Evaluation of optimal thermal-hydraulic characteristics ratio in microchannel heat exchangers

摘要

In this paper, an analytical method of microchannel heat exchanger characteristics optimization is described. An objective function that combines thermal-hydraulic and constructive parameters of a heat-exchanger such as number, diameter, and length of channels, was developed. Limitations on its application were determined. Influence of these parameters on the function's value was analyzed. It is demonstrated that for each fixed amount of microchannels and its length, an optimal channel diameter exists. Formulas for optimal ratio of length, diameter, and number of microchannels evaluation were derived. It was shown that the maximum value of the objective function corresponds to a thin heat exchange matrix that consists of a large number of short channels with small diameter.