• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.56-65
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• 1998

In this paper, experimental investigation of capillary tube performance for R-407C is performed. The experimental setup is made of real vapor-compression refrigerating system. In this study, mass flow rate is measured for capillary tubes of various diameter and length as inlet pressure and degree of subcooling are changed. These data are compared with the results of a numerical model. The mass flow rates of the numerical model are less than by 14% compared with the measured mass flow rates. It is found that mass flow rate and length for R-407c are less than those of R-22 under the same condition. Also based on this experimental study and the numerical model, a set of capillary tube selection charts for R-407C is constructed.

• 유체기계공업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1999.12a
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• pp.46-51
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• 1999

This paper describes the control charcteristics of thermal/flow systems. In thermal/flow systems, the transport lag plays as a dead time causing a deterioration of the controllability. Besides this, such many parameters including the temperature, pressure, and flow rate affect the system response that a control scheme which can deal with multi-input is required. Particularly in a refrigerant compressor test facility, the evaporator and condenser interact each other so that the change in the evaporator pressure cause the condenser pressure to change or vice versa. Therefore, to control the evaporator pressure, not only the cooling water flow rate in the evaporator but also the coolant flow rate in the condenser is considered. Meanwhile, the conventional PID controllers, which is suitable for a single input system, shows a large overshoot for a disturbance input. In this work, the predictive control scheme is introduced and its applicability is discussed for thermal/flow systems.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.717-727
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• 2006

The present study experimentally investigated the effect of flow direction and other flow parameters on two-phase flow distribution of refrigerants at a T-junction, and also suggested a prediction model for refrigerant in a T-junction by modifying previous model for air-water flow. R-22, R-134a, and R-410A were used as test refrigerants. As geometric parameters, the direction of the inlet or branch tube and the tube diameter ratio of branch to inlet tube were chosen. The measured data were compared with the values predicted by the models developed for air-water or steam-water mixture in the literature. We propose a modified model for application to the reduced T-junction and vertical tube orientation. Among the geometric parameters, the branch tube direction showed the biggest sensitivity to the mass flow rate ratio for the gas phase, while the inlet quality showed the biggest sensitivity to the mass flow rate ratio among the inlet flow parameters.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.984-991
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• 2006

The applications of multi air-conditioners into multiplex and high-rise buildings have been increased by replacing central air-conditioning systems. The pipe length and altitude difference between the indoor and outdoor units can be increased based on installation conditions, which may increase the possibility of flash gas generation at the expansion device inlet. The flash gas generation causes rapid reduction of refrigerant flow rate passing through the expansion device, yielding lower system efficiency. Accumulator heat exchangers have been widely used in multi air-conditioners in order to minimize flash gas generation and obtain system reliability. However, the studies on the heat transfer characteristics and pressure drops of accumulator heat exchangers are very limited in open literature. In this study, the heat transfer rates and pressure drops of accumulator heat exchangers were measured with refrigerant flow rate and operating conditions by using R-22. The heat transfer rate increased with the increase of refrigerant flow rate, while subcooling decreased. The heat transfer rate enhanced with the reduction of inlet superheat and subcooling due to the increased temperature difference between the accumulator and inner heat exchanger.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.538-541
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• 2007

An expansion device plays an important role in optimizing the heat pumps by controlling refrigerant flow and balancing the system pressures. Conventional expansion devices are being gradually replaced with electronic expansion valves due to increasing focus on comfort, energy conservation, and application of a variable speed compressor. In addition, the amount of refrigerant charge in a heat pump is another primary parameter influencing system performance. In this study, the flow characteristics of the expansion devices are analyzed, and the effects of refrigerant charge amount on the performance of the heat pump are investigated at various operating conditions. Cooling capacity of the heat pump system is strongly dependent on load conditions. The heat pump system is very sensitive with a variation of refrigerant charge amount. But, the performance of it can be optimized by adjusting the flow rate through expansion device to maintain a constant superheat at all test conditions.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.746-756
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• 2001

