• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.1623-1628
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• 2004

Recently mini-channels or micro-channels are widely used for cooling the high density power electronic devices. Especially, the channels are used in small and high efficient equipments such as heat pipes and heat exchangers. Interfacial velocities between liquid and gas phases are very important in mini or micro-channels. In this paper, an experiment and a numerical analysis on the interfacial velocities were performed. In the experiment, the interfacial velocities which were measured by the high-speed CCD camera were about $26{\sim}33$ cm/s and the velocities increased as the inclination angle did. In the numerical experiment, CFD-ACE+, a commercial program, was used, the velocities had similar values with experimental results. As the inclination angle and the contact angle increased, the interfacial velocities did because of the surface tension which causes to move the interface. The effect of inclination angle was larger in the converging channels than in straight channels.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1424-1431
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• 2004

With traditional experimental methods such as the secondary fluid (e.g., water) calorimetric method, it is very difficult to accurately test the local condensation heat transfer inside mini-channels. Hence, there are large discrepancies between the results of previous studies. The experimental methods as well as unidentified sources of uncertainties could be reasons for such discrepancies. In this study, innovative experimental techniques were developed to measure the in-tube condensation heat transfer coefficient. With these techniques, very low heat dissipation rates such as several watts from the mini-channel could be estimated and low mass flow rates below the 0.1 ㎏/h could be measured with reasonable uncertainties. To the authors' knowledge, these techniques provide a unique experimental apparatus for measuring the condensation heat transfer coefficients inside the sub-millimeter hydraulic diameter single channels.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.1458-1463
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• 2004

By using unique experimental techniques and careful construction of the experimental apparatus, the characteristics of the local heat transfer were investigated using the condensing R134a two-phase flow, in horizontal single mini-channels. The circular channels ($D_h=0.493$, 0.691, and 1.067 mm) and rectangular channels ($D_h=0.494$, 0.658, and 0.972 mm) were tested and compared. Tests were performed for a mass flux of 100, 200, 400, and 600 $kg/m^2s$, a heat flux of 5 to 20 $kW/m^2$, and a saturation temperature of $40^{\circ}C$. In this study, effect of heat flux, mass flux, vapor qualities, hydraulic diameter, and channel geometry on flow condensation were investigated and the experimental local condensation heat transfer coefficients are shown. The experimental data of condensation Nusselt number are compared with existing correlations.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1432-1439
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• 2004

By using unique experimental techniques and careful construction of the experimental apparatus, the characteristics of the local heat transfer were investigated using the condensing R134a two-phase flow, in horizontal single mini-channels. The circular channels (D$_{h}$=0.493, 0.691, and 1.067 mm) and rectangular channels (Aspect Ratio=1.0, D$_{h}$=0.494, 0.658, and 0.972 mm) were tested and compared. Tests were performed for a mass flux of 100, 200, 400, and 600 kg/$m^2$s, a heat flux of 5 to 20 ㎾/$m^2$, and a saturation temperature of 4$0^{\circ}C$. In this study, effect of heat flux, mass flux, vapor qualities, hydraulic diameter, and channel geometry on flow condensation are investigated and the experimental local condensation heat transfer coefficients are shown. The experimental data of condensation Nusselt number are compared with existing correlations.ons.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2008.11b
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• pp.2583-2588
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• 2008

In the present experimental study, the regime limit and pressure drop of dry-plug flow (dry wall condition at the gas portions of plug flow) in round mini-channels has been investigated. The air-water mixture was flowed through the round mini-channels made of Teflon, where the tube diameters ranged from 1.26 to 2.06 mm. For the present experimental range, with decreasing of the tube diameter, the transition between the plug and slug flows (wet and dry) happened at the higher gas superficial velocity region, which were in good agreement with the previous flow pattern maps tested. On the other hand, the transition between the wet- and dry-plug flows was little affected by the change of the tube diameter. In the pressure drop of dry-plug flows, among the correlations tested, the Lee and Lee's (2008) correlation best fitted the measured pressure drop data within the mean deviation of 10% for the present experimental range.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2007.05b
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• pp.1882-1887
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• 2007

