Prediction of thermal potentials of multi-panel refrigerant heated radiator based on a mathematical model considering refrigerant flow distribution

The refrigerant-heated radiator (RHR) is an efficient and feasible heating terminal for space heating. In order to improve the efficiency of RHR, a multi-panel RHR was proposed in this paper. To investigate the thermal potentials of the multi-panel RHR, a heat transfer and pressure drop model of the multi-panel RHR was established. To predict the refrigerant flow distribution of the multi-panel RHR effectively, a hydraulic model was established. Combining the hydraulic model with the heat transfer and pressure drop model, a comprehensive mathematical model of the multi-panel RHR was set up. The feasibility and effectiveness of the mathematical model were validated with experimental data. The thermal potential of the multi-panel RHR was investigated with the mathematical model. The results indicated that the ratio of radiation to convection of the multi-panel RHR is 10.2%. Meanwhile, the refrigerant flow rate that makes the outlet refrigerants of all panels in the supercooled region is limited. Once the refrigerant flow rate reaches the limit value, the pressure drop of the RHR will increase rather than the heating capacity. Therefore, the predictions of the limited flow rate of RHR under different condensation temperatures are conducted, and relevant regressions can be extended to the RHR with more panels. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.