Comparison of Performance of a Residential Air-Conditioning System Using Microchannel and Fin-and-Tube Heat Exchanger
Year: 2006
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: In this study the seasonal performance of a residential air conditioning system having either a fin-and-tube condenser or a microchannel condenser is experimentally investigated.Microchannel heat exchangers offer a higher volumetric heat exchange capacity and a reduced refrigerant charge amount.However, the operating characteristics and the seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) of the residential air conditioning system using a microchannel condenser have not been well known.For this investigation, a commercially available 7 kW capacity residential air conditioning system having a fin-and-tube condenser served as the base system.After testing the base unit with the fin-and-tube condenser, the condenser was replaced by a microchannel heat exchanger with the same face area under identical test conditions.The test results show that the system with a microchannel heat exchanger has a reduced refrigerant charge amount of 10%, the coefficient of performance increased by 6% to 10%, and the SEER increased by 7% as compared with those of the base system.Moreover, the condensing pressure of the system is decreased by 100 kPa and the pressure drop across the condenser is decreased by 84%.The microchannel heat exchanger enhances the SEER of the residential air conditioning system by providing better heat transfers at reduced pressure drops.
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1480048006