EXPERIMENTAL VALIDATION OF A MINI-CHANNEL MULTI-TUBE AMMONIA/WATER ABSORPTION/DESORPTION MODEL

Mini-channel technology is a promising solution in a world where there is a growing demand for product miniaturization. In this paper the pressure drop characteristics and heat transfer performance of a prototype multi-tube mini-channel heat exchanger is investigated. Experimental data for both single phase water flows and two-phase ammonia/water mixture flows are reported. For the two-phase flows, absorption takes place in the shell side and desorption takes place in the tube side. An attempt is made to create a mathematical model which can predict the performance of the multi-tube mini-channel exchanger. Both empirical correlations and analytical derivations of conservation equations are used to identify which gives the best agreement with the experimental data.