Browsing by Author "Benim, AC"

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    Prediction of heat and fluid flow in microchannel condensation
    Basaran, A; Benim, AC; Yurddas, A
    The condensing flow inside the microchannel has gained importance as the microchannel heat exchangers are widely used in the industry. In this study, a number of numerical simulations on condensing flow inside the microchannel were conducted to investigate heat transfer characteristic. Circular microchannel geometries with the various diameters were considered. The Volume of Fluid model was used to model two-phase flow. The phase change at the saturation temperature was modeled by the Lee model. In the considered geometries, different from the conventional channels, surface tension forces can be important compared to other forces. Therefore, surface tension was considered in the simulations. Constant wall heat flux and constant saturation temperature were applied as simulation conditions, similar to actual operating conditions. The predictions were validated by comparisons with the experimental results that exist in the literature. A satisfactory agreement of the present predictions with the experimental data was observed.
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    Numerical Simulation of the Condensation Flow of the Isobutane (R600a) inside Microchannel
    Basaran, A; Benim, AC; Yurddas, A
    A numerical investigation of the condensing flow of isobutane inside microchannel has been performed. Impact of mass flux, hydraulic diameter, and vapor quality on the heat transfer rate and pressure drop is determined. To this purpose, steady-state numerical simulations of condensation flow of isobutane have been performed at mass fluxes ranging from 200 to 600 kg/m(2)s inside a single circular microchannel with varying diameter. Similar to the usual operation conditions, the simulations have been conducted for constant saturation temperature and constant wall heat flux as the thermal boundary condition. The proposed model has been based on the volume of fluid approach, which is an interface tracking method. The Lee model has been used to model the phase change mass transfer at the interface. A verification study has been performed by comparing the proposed model results with the experimental and visual data available in the literature. The currently available correlations are assessed by comparisons with the simulation results. Based on the presently validated simulations, a new correlation has been proposed for the heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop of isobutane condensing flow inside small-scale channels. This is a novel aspect of the present paper, since such a correlation does not yet exist.
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    Condensation Flow of Refrigerants Inside Mini and Microchannels: A Review
    Basaran, A; Benim, AC
    Nowadays, the demand for obtaining high heat flux values in small volumes has increased with the development of technology. Condensing flow inside mini- and microchannels has been becoming a promising solution for refrigeration, HVAC, air-conditioning, heat pumps, heat pipes, and electronic cooling applications. In these applications, employing mini/microchannels in the condenser design results in the working fluid, generally refrigerant, undergoing a phase change inside the mini/microchannels. On the other hand, the reduction in the hydraulic diameter during condensation gives rise to different flow regimes and heat transfer mechanisms in the mini- and microchannels compared to the conventional channels. Therefore, the understanding of fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics during condensation of refrigerant inside mini- and microchannels has been gaining importance in terms of condenser design. This study presents a state-of-the-art review of condensation studies on refrigerants inside mini- and microchannels. The review includes experimental studies as well as correlation models, which are developed to predict condensation heat transfer coefficients and pressure drop. The refrigerant type, thermodynamical performance, and compatibility, as well as the environmental effects of refrigerant, play a decisive role in the design of refrigeration systems. Therefore, the environmental impacts of refrigerants and current regulations against them are also discussed in the present review.
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    Development of Correlations Based on CFD Study for Microchannel Condensation Flow of Environmentally Friendly Hydrocarbon Refrigerants
    Basaran, A; Benim, AC
    A CFD simulation of the condensation flow of R600a and R290 within microchannels was conducted to explore the effect of mass flux, hydraulic diameter, and vapour quality on heat transfer rate and pressure drop. Data obtained from CFD simulations were used to develop new heat transfer and pressure drop correlations for the condensation flows of R600a and R290, which are climate-friendly refrigerants. Steady-state numerical simulations of condensation flow of refrigerants were carried out inside a single circular microchannel with diameters varying between 0.2 and 0.6 mm. The volume of fluid approach was used in the proposed model, calculating the interface phase change using the Lee model. The CFD simulation model was validated via a comparison of the simulation results with the experimental data available in the literature. It is found that the newly developed Nu number correlation shows a deviation, with an Ave-MAE of 11.16%, compared to those obtained by CFD simulation. Similarly, the deviation between friction factors obtained by the newly proposed correlation and those obtained by CFD simulation is 20.81% Ave-MAE. Widely recognized correlations that are applicable to the condensation of refrigerants within small-scale channels were also evaluated by comparing newly developed correlations. It is concluded that the newly proposed correlation has a higher accuracy in predicting the heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop. This situation can contribute to the creation of a sustainable system via the use of microchannels and climate-friendly refrigerants, like R600a and R290.