Heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop during refrigerant R-134a condensation in a plate heat exchanger

Abstract

The condensation heat transfer coefficient and the two-phase pressure drop of refrigerant R-134a in a vertical plate heat exchanger were investigated experimentally. The area of the plate was divided into several segments along the vertical axis. For each of the segments, local values of the heat transfer coefficient and frictional pressure drop were calculated and presented as a function of the mean vapor quality in the segment. Owing to the thermocouples installed along the plate surface, it was possible to determine the temperature distribution and vapor quality profile inside the plate. The influences of the mass flux and the heat flux on the heat transfer coefficient and the pressure drop were also taken into account and a comparison with previously published experimental data and literature correlations was carried out.