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Condensation pressure drop of R22, R134a and R410A in a single circular microtube

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Abstract

The condensation pressure drop characteristics for pure refrigerants R22, R134a, and a binary refrigerant mixture R410A without lubricating oil in a single circular microtube were investigated experimentally. The test section consists of 1,220 mm length with horizontal copper tube of 3.38 mm outer diameter and 1.77 mm inner diameter. The experiments were conducted at refrigerant mass flux of 450–1,050 kg/m2s, and saturation temperature of 40°C. The main experimental results showed that the condensation pressure drop of R134a is higher than that of R22 and R410A for the same mass flux. The experimental data were compared against 14 two-phase pressure drop correlations. A new pressure drop model that is based on a superposition model for refrigerants condensing in the single circular tube is presented.

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Abbreviations

C :

Chisholm parameter

c p :

Specific heat at constant pressure (kJ kg−1 K−1)

d :

Diameter (m)

dp/dz :

Pressure gradient along tube axis (kPa m−1)

f :

Friction factor

G :

Mass velocity (kg m−2 s−1)

g :

Gravitational acceleration (m s−2)

i fg :

Latent heat (kJ kg−1)

k :

Parameter based void fractions

m :

Mass flow rate (kg s−1)

N :

Number of data

p :

Pressure (kPa)

Q :

Heat capacity (kW)

S :

Correlation factor for Chisholm correlation

T :

Temperature (K)

X :

Lockhart-Martinelli parameter

x :

Vapor quality

z :

Length of test section (m)

Δp:

Pressure drop (kPa)

Bo :

Bond number

f :

Friction factor

Fr :

Froude number

Pr :

Prandtl number

Re :

Reynold number

We :

Weber number

α:

Void fraction

μ:

Viscosity (Pa s)

ρ:

Density (kg m−3)

σ:

Surface tension (N m−1), deviation

Φ2 :

Two-phase frictional multiplier

Ω:

Correlation factor for Chen et al. correlation

ν:

Specific volume (m3 kg−1)

a:

Accelerational term

abs:

Mean

avg:

Average

cal:

Calculated

cs:

Source water

exp:

Experimental

f:

Frictional term

g:

Saturated vapor or gas

H:

Homogeneous

i:

Inner, inside

in:

Inlet

l:

Saturated liquid

lo:

Liquid only

out:

Outlet

pre:

Preheater

r:

Refrigerant

sat:

Saturation

tp:

Two-phase

sub:

Subsection

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  1. Department of Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineering, College of Engineering, Pukyong National University, San 100, Yongdang-dong, Nam-gu, Pusan, 608-739, South Korea

    Chang-Hyo Son & Hoo-Kyu Oh

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  1. Chang-Hyo Son
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Correspondence to Chang-Hyo Son.

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Son, CH., Oh, HK. Condensation pressure drop of R22, R134a and R410A in a single circular microtube. Heat Mass Transfer 48, 1437–1450 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-012-0990-1

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