Flow Structure Investigations during Novec Refrigerant Condensation in Minichannels

This article presents the results of flow visualization studies of Novec refrigerants during condensation in minichannels. Experimental investigation of two-phase flow regimes was conducted in minichannels with internal diameter <i>d<sub>h</sub></i> = 2.5, 2.0, 1.2, and 0.5 m...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Małgorzata Sikora
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-11-01
Series:Materials
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/22/6889
Description
Summary:This article presents the results of flow visualization studies of Novec refrigerants during condensation in minichannels. Experimental investigation of two-phase flow regimes was conducted in minichannels with internal diameter <i>d<sub>h</sub></i> = 2.5, 2.0, 1.2, and 0.5 mm. Images of the two-phase flow structures were analyzed by using the MATLAB algorithm. To calculate void fraction, a two-dimensional areal quantitative stereology technique was used. Observation of flow structures formed during the process of condensation was the major aim of the investigations. The condensation studies were conducted over a wide range of mass flux densities (G = 80–5500 kg/m<sup>2</sup>s) and saturation temperatures (<i>t<sub>s</sub></i> = 30–70 °C). Visualization results and image analysis methods are described in this paper. Based on the experimental results, a flow structure map was constructed and presented.
ISSN:1996-1944