Tube-suction Line Heat Exchanger Research Articles

Novel Numerical Modeling of Concentric and Lateral Capillary Tube Suction Line Heat Exchangers

Novel Numerical Modeling of Concentric and Lateral Capillary Tube Suction Line Heat Exchangers

Performance ratings of concentric and lateral (taped, brazed and extruded) capillary tube suction line heat exchangers running with isobutane

This paper is aimed at studying the thermal performance of counterflow capillary tube suction line heat exchangers (CTSLHX) commonly used in household refrigerating appliances. Conventional and novel CTSLHX configurations, with different capillary tube and suction line geometries and made of different materials, were evaluated by means of a purpose-built testing facility designed to provide a strict control of the thermodynamic conditions of the refrigerant at the CTSLHX inlet ports. In total, 220 tests were performed with isobutane under typical operating conditions of household applications. The results pointed out that the extruded lateral configuration presented the highest thermal performance in terms of temperature effectiveness, followed by the lateral-brazed, the concentric, and the lateral-taped, respectively. Furthermore, it was also observed that the thermal performance of the latter is more affected by the tape tightness than that by its thermal conductivity.

Experimental investigation on flow of R-600a inside a diabatic helically coiled capillary tube: Concentric configuration

This paper presents an experimental study of a diabatic flow of R-600a through a concentric configured helically coiled capillary tube suction line heat exchanger. The details of experimental facility for testing the diabatic capillary tube with different inlet sub-cooling degree and pressure are discussed. The effect of coil diameter, capillary length, capillary tube diameter, sub-cooling degree and inlet pressure on mass flow rate are presented. The degree of sub-cooling at the inlet of both straight and helical capillary tube is varied from 3–20 °C. In case of diabatic flow, the coiling reduces the mass flow rate of R-600a by 3–12 percent as compared to straight capillary tube. The refrigerant mass flow rate is scattered up with rise of pressure. A semi empirical correlation to predict the mass flow rate of R-600a flowing through a diabatic helical coiled capillary tube is proposed for sub-cooled inlet conditions. The proposed correlation predicts measured data with an error band of ± 20 percent.

A study of transcritical carbon dioxide flow through diabatic capillary tubes

An experimental and theoretical study of the diabatic flow of carbon dioxide through lateral capillary tube suction line heat exchangers is outlined. The influence of both operating conditions (capillary tube inlet and outlet pressures, capillary tube inlet temperature and suction line inlet temperature) and tube geometry (heat exchanger length and position, suction line diameter and capillary tube length) on the heat and mass flow rates was experimentally evaluated using a purpose-built testing facility. In total, 75 tests were carried out with heat fluxes spanning from 1 to 11 kW m −2 and refrigerant mass flow rates ranging from 12 to 26 kg h −1. In addition, the mathematical model of Hermes et al. (2008) was adapted to run with carbon dioxide as working fluid. The model was validated against experimental data, and a good agreement between the experimental and calculated mass flow rates was achieved with 85% and 98% of the data points being within ±5% and ±10% error bounds, respectively.

Algebraic solution of capillary tube flows. Part II: Capillary tube suction line heat exchangers

Capillary tube suction line heat exchangers have been modeled using both numerical and analytical approaches. The former requires a reasonable understanding of the governing heat and fluid flow equations, thermodynamic relations, numerical methods, and computer programming, and therefore are not suitable for most refrigeration and air-conditioning practitioners. Alternatively, empirical algebraic formulations for diabatic capillary tube flows have been proposed in the literature, in spite of their lack of generality and accuracy. This paper introduces a physically consistent, unconditionally convergent, easy-to-implement semi-empirical algebraic model for capillary tube suction line heat exchangers, with the same level of accuracy as found with more sophisticated first-principles models. The methodology treats the refrigerant flow and the heat transfer as independent phenomena, thus allowing the derivation of explicit algebraic expressions for the refrigerant mass flow rate and the heat exchanger effectiveness. The thermal and hydraulic models are then conflated through the so-called Buckingham-π theorem using in-house experimental data collected for diabatic capillary tube flows of refrigerants HFC-134a and HC-600a. Comparisons between the model predictions and the experimental data revealed that more than 90% and nearly 100% of all data can be predicted within ±10% and ±15% error bands, respectively.

Modeling of non-adiabatic capillary tube flows: A simplified approach and comprehensive experimental validation

A simplified computational model for simulating refrigerant flow through capillary tubes is proposed and validated using a dataset composed of more than 1400 experimental data points, including adiabatic flows of refrigerants CFC-12, HCFC-22, HFC-134a, HC-600a, R-404A, R-407C and R-507A, and non-adiabatic flows of refrigerants HFC-134a and HC-600a, in both concentric and lateral capillary tube–suction line heat exchanger configurations. The model is based on the mass, energy and momentum conservation equations written according to their one-dimensional differential formulation. Some simplifications were added to the model in order to improve both numerical stability and computational performance. It was found that the model predicts 91.5% of the measured refrigerant mass flow rate for adiabatic and 79.3% for non-adiabatic flows within an error band of ±10%. Also, the model solves non-adiabatic flows as fast as adiabatic ones.

