Microchannel heat exchangers are already used in many branches of science and technology. Refrigeration equipment is no exception, and we are not only talking about air conditioning – a big stake is placed on microchannel heat exchangers in cooling microelectronics.
The solution to various challenges
With the solution of the problems associated with the use of these innovative devices as evaporators, one should expect the transition of all climatic equipment to heat exchange sections of a new type. Another promising area of their application is heating equipment, for example, air curtains operating on hot water.
A traditional microchannel heat exchanger can also be converted to microchannel technology, provided that the media exchanging thermal energy are clean enough not to contaminate the microchannels.
Assessing compactness
As for the compactness, it is interesting to note the following fact. At the moment, refrigeration equipment manufacturers do not yet produce units designed specifically for microchannel heat exchangers. As a rule, we are talking about a line of chillers or remote condensers, which, at the request of the customer, can be equipped with condensers of one type or another.
Therefore, it is not possible to visually assess the compactness of microchannel heat exchangers. It is known that the dimensions of chillers depend on the standard size of the base frame, and on the same frame, equipment of different capacities can be mounted.
Ways to improve efficiency
The disadvantage of existing methods for increasing the efficiency of microchannel heat exchangers is the need to use complex technological processes for creating a microrelief on a heat exchange surface. The traditional way to increase the efficiency of heat transfer in microchannel heat exchangers is to reduce the size of heat exchange channels with an increase in their number and create a microrelief on the surface of the channels.
