International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol.67, 404-415, 2013
Pressure wave propagation during the condensation process of the R404A refrigerant in mini-condenser under periodic hydrodynamic disturbances
Hydrodynamic disturbances often occur during the condensation process of the refrigerant in the minichannels of a compact refrigeration condenser. These disturbances are periodic, accompanied by the propagation of the pressure wave. The present study is dedicated to modeling the propagation velocity of this wave in the two-phase medium during the condensation of the R404A refrigerant and the pressure wave attenuation. The pressure wave propagation model was presented and the model calculations were compared with the results of the experiments; a satisfactory compliance was obtained. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.