed thermosyphons with copper tubes having 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 internal helical grooves. A two-phase closed thermosyphon with plain copper tube having the same inner and outer diameter as those of grooved tubes is also tested for comparison. Water, methanol and ethanol are used as working fluid. The effects of the number of grooves, various working fluids, operating temperature and heat flux are investigated experimentally. From these experimental results, a mathematical model is developed. In the present model, boiling of liquid pool in the evaporator is considered for the heat transfer mechanism of the thermosyphons. And also the effects of the number of grooves, the various working fluids, the operating temperature and the heat flux are brought into consideration. A good agreement between the boiling heat transfer coefficient of the thermosyphon estimated from experimental results and the predictions from the present mathematical correlation is obtained. The experimental results show that the number of grooves, the amount of the working fluid and the various working fluids are very important factors for the operation of thermosyphons. Also, the thermosyphons with internal helical grooves can be used to achieve some inexpensive and compact heat exchangers in low temperature.     

壳程螺旋扭片强化传热试验研究

采用自行设计的试验装置和流程,对壳程插入不同节距及开孔的螺旋扭片管束和纯光管管束换热器进行了壳程传热及流阻对比试验,分析了螺旋扭片对壳程传热性能的影响。结果表明,螺旋扭片的节距和开孔对壳程传热性能均有较大影响,但对壳程阻力影响不大;试验范围内,当8000Reo17000时,L=140 mm,d=0的螺旋扭片管束换热器综合性能最好。     

An experimental study on dryout pattern of two-phase flow in helically coiled tubes

Experimental results are presented for the effects of coil diameter, system pressure and mass flux on dryout pattern of two-phase flow in helically coiled tubes. Two tubes with coil diameters of 215 and 485 mm are used in the present study. Inlet system pressures range from 0.3 to 0.7 MPa, mass flux from 300 to 500 kg/m2s, and heat flux from 36 to 80 kW/m2. A partial dryout region exists because of the geometrical characteristics of the helically coiled tube. The length of the partial dryout region increases with coil diameter and system pressure. On the other hand, it decreases with increasing mass flux. The critical quality at the tube top side increases with mass flux, but decreases with increasing system pressure. This tendency is more notable when the coil diameter is larger. When the centrifugal force effect becomes stronger, dryout starts at the top and bottom sides of the tube. However, when the gravity effect becomes stronger, dryout is delayed at the tube bottom side. In some cases when the mass flux is low, dryout occurs earlier at the outer side than at the inner side of the tube because of film inversion.     

Flow and pressure drop characteristics of R22 in adiabatic capillary tubes

The objective of this study is to present flow and pressure drop characteristics of R22 in adiabatic capillary tubes of inner diameters of 1.2 to 2.0 mm, and tube lengths of 500 to 2000 mm. Distributions of temperature and pressure along capillary tubes and the refrigerant flow rates through the tubes were measured for several condensing temperatures and various degrees of subcooling at the capillary tube inlet. Condensing temperatures of R22 were selected as 40, 45, and 50°C at the capillary tube inlet, and the degree of subcooling was adjusted to 1 to 18°C. Experimental results including mass flow rates and pressure drops of R22 in capillary tubes were provided. A new correlation based on Buckingham π theorem to predict the mass flow rate through the capillary tube was presented considering major parameters which affect the flow and pressure drop characteristics.     

微尺度通道内混合物流动沸腾特性研究

对非共沸混合工质R32／R134a(25％／75％)在微尺度管内的流动沸腾换热特性进行了试验研究。试验结果表明,在较高热流密度下,微尺度管内流动沸腾换热与质量干度和质量流量基本无关,热流密度对换热有着很大的影响,在较宽的热流密度范围内,核态沸腾在换热过程中占据主导地位。和细小管道相比,在相同条件下,微尺度管道内的流动沸腾表面传热系数高于细小管道。     

制冷剂二氧化碳流动沸腾过程换热性能分析

制冷剂CO2在蒸发器内的流动换热性能受许多因素的影响，比如：质量流速、热流密度以及蒸发温度等参数。由于CO2特殊的热物性和传输性，使得其蒸发换热和两相流特点有别于传统制冷剂。这也决定了其蒸发换热管适合设计成小管径，而蒸发器的型式以紧凑型为发展方向。     

