EFFECT OF TUBE PASS RATIOS AND FLOW PASS CONFIGURATIONS ON THE THERMAL AND HYDRAULIC PERFORMANCE OF THE ALUMINIUM MINI-CHANNEL HEAT EXCHANGER

Aluminium mini-channel heat exchanger or in short MCHX is gaining much
popularity in the field of HVAC&R. MCHX is a suitable choice to replace
conventional fin-tube condensers due to its high heat transfer area per unit volume,
lightweight and resistance to galvanic corrosion. Dueto the high energy consumption
of air conditioners, it has become almost mandatory for design engineers to come out
with energy efficient equipment. In view ofthis, a research work has been carried out
to determine the effectof different flow pass configurations and tube pass ratios to the
thermal and hydraulic performance of MCHX and to come out with an optimum
MCHX design. A numerical simulation using known correlations for condensing
coefficient and pressure drop on the refrigerant side was carried out.