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Refrigerant distribution in microchannel evaporators.

Author(s) : HWANG Y., JIN D. H., RADERMACHER R.

Summary

In order to provide information on essential design of microchannel evaporators, an experimental study was conducted on the effects of geometry and of operating conditions on the distribution of the refrigerant in microchannel heat exchanger flowing in upward direction. The experimental results show that for all of the test conditions, both non-uniform distribution of the liquid and vapour phase mass flow rate and non-uniform distribution of the inlet and outlet vapour quality were found. The refrigerant distribution is strongly affected by the location, the inlet mass flux, and the inlet vapour quality of the manifold inlet. For the end inlet design, the profile of the branch tube inlet vapour quality is in a "stepwise" shape. There exist two constant value regions, one of about 100% vapour quality and another of about 10-20% vapour quality with a very short transition region. For the side inlet design, the incoming refrigerant impinges on the manifold wall and is divided symmetrically near the inlet, the branch tube inlet vapour quality is about 70% near the inlet, and the branch tube inlet vapour quality is about 20% near the end of the manifold. Between the two regions, the branch tube inlet vapour quality decreases monotonously along the manifold. Conclusively, the side inlet refrigerant supply is preferred to the end inlet since the liquid refrigerant is distributed along more number of tube groups.

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Pages: ICR07-B1-670

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Details

  • Original title: Refrigerant distribution in microchannel evaporators.
  • Record ID : 2008-0149
  • Languages: English
  • Source: ICR 2007. Refrigeration Creates the Future. Proceedings of the 22nd IIR International Congress of Refrigeration.
  • Publication date: 2007/07/21

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