A comparison of the heat transfer performance of thermosyphon using a straight groove and a helical groove

This study is focused on the comparison of heat transfer performance of two thermosyphons having 60 straight and helical internal grooves. Distilled water has been used as working fluid. Liquid fill charge ratio defined by the ratio of working fluid volume to total internal volume of thermosyphon, the inclination angle and operating temperature were used as experimental parameters. The heat flux and heat transfer coefficient are estimated from experimental results. The conclusions of this study may be summarized as follows; Liquid fill charge ratio, inclination angle and geometric shape of grooves were very important factors for the operation of thermosyphon. The optimum liquid fill charge ratio for the best heat flux were 30%. The heat transfer performance of helically grooved tube was higher than that of straight grooved tube in low inclination angle (less than 30°), but the results were opposite in high inclination angle (more than 30°). As far as optimum inclination angle concerns, range of 25°-30° for a helically grooved tube and about 40° for a straight grooved tube are suggested angles for the best results.     

R717管内流动沸腾传热关系式评价分析

综述了R717管内沸腾传热试验研究;从7篇论文中搜集了1157组R717沸腾传热试验数据;利用试验数据评价了现有的36个管内流动沸腾换热关系式;研究了干度和管径对换热系数的影响;与CO2、N2和水3种自然制冷剂的传热特性进行了比较。文章获得了一些具有使用价值的结论,为R717管内沸腾传热计算公式的选用提供了指导,为R717流动沸腾传热的进一步研究提供了参考。     

润滑油对R32在水平光管内流动沸腾换热特性及压降的影响

对R32在φ5mm和φ7mm的水平光管内的流动沸腾时,润滑油对换热与压降特性的影响进行了试验研究,试验的质量流量范围为100~500 kg/(m~2·s),润滑油的含量在0~5%之间。结果表明,沸腾换热系数随着质量流量的增大而增大。在低干度区,换热系数随干度的增大而增大,当干度达到0.7~0.8时,换热系数达到最大。随着润滑油含量的增大,局部换热系数在减小。压降随着管径的减小和质量流量的增大而增大。润滑油含量的增大,导致压降的增大。在5mm管内,润滑油含量对换热系数和压降影响比较明显。     

Some aspects of experimental in-tube evaporation

The heat transfer characteristics of refrigerant-oil mixture for horizontal in-tube evaporator have been investigated experimentally. A smooth copper tube and a micro-fin tube with nominal 9.5 mm outer diameter and 1500 mm length were tested. For the pure refrigerant flow, the dependence of the axial heat transfer coefficient on quality was weak in the smooth tube, but in the micro-fin tube, the coefficients were 3 to 10 times greater as quality increases. Oil addition to pure refrigerant in the smooth tube altered the flow pattern dramatically at low mass fluxes, with a resultant enhancement of the wetting area by vigorous foaming. The heat transfer coefficients of the mixture for low and medium qualities were increased at low mass fluxes. In the micro-fin tube, however, the addition of oil deteriorates the local heat transfer performance for most of the quality range, except for low quality. The micro-fin tube consequently loses its advantage of high heat transfer performance for an oil fraction of 5%. Results are presented as plots of local heat transfer coefficient versus quality.     

Convective heat transfer behaviour of water-ethylene glycol-mixture with silver nanoparticles under laminar flow conditions

In this work, we report the forced convective heat transfer performance and pressure drop of aqueous ethylene glycol seeded with silver nanoparticles for low temperature applications. Experiments were performed in a tube in tube counter-current heat exchanger using silver nanofluid as the hot fluid under laminar flow conditions. In this study, water-ethylene glycol mixture with 70:30 volume percent was used as the base medium. Silver nanofluid was allowed to flow through inner tube of the heat exchanger for varying nanofluid mass flow rates from 5 g/s to 30 g/s and three inlet temperatures of nanofluid viz. 2 °C, 5 °C and 10 °C. The increments in thermal diffusivity and viscosity are found to be ~37 % and ~69 % at 0.45 vol%, respectively. The enhancement in heat transfer coefficient at highest mass flow rate is found to be ~94 % for 0.45 vol%. The pressure drop in the silver nanofluid increases with respect to increase in volume percentage of nanoparticles due to increase in viscosity.