In the present experimental study, the effect of interfacial tensions on pressure drop of air-water two-phase flow in round mini-channels was investigated. A glass (highly wettable) tube and a Teflon (poorly wettable) tube, both in 350 mm length but 1.8 mm and 1.59 mm in inner diameters each, were used for the tests. All the experiments were performed only in the plug flow regime, confirmed by visualization. In the glass tube, the gas plugs were surrounded by the liquid film along the inner periphery. On the other hand, the inner wall remained dry at the gas portion in the Teflon tube. The pressure drop of the plug flow in the Teflon tube without the liquid film) appeared much larger than in the glass tube (with the liquid film) due to dissipation of energy by movement of the wetting lines. In this paper, various correlations on the two-phase pressure drop of plug flows were compared and a modified correlation was proposed, taking account of the surface wettability.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.247-253
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• 2011

An experimental study on performance characteristics of an evaporative heat exchanger based on tests for various operating conditions was presented. The heat exchanger maximizes the heat transfer rate per unit volume by applying mini-channels for both the air and coolant flow paths, and minimizes the amount of the coolant by using its latent heat of evaporation. The heat exchanger was manufactured by etching the flow paths, brazing the heat exchange plates, and welding the in/out ports of the media. The basic performance test has confirmed that the heat exchanger met its design requirements, and the results of the map test were analyzed to produce the performance characteristics quantitatively depending on the air inlet temperature, the air flow rate, and the coolant flow rate.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2010.11a
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• pp.245-253
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• 2010

The present study shows some results of developing evaporative heat exchangers with mini-channels. Heat exchangers with three different water paths were manufactured and tested to compare performances of cooling and pressure drop. Among the three types of heat exchangers, Type 2 with full-etching was proved to be the best in the cooling performances for considered operating conditions, and thus it is recommended to adopt Type 2 for its simplicity of production and outstanding performance. However, Type 1 was shown to be better when it is operated at a high air inlet temperature condition. The developed evaporative heat exchanger will be installed in Environmental Control Systems(ECSs) for aerial vehicles, and it can be used effectively in case an ECS is not only limited in its weight and volume but also required to absorb heats without supplying water (or a coolant) for a certain period of time.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 2009

In order to investigate $CO_2$ heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop by PAG oil concentration during $CO_2$ evaporation, the experiment on evaporation heat transfer characteristics in a mini-channels were performed. The experimental apparatus consisted of a test section, a DC power supply, a heater, a chiller, a mass flow meter, a pump and a measurement system. Experiment was conducted for various mass fluxes($300{\sim}800kg/m^{2}s$), heat fluxes($10{\sim}40kW/m^2$) saturation temperatures($-5{\sim}5^{\circ}C$), and PAG oil concentration(0, 3, 5wt%). The variation of the heat transfer coefficient was different according to the oil concentration. With the increase of the oil concentration, the evaporation heat transfer coefficient decreased and the delay of dryout by oil addition was found. Pressure drop increased with the increase of the oil concentration and heat flux, and the decrease of saturation temperature.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.22 no.10
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• pp.710-718
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• 2010

A numerical study was performed to predict refrigerant charge amount in a mini-channel condenser for a R410A residential air-conditioning system. Multi-channel flat tubes with 12 mini-channels of 1.17 mm average hydraulic diameter for each tube were applied to the condenser. The condenser consisted of 3 passes, and the first, second, and third pass had 44, 19, and 11 tubes, respectively. Each pass was connected by a vertical header. In this study, the condenser was divided into 410 finite volumes, and analyzed by an $\varepsilon$-NTU method. With thermophysical properties and void fraction models for each volume element, the R410A amount distribution and a total charge amount in the condenser were calculated. The predicted total charge amount was compared with the experimentally measured charge amount under a standard ARI A condition. The developed model could predict the charge amount in the mini-channel condenser within prediction errors from -23.9% to -3.0%. Air velocity distribution at the condenser face was considered as non-uniform and uniform by the simulation model, and its results showed that the air velocity distribution could significantly influence the charge amount and vapor phase distribution in the condenser.