Evaporation Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop Characteristics of R-134a in the Oblong Shell and Plate Heat Exchanger

  • Park, Jae-Hong (Department of Refrigeration & Air-Conditioning Engineering, PuKyong National University) ;
  • Kim, Young-Soo (College of Engineering School of Mechanical aEngineering, PuKyong National University)
  • Published : 2004.12.01

Abstract

The evaporation heat transfer coefficient h$\_$r/ and frictional pressure drop Δp$\_$f/ of refrigerant R-134a flowing in the oblong shell and plate heat exchanger were investigated experimentally in this study. Four vertical counterflow channels were formed in the oblong shell and plate heat exchanger by four plates of geometry with a corrugated sinusoid shape of a 45 chevron angle. Upflow of refrigerant R-134a boils in two channels receiving heat from downflow of hot water in other channels. The effects of the refrigerant mass flux, average heat flux, refrigerant saturation temperature and vapor quality of R-134a were explored in detail. Similar to the case of a plate heat exchanger, even at a very low Reynolds number, the flow in the oblong shell and plate heat exchanger remains turbulent. The results indicate that the evaporation heat transfer coefficient h$\_$r/ and pressure drop Δp$\_$f/ increase with the vapor quality. A rise in the refrigerant mass flux causes an increase in the h$\_$r/ and Δp$\_$f/. But the effect of the average heat flux does not show significant effect on the h$\_$r/ and Δp$\_$f/. Finally, at a higher saturation temperature, both the h$\_$r/ and Δp$\_$f/ are found to be lower. The empirical correlations are also provided for the measured heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop in terms of the Nusselt number and friction factor.

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References

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