Study on the Dynamic Generation of Subcooled Water Using a Compact Heat Exchanger

Abstract

The dynamic generation of ice slurry from subcooled water is one of the most promising ways to make ice; this process is utilized widely in ice storage air-conditioning systems. However, the random occurrence of ice blockage during the generation of subcooled water using conventional heat exchangers prevents the increase in subcooling, thereby reducing the efficiency of the release of the subcooled water and converting it into ice slurry. A more efficient approach to reducing the fluid passage time is to employ a compact heat exchanger with a highly efficient heat transfer performance, a heat transfer length of only 21.5 mm, and a hydraulic diameter of 0.32 mm. A compact heat exchanger was used to build a dynamic generation setup for subcooled water, and 40 wt% of non-freezing liquid and tap water was used as the working fluid for heat exchange to generate subcooled water. The results show that the compact heat exchanger can achieve a greater subcooling degree (3.8 K) and longer duration (108 min). This study further explored the potential for dynamic ice making from deep, subcooled water and improved the overall structure of the compact heat exchanger used. The experimental setup is recommended based on the analysis of the results.