• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.216-222
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• 2005

An experimental investigation was executed to determine the capacity degradation due to fin conduction and non-uniform refrigerant distribution in a multi-path evaporator with cross-counter flow. The finned-tube evaporator, which had a three-path and three-depth-row, was tested by controlling inlet quality, exit pressure, and exit superheat for each refrigerant path. The capacity reduction due to superheat unbalance between each path was as much as $25\%$ for non-cutting evaporator, even when the overall evaporator superheat was kept at a target value of $5.6^{\circ}C$. It indicates that the internal heat transfer within the evaporator assembly causes the partial capacity drop. The capacity of cutting-evaporator with respect to non-cutting evaporator was enhanced according to the increment of air flow rate when superheat or superheat unbalance increased.