Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering (설비공학논문집)

The Society of Air-Conditioning and Refrigerating Engineers of Korea (대한설비공학회)
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A Numerical Study on Refrigerant Distribution according to the Insertion Depth of the Distributor-Outlet Pipes in an Air-Conditioning System

공조 시스템 내의 분배기 출구관의 삽입깊이에 따른 유량분포연구

  • Lee, Hee Won (School of Mechanical Engineering, Kyungpook National University) ;
  • Park, Il Seouk (School of Mechanical Engineering, Kyungpook National University)
  • 이희원 (경북대학교 기계공학부) ;
  • 박일석 (경북대학교 기계공학부)
  • Received : 2015.06.15
  • Accepted : 2015.08.10
  • Published : 2015.09.10
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Abstract

Generally, the phase of the refrigerants that circulate in air-conditioning systems is repeatedly changed from liquid to gas and from gas to liquid. In vapor-compression refrigeration, the refrigerant at the inlet of the evaporator is in a gas-liquid two-phase state; therefore, to enhance the heat-transfer performance of the evaporator, the even distribution of the refrigerant across multiple passages of the evaporator is essential. Unlike the distribution of a single-phase refrigerant, multi-phase distribution requires further considerations. It is known that the multi-phase distribution at the outlet of the distributor is affected by factors such as the operating condition, the distributor's shape, and the insertion depth of the outlet pipes; here, the insertion depth of the outlet pipes is especially significant. In this study, for a cylindrical distributor with a 90-degree bend entrance and three outlet pipes, the flow uniformity at the outlet pipes was numerically tested in relation to variations of the insertion depth of the outlet pipes.

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References

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