Experimental and numerical research on the impact of design solutions on the internal heat exchanger operating parameters
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24425/ather.2025.156843Abstract
Research aimed at increasing the efficiency of heat exchangers used in car air conditioning systems may lead to modifications in the design of refrigeration systems. One such modification involves the use of smaller gas coolers, which directly reduces the overall production costs. This study presents an experimental investigation into the impact of constructional solutions on the performance of an internal heat exchanger using propylene glycol as a refrigerant. Two internal heat exchangers with different outer channel geometries were analysed. The experimental study was complemented by numerical simulations using the computational fluid dynamics method. The results showed that modifying the outer channel geometry from a parallel to a twisted configuration led to a 5.06% increase in cooling efficiency, a reduction of the outlet temperature by 2.2°C and a nearly 72 W increase in the total heat exchange rate. Numerical simulations confirmed the experimental findings, demonstrating good agreement with the measured data.References
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