4670 – A Comparative Study of Shell-Side Condensation on Integral-Fin Tubes with R-114 and R-236ea PDF

A test facility was constructed to perform shell-side condensation testing, and test results are presented for CFC-114 and HFC-236ea using a plain, a 1024 fpm, and a 1575 fpm tube surface. Condensation coefficient data are presented for both saturated and superheated refrigerant vapor on a single test tube. The heat flux range for the data was 15,000 to 40,000 W/m2 at a saturation temperature of 40 C (104 F). The results of this study show that the two refrigerants produced similar performance characteristics in shell-side condensation on integral-fin tubes. The data also show that the 1024 fpm tube performed slightly better with R-236ea than with R-114. The 1575 fpm tube demonstrated the same trend in the higher heat flux range. The shell-side condensation heat transfer coefficient results for superheated vapor were similar to the saturated results. Specifically, the superheated vapor data for the finned tubes were within 7% of the saturated vapor results.

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