University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Predicting Refrigerant Inventory of HFC 134a in Air Cooled Condensers

Orth, L.A.; Zeitlow, D.C.; Pederson, C.O.

Content Files
TR034.pdf

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/9735

Description

Title
Predicting Refrigerant Inventory of HFC 134a in Air Cooled Condensers
Author(s)
  • Orth, L.A.
  • Zeitlow, D.C.
  • Pederson, C.O.
Issue Date
1993-04
Keyword(s)
condenser performance
Date of Ingest
2009-03-13T01:44:15Z
Abstract
Currently, the refrigerant inventory for vapor compression systems is determined using a costly trial and error procedure. An accurate computer model of the refrigerant in a system would reduce the time and expense of this process. This paper presents a computer model that has the capability to predict the amount of refrigerant in air cooled condensers. For accurate prediction of refrigerant inventory two important steps are required. The first step is to model the heat transfer of the coil. This is needed to separate the three regions of the coil, de superheating, condensing, and sub cooling and then to further divide the condensing region into increments of quality. The second step is to predict the void fraction (ratio of area occupied by gas to liquid) throughout the condensing region. Void fraction correlations by Domanski and Didion[ll], Hughmark[14], Premoli et al.[12], and Tandon et al. [10] are included in the model. The simulation is used to model a cross flow heat exchanger, with parallel refrigerant paths, used in mobile air conditioning systems. The model is exercised to illustrate the effects of different operating conditions and void fraction correlations on the refrigerant inventory in condensers. A condenser used in mobile air conditioning applications is modeled. Future work includes experimental validation of the model.
Publisher
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Center. College of Engineering. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Series/Report Name or Number
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Center TR-34
Type of Resource
text
Genre of Resource
Technical Report
Language
en
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/9735
Sponsor(s)/Grant Number(s)
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Center Project 03

Owning Collections

Technical Reports - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Center PRIMARY