The performance of compact polymer heat exchanger using specialized test facility

Abstract

Paper presented at the 9th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Malta, 16-18 July, 2012.

An experimental study was performed to investigate the heat transfer rate of a compact polymer heat exchanger using a refrigerant supply facility as a freezer/refrigerator. This unit was developed to closely simulate an actual freezer/refrigerator, and can control the inlet quality and measure the outlet quality of the testing heat exchanger. The experimental result of the heat transfer rate on the compact polymer heat exchanger was compared to the original aluminum evaporator. The results showed the experimental data are similar to that of the original aluminum evaporator. The heat and mass transfer rate of the compact polymer exchanger was equivalent to that of an aluminum finned tube evaporator. Finally, a unit test was conducted on the domestic freezer/refrigerator. The evaporators of two types were used for testing, designed to have the same volumetric size with a baseline unit. Results of the cooling capacity tests are similar under on/off and continuous running conditions.