Forced convection condensation in novel air-cooled fin tubes

This report presents a numerical study of forced convection condensation heat transfer in a minichannel heat exchanger and an experimental study of single-phase forced convection heat transfer of a conventional fin-and-tube heat exchanger using R134a and air. A simulation was conducted using a 160-c...

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Main Author: Tan, Timothy Tze Yuan
Other Authors: Leong Kai Choong
Format: Final Year Project (FYP)
Language:English
Published: Nanyang Technological University 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/149596
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author Tan, Timothy Tze Yuan
author2 Leong Kai Choong
author_facet Leong Kai Choong
Tan, Timothy Tze Yuan
author_sort Tan, Timothy Tze Yuan
collection NTU
description This report presents a numerical study of forced convection condensation heat transfer in a minichannel heat exchanger and an experimental study of single-phase forced convection heat transfer of a conventional fin-and-tube heat exchanger using R134a and air. A simulation was conducted using a 160-channel, minichannel heat exchanger with a hydraulic diameter,d_h, of 0.674 mm using R134a under saturation temperatures from 30°C to 50°C. Using a two-dimensional finite element analysis method, empirical correlations were implemented into a programming code in MATLAB to predict the overall heat transfer, pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient (HTC) of condensation of the minichannel tube. The simulation results were compared with existing data, where it showed satisfactory agreement among vapour qualities of 0.1 to 0.9. The experimental setup of a refrigerant-to-air test system was redesigned and modified to facilitate the experimental testing of both, minichannel and fin-and-tube, heat exchangers. A double-pipe heat exchanger was designed and fabricated for use as an evaporator. Leak tests were conducted for individual components of the refrigerant loop and the overall refrigerant loop. The overall refrigeration loop achieved a 0.24 bar/h leak rate. The single-phase HTC of a conventional fin-and-tube heat exchanger for two air velocities 7.535 m/s and 16.35 m/s were determined through the Wilson plot method to be 185 W/m2·K and 127 W/m2·K, respectively. Recommendations for future work are proposed to determine its condensation HTC to compare with that of the 160-channel minichannel heat exchanger.
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spelling ntu-10356/1495962021-05-19T08:50:15Z Forced convection condensation in novel air-cooled fin tubes Tan, Timothy Tze Yuan Leong Kai Choong Wong Teck Neng School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering MKCLEONG@ntu.edu.sg, MTNWONG@ntu.edu.sg Science::Physics::Heat and thermodynamics Engineering::Manufacturing Engineering::Aeronautical engineering This report presents a numerical study of forced convection condensation heat transfer in a minichannel heat exchanger and an experimental study of single-phase forced convection heat transfer of a conventional fin-and-tube heat exchanger using R134a and air. A simulation was conducted using a 160-channel, minichannel heat exchanger with a hydraulic diameter,d_h, of 0.674 mm using R134a under saturation temperatures from 30°C to 50°C. Using a two-dimensional finite element analysis method, empirical correlations were implemented into a programming code in MATLAB to predict the overall heat transfer, pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient (HTC) of condensation of the minichannel tube. The simulation results were compared with existing data, where it showed satisfactory agreement among vapour qualities of 0.1 to 0.9. The experimental setup of a refrigerant-to-air test system was redesigned and modified to facilitate the experimental testing of both, minichannel and fin-and-tube, heat exchangers. A double-pipe heat exchanger was designed and fabricated for use as an evaporator. Leak tests were conducted for individual components of the refrigerant loop and the overall refrigerant loop. The overall refrigeration loop achieved a 0.24 bar/h leak rate. The single-phase HTC of a conventional fin-and-tube heat exchanger for two air velocities 7.535 m/s and 16.35 m/s were determined through the Wilson plot method to be 185 W/m2·K and 127 W/m2·K, respectively. Recommendations for future work are proposed to determine its condensation HTC to compare with that of the 160-channel minichannel heat exchanger. Bachelor of Engineering (Aerospace Engineering) 2021-05-19T08:50:15Z 2021-05-19T08:50:15Z 2021 Final Year Project (FYP) Tan, T. T. Y. (2021). Forced convection condensation in novel air-cooled fin tubes. Final Year Project (FYP), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. https://hdl.handle.net/10356/149596 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/149596 en B004 application/pdf Nanyang Technological University
spellingShingle Science::Physics::Heat and thermodynamics
Engineering::Manufacturing
Engineering::Aeronautical engineering
Tan, Timothy Tze Yuan
Forced convection condensation in novel air-cooled fin tubes
title Forced convection condensation in novel air-cooled fin tubes
title_full Forced convection condensation in novel air-cooled fin tubes
title_fullStr Forced convection condensation in novel air-cooled fin tubes
title_full_unstemmed Forced convection condensation in novel air-cooled fin tubes
title_short Forced convection condensation in novel air-cooled fin tubes
title_sort forced convection condensation in novel air cooled fin tubes
topic Science::Physics::Heat and thermodynamics
Engineering::Manufacturing
Engineering::Aeronautical engineering
url https://hdl.handle.net/10356/149596
work_keys_str_mv AT tantimothytzeyuan forcedconvectioncondensationinnovelaircooledfintubes