An experimental study was conducted to investigated the effect of refrigerant flow control on the performance of a variable-speed heat pump operating in both cooling and heating mode. For this purpose, cooling and heating capacity, EER and refrigerant mass flow rate corresponding to an electronic valve as well as a capillary tube were measured as functions of compressor speed, length of capillary tube (or valve opening of the electronic valve), refrigerant charge, and outdoor temperature. From the comparison of experimental results, it was found that the performance variation due to the electronic valve opening became significant as the operating conditions(outdoor temperature and compressor speed) deviated from the standard condition at which heating capacity and EER were rated for the indicated capillary tube.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.562-570
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• 2011

In this research, an experimental study is performed to investigate the effects of system operating variables on the cooling and heating characteristics of heat pump system using geothermal heat source and carbon dioxide as a refrigerant. System variables analyzed include compressor frequency, electronic expansion valve opening, refrigerant charge, secondary fluid temperature and flow rate. Results show that optimum refrigerant charge and electronic expansion valve opening position exist at the maximum point of COP curve, and both cooling and heating capacity increase but COPs decrease with the increase of compressor frequency. The change of a secondary fluid temperature leads to variation of overheat area and enthalpy difference in the evaporator and gas cooler. which again results in considerable variations of cooling and heating capacity and COP. In the case of effects of secondary water fluid flow rate, both cooling capacity and COP increase with the increase of secondary flow in evaporator or gas cooler, whereas heating capacity and COP decrease with the increase of flow rate in gas cooler.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.1062-1066
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• 2004

In this study, refrigerant noise at connection of capillary tube and evaporator is investigated. Mechanism of refrigerant noise generation is examined in side-by-side type home refrigerator with two evaporators. It is found that the refrigerant noise is generated during refrigeration room fan-off (R-fan of) for that type refrigerator. The reason is that mass flow rate gets down during R-fan of and flow pattern is changed at outlet of capillary tube. We suggest designs for reduction of refrigerant noise with horizontal double expansion device, muffler, and accumulator. To evaluate those improved designs, sound quality index is used.

• International Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.41-48
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• 2006

Absorption performance at the vertical interface between refrigerant vapor and liquid solution of $LiBr-H_{2}O$ solution was enhanced by the waves formed due to the interfacial shear stress. The present study investigated experimentally and analytically the improvements of absorption performance in a falling film by wavy film flow. The dynamic parameter was the film Reynolds numbers ranged from 50 to 150. The energy and diffusion equations were solved simultaneously to find the temperature and concentration profiles at the interface of liquid solution and refrigerant vapor. Absorption characteristics due to heat and mass transfer were analyzed for the falling film of the LiBr aqueous solution contacted by refrigerant vapor in the absorber. Absorption performance showed a peak value at the solution flow rate of $Re_{f}>100$. Absorption performance for the wavy film flow was found to be greater by approximately 10% than that for uniform film flow. Based on numerical and experimental results, the maximum absorption rate was obtained for the wavy flow caused by spring insert. The difference between the measured and the predicted results were ranged from 5.8 to 12%.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.558-566
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• 2007

The performance characteristics of water-chilling heat pump using $CO_2$ with respect to variation of refrigerant charge amount was investigated experimentally. An experimental apparatus is consisted of a compressor, a gas cooler, an expansion valve, an evaporator and a liquid receiver. All heat exchangers used in the test rig are counter-flow-type heat exchangers with concentric dual tubes, which are made of copper. The gas cooler and the evaporator consist of 6 and 4 straight sections respectively arranged in parallel, each has 2400 mm length. The experimental results summarize as the followings : As the refrigerant charge ratio of $CO_2$ heat pump system increases, the discharge pressure and compressor ratio increases, but mass flow rate of refrigerant decreases. Also the compressor work increases with the increase of refrigerant charge ratio. However, the heating and cooling capacity of $CO_2$ heat pump decreases as the refrigerant charge ratio increases. The maximum heating COP of $CO_2$ heat pump system presented at 0.25 refrigerant charge ratio. It is possible to confirm the optimum charge ratio of $CO_2$ heat pump system by the viewpoint of heating COP.