Full Description

Industrial, commercial, and residential refrigeration systems incorporate two-phase flow in their evaporators and condensers, where the pressure and temperature of refrigerant are typically controllable. However, if the rate of phase-change increases drastically for any reason, pressure spikes and shock waves may be generated in a very short period of time. Depending on the pressure, temperature, surrounding conditions, and mechanical integrity of the system, these incidents can be very destructive. In this study, complex two-phase sudden evaporation and condensation phenomena such as Condensation Induced Shock (CIS), Vapor-Propelled Liquid Slug (VPLS), Condensation Induced Water Hammer (CIWH), Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE), and Boiling Liquid Compressed Bubble Explosion (BLCBE) pertaining to HVACR systems are reviewed and discussed. A case study is reviewed with an estimate of the magnitude of pressure spikes for possible scenarios that may occur in HVACR systems. Recommendations for system design are proposed to mitigate the damage that might occur due to these rapid phase-change phenomena.

Citation: ASHRAE Papers CD: 2014 ASHRAE Annual Conference, Seattle, WA

Product Details

Published: 2014 Number of Pages: 7File Size: 1 file , 1.8 MB Product Code(s): D-SE-14-C015