Experimental study of the gravity effect on the distribution of refrigerant flow in a multi-pass condenser

Gravity in multi-pass condensers affects the refrigerant flow rate distribution, owing to the gravitational pressure drop that occurs mainly in the U-bend tubes in fin and tube condensers with horizontal tubes. This effect was studied using an experimental approach. A condenser with two ‘nU’ circuits was selected, and the temperature variation of the refrigerant side was measured and compared along each circuit. The critical air velocity, which indicated the initiation of the gravity effect, was found for a given refrigerant flow rate. As the air velocity increased beyond the critical air velocity, the gravity effect (or mal-distribution of the refrigerant flow) developed further. Similarly, the critical refrigerant flow rate was also determined for a given air velocity. As the refrigerant flow rate decreased below the critical refrigerant flow rate, the gravity effect also developed further. The gravity-affected region was shown in the table with rows of air velocities and columns of refrigerant flow rates, and expressed using a single parameter for a given refrigerant flow circuit.