System and CFD Simulation Based Refrigerant Circuitry Optimization of a Dual-System Condenser

Abstract:

Refrigerant circuitry of the dual-system condenser in a roof-top air-conditioning unit was optimized using refrigeration system and CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations. CFD simulation of airflow was carried out to obtain the frontal velocity distribution of the condenser. Refrigeration system simulation was used to design refrigerant circuitry of the condenser and predict the system performance. The proposed circuitry design was evaluated at both component and system levels. At the component level, results indicated a 24.1% increase on the heat transfer rate of new condenser in comparison with the original design. At the system level, the cooling capacity and COP were improved by 3.6% and 8.1%, respectively, when only one system was running. The proposed method can be widely applied to this type of air-cooled products.