Microchannel heat exchangers
The air conditioning industry faces a constant challenge to provide higher effi ciency levels and greater equipment reliability. This challenge is even more diffi cult to meet when the goal is simultaneously to maintain equipment size and limit potential cost impact. Previous engineering solutions designed to satisfy these requirements have typically included such changes as improving individual components (e.g. higher effi ciency compressors) or increasing the overall heat transfer surface area (e.g. a larger coil) to boost thermal performance. However, each of these enhancements tends to increase equipment size, cost, or both. An alternative solution for air conditioning applications is microchannel heat exchanger (MCHX) technology for condenser coil design. This heat exchanger technology has been widely used in the automotive industry for many years, with considerable success. When compared to traditional coil technology, microchannel technology benefi ts include: - Heat transfer and thermal performance improved by 10% - 20% lower air-side pressure drop - Refrigerant charge reduced by between 20 and 40% - 50% reduction of coil weight - Increased reliability as a result of better corrosion resistance - No increase in chiller cost