Optimizing the performance of the air conditioning system using an innovative heat pipe heat exchanger

Abstract

This paper presents an experimental investigation to verify the thermal performance of a window-type air-conditioning system equipped with an innovative type of heat-pipe heat exchanger (HPHE). As the use of this type of heat exchanger leads to a reduction in the power consumed by the compressor. So, there is an increase in the coefficient of performance (COP) of the system which is the main measure for the efficiency of the air conditioning system. In this study, distilled water, acetone, and R-134a were selected as working fluids to fill the proposed HPHE with two various filling ratios (FR = 50% and 100%) to do the experimental investigation. The results indicated that equipping the system with the proposed type of heat exchanger gives a saving in the consumed power with (2.01, 2.195, and 1.33%) for 100% filling ratio of water, acetone, and R-134a as working fluids, respectively, compared to the regular system not equipped with the heat exchanger. Also, the results show that using innovative HPHE in the AC system led to an enhancement of refrigeration effect by about (3.5, 6.03, and 3.97%) at R134a, acetone, and water working fluids, respectively with (F.R = 100%)