Visualization study on the uniformity of refrigerant distribution in parallel multi-channels

Heat pump technology is a battery thermal management with considerable potential and which has obvious advantages in environmental adaptability energy saving. The small-channel heat exchanger an important part of the system, uniformity two-phase refrigerant header branch channels one key issues that restrict performance system. In this paper, flow visualization phase separation experimental platform, R1233zd(E) as working fluid, was established to study distribution small parallel multi-channels (3 mm). Three inlet configurations are designed, two types operating conditions tested. Moreover, gas-liquid boundary extracted calculate average void fraction based on OpenCV graphics processing function libraries. conclusions current follows: (1) under lower method improved by 50–90% compared middle upper methods. (2) A superior can be achieved quality (0.01) mass flux (300 kg/(m2•s)). (3) each channel almost always positively correlated pressure gradient.