Numerical simulation of non-adiabatic capillary tubes considering metastable region. Part II: Experimental validation

A detailed one-dimensional steady and transient numerical simulation of the thermal and fluid-dynamic behavior of capillary tube–suction line heat exchangers considering metastable region and separated flow has been developed in Part I of this paper. The developed numerical model allows analysis of aspects such as geometry, type of fluid, critical or non-critical flow conditions and metastable region. The accuracy of the detailed simulation model is demonstrated in this part (Part II) of the paper by comparing simulation results with a wide range of steady state experimental data from the technical literature, which include the refrigerant mass flow rate, outlet suction line temperature, and temperature profile along concentric and lateral capillary tube–suction line heat exchangers. Of the 196 data points evaluated for mass flow rate 96.4% are within an error of ±15%, 81.1% are within ±10% with a mean deviation of ±6.3%. Of the 143 data points evaluated for outlet suction line temperature 89.5% are within an error of ±2 °C, with a mean deviation of ±0.98 °C. The numerical results obtained are used to understand the refrigerant flow behavior inside non-adiabatic capillary tubes. Some divergence problems in the numerical solution process is found to be the discontinuity in non-adiabatic capillary tube flow characteristics caused by re-condensation of the refrigerant within the heat exchanger zone; this aspect needs special attention while modeling the non-adiabatic capillary tube flow. Other important parameter to be evaluated experimentally with special care is the capillary tube internal diameter due to its strong influence on the refrigerant flow results (results of any study based on the nominal diameter are to be used with caution).

Numerical simulation of non-adiabatic capillary tubes considering metastable region. Part I: Mathematical formulation and numerical model

A detailed one-dimensional steady and transient numerical simulation of the thermal and fluid-dynamic behavior of capillary tube–suction line heat exchangers has been carried out. The governing equations (continuity, momentum, energy and entropy) for fluid flows, together with the energy equation in solids, are solved iteratively in a segregated manner. The discretized governing equations in the zones with fluid flow are coupled using a fully implicit step-by-step method. An implicit central difference numerical scheme and a line-by-line solver were used in solids. A special treatment has been implemented in order to consider transitions (subcooled liquid region, metastable liquid region, metastable two-phase region and equilibrium two-phase region). All the flow variables (enthalpies, temperatures, pressures, mass fractions, heat fluxes, etc.) together with the thermophysical and transport properties are evaluated at each point of the grid in which the domain is discretized. The numerical model allows analysis of aspects such as geometry, type of fluid, critical or non-critical flow conditions, metastable regions and transient cases. Comparison of the numerical simulation with experimental data presented in the technical literature will be shown in Part II of the present paper.

05/01324 Performance prediction for non-adiabatic capillary tube suction line heat exchanger: an artificial neural network approach

05/01324 Performance prediction for non-adiabatic capillary tube suction line heat exchanger: an artificial neural network approach

Performance prediction for non-adiabatic capillary tube suction line heat exchanger: an artificial neural network approach

This study presents an application of the artificial neural network (ANN) model using the back propagation (BP) learning algorithm to predict the performance (suction line outlet temperature and mass flow rate) of a non-adiabatic capillary tube suction line heat exchanger, basically used as a throttling device in small household refrigeration systems. Comparative studies were made by using an ANN model, experimental results and correlations to predict the performance. These studies showed that the proposed approach could successfully be used for performance prediction for the exchanger.

A parametric study of refrigerant flow in non-adiabatic capillary tubes

This paper presents a parametric analysis of refrigerant flow through capillary tube–suction line heat exchangers, used in domestic refrigeration systems. The analysis is based on a homogeneous model developed by the authors. The model is based on the numerical solution of fundamental equations of conservation of mass, momentum and energy of refrigerant flow. The refrigerant flow characteristics are investigated by varying thermodynamic (e.g. condensing temperature, evaporating temperature, inlet sub-cooling, suction line superheat) and geometric parameters (e.g. inlet adiabatic length, heat exchanger length and internal diameter of the capillary tube) of the capillary flow. The source of divergence in the numerical solution process is found to be the discontinuity in non-adiabatic capillary tube flow characteristics caused by re-condensation of the refrigerant within the capillary heat exchanger.

Non-adiabatic capillary tube flow: a homogeneous model and process description

This paper presents a homogeneous model of refrigerant flow through capillary tube–suction line heat exchangers, which are widely used in small vapour compression refrigeration systems. The homogeneous model is based on fundamental conservation equations of mass, momentum and energy. These equations are solved simultaneously through iterative process. Churchill’s correlation [3] is used to calculate single-phase friction factors and Lin et al. [6] correlation for two-phase friction factors. The single-phase heat transfer coefficient is calculated by Gnielinski’s equation [5] while two-phase flow heat transfer coefficient is assumed to be infinite. The model is validated with previous experimental and analytical results. The present model can be used in either design calculation (calculate the capillary tube length for given refrigerant mass flow rate) or simulation calculation (calculate the refrigerant mass flow rate for given capillary tube length). The simulation model is used to understand the refrigerant flow behaviour inside the non-adiabatic capillary tubes.

Non-adiabatic capillary tube flow with isobutane

This work reports the results of an experimental study on concentric capillary tube–suction line heat exchangers commonly used as expansion devices in household refrigerators and freezers. Heat exchanger performance (mass flow rate and suction line outlet temperature) with the hydrocarbon HC-600a was experimentally evaluated for a range of heat exchanger geometries and operating conditions. The tests were planned and performed following a statistically based methodology. Based on the resulting database empirical correlations were developed to predict the refrigerant mass flow rate and the suction line outlet temperature.