ScienceAsia 28 (2002) :071-076 |doi: 10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.2002.28.071

Pressure Distribution of Refrigerant Flow in an Adiabatic Capillary Tube

Pakawat Kritsadathikarn, Tirawat Songnetichaovalit, Noppadon Lokathada and Somchai Wongwises^*

ABSTRACT: This paper presents the results from a numerical study on the local pressure distribution of some common traditional and alternative refrigerants flowing in adiabatic capillary tubes. The present model developed from the basic conservation law of mass, energy and momentum includes various relevant parameters. A homogeneous flow model is used in the two-phase flow region. Numerical results show that the alternative refrigerants used as examples in the present study consistently give higher pressure gradients than the traditional refrigerants.The present model can be used to simulate and compare the flow characteristics of the other refrigerants. It may be also an important tool for selecting the length of the capillary tube used in household refrigerators and freezers for given operating conditions.

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Fluid Mechanics, Thermal Engineering and Multiphase Flow Research Laboratory (FUTURE), Department of Mechanical Engineering, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi,
Bangmod, Bangkok 10140, Thailand.


* Corresponding author, E-mail: somchai.won@kmutt.ac.th

Received 7 Dec 2000, Accepted 20 Aug 2001