Potential Benefits of Smart Refrigerant Distributors. Final Report.
Potential Benefits of Smart Refrigerant Distributors.
Final Report.
(9673 K)
Payne, W. V.; Domanski, P. A.
ARTI-21CR/605-200-50-01; 196 p. December 2002.
Sponsor:
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology Institute,
Arlington, VA
Available from:
: National Technical Information Service
(NTIS), Technology Administration, U.S. Department of
Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161.
Telephone:
1-800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000;
Fax: 703-605-6900; Rush
Service (Telephone Orders Only) 800-553-6847;
Website:
http://www.ntis.gov
Keywords:
refrigerants; experiments; uncertainty; validation
Abstract:
The main goal of this study was to investigate the
benefits possible for finned tube refrigerant
evaporators when refrigerant distribution was precisely
controlled to produce a desired equal superheat in each
circuit. This goal was accomplished by examining three
different finned tube evaporators; a wavy fin,
wavy-lanced fin, and a wavy-lanced fin evaporator with
tube sheets separated. The effects of non-uniform
airflow on capacity were also examined while superheat
was controlled in each evaporator circuit. In parallel
with the experimental effort, a modeling program was
implemented and validated with the experimental results
and then used to determine the savings in evaporator
core volume possible if refrigerant distribution was
controlled by a smart distributor. In extreme cases, the
savings in core volume could be as much as 40%.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899