NUMERICAL AND

EXPERIMENTAL
INVESTIGATION ON AN
ADIBATIC CAPIILARRY
TUBE WITH
ALTERNATIVE
REFRIGERANTS

DEPARTMENT
OF
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
GOVT. COLLEGE OF
ENGINEERING
AMRAVATI 444 604

BYSHREYAS V.
LOKHANDE
BHUSHAN G. PATIL

Study Of Refrigerants

Numerical Investigation On A
Capillary Tube

PROJECT
AGENDA

Experimental Setup

Experimental Investigation On A
Capillary Tube.

Conclusion

Scope Of The Project

Study of refrigerants
Refrigeran
t

Boiling Point
(C)

Flammability

ODP

GWP

Study
Of
R12
-29.8Refrigerants
A1
0.82

10600

R22

-41.4

A1

0.03
4

1700

R32

-51.7

A1

550

R134a

-26.1

A1

1300

R152

-24

A2

120

RE170

-24.8

A3

R600a

-11.7

A3

20

R290

-42.2

A3

20

R125

-54.6

A1

3400

R404

-46.6

A1

3800

R407

-54.6

A1

3900

R410

-51.6

A1

1700

Numerical
Investigation

Fig. Variation of COP vs. evaporator

temperature for refrigerant R22,
R410, R134a, R152, R32 and
R152+R134a

Fig. Variation of refrigerating effect

vs. evaporating temperature for
refrigerant R22, R410, R134a,
R152a, R32 and Mixture R152+
134a resp.

Fig. Variation of compressor work w.r.t. evaporating temperature for

refrigerant R22, R410, R134a, R152a, R32 and Mixture R152+ 134a
resp.

Fig. Variation of Pressure ratio w.r.t evaporating effect for

refrigerant R22, R410, R134a, R152a, R32 and Mixture R152+
134a respectively.

12
R22
R32
R152a
R134
R134a+R15
2
(50%/50%)
R134a+R15
2a
(70%/30%)
R134+R152
(30%/70%)

10
8
6
COP
4
2
0
-15

-10
-5
0
5
10
evparator temperature ,C

Comparison
w.r.t.
R22

15

Refrigerant

At -15C

At -5C

R152a

3.193

3.164

R134a

-2.614

-1.594

R32

-2.76

-3.031

R134a+R152
(50%/50%)

1.37

1.849

R134a+R152
(30%/70%)

2.756

3.199

R134a+R152

-1.134

-0.74

Experimental Setup

Main Components
1.
2.
3.
4.

Compressor :
Fan cooled condenser
Rotameter
Capillary Tube
We have used 4 different types of capillary tubes
d= 0.055inch / 1.397mm , L=0.75m
d=0.064inch / 1.62mm , L=1m
d=0.070inch / 1.778mm , L=1m
d=0.090inch / 2.286mm , L=2m

5.

Evaporator.

Other Components
Refrigerant used: R22, R410, R134a
Compressor oil for R22 and R410 - Mineral oil
For R134a - POE oil
Energy meters
12 Thermocouples
4 pressure gauges

Experimental
Results

Fig: Variation of pressure ratio with capillary

tube diameter

Fig: Variation of mass flow rate with capillary tube

diameter

Fig: Variation of pressure drop with capillary

tube diameter

Fig: Variation of refrigerating effect vs.

capillary tube diameter

Figure 4.5: Variation of compressor work

w.r.t. Capillary tube diameter

Figure 4.6: Comparison of COP vs.

capillary tube diameter

Fig. Variation of Pressure ratio

Fig. Variation of Compressor work

Fig.Variation of COP

Conclusion
R152a

refrigerant Is better replacement to R134a

refrigerant in refrigeration and air-conditioning
systems
Mass flow rate is highest for R134a when 0.070
capillary is used
COP is approximately same for R134a and R22 on
both capillary tubes
Pressure drop & Pressure ratio decreases as
capillary diameter increases and is highest in case
of R410
Experimental value of COP was less than numerical
as losses were not considered in numerical
investigation
The results of both experimental and computational
are approximate
Hence the computational results are validated with
experimental results

Scope of the
project
Currently

the R22 is used as refrigerant

in the refrigeration systems which as
0.034 ODP and 10600 GWP, so it needs
a replacement
R134 and 152a are alternative
refrigerants in the refrigeration systems
according to our theoretical
investigation
Further study can bring out new
refrigerants in this field which will serve
boon to society
Also good capillary tube designs gives
best results on alternative refrigerants

Referances
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)
17)
18)
19)
20)

B.O. Bolaji, M.A. Akintunde, and T.O. Falade

Comparative Analysis of Performance of Three Ozone-Friends HFC Refrigerants in a Vapour
Compression Refrigerator
Mahmoud Ghodbane
An Investigation of R152a and Hydrocarbon Refrigerants in Mobile Air Conditioning
N. S. N. S .
Estimation of Possibility of Usage of Quasiazeotropic Mixture R134a/R152a in Refrigerating
Engineering
A.Baskaran, P.Koshy Mathews
Thermal analysis of vapour compression refrigeration system with R152a and its blends R429A,
R430A, R431A and R435A
Pressure drop of pure HFC Refrigerant and their mixture flowing in capillary tubes s.d chand
Lorentzen G. Revival of carbon dioxide as a refrigerant. Int J Refrig 1994;17:292300.
Bansal PK, Rupasinghe AS. A homogeneous model for adiabatic capillary tubes. Appl Thermal Eng
1998;18:20719.
Gu B, Li Y, Wang Z, et al. Analysis on the adiabatic flow of R407C in capillary tube. Appl Thermal
Eng 2003;23:187180.
Chen Y, Gu J. Non-adiabatic capillary tube flow of carbon dioxide in a novel refrigeration cycle.
Appl Thermal Eng 2005;25:167083.
Khan MK, Kumar R, Sahoo PK. Flow characteristics of refrigerants flowing through capillary tubes
a review. Appl Thermal Eng 2009;29:142639.
Park C, Lee S, Kang H, et al. Experimentation and modelling of refrigerant flow through coiled
capillary tube. Int J Refrig 2007;30:116875.
Valladares G. Numerical simulation and experimental validation of coiled adiabatic capillary tubes.
Appl Thermal Eng 2007;27:106271.
Madsen KB, Poulsen CS, Wiesenfarth M. Study of capillary tubes in a transcritical CO2 refrigeration
system. Int J Refrig 2005;28:12128.
Silva DL, Hermes CJL, Melo C, et al. A study of transcritical carbon dioxide flow through adiabatic
capillary tubes. Int J Refrig 2009;32:97887.
Hermes CJH, Silva DL, Melo C, et al. Algebraic solution of transcritical carbon dioxide flow through
adiabatic capillary tube. Int J Refrig 2009;32:9737.
Agrawal N, Bhattacharyya S. Adiabatic capillary tube flow of carbon dioxide in a transcritical heat
pump cycle. Int J Energy Res 2007;31:101630.