State of the art in R&D of aluminium mini- and micro-channel heat exchangers - update

摘要

Heat exchangers are, besides expansion devices and compressors, the most important components of any refrigeration and air conditioning system. Achieving low temperature differences between the two fluid streams inside each heat echanger is crucial regarding energy efficiency whereas refrigerant side volume is influencing refrigerant charge of the system. Both energy efficiency and refrigerant charge play an important role when trying to reduce a systems potential contribution to global warming. Mini- and Micro-Channel heat exchangers are able to address both features. They reduce temperature differences and hence increase system efficiency while reducing refrigerant charge at the same time. Improving these two features through better fluid distribution, enhanced surfaces and new materials or structures has been the focus of R&D in Mini- and Micro-Channel heat exchangers. But also exploring new applications such as thermal energy storage with Phase change material loaded heat exchangers are new R&D topics.