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Quantification of refrigerant distribution and effectiveness in microchannel heat exchangers using infrared thermography.

Author(s) : BOWERS C. D., WUJEK S. S., HRNJAK P. S.

Summary

Microchannel heat exchangers, specifically evaporators, are known to be susceptible to maldistribution of both the refrigerant and air streams. This maldistribution leads to reduced heat transfer effectiveness of the heat exchanger and thus lower system efficiency and capacity. Besides these reductions in performance, maldistribution in evaporators can also lead to liquid slugging of the compressor. Quantifying the refrigerant distribution using a single parameter in a non-invasive manner for an operable system is difficult and expensive. It is desirable to use a nondimensional rating parameter that can be applied over a wide variety of heat exchangers: evaporators, gas-coolers, condensers, geometries, and slab configurations. This paper outlines a statistical methodology for quantifying in such a way both the refrigerant distribution and the effective use of heat transfer area using infrared thermography. The parameter was developed to rate heat exchanger distribution on a scale from zero to one; zero being the highest degree of maldistribution and one being uniform distribution. This method also has the advantage of being both noninvasive and low cost.

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Details

  • Original title: Quantification of refrigerant distribution and effectiveness in microchannel heat exchangers using infrared thermography.
  • Record ID : 2011-0098
  • Languages: English
  • Publication date: 2010/07/12
  • Source: Source: Proc. 2010 int. Refrig. Air Cond. Conf., Purdue Univ.
    n. 2117; 8 p.; fig.; 14 ref.

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